Travelling With Your Significant Other (so)

I think I've mentioned this before somewhere already, but not everyone probably saw it, so here it goes. I've recently began travelling, and mostly did it with my girlfriend. I honestly think that it made my explorations so much better. You just get to know the person when your camping under the stars or sightseeing in a foreign country.

I did travel alone a bit, and I like that as well, but I highly prefer travelling with my SO.

So, what about you guys?

 

I think one of the best ways to get the most out of a trip is through sharing the experience with someone. My girlfriend started coming on some trips with me after I went alone for quite a number of times. Our bond really got stronger as we both were learning new cultures and getting to meet new people and all that. What was even more interesting is how we started understanding each other more so lots of other things changed like communication and hanging out with her parents some weekends (which I really disliked before). Taking your partner is a sure winner.

 

Whenever I am on leisure trip I always take my family with me. Usually it will be in a group of other families and that is really a very pleasant experience. I believe it is too selfish to leave our families at home and enjoy ourselves. Our spouse, kids and parents have all the right to enjoy life. I really love to spend time with them on weekends and on leisure trips.

But when on official trips I need to travel alone and that is just boring. Its OK if we have our colleagues with us. Otherwise, traveling alone for me is a disaster.

 

The first time I got these feelings of boredom and just like something was missing was a 5 day trip to Cuba. It was amazing in terms of the scenery, culture and people but I was so alone. Especially when I went back to the hotel room after going on city tours with other visitors. I had no one to connect with. Even after I came back home and tried to create a picture of the architecture, nice old cars and how nice the Cuban people were, I just could not present an image that would bring them to understand of how exciting my trip was. Traveling alone is not always a best option.

 

Well put, that's exactly what I wanted to say. It's also pretty close to my experience.
It looks like it's a no-brainer to get your partner to go with you, if that's a possibility.

Agreed. Taking those who we care about (partners, kids, friends, family) usually rewards us with a far richer experience.

Wouldn't know about business travels, I'm not at that stage yet, haha! But I'm working towards it. I only know that it'd probably be sheer awesomeness to suit up and go fly first class, while drinking whisky, for example. One day, hopefully.

 

Well it's always good to hope. Keep on traveling how you can and if you keep that flying first class on your mind you're gonna get it. When you come to think of it, not all first class trips are really expensive. If you check out deals or try to find mileage brokers, you may just end up paying close to a regular fare for first class.

 

It all really depends, I think! I really feel that travel can put a lot of pressure on relatonships (it's stressful at times, it can require a whole lot of planning and so forth!) but I guess it's a good barometer as to whether the relationship will work long term or not. I mean, if you can get through a trip and still be happy to see each other at the end of it, that has to be a good sign! Plus, it's lovely to make memories with your significant other when you're visiting amazing places in the world!

 

The type of the tour actually determines the people accompanying you.

Many of my tours are work related, where it is either alone or sometimes with the colleagues.

However, if it is a planned family event, the significant other will always be there. Here, in India, all the family members are significant. So, if the tour is meant to spend a holiday together, there will be spouse, children, and the parents, as said by @travelguide .

 

I think travelling can be enjoyed both on your own and also with a partner. When I was younger I often went on holiday with just friends or sometimes on my own leaving my girlfriend as she was back then behind.

As we've got older, married and settled down we now travel together and enjoy each others company more. I find that experiencing new things together brings you both closer together as a couple and can help strengthen the relationship.

 

Travelling with your significant other can be very interesting and exciting, but that depends on how you and your significant other is. Some people are more adventurous than others, and when it comes to vacations, being adventurous is very important - that way you can maximize the experience you're getting on your vacation. So there's that. But yes, I agree, being with your partner can really enhance your trip. Personally I want to go on a vacation with my girlfriend at least once.

 

I am blessed in having an Indian-born wife, so naturally, travelling in India is wonderful when she accompanies me. All potential problems are effortlessly dealt with by her. In other parts of the World, noticably the US and Canada, we work together to ensure we know as much as possible what to expect from our time there. I'll be travelling to India alone early next year for the first time and I've warned my wife that she can expect frequent phone-calls from me as I learn to cope with India without her.

 

I think that is a very valid point that you brought into limelight. Family is an indispensable part of Indians and he/she will always consider family as an important element in holiday tours. But I think there can be exceptions too, but very few cases.

I believe this is true for foreign nationals too. It is evident from the words of @arthnel how much he is attached to his SO. So a trip with your your SO is always a pleasure trip. It is always better to share ideas and feelings together which will only strengthen emotional bonding.

 

One big difference I had with my girlfriend was that she was not as adventurous. So many issues arose whenever I went on a trip. She had issues with my time away from home and my time with friends (when they would go on the trip also). It was as if I was moving through life really fast and she couldn't keep up with all my exciting stories. So it was a good barometer test as to where we were. When she started traveling with me we started a different kind of bonding. The communication and most everything changed. I think she got a lot more opened to cultures and general life. It helped to bring us so much closer.

 

That's awesome! I definitely feel like travel has the ability to do that - to strengthen relationships. It makes you rely on each other, and as much as someone's weaknesses can be emphasized when you travel, so can their strengths.

 

While I agree that travel can strengthen a relationship I also think it can expose weak ones too.

If you can't go travelling and get along with your partner then it might be time to question if they're the right partner for you in the first place.

 

Personally I like travelling alone, but having my boyfriend along isn't very different in terms of the pros I get from being by myself. I need to have people with me who are equally and similarly interested in the place that I'm visiting. I have earlier travelled to many places with a bunch of friends, and more often than not we ended up drinking and chatting in our hotel rooms all day and night. Not my idea of travelling at all. These experiences have put me totally off group travelling. But my boyfriend and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to travelling. The only issue with him is that he sleeps a lot! and that can get annoying at times, lol. Besides bickering over sleeping hours and missing a sunrise and stuff like that, I really love travelling with him.

 

I do all of my travelling with my daughter.I want her to experience all of the places that I get to experience. Ok suppose to be getting married next year, and I plan to add him on in our travel plans. I couldn't imagine having to travel alone.

 

Maybe go travelling with your partner before you get married, just to make sure you get along well enough to get married in the first place, ha!

Me and my girlfriend have had countless arguments when we've been on holiday, nothing serious of course, just the small things like packing a suitcase wrong or forgetting to bring some essentials, things like that.

 

Traveling with your significant other should most definitely be fun. Just ensure you guys have the same interests or are willing to compromise on splitting the trip so both parties have fun.

 

I recently broke up with my girlfriend and I have to say I miss traveling with her the most. Every weekend we used to get in my car and I would just drive until we came across a nice scenery. We loved getting in touch with nature and the local people. Some old man shared some stories with us that still have me laughing to this day.

 

When I travel I always take at least my husband with me, most of the time my kids also. I would hate to travel alone. But my husband has taken a few trips on his own. He's the type of person that once a year getting out and spending a couple of days alone in the wild is needed. I think most people would rather be with someone else, but it's not for everyone.

 

I consider myself an adventurous person. To me, this quality is the most important when it comes to travelling. Whether the person is my girlfriend or a male friend, she/he has to portray this quality. Otherwise, the whole idea of the trip and the trip itself seems doomed. Pretty much that's it!

 

By the way, travelling alone can be awesome If you have some friends/acquaintances in those places you strive to see irl. With their help you can drop your bags off and get the place to sleep for free and then do your own thing.

 

I have never traveled alone and don't know if I could. I love to travel with my friends or my husband. I think it's more enjoyable when you have people to share all the new sights with.

 

When I travel, I really hate being alone. It kind of makes it boring because you can't share the experience with anybody! I always travel with my girlfriend. It makes it that much more worth it. You have somebody to talk to and it's more fun! Anyways, if you were thinking about going alone, bring it up with your significant other or a friend or family, etc.

 

I have been traveling with my better half for several years now. And I do believe that traveling together is a must before getting married. Being in a unfamiliar country and at the same time getting lost with only Chinese letters in sight is a challenge! As I have said before, in stressful moments that bring out your worst moods, the true test lies in how you handle each situation. Will a screaming match take place or will you both be level-headed enough to come up with a solution? This is something that you’ll never know if you consistently travel with other people.

 

I love traveling with my husband. He is so much fun to be around and we always have the best experiences when we go somewhere together.

 

I have to agree with you on this one. With a SO you have a lot more to talk about, plan, and share. I like the idea of traveling with my SO. I have had to make several business trips and spent a week or so after finishing my work. During this time it was hard to be alone and not as much fun. All you have when you return home is memories and some photos to share. Each night you seem to want to talk and talk with them to share your experiences. If they were there it would be so much better.

 

I used to love travelling with my girlfriend. Then we broke up! :'D You'll definitely want to plan some romantic aspects to vacations/adventures when travelling with your significant other- which is something you wouldn't do when travelling alone or with friends, at least I hope not. Travelling is great, whether it's with friends, your SO, or just by yourself- so long as they like travelling too.

 

Very interesting answers, everyone.

Speaking of SO's, my trip to India had to be postponed because of some problems. My girlfriend and I were extremely sad, but fortunately, things have come around, and we can now start planning it again.
Now, onto the subject once more, I found that this change has really made us both more... excited?

We are talking about travels all the time and have even learned some new things of one another from those stories.

I can't wait to travel to India with her.

 

Sorry to hear that your trip has been postponed. But it is best to go when the time is right. I don't mind traveling alone. It would be nice to have a significant other to travel with. I think it would be really romantic and intimate to explore the world with someone else. Make sure you plan well so that things will go smoothly.

 

It's good if your partner has the same hobbies and interests like you. I firmly believe that travelling together can make your relationship stronger. When travelling, you experience a lot of things and you can make wonderful memories together. You may encounter mishaps on your adventures but you'll learn to solve problems together and adapt to any given situation.

 

I would always choose to travel with my significant other. He and I just have sooooooo much in common! We have the same taste in food, and we both love taking photographs of anything, anywhere! I've been with him for 5 years but I think travelling could help me get to know him deeper, if not better. Travelling alone sounds ideal to me but travelling with my partner would be so much better. It's a nice idea that you're in a foreign land and you don't know anyone or anything about the place but at least you're with your partner. So when you're not in the mood to ask locals, he could do it. Lol!

 

There's certainly advantages when it comes to travelling with your partner, and like people have already said, if you have the same interests and hobbies then why not?

That can also work as a disadvantage though aswell in some situations, as sometimes you can be too familiar with a person, and you'll end up relying on them too much instead of making the joint decisions, as I think you should when it comes to travelling.

 

I think it's better when you have someone watching your back while traveling. The world is full of muggers, pickpockets, scam artists, and having someone to look out for you (and with you looking out for them) would make the trips safer, and you won't have to worry as much.

 

Travelling with a companion is always better. if you love tha companion, it is the best. If travelling with a female in India though I suggest making sure her needs are accounted for (proper wash rooms, safety, etc.). Best of luck.

 

Safety is a factor when your going travelling, especially somewhere that you might never have been before so don't know what to expect.

They say safety in numbers, so I'm never sure why you hear about people going backpacking on their own in a foreign country. it just seems to me like a risk not worth taking.

 

When only the two of you know each other and you're both in a foreign land, there's a tendency to get closer and to be more open with each other. I dreamed of traveling with my boyfriend also but we cannot afford it right now. We broke up eight years ago and just got back together again so I would very much like to share traveling experiences and make new memories together. Perhaps someday, I would travel with him and we can go anywhere we want to.

 

I read once that if you ever wish to know if your SO is the one for you or not, the best way to find out is to travel together. As the others mentioned, traveling can expose the good and the bad in each other. Admittedly, traveling won't be the 'ordinary life' when you settle, but just like in regular life, there will be pressure. Some pressure can surface while traveling. How well you guys will agree on a budget can be tested during your days on the road. In your traveling days, you'll see your partner's money management skills as well as how you deal with unfortunate situations.
Outside the test, humans are social beings. Any experience won't be as great if not shared. As for people like me without SO, you still make the most of your travels even without partners. One's life status should not hinder one from experiencing the world.

 

Nothing could be better in the world than travelling with your partner. That experience will either strengthen your bond or break it altogether. Traveling can put you in situations where you're either exhilarating happy or stressed out about travel plans not working out, this will be a great way in knowing your partner, and see if you will be a great team in dealing not only favorable situations but most importantly, the difficult ones.

 

I fondly recall the days when I was traveling with my girlfriend at the time. We got to know a lot of new places and it's great to share those experiences with the ones we love. Meanwhile we had two kids and traveling is now different as it is more expensive and it has to be somewhat kid oriented.

 

Traveling with someone else whether it is a friend, girlfriend, wife, significant other is always part of the fun. Not only getting to share the experience with another person but the closeness that develops is something additional that you just can't get by yourself.

 

When it comes to traveling you start to realize that it is about the shared moments more and more. It is just not the same seeing something on your own versus seeing something with someone that you really care about and love. I would like to think that I am just in the beginning stages of traveling with my wife, and I certainly plan to go as many places as possible with her while I have the chance.

 

In all honesty, I prefer travelling alone because I find the experience more thrilling. I get to do everything I want to do without having to consider it if a traveling partner would agree or not. But I can make an exception when it comes to my significant other. The problem is she doesn't share my enthusiasm for traveling so I find it annoying sometimes. But if she says she wants to tag along in any of my trips, I'd be more than glad to allow her to come along.