We look forward to travelling together, and our expectations are high. Sometimes the reality of travelling with our spouse does not meet those expectations, and every little thing that annoys us brings us home disappointed. Together you can work on changing the outcome even before the first item is booked.
We will look at seven simple tips to help you as you plan and experience every moment of your trip together. It takes two to create the perfect holiday, and as you spend time communicating, you can practice patience while setting expectations and learn to laugh even through those moments when things might go wrong. Knowing your roles can allow you the freedom you desire to make the trip unforgettable.
Travelling with your spouse comes with all kinds of expectations, and it is when those expectations are not met that issues can arise within you as a couple, and your trip becomes less remarkable. But those expectations don’t have to be the end of a beautiful holiday. With a few simple tips, the words “let’s go” can fill you with reasonable expectations and excitement.
From the moment you start planning your trip, you can start working together and plan a holiday filled with comprise that allows both of you room to enjoy your time. Will everything go perfectly? Probably not, but you can work through anything together with a teamwork mindset and maybe even find things to make you smile and laugh.
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Let us take a deeper dive into these seven tips.
together in Salzburg
#1. Communication
Communication is key to life, and travelling together is no different. Make time early on in the planning process to talk about the trip and find out what each person would like to see and do. Budget, length of stay and other significant details should be shared to help build excitement for the holiday.
As the trip progresses, keep talking and sharing what is going on; remember, you can make changes, work out compromises, and face any challenges. But to do it effectively, you should keep communication open and honest. If you are looking for more, check out The couple communication guide.
#2. It takes twoÂ
You are creating this itinerary together; as you plan and work out the roles you will take on, remember that compromise may need to become your new travel companion. No couple ever shares all the same interests.Â
When planning a trip, it is essential to find ways to bring in activities that feed both your interests. Sharing these activities not only tells your spouse that they matter, but they may help push you out of your comfort zone and give you something amazing to talk about for years to come. Taking the time to work together will ensure you both enjoy your time away.
 #3. PatienceÂ
In the last section, we talked about including each person’s interests, and sometimes, if it is not your interest, you may need to be patient and allow the other person to enjoy their moment. They will have times they will have to do the same for you.Â
Things are not always familiar when we are in a new country or place, and it may take a moment to figure things out. Mistakes may be made, and solutions may need to be found.Â
Remember to err is human, and you are in this together for better or worse; placing blame or making someone pay for a mistake will not help anyone or anything, but with patience and teamwork, you have more chance of finding the solution.
 #4. Roles
Whether you are aware of it or not, you both have roles to play in a holiday. One of you may be the primary organiser, booker and all things admin, and the other might be the muscle. I know many couples who divide things so simply, but as you work together to include both interests, these roles may change.Â
You could divide other parts of the trip, like who packs the electronics. Maybe the bigger foodie could look into some food experiences.
Knowing your roles and encouraging each other in those roles is another way to build each other up.
#5. Set Expectations
How often have you come home from a trip and felt that your expectations had not been met? A few years ago, we had a holiday; we came home exhausted because I had overstuffed our itinerary. It was a great holiday, but we learnt that this was not our style of travel. As we dissected the feelings, we found our expectations had not been met and made changes for future trips to fit our expectations.
Take the time to communicate what you both expect from the trip, ask lots of questions and come up with ways you can both work towards realistic expectations. Making successful changes is possible when you know each other’s expectations.
#6. When things go wrong
Not every trip will go smoothly. You will often deal with something going wrong, like losing passports, missing flights, having accommodation or an activity cancelled, being pickpocketed, or having an accident. These things will somehow impact your trip, but how you deal with them will have lasting effects on your relationship. Remember you are in travelling together, and even though it could be easy and maybe justified to blame one spouse, it will not help the situation or the person. Two heads are better than one, and a little love goes a long way to finding the needed solution.
Making an apology can be hard, but never hold off making things right if you can. The sooner you make peace, the sooner you can get on making amazing memories on the same team.
#7. Laugh and have fun
Lastly, Laugh and have fun; Sometimes, we can get so focussed on the itinerary or the logistics of getting places we forget to enjoy the moment. You have poured your heart and soul into creating a fantastic itinerary; you have worked to include activities you both enjoy.Â
It would be a shame to forget to enjoy the fruits of your labour.Â
After our overstuffed itinerary, we have the saying make room in our itinerary to chill, and this rule gives us the chance to slow things down to enjoy the moment and make room to laugh.
What are some tips or lessons you have learned as you travel with your spouse?
Do you have a rule that helps you plan or execute your travels?
