Falling in love is amazing. Falling even more in love while travelling, is even better. If you’ve wondered about travelling with your boyfriend (or any partner for that matter), then you’re probably ready to take the leap and explore the next chapter of your relationship. And if that is the case, I am so excited that you are here!
I’m not going to tell you that travelling with your partner is the best thing you can do for your relationship, or give you advice on how to travel with them. This isn’t an article on learning to compromise or learning to listen to one another and value them- because who knows, it could be the worst thing for your relationship. I’m certainly not an expert and I am certainly not in any position to give out that kind of advice.
This is more personal. A no bull-shit recount of how scared I was before embarking blindly on a two-month European journey with my boyfriend of three months. We hadn’t lived together. We hadn’t travelled together. We hadn’t even considered the fact that our relationship could turn into something a bit more serious. We were still new, fresh, high on the energy we were giving each other and stuck in the blissful honeymoon stage.
It could have been a total disaster.
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Planning a trip soon? These are the tools I always use to help make my travel plans a reality!
Book Cheap Flights
Still in the planning stage of your trip? Currently, the best and easiest way to find cheap flights is to use eDreams, Bravofly and Skyscanner. Between them all, you’ll be guaranteed to always find the cheapest flight, anywhere in the world.
Book Your Accommodation
Whether you’re looking for hostels, hotels, guest houses, or resorts Booking.com will always give you the best deals. Sometimes, if I want to stay in a place a little longer, I’ll use Airbnb. You can sign up with Airbnb and get $51 AUD off your first trip!
TIP: For the best hostels, I usually compare reviews on Hostelworld and YHA (when in Australia) then check other booking sites to compare prices and deals. Not sure on hostels? Read this post to find out everything you need to know about them!
Book Tours and Transport
Although a combination of independent travel and touring is my ideal form of travel, if the best, cheapest, and safest way to explore is to book a tour or package, I’ll do it! For this, I always use Viator and Get Your Guide.
Finding a Car
Having a car or camper is an awesome way to travel. You can compare rental car deals on EuropCar.
Don’t Forget Adventure Travel Insurance
If you’re reading this blog then you’re more likely to be seeking epic adventures for an affordable price over relaxing and luxurious vacations. By far, my favourite, most comprehensive adventure travel insurance is World Nomads.
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links, which if you click, adds absolutely no extra cost to you. These links allow One World Wanderer to continue providing you with free guides and travel content.
My First Time Travelling With A Partner
There wasn’t really a discussion that sparked our trip to Europe. On an impulsive move, my partner at the time decided to book himself onto my Contiki Tour and insert himself into the trip I had been carefully crafting for months. He also managed to pay about half the price.
I was excited. Loved up on the spoteneity of my new relationships.
But, I was also extremely nervous.
All I remember is that one moment he was telling me this grande plan he’d had- three months into our relationship- and before I knew it, we were off on our way to London with no idea whether we were even something serious.
To say I was fearful would be an understatement.
We- a new couple of almost four months- would be spending day in, day out together. Every meal, every decision, every long, squashy coach ride, and every little delay. Would we make it? Neither of us knew. Everyone thought we were insane to do so. And we probably were.
The little memories I have of those first nights after he told me he would be joining me in Europe make it sound rather easy. The truth is, I was scared shitless. It wasn’t necessarily worried about the how our relationship would handle the closeness and seriousness of travelling together.
I was worried that a year’s worth of dreaming about my holiday would lead me to be held back by a boy. (Spoiler: it doesn’t).
How To Know If It Is The Right Time To Travel With Your Boyfriend?
Truthfully, there isn’t one. Travelling with your boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, partner- or anyone for that matter is one of the things you kind of need to jump into, and think about later. If it’s the first time, you just have to make sure you are willing and open for the adventure and the experience.
When my partner at the time and I were exploring around Europe we joked about our rashness all the time.
“I hope we make it through this,” “If we are even together by the end of this,” “If I don’t kill you before we make it home,” were just some of the things we liked to say to one another for a bit of a laugh.
Perhaps it was because we had a positive frame of mind about what we wanted to achieve on the trip, or maybe it was the fact that we were so excited we didn’t have time to think too much about whether or not our relationship would make it.
Whatever it was, joking about it probably meant that we felt confident enough to last the stresses and exhaustion that often break couples when they travel.
Things To Know About Travelling With Your Boyfriend For The First Time
The Things I Didn’t Consider
One of the things I never really thought about when my partner told me he was coming to Europe with me, was how different our perspectives on travel were. While we were both interested in the adventure of a euro-trip, neither of us had ever really been on a big trip before.
One of the things I quickly learned (and something that should be considered when planning on travelling with your boyfriend) is your perspectives, goals, and dreams for your travels.
We were coming on our from two very different perspectives. We were at two stages of our lives. We had dreamt about different things, and we’d left different things behind. I was travelling on a baked-beans-on-toast budget with the goal to immerse myself in the cultures and histories of each place. He was travelling on a smashed avo with a side of salmon budget, and wanting to try all the different local beers in every town we stopped.
We were two different people who barely even knew one another and we were trying to galavant our way through Europe in the attempt to come out rosy on the other side.
I’ve read stories about how with any travel buddy, be it a friend, family member or stranger, you should always get on the same page with your budget, lifestyle and priorities.
Although we were near and far between for the majority of our travels, being able to acknowledge the differences we had, and allow each other our own time to wander off and explore, while trying to do a lot of it together as well, worked. We pushed each other to spend more time doing the things the other loved, and in the end, we left as completely new people.
The experiences that I had while entertaining someone else’s idea of travel, actually enabled me more flexibility. Rather than work on a strict timeline of ‘I must see this and do that,’ he relaxed me. Getting drunk in prague, ice skating around a rink in Switzerland, and dressing up as Gladiators in Rome were some of the experiences I never would have done if I was alone, and they were honestly some of the highlights from my trip!
Travelling With Your Boyfriend- How To Handle The Bad Days
Anyone who says that travelling with a partner is a piece of cake is lying.
You’ll have your tiffs, arguments, and fights. Living in close proximity to one another, running off no sleep and sometimes, minimal food is the perfect recipe for these.
And let me tell you- we certainly had our tiffs.
Although, admittedly, these were mostly driven by myself being food-deprived or getting annoyed at him for not capturing that oh so important Instagram shot.
You’ll also learn a whole new side of your partner that you’d never seen… or heard… or smelt… or felt before. And that can be both confronting and new to a relationship- no matter how old or strong it is.
We had to learn how to tiptoe around one another in a confined space and it was bloody tough. But it was also one of the things that grew us into such a strong couple!
Although the bad days might be bad, they are the days that teach you who your partner truly is, and this can sometimes be the best thing for you. And, when travelling, the good days always outnumber the bad!
One of the things we learned on this trip was allowing each other to have their own time. If I was feeling down or irritable, we would sometimes take time to go for a walk on our own, or read a book while the other did something else. The space was what helped us get over things quickly.
Returning Home
For me, it wasn’t travelling with him that was hard.
Travel, I quickly learned after my trip, is easy: it’s life at home that is hard. Choosing a meal and what to do while you’re in Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin is easy. It’s fuelled with adventure and fun and excitement. It’s the decisions we need to make at home as a couple that become difficult.
Should we move in together?
Where will we live?
How does my career change affect my partner?
Should we buy a dog?
When can we get annual leave off together to go on another trip?
Do you love me?
I think travel brought us closer together. We tackled some of the hardest couple hurdles while in the honeymoon phase. That’s one of the things that often makes or breaks a relationship, so it is important to be conscious of it.
Final Thoughts On Travelling With Your Boyfriend
I say, go for it! If you are considering travelling with your boyfriend, you shouldn’t let your fear of the unexpected hold you back. There’s nothing worth keeping you can lose if you don’t try it.
My biggest advice is to remember to practice open communication, and to have fun wherever you can! Travel is an amazing experience made even better with someone you love.
My (now) ex partner and I were together four years after our epic Europe adventure. We had countless other adventures, including a trip to Bali, a romantic Europe vacation, and countless Australian road trips, along with a long and happy relationship!
I can happily say that travelling Europe with him was probably one of the greatest adventures of my life, and one of the most magical vacations I have ever been on.
It not only taught about the man I loved, but also about myself. These knowledge and learning experiences are what I will take into my future relationships, and I am so grateful for the experiences we got to share together.
Keep Wandering,
Abbie xoxo
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