3 Tips for Couples Travel

I hear from people all the time who say travelling stresses them out. They get anxiety, they get short tempered and before they know it, they’re arguing with their spouse over something ridiculous (like whether the flight is at 2:00 or 2:05). Now I can’t say that my husband & I have all the answers, but we have traveled to 20+ countries together and figured out a few things that help us work together and minimize the stress.

Here are a few tricks we’ve used to help reduce stress & travel more:

1. Pack the night before your trip Let’s face it, we’ve all been in that last minute scramble to grab everything we need for a trip. We run out the door, praying we didn’t forget anything, then we’re late to the airport and our trip is off to a chaotic start. You’re better off to have your bags packed, waiting by the door the night before you leave. This gives you a big buffer to remember the things you forgot and avoid the last minute mad dash. Plus, if you pack the night before, regardless of what time your flight leaves, then running late on packing only cuts into your sleep time (and you’ll be more motivated to get it done!)
   

2. Use your strengths to help each other out While we have both traveled quite a bit (and certainly know how to navigate the scene alone), it’s a lot more fun to rely on each other when we can. The biggest advantage to traveling with someone is splitting up the responsibility. For example, I’m naturally more organized than my husband, so I typically hang on to all the important documents. When we get to customs, I know right where passports, boarding passes, visas, etc. are stored in my bag and I can grab them quickly for both of us. On the other hand, my husband loves to compare flight prices and find the best deals, so he manages the front end. When we first get to the airport, he knows what airline we’re flying and knows where we need to go to check bags- I just follow along.
   

3. Take snacks! When you’re traveling long distances, you can never be too sure when your next meal will be. If you’re crossing time zones, your body can get confused and you’ll find that you get hungry at random times. Make sure you have enough snacks to hold you over. You know those Snickers commercials where someone is a total diva until they take a bite of a Snickers and then they miraculously transform into a normal, relaxed human being. Well, that’s called “hangry” and it’s a very real thing. (I’ll let you in on a secret- any food will act as a cure, not just Snickers.)

Be sure to contact us before your next trip for more personalized tips & tricks to make your vacation is as fun and stress-free as possible!