Traveling with your girlfriend can be an awesome experience, as it shows that you’re both at a commitment and trust level that’s beyond just casually dating. The bad news? It can also be stress-inducing and lead to lots of arguments, as you both might not be on the same page when it comes to traveling stress or anxiety, which can, ultimately, lead to some awkwardness.
A good example of this happened to me a few years ago, when my girlfriend at the time and I were traveling to go skiing for a weekend in January. The trip, which was typically a three-hour drive, took us almost six hours because of a heavy snowstorm. As you could imagine, when the trip got doubled in time because of unforeseen factors, the excitement wore off and there were some fights about how fast I was driving on the snowy roads, where we might be able to stop for gas and, well, it was bad.
Most people traveling with a significant other can probably relate to my experience from a couple years ago. Thing is, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, it can be just as glorious as you both want it to be — it just takes some work.
That’s why I’m giving you some tips on traveling with your girlfriend, because I want you to keep that excitement and anticipation for the trip for as long as possible. So take a look below to see what you can do in order to have a successful trip together.
My girlfriend hasn’t shown much interest in traveling together, what’s that mean?
Just because your girl isn’t as giddy about traveling as often as you are doesn’t mean she’s not all that into you. Sure, she may have some reservations about going on a trip with you, but that might be some PTSD that she’s got from previous boyfriends, when traveling led to arguments and maybe even a breakup.
Instead of getting down about it or thinking she’s not treating the relationship as serious as you are, try giving her some alternatives for traveling together instead. For instance, you can suggest a group trip, which may ease her mind about going somewhere with just you. Another suggestion is doing a day trip, where the two of you go hike, ski or just get out of town all day long together, which is sort of like a vacation without all the crazy traveling stress.
Of course, the worse outcome could be that she’s just not ready to travel with you yet, but that doesn’t mean she’s not still into you, it just may take more time for you two to start traveling together. If that’s the case, just be patient and don’t force things on her, because that’s setting yourself up for a bad trip before it even begins.
How can we both keep the excitement when traveling together?
The easiest answer is to make a plan each day and stick to that in order to keep things fresh. I know it sounds a little bit too “adult” and something your mom would have done on a family vacation back in the day, but, trust me, it actually helps.
Outside of that, you should take this time traveling together to get to know one another even better. Far too often, we get stuck into a routine of going to the same restaurants all the time and doing the same activities when we’re not traveling. However, now that you’re both out of town, see what each other likes, adapt to the suggestion and try something new. Even if it’s not your favorite thing in the world, if you’re with your girlfriend, it will be something memorable.
And, hey, if all else fails, find yourselves a bar and start taking shots — that always makes things interesting and leads to some fun.
Do we need to do everything together when traveling together?
Hell no! In fact, I’d recommend doing everything together when traveling in order to avoid burnout. It’s sad to say, but, just like you two would at home, you’ve got to find the right balance when traveling — so take time to go workout alone, or walk to the nearest coffee shop in the morning while your girlfriend gets ready and bring her some morning brew.
Of course, you don’t want to plan a whole day away from one another, so don’t leave in the morning and avoid your girlfriend for the majority of the day, but small things for an hour or two should be the norm, not the exception.
What questions should I ask before traveling with my girlfriend?
Before even planning a trip, you’ll want to ask your girlfriend where she wants to go and what her budget is for traveling together. It’s always better to be open and honest because, if one person feels like he/she is paying more than the other, it can lead to bitterness and awkwardness once you are traveling together.
Another question should be activities. For instance, if you’re going to a tropical spot like the Bahamas, it’s pretty simple to plan around spending as much time as possible around the beach. But if you’re going to a big city like Chicago, you may need to be a little bit more strategic with what you want to do and how you want to spend your time. This is why the aforementioned suggestion of planning each day with an itinerary is so important, because you won’t be sitting around early each morning wasting time.
If traveling with my girlfriend goes bad a few times, should we end the relationship?
This is a tough one, because, if you really like a girl and she really likes you, traveling together is almost a given. It’s really a case-by-case situation here, because, if you’re one of those jet-setting types who is constantly racking up frequent flier miles, you may need to re-access the relationship. If you’re just a weekend warrior who likes traveling for day trips and such, give it more time with your girlfriend before pulling the plug, because, like most things in relationships, it’s going to take time, patience and some adjusting to really understand one another.