Traveling with your significant other can become a difficult trek. Traveling with your partner is a whole new ball game and isn’t like going on a couple of dates here and there. There have been many instances that I have had close friends whom I have chosen to travel with where I would never choose to travel with them again, so hopefully this won’t happen with your significant other and this guide can help prevent that.

1. Compromise. Make a plan of where you want to go and what you want to see and do with your partner. Also, make a plan before you leave of where you want to stay, places you want to visit, and activities you want to do together. If one of you wants to lay on the beach the entire time while the other wants to hike a mountain, make sure to communicate about it and make an agreement before traveling. Compromising on what you both want to do will allow you to both do things that you both want to do. If you don’t compromise, then it will only lead to fighting and disagreements.

2. Make friends. Making friends will allow variety in both your lives while abroad. You won’t get sick of doing everything with each other.

3. Give each other some space. Go out and explore on your own on some days. Go see sights by yourself or grab a cappuccino at a local cafe by yourself for a couple of hours. It will help you center yourself. If you are together every single second of every single day you are bound to get sick of each other.

4. Let yourselves fight and make sure to communicate. It’s healthy to fight but to some extent. Getting it out there is healthy once in awhile. Communicate with each other about anything that is bothering you because bottling anything up will only lead to a larger fight.

5. Take a couple shots together. So you can have your next Facebook profile picture and so you always have this incredible memory.

6. Keep the romance alive. Just because you aren’t home doesn’t mean you can’t go on dates and splurge here and there. Do not forget that you are both in love and you are traveling together in a different country. Remember to take time and cherish these moments you have together. Enjoy a romantic evening in a candlelit restaurant, take a nice walk on the beach, attend a festival, have some drinks at a nearby bar, etc. These happy moments will definitely help define your trip and create amazing memories you both will never forget.

7. Take time to eat and sleep. Sometimes we forget to eat and take time to rest when we are traveling. Don’t do this because you will become “hungry” and take it out on your partner. Also, make sure to make time to sleep as well or you and your partner will begin to fight over small things. You will both have time to see everything and it will be that much better if you see them when you are well rested and 0n a full stomach.

8. Split the duties. Split the duties depending on each of your strengths. If the strengths of your partner are reading and researching information about the destination and you are good at arranging luggage, then assign each person to those duties. Also, one person can handle booking the hotel and one person can deal with the itinerary. It makes everything easier.

9. Only bring what you both need. Try not to over pack especially because you don’t want to keep asking your partner to hold your stuff if it’s too heavy. Your lover will be just as tired as you and it is not fair to make them hold all your stuff. My advice is to keep the extra clothing, makeup tools, and electronic devices at home or at your hotel.

Always remember to keep laughing and to enjoy your time with the love of your life!