Tag Archives: travel tips

Tips to travel

5 Tips to Travel Well as a Couple

Traveling as a couple can be tricky – but with a little planning your experience can be terrific. You just need a few simple tips to travel well as a couple.

My husband and I began our relationship thirty-four years ago while traveling 18 hours on a bus. Since then we’ve traveled coast to coast in Canada and the United States and are currently on the road full-time with our truck and a fifth-wheel trailer.

Yes, we have some perspective on the whole “being together 24/7″ and making a relationship work well while dealing with constant change.

5 Tips to Travel Well as a Couple

We’ve learned these tips will work whether your mode of travel is back-packing, by car, train, plane or camel; they’re about meeting your spouse’s needs when nothing is familiar and everything feels like a challenge.

1. Food and Water

It might seem elementary, but enjoying every moment can depend on having food and water readily available. Does your spouse grow short-tempered when he is hungry? What about being able to think clearly? Keeping blood sugar at an optimum level helps couples deal with the unexpected. And when you’re traveling, you can guarantee the unexpected! 

Avoid sugar. Keep balanced protein and carbohydrate options available, and lots of water and you’ll see how much easier it is to communicate. It’s amazing what a bit of healthy food and water will do for a relationship in transit!

2. Sleep

Being tired while traveling is torture. Build in time for a few naps while you are moving from one place to another. Your judgement and decision-making ability will be enhanced when you’ve had enough sleep. Use each other as a pillow – get close and snuggle for a fifteen-minute snooze. Bring along a blanket to spread out on grass, sand or a bench and grab some Z-zzzs. Being rested is a gift you can give each other.

3. Recharge: Time Alone or Time with Others

Maybe it’s an oxymoron to work in some quiet or alone-time when you’re traveling, but some spouses need time to recharge away from people – even you! Be sensitive to your spouse’s (and your) ways of dealing with new experiences. As exciting and exhilarating as travel can be, we all need to recharge.

If you or your spouse recharge when with people, then arrange time to do that too. It’s an introvert/extrovert thing. Know your spouse well enough to meet their need to recharge – you’ll enjoy your new experiences so much more that way.

4. Encourage Your Spouse to Stretch

Make it easy for your spouse to try new things. Understand their fears, affirm their strengths, and invite your spouse to expand out of their comfort zone. Be a support. Provide all the information needed so there’s no (or few) surprises. Traveling well as a couple enables you to learn and grow – together.

5. Be Open to Change

Make a commitment before you begin to travel, that you both have the latitude to change your mind about an opportunity or situation. You both have veto power. Keep in mind that the travel is secondary – your relationship is first.

Communication is Key (Bonus)

Traveling well as a couple is as much about how you embrace the issues, as it is about the moments of joy. Communicating more is where the difference lies. When everything is a new experience – bed, food, smells, sounds, people, etc. – your spouse needs more from you.

Robert and I are still learning – especially in this new season of constant travel. Have you used any of these 5 tips as you’ve traveled? Do you have any to add?

Leave a comment – I’d love to know your ideas!

How-to-Plan-an-ImPerfect-Romantic-Weekend

How to Plan an (Im)Perfect Romantic Weekend

For our 6th wedding anniversary we planned a mini-getaway driving from Miami to Boca Raton, Florida for a little Anniversary Romance. Here is how we did it:

We both have big projects going on at work and didn’t want to take a whole week off. We decided to do a short weekend away to make it easy to celebrate without embarking on a complicated trip.

Checking in isn’t just for airlines! Check in with each other – especially when planning a trip. What’s going on outside of home? Is there a big work project on his mind? Do you have a deadline coming up. Trips are no fun if you are worried about other stuff.

We looked at several luxury hotels and then looked for specials – we knew we wanted to feel pampered and special and could spend a little more since we were only booking for one night. We found a great deal at the Boca Resort – late checkout, 15% off spa services, breakfast buffet all included in the room price.

Breakfast for two could easily have been $70.00. Having it included in the room rate is a huge deal and well worth the extra minutes on checking the hotel website to see what is available. *Always* check the actual hotel website for last minute deals and weekend packages.

As we were planning this particular weekend the new Star Trek movie was just coming out. On our way to Boca there was a huge Imax 3D Theater which was the perfect place for these two Sci-Fi Sweethearts to start the day.

Look around – what is close by that could add fun or adventure to your trip? Don’t we all just miss what is in our own backyard sometimes?

Do not over-schedule. I repeat – do not over-schedule. I can spot an over-scheduler a mile away because I totally used to be one! Eat breakfast at 9am, Massages at 11, lunch at 1pm, Tour at 2:30….whenever you get tired just *reading* the plan for the day – it is a huge red flag, You have over-scheduled and if you are going to have a good time, you are going to have to stop that. On Saturday the only scheduled item was the movie, on Sunday a couples massage everything else we did organically and followed our moods and inspirations. Twice we went on walks through the grounds of the hotel – they were not only visually beautiful, but sweet moments of just us, talking and sharing and smiling and laughing. Personally, those are my favorite kind!

Vacations, even mini-ones should include a feeling of calm – whenever you are feeling rushed, stop, delete something from the plan, schedule free time, and let the place where you are and the moment you are experiencing surprise you.

Pack lingerie or something equally scandalous that will surprise your husband. It’s a romantic weekend which means we up the romance quotient in whatever way is romantic *to you* and *to him.* It could be surprising him with his favorite candy bar or in my case, with a little science fiction movie magic but regardless, pack lingerie – especially if you don’t usually wear it at home.

Romance is whatever we make it. For some it’s waking up late, for others it is starting early. Whatever romance means to you, think about how to include it. Then prepare, pack, and surprise.

Boca Resort - Romantic Weekend

What is your favorite memory from a weekend getaway? Please share in the comments.

5 Travel Tips from the Happy Wives Club

5 Travel Tips You Shouldn’t Leave Home Without

I have had the opportunity to visit some amazing places – from Tahiti to Tampa. And yes, Tahiti was more exotic, but my opinion is that there is beauty everywhere we go.

Like any well-worn traveler, we must start with the preparation for the trip. A little planning before you leave home will ensure your time away is spent making memories and not in line at the drug store because you forgot to pack your toothpaste.

Oh, and expect detours. Sometimes they are the best part of the trip.

Now here are my top 5 personal travel tips that will work anywhere you are going in this beautiful world.

  • Set a Positive Intention. Since I’m a Life Coach as well as a blogger, I start everything with mental preparation first. When starting any important journey it’s always wise to set your intention for it first. Set the intention you will have a great time no matter what happens and it won’t matter if your plane is delayed or your taxi gets lost – you and your hubby, or whoever you are travelling with, can make the most of it and smile during the detours.
  • Take snacks. Your flight might be full. That last meal available may not be edible. You never know if your flight will arrive late and the airport kiosks will be closed. Room service might be shut down by the time you arrive at your hotel. Pack snacks. You can thank me later.
  • Carry On Any Special Event Clothes. If you are going to a wedding or any kind of special event that requires a certain type of clothing, take those clothes with you in your carry on. Don’t be the girl who is at Walmart at 10 o’clock at night buying everything from shoes to underwear because you can’t wear your Superman T-shirt to a very formal church event on Sunday. I have been that girl. It’s not fun. Special Event = Clothes that never leave your sight.
  • Check the weather. I know it sounds so simple. Why would I remind you of this? Because New York can be unseasonably warm. Miami can be unexpectedly cold. Check the weather and you won’t have any surprises you didn’t plan for.
  • Travel in Comfortable Shoes. We have all seen the lovelies in stilettos at the airport. I bet they look great going from gate A2 to G49. I also bet all that walking is like slow, simmering torture. This is not the red carpet. Wear shoes you could run in – you never know when you might have to.

We would love to start a round-up of all the Happy Wives Club Members’ best and favorite travel tips. What’s the best travel advice you have ever gotten? Please share in the comments.

Lake Tahoe: The Heart of Travel

The Heart of Travel – Lake Tahoe

I was recently at a Conference near Sacramento so the Hubs and I added a day to the trip and spent a very romantic night in Lake Tahoe. I had never been there before and had no idea how peaceful and beautiful it could be.

We love hotels and always try to stay in the best hotel we can afford. This time, we were able to get a great rate at the Hyatt Regency on the North side of Lake Tahoe. The rates were so cheap we upgraded to a Suite. We stayed there one night and we felt like Rock Stars.

Travel Tip – if there is a hotel you dream of staying at, always check their rates in the “off season.” You might score a 600 dollar room for less than half that price.

South Tahoe has all the casinos, nightlife and partying, North Tahoe is for the peaceful, relaxing vibe we were looking for on this trip.

One of the benefits of staying at the Hyatt Regency was that it has its own private beach and pier. Once we unpacked the first thing we did was go explore. It was dusk and they had just hosted a wedding at the hotel so we got to enjoy many couples all dressed up taking romantic walks and pictures on the pier.

We drove to Lake Tahoe from Sacramento and the drive was about 2 hours long and absolutely spectacular. If you come from the flatlands of Florida like I do, being surrounded by mountains and trees automatically puts you in a different state of mind.

Besides being surrounded by beautiful Mountains, the best part of the drive into Tahoe was stopping at “Cake Tahoe” in Truckee. They have the most heavenly cupcakes you have ever tasted and would be worth a detour if you are ever anywhere near the area. Fortunately for us, they were right on our path to our hotel so we stopped, got a Red Velvet Cupcake for me and a Double Chocolate cupcake for the Hubster. We exercised maximum self control and waited to get to the hotel to have them as dessert with our room service.

 Travel Tip – if you are on a road trip, check if there are any major (or minor) landmarks you might want to visit along the way. Sometimes a 20 minute detour can bring you one of the best memories from the trip.

Frommer’s calls Lake Tahoe “the most awesome summer camp for adults ever.” We were there in the spring and could see all the possibilities for water sports, biking, horseback riding, etc. Although there is a Casino right inside the hotel, you could walk right past it and never know it was there if that’s not your thing.

The variety of activities and experiences available in Tahoe are wonderful, however the heart of Lake Tahoe is the Lake itself. Viewed from any angle it is breathtaking.

Until next time, love & light from Maggie @ www.modernmarried.com

Have you been to Lake Tahoe? Do you have an insider’s tip or a favorite memory there? Please share in the comments.

Tahoe Collage2