40% of couples felt closer to their partner after traveling together, 36% mentioned hygiene habits as
a compatibility factor, and 33% shared food preferences were important. A quarter discovered a
more romantic side of their partner while traveling.
Final thoughts
Traveling together can warp your perception because you start focusing on negative occurrences and
traits. Your partner took too long to pack, and you barely made the flight. They stubbornly refused to
drive, and you didn’t feel confident doing so in a new location, so you had to take the bus
everywhere, which limited the number of attractions you could visit, not to mention all that waiting.
Unpleasant memories live on, pushing the positive into the background.
Traveling together too early in a relationship can warp the perception of the relationship, as it
potentially exposes couples to stressful situations that can highlight incompatibilities that might not
surface in everyday life. Traveling with someone you don’t know well carries risks, some of which are
quite serious and include risks to your safety. Less dangerous and more common ones include
personality clashes and difficulties managing unexpected situations together.
When you don’t know much about someone, but the relationship is promising, you must assess their
travel style, trustworthiness, and ability to handle stress before setting out together.
Different preferences, unexpected situations, and limited flexibility whilst traveling together.
You might discover you have vastly different preferences for activities, pace of travel, or budget
management. This can lead to frustration and conflict.
When issues like illness, lost belongings or cancelled flights (inevitably) arise, you will benefit from a
supportive person who is oriented to problem-solving. A travel companion who lacks empathy or is
easily stressed can exacerbate these situations.
Traveling with someone who is rigid or overly controlling can make it hard to embrace spontaneous
opportunities. One person might be more invested in the trip or more willing to compromise than
the other, leading to resentment and dissatisfaction.
You could be putting yourself at risk if you don’t know the person’s background or aren’t really sure
you can trust them. An unreliable or irresponsible partner will put you at risk, although their
intentions won’t necessarily be malevolent.
Steps to take before traveling
Before you decide to take that trip, discuss your preferred travel pace, activities, and budgets to see
if they align. Successful relationships begin with effectively communicating when dating. In this
process, you assess their communication style, which provides insight into their reliability. Adequate
communication involves discussing potential challenges during the trip and how you would handle
them together. A shorter trip can be a good way to test the waters and see if your traveling styles are
compatible before committing to a longer trip. Consider a one-day trip in your area.
According to data reported by YouGov in 2025, around 50% of 18-34 year-olds have been in a so-
called “situation ship,” or a relationship in its early stages characterized by non-commitment. Many
people feel anxiety and stress are inherent to these relationships. As fun as a trip can be, imbalance
can occur even when things are communicated early on. You might communicate early on that you
aren’t ready to commit for whatever reason (recently getting out of a relationship, for example). In
the long run, it can still hurt the other person because they hope things will change.
There is a great deal of nuance in the early stages, and taking a trip together might send the message
that you’re ready to commit when it isn’t the case. Combined with issues during the trip, it could well
spell disaster for the relationship.
Couples traveling: what statistics tell us
According to 2024 research, 73% of couples believe travel is the ultimate test of their
relationship. 63% value similar travel planning styles, 61% report that a specific trip helped reignite
their romance, and 45% cite budget as a key factor in compatibility when traveling.
