Taking a couples road trip is such a great way to get to know each other, see the world, and experience something new! If this is your first road trip as a couple or your 10th, these tips will help you have a successful trip (with no arguing!)
Colin and I have taken a lot of road trips together, so we’ve definitely learned what works and what doesn’t!
We have taken plenty of short road trips around New York State, with some longer ones up into the New England area. We also took a road trip from Buffalo, to Virginia Beach, to St. Augustine, FL, to Nashville, then back home!
Our latest (and longest) road trip to date was from Buffalo, NY to Colorado, where we now live. This one took about 23 hours, which we split up with a stop in Chicago and Lincoln, Nebraska.
So, it’s safe to say we have had our fair share of road trips over the years, both short and long!
We have tons of road trip tips you can view on this website if you are looking for some more information!
This list will go over road trip tips specifically for couples, which can definitely be different than a family road trip or a road trip with your friends.
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Couples Road Trip Packing List
No matter where you are going or how long your road trip will take, you will definitely need some things. Luckily, the things you’ll need don’t change much depending on your destination or time frame!
Check out this list of road trip essentials for some ideas of some things you should bring with you on your couples road trip!
Here are some more specific things for a couples road trip that you might want to consider packing:
Don’t forget your road trip planner! 10+ pages you can access digitally, or print them out! Click here to learn more about the road trip planner, or click the image above!
One fun thing you might want to have for your road trip is a magnetic map you can put on your car or RV that shows all the states you’ve been to!
If you are driving through multiple states, this could be a fun activity to help pass the time: Every time you get to a new state, stop, and add the new state to your magnetic map!
Another accessory that makes road trips easier is this inflatable car mattress.
Let’s face it: road trips can be exhausting, and sometimes you just need a minute to lay down and recuperate!
What better way to do this than when an actual air mattress? If you and your partner start to get tired and maybe a little bit crabby, pull over at a rest stop or somewhere scenic, blow up the mattress, and take an hour or so to catch some zzz’s or just relax with each other!
Another thing you can pack for your couples road trip is a mini dash-cam. This can be a fun way to document your travels together!
With your dash cam on record most of your trip, you’ll have a lot of footage you can use. Take some of your own videos too on your phone! When you get home, go through all the videos and put them together to create an epic video of your trip!
Planning a Couples Road Trip
One of the best things about road trips is there is very little planning! Especially if you have a lot of time to kill, you can keep your road trip pretty flexible.
I would definitely recommend at least some planning though, as having a completely open schedule with no plans whatsoever can be stressful and lead to arguing!
- Plan to drive no more than 8 hours per day to avoid burnout and unnecessary arguments.
- Decide where you will stop along the way, and where you will be sleeping (book hotels/campsites in advance if you know you will be stopping here!)
- Avoid these unnecessary travel planning mistakes
- Work together to decide on any attractions you want to stop at along the way, and make time to accommodate each other’s wishes!
Plan Date Nights During your Road Trip
When taking a couples road trip, you will be spending basically every moment of the day with one another. However, make sure you plan some quality time with each other as well!
Yes, you are spending hours upon hours with each other in the car, but this isn’t exactly a date.
Planning date nights at each stopping point in your trip can give you each something to look forward to! Knowing you have something planned to do when you arrive at your destination can be enough to get you through the long, draining hours of sitting in the car all day.
Here are some ideas:
- Find a fun restaurant to try out in your new destination
- Go to a brewery you’ve always wanted to visit, or a fun looking bar
- Take a walk at a local park that has beautiful scenery (maybe even have a picnic!)
- If you brought your dog on the road trip, find a fun dog park to visit.
- Grab a cup of coffee and take a stroll around the downtown area
- Feeling tired after driving all day? Stay in your hotel, get some room service or takeout, and hit the hot tub or pool!
Couples Road Trip Snack Ideas
No road trip is complete without some good snacks! Now is the time to go back to being a kid and stock up on all your favorite snacks!
This can be a fun date idea before you actually go on your road trip. Go to the grocery store together a day or two before the trip, and fill up your cart with tons of snacks!
Don’t forget to get food that will actually fill you up, too. It will be helpful to have some meals in there too, so you don’t get hangry!
Check out our list of road trip snacks and meal ideas to give you some inspiration for what to bring!
Be sure to get food that is easy to eat while in the car or driving, and doesn’t require too much preparation!
You might even want to consider getting a mini car refrigerator (because they’re super cute and practical!), in case you get food that needs to be kept cold. This is better than a giant cooler because you won’t have too much room in your car!
Reducing Arguments on a Couples Road Trip
Being with your partner for hours upon hours every day, for days on end, will inevitably lead to at least some bickering. This is completely natural and ok! Traveling is stressful, and being confined to a small car being right next to your partner can be difficult.
However, there are some ways you can help reduce the chances of getting into arguments with your partner. After all, this is supposed to be a fun trip, and you won’t want to spend it fighting!
- Delegate tasks: Who is driving, and for how long? If you aren’t driving, what are you responsible for? Think directions, managing the radio, getting snacks and drinks, etc.
- Being flexible: if your partner wants to stop and see something that wasn’t part of the plan, just let them! Even if you don’t think it’s a great idea or just want to keep driving, try to remember your road trip is supposed to be fun!
- Never make these common road trip mistakes that could lead to unnecessary arguments.
- Stop often: Find a spot to pull over and take a break, even before you feel like you need it. Get out and stretch your legs, and get some fresh air!
- Find time apart: Because you are with each other basically every minute of the day, you might want to find some alone time. This might mean taking a short walk at the rest stop alone or taking a solo dip in the pool at the hotel. Try not to be offended if your partner does this- everyone needs their space sometimes!
Have Quality Conversation
When taking a couples road trip, after about hour 5 (or less), you will probably run out of things to talk about! It is definitely ok to sit in silence for a while, though here are some ideas to help drive conversation:
- Listen to a podcast or audiobook together, then talk about it after!
- Try some of these road trip question ideas to get each other talking!
- Create a playlist and spend time singing together
- Play some games like would you rather, two truths and a lie, etc.
- Ditch the sensitive topics. No one wants to feel trapped (literally) in a conversation they aren’t comfortable with!
Want More?
We’ve got tons of resources for road trips that you might be interested in for your couples road trip:
- What to wear on a road trip
- Taking a road trip with a toddler
- Road trip with dog packing list
- Road trip essentials
- Road trip mistakes to NEVER make
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