The Pros and Cons of a Travel Romance

I’m no stranger to travel romance.

And no, I don’t mean that in a grandiose, slap-yourself-on-the-back kind of way. I just always seem to fall in love with someone when I travel! It’s literally happened on three separate trips now.

It’s a bit crazy, really. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever gone on an extended trip and not ended up falling for someone.

But it isn’t just happening to me!

Travel or live abroad anywhere and I almost guarantee that you’ll meet numerous couples who met on the road, only to start up a relationship soon after. There’s just something about travel that lends itself to love!

However, that doesn’t make travelling romances easy. Speaking from personal experience, as great as it is to find romance on the road, it isn’t without its challenges.

Indeed, sometimes a travel romance can be downright difficult. Have you just met someone on the road who you’re rapidly falling for?

Well, it’s important to know what you’re getting into! So, using my own encounters with the ups and downs of travel dating, I want to go through some of the pros and cons you can expect in the coming days, weeks, and months…

I hope they prove helpful in one way or another! Enjoy.

The Advantages of Romance on the Road

Let’s start with the good stuff. Here are 5 things you can look forward to from your travel romance.

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The Excitement

There’s nothing more exciting than a travel romance.

I mean, you’re falling in love with someone on the other side of the world. Every aspect of that experience involves fun, high-emotion, and downright joy!

Let’s face it, falling for somebody is a thrill at the best of times. You find yourself swooning, rushing and tumbling into the heady delights of coupledom. Combine that with the sheer kick of travelling and you’re in for a whirlwind of a time.

The Novelty

You might never have fallen in love in another country before.

Heck, you may never have fallen in love before! As such, the novelty involved lends a brand new flavour to the experience. The excitement I just mentioned comes into play here too, and you get caught up in a total bubble of intensity.

For a certain period of time, you spend your days in a fog of positivity. You feel light, heady, and on top of the world.

In my opinion, individually, love and travel are two of the most powerful experiences in the world. Put them together and it’s like your life’s on steroids!

The Shared Experience

Suddenly, two becomes one.

There’s something a little lonely about solo travel. Now, with a partner at your side, you can share every aspect of it. Embroiled in the intoxicating experience of falling for someone, everything you do is coated in a golden sheen.

You’re loved up, and seeing things differently. Your senses are heightened, helping you get lost in what you’re doing.

The Good Vibes

At a very basic level, a travel romance is good fun.

All of a sudden, you’ve tapped into a brand new way of travelling. You’re with someone now, which is just cool! Sure, it isn’t all great 100% of the time (more on this in the next section). But, for all intents and purposes, life is good.

Remember, love and travel. These are both enviable experiences for anyone to enjoy. Getting them at the same time is like having your cake and eating it.

You can’t overstate the sheer and simple enjoyment of travelling the world with somebody you’re falling in love with.

The Practicalities

You’ve also got some practical benefits to enjoy as well!

The primary advantage here is in terms of expense. Almost everything on the road is cheaper when there’s two of you. Suddenly, you can share the cost of tours, trips, food, accommodation and transport.

This definitely isn’t the main advantage of a travel romance, but it certainly sweetens the deal even further!

The Disadvantages of Romance on the Road

Okay, life’s never perfect. Now let’s talk about the downsides of travel romances.

The Transience

Right, I’ll preface this one by saying it isn’t always an issue.

But it is always a possibility.

Simply, this person you’ve fallen so heavily for might only be in your life for a brief period of time. Travel romances tend to be transient- they come and they go, sometimes quicker than you’d like.

The reasons for this vary, of course. You might live on opposite sides of the world. If somebody has plans to go back home sooner than the other, then your paths diverge. Sometimes, something goes wrong and one person decides it’s better to break up. Occasionally, the romance reaches its natural conclusion.

Whatever the case, the ending of a travel romance can come as a kick in the teeth. Just as love and travel are incredible to experience simultaneously, it can be immensely painful when they both come to an end at the same time.

The ‘What Happens Next?’ Question

You’ve fallen in love.

You’re on the road and travelling around and having the time of your lives.

But, hovering in the background is always the question of what happens next. You know, what do we do when we stop travelling? How will this continue to work?

Worse, the more involved you get with this person, the less you want it to end. The questions ring ever louder in your ears, and can even make it difficult to enjoy the trip. What started as an overwhelming positive can move into something altogether different when you feel uncertain about its future.

On this note, I’d like to point out that it can most definitely work at the end of a trip! I met a French girl on my first trip to New Zealand and end up going out with her for almost 4 years, doing the whole long-distance thing.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

The Potential Bitter Taste

You don’t want it to happen, but it might…

The relationship might end before it really gets started. Obviously, that’s no fun- especially if the decision isn’t mutually agreed upon.

At the end of the day, you’re still traveling, which is a definite positive (as well as an easy source of distraction from the disappointment).

All the same, it would be totally natural to be left with a fair dose of sadness and a bitter taste in your mouth. You never feel lonelier on the road than when you go from two back to one.

The ‘I Don’t Really Know You’ Conundrum

This is one I’ve got personal experience with.

I genuinely think there’s something about travel that lends itself to falling for someone. I mean, it’s intense! Everything is new and exciting and, frankly, a bit romantic.

You’re watching sunsets, lazing on beaches, swimming in oceans, and, yes, possibly drinking a fair amount of alcohol as you go. Oh, and you’re meeting new people every step of the way too.

It doesn’t surprise me that people fall in love so readily.

However, there’s trouble in amongst the joy of it all. Basically, everything gets sped up; you fall so quickly for someone that you can feel closer to them in a few weeks than you do with friends back home who you’ve known for years.

The issue is that you don’t really know them well at all. There can be something a bit deceptive about a travel romance. As intense and exciting as it is, you might feel a lingering sense of falsehood to it as well.

The Compromised Travel Plans

Finally, being in a travel romance means you have to take someone else into consideration all of a sudden!

The joy of solo travel is that you have absolute freedom to do whatever you want. Your plans are entirely up to you. Alas, this changes when you embark on a romance on the road. Now, you have to compromise, and take their wants and needs into account as well.

This can feel stifling at times, and a bit upsetting all-around, especially if they want to have an entirely different experience.

It’s bizarre, within a matter of days and weeks you can find yourself feeling compelled to alter your travel trajectory. Remember, though, at the end of the day this is your experience. If you want totally different things, then the relationship might not be right. 

Enjoy Your Travel Romance!

In my experience, travelling often goes hand in hand with romance.

Hit the road as a solo single traveller and it’s highly likely that, at some point in time, you’ll meet and fall for somebody. If the feeling’s reciprocated, you can very quickly end up in a travel romance.

They can be amazing aspects of your time travelling. Even better, a chance encounter on the other side of the world can turn into a long term relationship that lasts far longer than the trip itself. However, it isn’t all hunky-dory! These romances of the road can get tricky, and end up causing all sorts of trouble on your trip.

Hopefully, though, this piece has provided some reasonable insight into what to expect! In all honestly, I’d never let the (potential) disadvantages of a travel romance stop me entering into one.

In my eyes, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Go with the flow, embrace all opportunities, and enjoy a safe and enriching experience of travel.

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Author: Danny Newman

Bio: Danny Newman is currently writing and travelling his way around the world in a bid to figure out exactly what he’s doing with his life. He’d love you to follow along with his journey over at What’s Danny Doing.

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