There comes a point in every new couple’s existence when a holiday – seems like the perfect thing to do. After all, you love spending time together, so what could be better than spending time together in some romantic city, or on a beautiful beach?

As many of you will have experienced though, the reality can be quite different. Settling on a place to vacation, planning out the trip and then spending 24/7 together in a strange environment can all put a strain on a new relationship.

Before you start dreaming of going off to a place where you’ll wander hand in hand through towns and streets, you need to read these our essential tips. You owe it to your new relationship.

1. Walk before you can run

This is your first trip together so it’s not the time to plan a three-week trek through a remote village in Ilesha. For your first trip, keep the destination simple and the schedule relaxed, with minimal planning. You’ll discover a lot of new things about each other on your first trip – some good, some bad – and you don’t want the bad things to be magnified by a badly planned trip, or just too long in each other’s company without a break.

2. Keep it close

Travelling can be stressful what with having to be on time to meet buses, flights and delays. To make the best of your time together, and to avoid extra stress, choose somewhere close by the city you live in. Ibadan is close enough if you live in Lagos. The aim is to have a great time together, get to know each other better, and leave each other wanting more.

3. Make sure you’re on the same page

It may be tempting to pop into a travel agency and surprise your loved one, but in the case of first trips together, its best to be sure you know what you both want out of a holiday. You might fancy a fun holiday in a serene District while your other half is looking forward to cultural sights in Calabar.

At this point in your relationship, laying your cards on the table is the only thing to do – you probably don’t know each other well enough to make any particular assumptions. Don’t let yourself agree to something you’re not interested in either – that weekend touring might be his idea of heaven, but if you’re going to hate it, then what is the point?

4. Scrap the itinerary

If the aim is to get to know each other better then a strict itinerary moving you from one sight or location to the next isn’t going to leave much room for that. By all means have an idea of what you’d like to do once you reach your destination, but plan things out too much and you’ll just be reliving everyday life on am holiday– totally defeating the idea of a relaxing trip away.

5. Money, money, money

Your first trip away together will also probably be the first time you’ll have to think about a big purchase together. Get this sorted straight away so as to avoid any confusion – money has a nasty way of creating quiet resentment between couples. Is it a treat from one of you or are you splitting everything 50-50? Is one of you going to be in charge of the money, or will you each pay for everything separately? And do you have the same expectations about how much money you want to spend? Make sure you’re not in a situation where one of you is on a tight budget and the other is expecting to eat in first class restaurants while you’re away.

The only way round this is to be completely honest before you set off on your trip. If you’re hoping to make your own lunches, or only visit the free side attractions, then make sure your partner knows this before you guys set off. If they are worth your time, they’ll understand.

6. Remember to relax

If you had a vision of the two of you running around on a beach or driving through unknown spots, stopping off at lovely little bars along the way, but the reality is you getting lost and your car breaking down, remember that you’re meant to be having fun. Instead of getting in a grump, hold onto the fact that these are the things you’ll laugh about in years to come, and that your time together is the most important aspect of your trip. And if you find yourselves unable to find the fun in tough situations, then when you get back you might want to reevaluate your partnership