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Travel and experiences
Trips, events and weekends away.
Why you should never hand your passport to a date
Keep your passport with you or in a room safe on any trip. Never hand it to a date: they cannot fly you home, prove who you are, or leave if things go wrong.
Why heavy drinking on a trip away puts you at risk
Heavy drinking away from home removes the judgment you need to stay safe and find your way back. Spiked drinks are a known risk abroad.
Why non-refundable bookings for a new partner backfire
Non-refundable bookings signal obligation rather than invitation. Flexible fares give you both an exit if the connection cools.
Why a surprise trip is a mistake early on
A surprise trip removes their choice about where to go, what to pack and who knows they left. They can't refuse without seeming ungrateful.
Mistakes that leave your date stranded at an event
Plan before the event, introduce them, stay close, arrange their transport home, and agree on a time to leave. Five small steps that make the difference.
Myth: a trip someone pays for means sharing a room
A paid trip is a trip, not a purchase. You owe your date nothing for it, including sharing accommodation or intimacy.
How to plan a discreet trip when you cannot be seen at home
Choose a place away from your circles and agree privacy rules together, so discretion is shared and not imposed.
How to plan a first weekend away together
Send the full itinerary with hotel name and times before either of you books anything, and offer separate rooms first.
What to know before you go to an event as a plus-one
Ask for eight details: dress code, host name, times, who will be there, how you'll be introduced, if dinner is served, how to get home, and your leaving signal.
Plus-one mistakes that embarrass your date at an event
Five mistakes as a plus-one: arriving underdressed, drinking ahead of the room, disappearing, phone on the table, or naming the arrangement.
How to get your documents ready for an overseas trip together
Sort your own passport, ID and emergency details before an overseas trip, whoever is paying. Check entry rules with your own government.
How to reply to a trip invitation, with examples
Say yes with your conditions, not yet with a counter-offer, or no without a long reason. Four example replies for different situations.
What to say when trip plans change at the last minute, with examples
A change that removes something you agreed to is a reason to say no. Ask questions, decide what suits you, then reply in plain terms.
Words to set boundaries before a trip, with examples
State your trip limits before you leave, when it is easier to hear and adjust. Examples for alone time, drinking, photos, meeting friends and changing your mind.
How to share your travel plans with a friend before a trip
Tell one trusted friend your date's name, flight numbers and hotel address. Agree when you will check in and share your location for the trip.
Should you say yes to a first trip with a partner?
Say yes once you've met several times, have your own room and your own way home, and a friend knows the plan. If any are missing, it's too soon.
Should you accept a flight from someone you have never met?
No. Meet in your own city first, somewhere public. A flight removes your escape route and hands control to someone who could be anyone.
Should you bring someone you have just met to a gala?
No, not for the first few dates. A gala is long, public, and full of people who will ask how you met. Wait until you both know the score.
Should you fly a partner to you or travel to them?
Early on, travel to them so they meet you on home ground with their own bed and their own way home. Later, alternating suits an established arrangement.
Should you get your own travel insurance when a partner pays?
Yes. A policy in your own name covers you fully and stays with you if you leave early, unlike a partner's policy.
Should you go on a group holiday with a partner's friends?
Only after you have met some of them and know how you will be introduced. A group holiday puts you on display for days.
Should your first trip together be overseas?
Start closer to home. A domestic trip tests how you travel together before an overseas trip raises the cost and difficulty of leaving if things go wrong.
How to take time for yourself on a trip together
Plan time apart before you travel, and a trip stays easy. A morning or afternoon alone keeps both of you relaxed.
How to stay safe in a hotel when you travel with a date
Hold your own key, tell someone where you are, keep your phone charged, and meet in public spaces until you are sure about your date.