S/O Travelling without your spouse

[Gumbo4x4]

With the kids, it’s always both of us. But, we’ve also taken trips completely apart from the rest of the family. DW has done many weekend lake trips with girlfriends, and I’ve done a couple myself along with the occasional hunting trip. And we’ve mixed in some kid free trips for just the 2 of us.

 

[Colleen27]

I travel without my husband a lot, partly because he doesn't love to travel the way I do and partly because he has less time available to take. We're both okay with that now but getting there took time because DH doesn't value travel as highly as I do and sometimes saw it as me "wasting money", and I didn't like traveling without him as much when it involved wrangling three kids solo. Now that the youngest is 9, I'll happily take off with any or all of the kids in any combination and there's no stress to it, but when it was a toddler and two tweens... Yikes!

I do wish my husband was more open to travel. There are a lot of adventures we used to talk about when we were younger that he's since decided are too much for whatever reason - too long a drive, too long a flight (he hates the idea of trans-oceanic flights), too foreign, too much time away from home, etc. I suspect when the kids are no longer at home and asking him to come along, he'll become even more resistant. It isn't a deal-breaker because he doesn't want me to stay home to humor his preferences and I don't plan to let it stop me from going places, but I would prefer if I could share those trips with him.

 

[MamaBelle4]

Since we've been married we've not travelled apart from each other except when I had to travel for work.

I wouldn't necessarily be against it, and if he didn't want to go somewhere, I'd either go alone or with a sibling/friend. But we are pretty similar in what we like, so that's not really an issue with us.

 

[gillep]

My husband and I both travel for work and he works really long hours so I prefer to vacation together, and use that as our time to reconnect. That said, neither one of us has an issue traveling without the other. My husband goes camping or to a running event with his friends every year or so, and my friend and I go to DL for a long weekend every year for the Halloween festivities.

 

[waltonmkb]

My husband and I do all combinations. He goes on trips alone, I go on trips alone, our son and I go on trips without my husband, we go on trips as a family, and my husband and I go on trips together without our son.

 

[scrhsa]

Being that my husband was in the Coast Guard, I traveled without him quite a bit. Mostly just home to visit family. I do still travel without him some. I know he doesn't like it so I try not to go too often. Poor guy, I'm taking the girls and we'll be gone for 2 weeks next month. Going to spend a week dog sitting for my sister and then we are going to head to Fla. to visit my oldest and take a day for Disney. I'll be going by myself in Oct. when the oldest's baby is born too. Hopefully he will be able to get some time and meet me there. A lot of the time, he doesn't like where we go(even just day trips) so, tuff nuggies buddy, you get to stay home. But I refuse to here him then complain about not going places with us!

 

[Jennasis]

Separate vacations? No. We enjoy each other's company far too much and would never enjoy a vacation without each other. We have taken many non-vacation trips without one another. He's away on business right now and in two weeks Im going to visit my family for a baby shower without him.

 

[dotfurio]

We've always traveled together outside of a couple work trips he's gone on. I don't think I'd like traveling alone or even with friends, really.

 

[loves to dive]

My honey hates travelling except to dive, I love to travel so I go without him. When my mother was alive she would go with me, my adult son goes with me if he can schedule it, otherwise I go solo. I actually prefer to travel by myself every once in awhile, I just need the alone time. Honey enjoys the time I'm gone, he can lay around and not do anything and just be a man.

 

[nicolita3]

My DH hates going to Disney and I respect that so my mom and I will go together .

 

[disykat]

The people I know that travel separately are usually when one of the couple has no desire to go overseas, so they plan a trip with a friend. It's really not about not wanting to be together. It's simply that one doesn't enjoy that kind of travel and the other really wants to go.

I've also known men that take an annual hunting trip and the wives have no desire to go, so their wives plan an annual trip with a friend or family member someplace they like but know their husband wouldn't be particularly keen on.

I was very happy that DH ended up liking to travel, but it was in no way a deal breaker for me when he didn't want to because I knew I could always do it without him.

 

[AuntieMe3]

We take lots of trips separately...I go with our daughter, friends, by myself. He only goes with our daughter or other family members(bro/BIL or my dad, even) because that's who he's most comfortable with. He wouldn't go by himself because he enjoys being around other people.

 

[quandrea]

I’ve traveled with just the kids and dh has stayed home. Twice when we’ve got to WDW with friends, once with o my eldest daughter and in August, I’ll take all three to WDW. Too hot for dh. Five days is my limit. Miss him too much. Most travel is as a family. No desire to do girls trips.

 

[ols386]

We’ve traveled separately. I’ve gone with friends (without dh), to WDW several times. He goes on fishing trips without me, because I’m not into fishing. Occasionally we travel together. We are ok with traveling separately.

 

[ronandannette]

We've done some separate trips here and there. Major excursions are always together.

This is us too. Honestly, I'd LOVE to travel by myself, or stay home alone while he did because I'm an extreme introvert and would find the solitude of either scenario to be very "restorative". I don't really have the heart to press for it though. DH would never deny me anything I felt I needed but I know he'd feel left out if I planned something for myself expressly to exclude him. We've also got a finite budget for vacations and of course we get the best economy-of-scale by going together.

 

[crazylady]

My husband doesn't love to travel so the kids and I do travel without him. I also periodically go on girl's trips with my friends or family. He is ok with both. I'd hate for him to use his vacation time for something he really didn't want to do. Often our trips without him are to visit my relatives.

 

[mousefan73]

I travel tons without my DH and leave the kids with him. But for him it’s no surprise, this was clear when we first met. I have family and friends all over the world. I do a girl‘s trip yearly with my mom to london. Also WDW is also a trip with me, kids and mom. DH goes a few times but I have to beg/ drag him.

As a family we travel though often in the year.

Now my SIL is a different story. But they are older 75/65. attached at hip. Her DH is her third child. She has a best friend who begsnher to go on trips. She won‘t. Sad IMO. Her life.

 

[jdb in AZ]

DH has traveled to guitar player retreats, and I've gone to fiber arts seminars on both coasts. We would be absolutely miserable if we attended each other's getaways. I've also traveled out of state to help DD with new babies. DH joins us in time for the christening.

 

[bobbiwoz]

He wants to go to Yellowstone one winter, and that does not appeal to me at all. So far, he has not found anyone to join him. I hope he eventually does find someone or maybe he joins a group.

I do travel without him, mostly girl trips to Disney, or maybe a girls cruise.

 

[Klayfish]

I travel by myself for work or my racing hobby.

However, I would never travel as in a vacation or a getaway without her. No way, no how.