Check out these five tips to start your trip together, stay happy during the bumps along the way, and finish with great memories - and your relationship still intact.

1. Share in the planning
If your idea of a great holiday is a having a margarita on the beach and your partner wants to become one with nature, you will need to decide on a happy medium. Perhaps a stay at a beachfront cottage combined with after-dinner hikes along the area’s marked trails would be a good compromise. If he prefers golfing, and you like shopping for unique souvenirs, choose a golf course off the beaten path, away from the restaurant chains and theme parks. You can golf during the day, then shop on your way back to the hotel.

2. Troubleshoot Ahead of Time
Plan ahead so that any little glitches can be easily solved. Decide ahead of time who is making the sightseeing reservations, who will navigate, and what music to throw in the CD player. These are discussions you do not want to have while whizzing down the highway, or onboard a crowded flight. A simple way to choose music—you choose from his music selection and he chooses from yours; that way, you both win. A tip from www.travelgear.com: Ensure your suitcase and your mate’s suitcase has clothes in it for both of you. That way, should one bag get lost, you always have a few items of your own as back-up.

3. Create a travel journal
Years from now, you will be glad you did. Save that lobster bib, or the paper menu from that greasy spoon with the jukebox. Gather all of your golf scorecards, plane tickets, or some casino chips so that you can assemble a memory of your trip once you are at home, or perhaps during your “me” time. Record your daily itinerary, no matter how simple, in a plain notebook. Allow your partner to contribute. Ask him/her questions that pertain to your day, such as “What was your favourite part of the whale watch?” or “What will you miss most of this little town?” Take photos of city limit signs. Be sure to have hotel or restaurant staff take pictures of the two of you.

4. Plan some “me” time
Be sure to pack something to occupy yourself should your partner choose an activity in which you do not want to participate. This will avoid any “But I will be alone in the room” conversations. If your partner goes scuba diving, you can catch up on that great summer read you’ve been dying to crack open. Ensure your mate does the same. While you are enjoying your pedicure, he can occupy himself and you can both relax.

5. Enjoy the fullest day possible
Vacations are few and far between, so be sure to plan some activities at different parts of the day—coffee at sunrise, a sunset cruise, or a siesta in a hammock. You will enjoy your day to the maximum and you will not feel like you’ve missed anything. Check out www.kodak.com for tips on photographing sunrises and sunsets. While it is good to plan some activities, it is usually the unexpected, spontaneous things that make a vacation memorable. Be flexible.