October 7, 2010
After exactly 197.5 days, according to a relationship survey that we’ve released today.
Our findings reveal that the best time to take a trip with a new partner is after precisely six months, two weeks and one day into a relationship.
However, the first holiday together as a couple is not always an endless succession of rosy pink sunsets, intimate meals for two and hand-in-hand walks along the beach. Thirty three per cent of UK travellers stated their first romantic trip away either made or broke their relationship.
Our report suggests that the first holiday together is when you really get to find out the true temperament of a new loved one as 67% of respondents admitted to seeing ‘another side’ to their partner, with 42% of men realising they’d picked the wrong partner as soon as they’d boarded the plane for departure!
Will we still feel like this in two weeks?
Apart from getting to know a partner, new couples also fret about their own hang ups when travelling abroad. Forty three per cent worry about spending all day together, 17% worry about revealing their bod on the beach and 34% worry about getting ill whilst nearly half those surveyed said sharing a toilet in such close proximity would be what worried them the most!
Thirty five per cent admitted to a longing for a singleton holiday when away with their new partner and 15% said one of the partners went home early because the whole experience was such a nightmare. Of those who survived the whole thing, 55% said they ‘needed space’ after their holiday.
Looking back, 60% think couples make the mistake of going away too early in a relationship and 66% think couples get carried away and commit to a holiday too early.
When asked what would be the perfect first holiday, 30% said a city break to somewhere like New York and 25% said somewhere exotic like the Caribbean.
Caribbean beach
We might be biased, but we think we know a thing or two about both these destinations, and we’re very used to helping lots of couples taking their first flight together to relax and enjoy their trip.
Check out our recent posts on first-time sailing in the Caribbean and finding the real Barbados, or get the lowdown on New York in our Insider’s Guide. Virgin Atlantic flies to 30 destinations worldwide including New York, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, San Francisco & Los Angeles, Delhi, Shanghai, Tokyo, Dubai, and Nairobi as well as many Caribbean destinations. Visit Virgin Holidays for a tailor-made trip to any of these and more.
To book a flight, log onto virginatlantic.com or call 0844 20 92 770. For further information on our survey please contact the Virgin Atlantic Press Office on +441293 747373 or go onto virginatlantic.com
Maxine is the co-editor of the Virgin Atlantic blog. Travel and music are her joint first loves, and despite having written for Virgin for more years than she cares to remember she still loves nothing more than jumping on a plane in search of new sights and new sounds.