As a travel coordinator, I plan all sorts of trips. Family trips, multigenerational trips, girls trips, honeymoons, big groups, small groups, and even a few bachelor parties! However, I think my favorite trips to plan are couple getaways. I feel very strongly about couples taking vacations without their kids.

I know that this can be difficult, but trust me, it’s worth it in the long run! I could go on for days about why this is the best thing to do for yourself (and for your marriage), but let me narrow it down to five reasons.

5 Reasons to Travel Without Your Kids

1. Travel without your kids gives you a chance to reconnect as a couple…

This one is the most obvious. Spending time away from your kids gives you a chance to be a WIFE before being a MOM. You can do things you wouldn’t necessarily do with a toddler with you (hello, zip line!)… and you can talk about things you wouldn’t necessarily talk about with a seven-year-old in the room (like rated R movies or how you really feel about Uncle John’s political preferences).

I remember someone gave me marriage advice to “date your husband” and was very specific and adamant that ON these dates you were NOT to talk about your children. I think that’s a little extreme…if talking about your kids brings you and your husband joy…then talk about those kids!!

2. Travel without kids makes the actual travel part a lot more enjoyable…

I always joke that the reason I love cruises is that I love seeing lots of places but I hate the actual act of travel. On a cruise boat, you unpack once and your hotel goes with you!

Seriously though – traveling is not fun. Traveling with KIDS is especially torturous.

Traveling without kids though, that’s not too bad. Flight delays still suck, but you can entertain yourself a lot easier than entertaining a five-year-old. You can put on headphones and read a book on the plane. You can *gasp* TAKE A NAP and wake up when you land! 

3. Travel without kids lets you be more spontaneous…

Some of my favorite travel memories with my husband involve crazy, last-minute decisions. Like the Cenotes in Mexico…that was the coolest thing we did, and we didn’t decide to do it until the night before. If we would have had our kids with us, it would have involved too much schedule changing and coordination to pull off… and it wouldn’t have happened!

Traveling without kids gives you that freedom to change things up at the last minute, and to seize an opportunity on a whim once it’s presented to you!

4. Travel without your kids gives your kids a chance to grow…

I love how close my girls are to my parents. Sometimes it might feel a little TOO close…but at the end of the day, I love how comfortable they are with them. I know the times that my husband and I have spent away from the kids has given them an opportunity to really connect with my parents, and that’s HUGE!

It also teaches my kids that MOM AND DAD WILL COME BACK.

When my husband and I travel together and leave the kids at home, it’s giving them the opportunity to grow and learn. They get to be independent. They get to be mature. Sure, they miss us and I know there have been some hard nights in there…but they know that mom and dad are coming back. We will always come back!!

5. Travel without kids can make you a better parent…

I travel a lot for work (#travelagentlife) and most of the time I go without my kids. There is nothing sweeter than coming home to them. I know, for a fact, that I am a better mother because I get these little “breaks” in there.

When I am away from them, I realize just how much I miss them and how much I love being their mom. Without that time to myself, it would be much more difficult for me to see. It would be harder for me to appreciate the small things that I take for granted!

I could go on for DAYS about why you should travel without your kids.  To be fair, I could also go on for days about why you should travel WITH your kids…but seriously. Take that trip that you’ve been wanting to take! Your kids will be okay, and you will be better because of it!