Holiday packages designed to stress-test new relationships are gaining popularity, but experts argue they may be unnecessary. US Vogue recently highlighted a 'turbulence test' trend, where couples deliberately challenge fledgling romances with difficult trips. One hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, offers a package including cocktails and conversation cards to 'lean into couples' curiosity about their connection'.
Travel can indeed be a trial for new couples: shared small spaces, disrupted schedules, and unrealistic expectations often create tension. Journalist Emma Beddington recounts nearly splitting with her husband after a disastrous trip to Italy early in their relationship, involving a thunderstorm, no trains, and a fortnight of rain and fights. However, she notes that such challenges can blur over time, with partners learning to adapt.
Beddington argues that relationship turbulence is inevitable without seeking it out. Ordinary early experiences—sleeping together (with its unsexy baggage), seeing each other in loungewear, getting sick, meeting friends and family—already provide ample stress tests. She points out that even long-term couples face challenges, citing data that 36% of US divorces occur among the over-50s, a trend also seen in the UK.
Instead of borrowing trouble, Beddington suggests new couples relax and enjoy the honeymoon period. 'Turbulence will find you anyway,' she writes, advising against expensive, stressful trips designed to test relationships prematurely.
