Romance and travel go hand in hand. After all, is there anything dreamier than a stroll with the love of your life along the banks of the Arno or on the beaches of Hawaii? Dive into your first big trip blind, however, and a recipe for romance can quickly become a recipe for disaster. Here are a few travel tips for couples and questions to ask before going on a romantic getaway.

What kind of trip do you want to take?

This seems obvious—I mean, you shouldn’t book a trip to New York if your SO wants to lay on the beach, right? But in addition to deciding where you want to go, you should discuss how you want to experience the place when you get there.

Questions to ask your partner:

• Do you feel uncomfortable when you don’t speak the native language of a country?
• Do you like to try the local cuisine, or do you dream of all-inclusive meals and drinks?
• Do you want you to be active, filling your days with sightseeing or hiking and biking? Or do you prefer to relax?

Editor’s tip: Plan some down time in the morning, either alone or together, so you and your partner can mentally unwind before for a big day of sightseeing. Sleep in, order room service, and get ready to explore a new city!

How will you plan it?

Once you know where you want to go, it’s time to start booking, which means deciding how much you want to plan and how much you want to leave to chance. Your previous discussion should have given you some insight into whether your partner prefers a strict itinerary or a more fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants approach.

Questions to ask your partner:

• How do you want to divvy up research and pre-booking responsibilities?
• Do you want to split each expense evenly or trade off on purchases?
• How detailed should our itinerary be?

Editor’s tip: Narrow down options to two or three activities in each city and ask your partner for input, so everyone is involved in the planning.

3. How do you handle stress while traveling?

This can be a hard question to answer if you haven’t traveled extensively, but it’s worth considering. Travel, just like life, can be unpredictable. Weather shifts, museums close, and food poisoning happens—and it can feel infinitely more stressful when you’re far from home.

Questions to ask your partner:

• What are you most worried about regarding the trip?
• What do you think you’ll want to do if the weather doesn’t cooperate?
• How can we communicate our frustrations so that we don’t take them out on each other?

Editor’s tip: Have a firm backup plan for the thing you most want to do or see in each city, so you won’t take the frustrations of an unexpected snafu out on each other.

Remember that wherever you go, you can’t guarantee things will go smoothly, but by setting expectations for a trip—and sharing your excitement along the way—you can increase the chances of your romantic getaway being the stuff of dreams.