Ivy, Judi, sfowler, susanna, Peg, Sue & Kavey: We are all obviously married to the same man!

Just like you describe, I do all the planning and obsessing. He is a terrible flyer and can't sleep on planes, either.

But once we get there, he (almost!) always congratulates me on what good choices I have made from my endless research.

And I do realize how lucky I am to have someone whom I love very much and who is flexible and easy to get along with as my traveling partner all these years.

Yes, and I am eternally grateful! I don't think he started out as much as a travel buff as I am, but after taking our first few vacations together he really started getting into it. Now we both talk about our trips and plan them together.

INTERESTING !
Like most, there is typically one planner in the family, and that is me. However, it seems that many of them are the female of the species. Susan loves to go--just tell her where and when and she will be on time and ready.

My situation is much the same as bob - I research and plan, she shows up and has a great time.
I'm a bit driven when on vacation in Europe..."we're going here, then there, then we're doing A and eating at restaurant B...", etc. My kids, and friends that we travel with, have christened me the "Tour Nazi".

I envy all of you whose husbands enjoys traveling. Mine hates travel, and simply will not do it. He doesn't mind me going, however, and at least once a year, I do. I was in my mid-forties the first time I went to England. I was hooked -- I do solo and enjoy every trip like it was the first one. I'm in my mid-sixties now, and can't foresee a time when I'll stop traveling.

FainaAgain, good comeback, I'll remember that!! :-)

Hi Ivy! My partner loves to travel as much as I do, but he hates the planning. He would rather just do whatever comes to mind on a whim. But out of self preservation, I still go ahead and buy opera and theatre tix on the web, and make reservations ahead of time at big name restaurants...otherwise I know we won't get in. He loves the result, he just likes living the illusion that we are always being spontaneous.

Sound like a number of us could form the TOW club--the Travel Obcessed Wifes...yes, my husband enjoys it once we're there, but half the time he really doesn't know where we're going until we're on the plane! But that's OK, 'cause I LOVE planning! (and this board!)

Paula

i do 98% of the work, talk about it all the time and she is ready to go...she looks up dumb things on the computer and leaves them in a chair in my computer room and i try to discard them...i ask her questions and listen to the replies and then try to incorporate them in our plans...i spend every evening on these projects...usually have 3 trips in the planning at any one time...
fodors.com is a great resource in all of this...i am currently in my 2nd year using it...

My DH, during his AF career travelled a lots around the world..He had his passion fulfilled many times..

Now that he is retired he enjoys stay at home and babysit our numerous pets, while I travel to my beloved Europe.

I am lucky to have such unselfish guy that understand my passion and my needs and does not complains when I go away for a month .

I like my researching, not so much planning as just absorbing. Getting ideas. I've learned not to make it a point of conversation until we're ready to sit down and make choices.

There were trips in the past that my husband thought of first and did the initial planning before I got excited and joined in.
Right now-he is reading Italy, I am reading Provence, wonder who will get their way ~

Dont forget Scarlett darling that in most cases is the Lady that always gets her way..
Provence is the place that you are going to visit...
ciao,

Merci~ kismet but Rome isn't bad either! ((F))

So funny....I'm the "Tour Nazi" too. I've even made up a matrix of when things are open, best days to go to certain neighborhoods, made dinner reservations, etc. My hubby loves it because he thinks I do a great job and he doesn't even have to think. Plus, I get to be in full control and he gets to pay the bills!!

Scarlett,

Why not do both? We did and it worked out just fine!

I love you all!!! I'm so glad to know there are so many of you out there like me! In fact, I may leave this page open so my hubby can see that I'm NOT alone in my passion for travel. He will travel with me, but I do all the planning-----altho I don't mind. But....we're not made of money, so we kinda have fights about the amount of $$$ spent on travel. He wants a nice house, I don't care about a dream house. Anyone else in this predicament? I'm going to Europe for the first time with my sister. Hubby's happy he doesn't have to go. Sounds like a theme here!

I always knew I was lucky, just never realized how much until reading this post! We both love to travel but approach it from opposite ends of the spectrum.

The moment we arrive from one trip and DH goes back to work, he is scouting out new travel deals. Within in a short time has the next trips' tickets in hand. Once he knows he has his next "relief" from work guaranteed, he is through until we land in France. He lets me play on Fodors and do any planning I want; will go anywhere, do anything. Loves it all. Never complains. Great driver, assistant, romantic, great problem solver. Never whines about spending money or having to earn it...my kinda guy. Thank God he's mine!

I like to do Fodors' to know what is available as plans change during the trip more than to have actual pre-trip agenda in hand. We like to "wing it" most of the trip, usually just having reservations the first and last nights of the trip...freedom to do and go (or stay) when and where we want...now THAT'S our kind of vacation!

My husband is like so many others (apparently)--he likes to be in the position of Court of Final Review. In other words, I am free to do all the initial planning, reserving, etc.; he just wants to say whether he wants to go or not. Of course *I* retain the power the over-rule a negative decision ;-)
In 1994, back when we were living in the Portland, OR, area, I talked him into a 10-day trip to Paris. He had nothing to do with the planning and--in one vividly remembered kitchen scene the night before the trip--said, "you know, I don't really want to go, this is all for YOU." And then when we got there, he had such a wonderful time, he could barely stand to leave!
On our first trip to Lugano, he was impossible because he felt he had to hide his smoking habit from the relatives we were meeting there. So he spent the whole time in nicotine withdrawal, managing to be pleasant in public, but a real bear in private. It (he) was a huge pain. But afer we got back to Brussels, he chirped "Lugano was fun, let's do it again soon." MEN!!! Anyway, he hasn't smoked for over a year now, hooray, and he was the one who suggested we go to Paris for Valentine's Day week-end and for a trip to Baden-Baden later this month, so there's hope after all...

Colette
We're very lucky in that, although I'm the traveholic and planner, our priorities in terms of time and money spent on travelling in relation to house/ car/ savings tally up pretty well.
I have friends though who find it harder to persuade partners that the holiday they are dreaming of is worth the expense...