The ultimate test for a new or long-term relationship is going on a road trip. You’ve packed all your snacks and created a road trip playlist, but you’re forgetting one thing. What are you going to talk about for hours on end alone in a car?
We can all agree that one of the most uncomfortable things, especially for a new relationship, is an awkward silence. So it’s important that you already have a list of topics to get you road-trip-ready. Here are 10 things to talk about with your boyfriend when going on any type of road trip.
How to Keep Things Interesting
Before planning a list of topics to talk about with your boyfriend, remember to keep a mix of serious, funny, light-hearted, and intimate topics at hand. Depending on the mood or situation, you want to be prepared to match the other person’s energy. Also, if you’ve just talked about something serious, you’re definitely going to want to play a lighthearted game afterward to bring up the mood. So having a mix of topics already listed is essential in keeping things interesting.
Road Trip Topics
Truthfully, you can talk about almost anything with your boyfriend and it’ll make your road trip fun and interesting. You’ll learn more about each other, share some laughs, and become closer as a couple. But sometimes you need that initial conversation starter to spark other ideas of things to talk about. Let’s talk about 10 of the best things to talk about with your boyfriend on a road trip.
Would You Rather
A road trip is all about fun, so you have to have some fun things to talk about. "Would you rather" questions are perfect because not only are they fun, they really make you think. For some questions, it’s likely that you and your boyfriend will have different answers, sparking friendly debate and even more conversation.
No matter how long you’ve been with your boyfriend, you don’t know everything about each other. "Would you rather" questions are great for new couples because they break the ice and they're a lighthearted way to dive deeper into each other’s personalities. But even if you’ve been with your boyfriend for a while, these questions don’t come up in everyday conversation, so your partner’s answers can be quite surprising—thus giving you more to talk about.
Most "would you rather" questions are hypothetical and will likely never happen in real life, so don’t take your answers too seriously. And don’t judge your partner for making a different choice than you did, as the whole point of this game is to force you to choose between the lesser of two evils.
Lighthearted "would you rather" questions:
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Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or 30 minutes early?
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Would you rather be rich or famous?
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Would you rather always spend your time alone or constantly surrounded by others?
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Would you rather time travel into the past or the future?
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Would you rather be trapped in a haunted house or a dark forest?
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Would you rather always be over-dressed or under-dressed?
Deeper "would you rather" questions:
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Would you rather have more time or more money?
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Would you rather, after you die, be remembered for something terrible or be forgotten about altogether?
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Would you rather be the smartest or the most attractive person in the room?
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Would you rather lose the ability to speak or to read?
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Would you rather have a low-paying job that you love or a high-paying job that you hate?
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Would you rather never be rejected again or never fail again?
Love Languages
One of the best ways to feel more loved and connected with your partner is to know each other’s love languages. The five love languages are quality time, words of affirmation, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts. All five are completely valid and unique to the individual. But knowing your partner’s love language compared to your own can really help you understand them better and it’ll bring you closer together as a couple.
Quality time is all about providing your partner with undivided attention. No phones, no distractions, just spending time together. This doesn’t mean you can’t do activities where the attention is placed elsewhere, so don’t count out movie dates or chill hangouts. But someone whose love language is quality time feels loved when they’re the center of your attention.
Words of affirmation is about the words you say to your partner. Most likely, your partner wants to hear verbal reassurance that they are loved and appreciated. If you are long distance for some of the time, this can be done through both phone calls and text messages.
Physical touch isn’t just about being sexual, but feeling the intimacy of skin-to-skin contact. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the person enjoys PDA either. What makes someone with this language feel loved are things like hand-holding, kisses, an arm around the shoulder, a hand on the leg, and even massages. The biggest thing with physical touch is that the person wants to not only be close to you emotionally but also physically.
Acts of service is about doing specific actions to take the burden off of your partner. These actions are done with positivity, so it should never feel like a chore. Some examples of things you could do for a partner who enjoys acts of service are cooking a meal, driving them somewhere, or running an errand for them.
Receiving gifts is about tokens of appreciation that remind the person that you’re thinking about them. This doesn’t have to be something huge or expensive. An inexpensive way to cater to a partner who likes receiving gifts is leaving behind notes for them in random places or unexpectedly picking up their favorite dessert.
The first thing you should do is take the official love language quiz. Your results will show what percentage of each love language that you represent. You may not have one top love language; you may have two or three that are evenly tied!
After both you and your boyfriend have taken the quiz (you may need to take it for the person who is driving), share your results and see how they compare. Most couples’ love languages differ from one another in some way or another, and this is okay! Relationships go both ways, and it’s important to understand what makes the other person feel loved.
Create A Bucket List
Another thing to talk about with your boyfriend on a road trip is future plans and activities you’d like to do together. To make things a little more fun, create a bucket list for you and your boyfriend of things you’ve never done before, but would like to experience together.
Some fun things to add to your bucket list include traveling together, getting a couples massage, going skydiving, taking a class together, and starting a new tradition.
Creating a bucket list is a fantastic way of keeping your relationship exciting, especially if you’ve been with your boyfriend for a long time. So the next time your mind goes blank when coming up with date ideas, just refer back to the list you’ve created together!
Childhood Memories
One of the biggest factors that have shaped us into the people we are today is our childhood experiences. Talking about the differences between you and your boyfriend’s childhoods can be a great way to understand each other on a deeper level.
When talking about your childhood, whether it was positive or negative, different emotions definitely tend to come up. Be understanding with your partner, as this topic can sometimes be emotional to talk about.
This topic does require a lot of trust between you and your partner. So if you aren’t comfortable talking about certain childhood experiences, don’t feel pressured to do so until you are ready. But talking about this is a sure-fire way to increase emotional intimacy and bring you and your boyfriend closer together.
Favorites
Another great thing to talk about with your boyfriend is your favorite things. For example, ask each other what your favorite movie, book, restaurant, singer, or food is. Though this is more suited for new couples, preferences change, so it doesn’t hurt to check in with each other and see what they’re currently loving.
As you and your boyfriend talk about your favorites, you’ll begin to explore the reasons behind them, which will likely spark even more conversation. Also, it’s always good to have your partner’s favorite flower or ice cream in your back pocket for the future!
First Impressions
Whether you’ve been dating for a month or a few years, it’s always fun to talk about your first impressions of each other. This is a great way to make your partner feel loved and appreciated, as you’ll likely be pointing out their best qualities that initially attracted you to them. For some laughs, you can also point out the weird and awkward things you guys did when you first met (but all in good fun!).
Going along with this, if they’ve met your family or friends, you can talk about your first impressions when meeting them. If you have some pretty wild family members, this can provoke some much-needed laughter. It’s also a great way to show appreciation for the people in your partner’s life.
Trivia
How well do you know your partner, and how well do they know you? Couple’s trivia is a great way to answer this question, and it’s a lighthearted way to pass the time. This is great for new couples to discover each other’s preferences, quirks, and life experiences. Even if you’ve been with your partner for years, there is always more to learn about each other.
Some common trivia topics for couples include where you grew up, what your full name is, what school you went to, names of pets, and when your birthday is. But if you want to dive a little deeper, try asking things about long-term goals, careers, and childhood memories.
If you have a competitive personality, you can even make a game out of this by keeping score. But remember not to get in a fight if your partner gets the answers wrong—you’re stuck together in a car, after all!
Turn-Ons and Sexual Desires
Since you and your boyfriend are spending an extended period of time alone, this is the perfect time to talk about sex and intimacy. Sharing your turn-ons with each other will help spark more connection and lust in the relationship. Sometimes it can feel uncomfortable and embarrassing to share your sexual desires with another person, but it is one of the best ways to increase both emotional and physical intimacy.
To keep things positive and enjoyable, focus on the positives and things you like instead of potentially hurting the other person by criticizing their actions in bed.
This can be a great thing to talk about if you and your boyfriend are in a long-term relationship and are looking to spice things up. Perhaps you have a kink or sexual desire that you’ve always wanted to try. It’s true that the mind is the biggest sex organ in the body, so exploring your turn-ons and kinks is one of the best ways to enhance your sex life.
Road Trip Games
One of the best things to do on a road trip to pass the time is playing a game. There are tons of different games you can play with your boyfriend, and these games will likely give you more things to talk about!
If you and your boyfriend are big music lovers, play "guess that artist." The person in the passenger seat will play a song at random, and the person driving has to figure out what artist it is. Alternatively, you can guess what song is being played by a favorite artist that you both share in common.
Another game you can play is two truths and a lie. This will cause you and your partner to really think deeply about each other’s life experiences and personalities. It’s a great way to learn more about each other, and you’ll get some laughs out of this one.
21 Questions is a classic game that everyone knows, so it’s perfect to play on a road trip! You play this game by one person choosing a person, place, or object. Then, the other person has 21 questions to try to guess what your thing is. You’re only able to ask yes or no questions, so this game really makes you think and is a great way to pass time.
Future Plans and Dreams
Lastly, talk about your future hopes, plans, and dreams with your boyfriend. Your dreams don’t necessarily have to match your partner's, but it can feel intimate to talk about what your biggest goals in life are. Whether that be family, career goals, or relationship milestones, talking about these things helps your partner get to know a little bit more about you. Also, when you talk about something you’re passionate about, your partner automatically becomes more attracted to you. Passion is one of the most attractive things, so talk about yours!
Planning Ahead
Besides having things to talk about, it’s important that you and your boyfriend plan for all your other road trip needs.
Snacks
One of the best things about going on a road trip is the snacks. Especially if you have a long drive ahead of you, it’s important to stock up on all the best snacks to share with your boyfriend. You never know what cravings are going to hit, so definitely pack a variety of sweet and salty snacks. Since you’re not going to be too active sitting in a car for a while, focus on some healthier options to avoid feeling gross afterward.
Music
Before you go on your trip, make a playlist together of your favorite songs. Keep the songs chill and not too sad—you don’t want to bring down the mood. Also, when you run out of things to talk about, jamming out to your favorite songs is a great way to pass the time! If you’re not music people, also consider listening to podcasts that both of you would be interested in.
Itinerary
Before you can have fun, you’re going to want to create an itinerary so neither of you gets stressed out. Travel stress is common, and it can lead to arguments, which are never good. So before you even get on the road, make sure you know what you’re doing and where you’re going!
Wrapping Up
It’s no secret that traveling together only strengthens a relationship. But when you have nothing to talk about, things can get awkward fast. By keeping a mix of funny, lighthearted, serious, and intimate topics, you’ll have no issue keeping things interesting for your long trip ahead. With these conversation starters, you’ll be relieved from boredom and can focus on forming a closer connection with your partner.
