Taking a road trip with a lover is sometimes as precarious as a first date. Say or do the wrong thing—or forget to bring a proper caseload of snacks—and you’re in trouble. While it’s clear that some things should be utterly avoided on the road—like discussing whether dating for two months makes things “exclusive”—other major tragedies in coupledom can be avoided if you follow a few helpful tips.

From a guy’s perspective, here are 10 essentials to bring along to ensure that what is intended to be a bonding experience doesn’t end up in a breakup. (Note: Your dude gets bonus points if he packs these things in the glove box or in the trunk without your knowing.)

Normally, we’re not huge fans of the logo’d gear, but Fabrice mixes them up in a way that looks funky and fresh. We love how he’s paired these accessories with his pastel vintage sweater and plaid kicks. He’s in Prague’s Staromestske Nam (Old Town Square), headed toward Parizska trida, the designer shopping street, natch. What do you think of logo accessories? 

Who needs real fur when fake looks this chic? Arame, visiting Prague from France, is the epitome of fabulous in a faux fur that she bought on Oxford Street in London. The cherry on top is a styling headscarf that only a select few can pull off (hi, Nicole Richie!) without looking like a fashion victim. This chick is totally acing it.

Staska looks like an adorable, bohemian version of the Hamburglar while on a break from work in Prague. She meticulously chooses her accessories to compliment her look. Where do we start? Check out her two different earrings, the way her socks echo her undershirt, and the red trainers that make it all come together. We’re getting hungry.

A touch of military inspiration always looks pulled together. Eva, shopping along Kaufingerstrasse, wears a Zero double-breasted peacoat with cargo pants. She adds the modern touch of a Hallhuber floral scarf so the look is not all utilitarian, but also a little bit femme. 

These days, wearing designer duds from head to toe is frowned upon even by the most fashionable of the fashionistas.  Instead, mixing high and low is the way to go. Taylor, American Marie Claire’s Style Director, is on her way to tour the Tag Heuer factory in Geneva. She layers her fancy pants from Comme des Garcons with a Zara blazer and ginormous Club Monaco scarf. If anyone can handle the harems/blazer/platforms/layering look, it’s her.

The true key to looking chic is all about being comfortable in your own skin. In that case, Marta, a traveling musician from Poland, may have tied up the award for chicest gal on the island. She bought her scarf at a kiosk in India and pinned it up the front to make a top. It attaches around her back by an itty bitty string! No one could take their eyes off of her as she played and sang to the Santorini sunset.

Who says Olivia Newton John’s influence on fashion is over? Carmen’s sporty look is achieved by pairing a Zara top and American Apparel leggings, in an apparent nod to the cult classic “Let’s Get Physical” video.  Work it out, girl!

According to The New York Times, cougars are not only trendy, but they’re here to stay! And if that’s the case, she’s gonna need a place to stay, when she’s on one of her prowls. That must be the rationale behind Diva Hotel’s “Cougars With Personality” package. The San Francisco boutique hotel is offering sexy older ladies a one night stay, “2 animal print Hanky Panky thongs” (would she wear anything else under her impossibly tight mini?!), “2 lemondrop cocktails” (Cosmos are so last year), two $25 gift certificates to the spa, a complimentary bra fitting for two at Nordstrom (because a cougar needs to “hold ‘em high!”), and the “Huntress Road Map,” which is a list of all the cougar-friendly bars in the city. Prices start at $199, cabana boys not included. Seriously, who would actually go for this crap?

What’s black and white and printed all over? Besides the newspaper, check out this prize maxi-dress that Lauren found at the flea market in Queensland, Australia. She’s headed out for a day of sightseeing with her beau, looking awesome and feeling fab about the price tag. Is there any better combination?

When I discovered that over-the-knee boots were fall’s “must have,” I flashed to the opening scene of “Pretty Woman” and promptly dismissed them from my future. After seeing the look executed on a non-prostitute, I may have to reconsider. The thigh is the limit for Marta; her Calvin Klein Jeans dress and Zara boots both just reach.

The menswear look is always a winner, but it’s best to not look like you just piled on your boyfriend’s clothes. Anais has the tomboy-chic look down pat on the streets of Bordeaux. Her Sandro ankle-skimming pants and oxford shoes are masculine yet sexy. So, uh, you know, let’s hear it for the boys! 

Venice is 99 percent filled with tourists wearing t-shirts, sneakers, and fanny packs. In the land of over 400 walking bridges and stone alleys, making a wardrobe effort does not go unnoticed. Natalie, studying art history abroad, wears a custom-made tweed topper from her native Republic of Maldova.  She picks out the fabric and buttons, and her tailor measures and sews. This is the original design collaboration, before the H&Ms and Topshops of the world!

I recently crossed something off my bucket list. At 29-almost-30, I finally learned how to surf. Despite growing up in sunny San Diego, I’d never learned, and after a failed attempt to teach myself in Hawaii as a teenager—resulting in bloody knees and feet after a detour through a coral reef—I never tried again. Until this summer.

Want to know what not to do when you fly the friendly skies? Just ask British socialite Clare Irby, a descendant of the Guinness family, and random dude Daniel Melia, who may go down in history as the worst passengers ever. They tore s**t up on an 11-hour flight from India to London—they were so punk-rock that the cops were waiting to arrest them on the tarmac. The two got it on while Clare’s two-year-old son cried and Daniel’s girlfriend slept nearby. When the GF woke up, she and Daniel got in a fight and he threw his iPod headphones at her. Meanwhile, Clare woke sleeping passengers, demanding wine and accusing the in-flight staff of stealing her bag filled with diamonds. The ruckus continues, after the jump.

Labor Day weekend is a week away and friends are already stressing over what to pack. Which is silly. Packing for a long weekend should be easy as hell and take no more than 20 minutes. We’ve got some tips to do it quickly and right after the jump.

It was only a matter of time before we covered a city famous for sex. But Amsterdam is really less about the Red Light District and coffee shops than it is about great Dutch architecture, trendy restaurants, and great vintage shopping.

I’ve never understood the appeal of roughing it. Communing with nature can be fun for some, but I prefer a concrete jungle any day. Modern amenities like hot showers and flushing toilets are necessities to me, not luxuries. But pretty soon I might be singing a different tune because, apparently, “glamping” is on the rise. Glamorous camping sites make roughing it a little more palatable because most of the comforts of home are available in the outdoors, making camping an upscale vacation option. Most glamping establishments currently cater to a very upscale clientele, according to The Wall Street Journal,  but you can turn a normal campsite into a glamping paradise with our suggestions after the jump. And for more info on everything glamping, check out GlampingGirl.com.

Last weekend, while some of my friends were off on weekend trips to grand places like the Poconos and St. Louis, I was in the place you can generally find me: home. But, thanks to a little planning, I felt like I had traveled hundreds of miles away from my apartment and had a relaxing, indulgent two days.

Staycations have gotten a lot of hype lately since people have less money to spend on actual trips out of town, but I didn’t believe it was actually possible to have a vacation-like time while remaining in the city I call home. I proved myself wrong. After the jump, the five things I learned about going on a staycation.

After two and half years together and a few short domestic trips, my now-husband and I put our relationship to the test with a two-week jaunt through China. Sure, hiking the Great Wall, braving squatter toilets, and eating breakfast with chopsticks were all an adventure, but the real challenge of vacationing together was spending every minute together for 15 days straight. If you think your relationship is up to the test, do yourself (and him) a favor by following my hard-learned tips after the jump…