Remember the book-turned-film Bridget Jones's Diary and the excitement surrounding her first "mini-break", or vacation, with her boyfriend?

Over the years, I've shared many a mini-break with boyfriends past, each worthy of their own paperback. You never really know someone until you've traveled together. Like the camping trip when my boyfriend's dog attacked the camp warden and we were asked to leave. The weekend in Vegas my sweetheart arranged and paid for (pause) at Motel 6. My first overseas flight with a love interest who immediately took a sleeping pill and slept for eight hours. The spring fling who had us walk to five restaurants until he found a suitable breakfast menu while my blood sugar dropped as fast as my enthusiasm for him.

Traveling is a significant milestone in a relationship. It forces you to experience all the unflattering things that test whether you want to see this person more than just on the weekends. Seeing your partner in an airport amid delays and screaming children will give you a pretty good idea of what he or she is made of. How one behaves is a reflection of his or her ability to handle stress in bigger and more serious events you encounter down the road.

Here are some tips on romantic travel etiquette so your next vacation won't be away from one another:

Forget flights of fancy. The inaugural romantic get away should not include a trek in the Himalayas or a safari in South Africa. One does not want to discover incompatibility 20 hours from home prepaid on your credit card. Nor should the first getaway include meeting the parents over a holiday weekend when dysfunctional family relationships are at a boiling point. Take your relationship on a test drive by going on a road trip to a regional destination or farther afield one short flight away. Don't push your personal desire for a two-week vacation on someone who is only testing the waters with you. Remember, 48-hours feels longer than it is, and that can be good or bad depending on the company.

Share your expectations while planning. The perfect weekend should accommodate both your interests so be honest about your likes and dislikes but be open to new experiences.

Avoid a financial fiasco. One of my girlfriends went on a vacation to Scotland with her boyfriend who gave the impression he was treating her. When they returned home he presented her with an itemized bill of her share of the expenses. Next to travel, money issues can make or break a relationship. Discuss how to share expenses long before you pack your bags. Sharing similar expectations means fewer surprises on your wallet.

Be a thoughtful companion. For the road trip, make sure your car is in working order (preferably stocked with a cooler), have the courage to ask for directions and never pass the "Last rest area for 75 miles." In the hotel room, shut the bathroom door, keep your belongings tidy and allot the time to blow dry and straighten your hair.

Don't be joined at the hip. At home, you don't spend every waking minute together so plan for some private time. This allows for breathing room and solo activities like visiting the shops while your partner goes on a hike.

Traveling with your partner can be rewarding and revealing. You may learn that he or she has no sense of direction and never flosses. You may also learn that your partner dances a mean Tango and never forgets to tip housekeeping.

With equal parts planning and flexibility, your partner will not only enhance your adventure, but suggest new things to do on your trip which you would never have thought of on your own. Be patient and polite but not so mannerly that you are not yourself. If you can travel together you can do almost anything together, and that's a milestone worth writing about.

Bizia Holmes Greene is founder of the Etiquette School of Santa Fe. Contact her at www.etiquettesantafe.com or 988-2070.