There are times we can’t travel and this happened to be the case a lot this past year!
But even though we might not be able to go on an exotic vacation, there are lots of other options to take a holiday and enjoy it to the fullest!
Who said you need to go abroad to have a romantic vacation?
Staying home can also have a lot of advantages since you don’t need to look for a babysitter for your dog, it involves less planning (thus less stress) and you can make it as cozy as you want!
But maybe you’re thinking: “sounds great, but I have ZERO inspiration”
Don’t worry!
If you want to plan a romantic staycation with your partner, boyfriend or girlfriend, I’ve compiled a great list of romantic staycation ideas for couples!
Let’s see how your next staycation could look like!
What is a staycation?
A “staycation” as defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary is “a holiday that you take at home or near your home rather than travelling to another place”, as you can also deduct from the fact that this word is a contraction between “stay” and “vacation”.
In practice, this could entail a lot of different things!
You could stay at home and have your vacation there, or you could go visit a neighbouring city and sleep in a hotel. It all depends on your preferences (and budget)!
Benefits of a couples staycation
Now, why should you go on a staycation with your partner? There are several benefits compared to a “normal” vacation!
- There is limited planning beforehand
- You don’t have the hassle of travelling somewhere else
- It is budget-friendly
- No need to pack anything
- You can just sleep in your own bed
- It is pet-friendly
- You support your local economy
How to prepare for a staycation
The key to a successful staycation is to do things you otherwise wouldn’t do. So if you plan on having a movie night but you’re having one each weekend, this might not feel as special. And we do want our staycation to feel special!
Therefore it’s crucial to try new things!
But this also means preparing properly for your staycation, and there are a few ways to do this:
- Try to plan your staycation. Make sure you know what to do on your staycation before actually doing it. This will spare you a lot of stress the moment itself!
- Put away your phone and laptop to make sure you won’t be disturbed by any work or other stress-related factors.
- Commit to not doing anything household related. If you know you’re not good at this, you might want to consider taking your staycation at a local hotel instead of at home. Alternatively, hire someone to do these things for you just for your staycation!
- Determine a budget beforehand. Usually, a staycation can be cheaper than a normal vacation. However, you can make anything as expensive as you want so try to set a fixed budget with your partner.
- Involve your partner in the preparation process! (Or use it as a way to surprise him/her.)
21 romantic staycation ideas for couples
Go to the beach
Nothing feels more like a holiday than a trip to the beach right?
Go for a few hours or make it a day trip and don’t forget to stop at your favourite restaurant afterward to make it even more of a vacation or watch the sun go down over the sea!
Arrange a romantic pick-nick
Why not surprise your partner with a romantic pick-nick?
Pick out a lovely, warm day, spread out that blanket and arrange lots of food! Of course, don’t forget the bubbles!
Especially try to think of what food your partner adores and bring a little game with you.
Go on a day trip together
Even though you’ve lived in a region your whole life, there’s just so much you probably haven’t seen yet! So instead of taking a vacation abroad why not discover what’s around you already?
Have you visited all of your neighbouring cities? Do you know what activities are offered in your city? Is there something closeby you’ve always wanted to do or see?
This is the moment!
Cook a romantic dinner together
One of my favourite romantic staycation ideas for coupes is cooking together! Because preparing a meal together can be a lot of fun!
Especially if you arrange a snack and a drink while prepping the food!
Try a new recipe together and spend some quality time talking in the meantime. Then don’t forget to put on accompanying music, et voilà. You’ve just created a romantic setting.
Book a hotel night in the neighbourhood
Sleeping in a hotel is probably not something you do daily, weekly, or even monthly. Therefore, even a one-night hotel stay can feel special and will add that extra holiday element to your staycation!
Try to look further than all the common hotel chains out there and make the effort to look for something extraordinary with a romantic vibe.
Practice a new sport together
When my parents were on holiday and they couldn’t go anywhere they decide to learn how to kite surf.
And this has been their shared passion for the whole summer!
So regardless of your age or experience, find something new you both can learn. This will make your bond even stronger than it is now and you’ll have a shared hobby.
This shouldn’t necessarily be a sport though. Maybe you like crafts or learning a new language. The point is to find something you both enjoy!
Hike to a top with an amazing view
Nothing is more rewarding than climbing or hiking up a hill to see the most wonderful scenery when you finally reach the top!
For an extra romantic touch, plan to get to the top at sunrise or sunset and bring a snack!
Organize a theme night
What’s more fun than a theme night?
Pick any theme and design your whole night or day around it. From food to activities, the possibilities are endless!
If you’re missing travels abroad, try to make the theme of the night a specific country.
One of my favourite options is to order a travel-themed subscription box! This way you’ll get some vacation delivered to your doorstep each month!
Take a look at my favourite travel-themed subscription boxes here
Try a new restaurant
Trying new things is the key!
So instead of going to the place you always go, try something new!
Maybe one of your friends recently discovered a good new place to eat? Or you can try some international cuisine you haven’t tasted before.
Make it a real date by dressing up and maybe go for a bit of a fancier restaurant than usual.
Enjoy a wellness
There’s not much that is more romantic for a couple’s staycation than going to wellness OR arrange a bit of wellness at home!
Take a bath, give each other a massage, put on some zen music, light some candles and arrange for a wonderful meal afterward. Success guaranteed!
Unplug for a whole day
Unplugging means no devices whatsoever and certainly no work!
This can be a challenge if you’re spending a lot of time on your phone or laptop during the day, but it will definitely do you good and make room for more quality time with your partner.
So put all these devices on airplane mode (or shut them down) and put them in a box. Seal the box and put it out of sight to enjoy a full day of unplugging!
Instead, you can get out some books, play board games and have deep conversations. Actually how good do you two know each other?
Go to the movies
A golden combination: combine going to the movies with having dinner and drinks afterwards!
Because you can’t really talk while watching a movie and quality time is key, I always prefer to go for a drink or dinner afterward and talk about what you’ve just seen and lots of other stuff.
Visit a national park
Being active in nature is a wonderful activity for a staycation date!
We have lots of protected nature areas around us, and you often don’t have to drive too far to admire nature’s beauty.
Go for a hike, bike and foremost enjoy!
Visit a local exposition or museum
If you think this is not for you, think twice.
There exist expositions and museums about almost everything!
Spend some time together visiting a temporary exposition or local museum not far from home. Make this a date or combine this with other things to make a whole day trip out of it.
Organize a wine (or beer) tasting
Arrange for some wine tasting and don’t also forget to order a cheese plate with it to taste accompanying cheese with the wine!
Put on some music and let your mouth discover all this deliciousness.
If you’re not a fan of wine, consider replacing it with beer. Although this sounds less romantic, it can result in a fun a night together with your partner!
Volunteer
This doesn’t have to be a big thing, you can search for an organization to support together or you can just do something on your own initiative.
For example, I sometimes pick up garbage that is lying around when hiking. This can be a good deed as well!
Find something your partner and you both enjoy and have a heart for!
Go camping (in your backyard)
Set up your tent and sleep under the blue sky!
You can go camping in the neighbourhood or just stay home and sleep in your backyard. Both will equally be fun!
Make a campfire
Combine this with camping or just set up a fire in your backyard.
Get your blankets out, something to roast over the fire and some bubbles to fully enjoy the evening. If you can, look for a bright night and do some stargazing!
Stargazing
This is probably one of the most romantic things on this list, certainly if you combine it with a cozy campfire!
Don’t forget to bring some blankets and search for a quiet, cozy but foremost private spot to spend the evening.
Go on a bike tour
Get your bikes out or rent some bikes and discover a new area!
This is even more fun when your bike tour has a goal, for example, going to get an ice cream or biking an art route.
Reorganize your first date
Think back to the first time you and your partner went on a date. How was it?
Maybe it brings back some good memories and maybe you’ve been thinking “I wish I could go back in time and experience it again”.
Well, actually you can! There’s nothing stopping you from taking your partner on your first date again. Even if it seems like a trivial activity, it might bring back some great memories and make you connect even more with each other!
Conclusion
There’s no need to get bored on a staycation.
There are plenty of romantic staycation ideas for couples that you can try to make your staycation truly romantic and special!
Let me know in the comments, which one is your favourite? Have you tried any of them?
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