15 Romantic Staycation Ideas for Couples Who Love to Travel
Looking for romantic staycation ideas for couples to treat your loved one to? Here are the best staycation ideas that will bring you and your loved one even closer than before.
Who doesn’t love taking trips to the most romantic places in the world with their loved ones and create beautiful memories? I know I do!
However, even though everyone would want that, the reality is that it might not be possible to take a vacation abroad every time for various reasons.
It could be that you’re held up with work and you used up all your leave days, you have no one to leave your furry friends with, you currently don’t have the money to buy flights tickets or an apocalypse has fallen onto the world that you’re not allowed to travel – yes, we can’t rule out anything at this point.
But for whatever reason you may not be able to take an abroad trip with your loved one, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep the spark burning even without leaving your home or city.
If that’s you, continue reading as I will be sharing some of the travel-themed fun staycation ideas that will bring out all the feels but also satisfy your wanderlust soul.
But you might be wondering? What in heaven is a staycation or a romantic one for that matter?
A staycation (which is a play on words on stay and vacation) is a time which a person/family or a couple, in this case, stays home and participates in leisure activities within a day-trip distance of their home and does not require overnight accommodation – according to Wikipedia
OR
Simply put, a staycation is a holiday you take at home or near your home without traveling to a far place.
So now that we’re familiar with what a staycation is, let’s look at some of the romantic staycation ideas you can plan to make you feel like you’re traveling.
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Romantic Staycation Ideas for Couples Who Love to Travel
Here are the most romantic staycation ideas every couple will enjoy!
1. Take a scenic drive in your area
There is nothing that brings out the thrill of traveling like taking a road trip in your neighborhood.
Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily grind that we even miss the most basic things like driving through one of the scenic roads in the area.
You may not have an agenda nor an ultimate destination, but driving with a loved one while carpool “karaoking” and making stops to take photos will bring back those good olden days and even bring you much closer as a couple.
Actually, it doesn’t have to be a drive in a car, if you have a motorbike, it can be pretty awesome too.
Pro tip* If you plan on taking a long drive, carry a few snacks and drinks with you. Sandwiches and water will do – a reusable water bottle like this one will help you carry enough water or whatever beverage you prefer.
2. Go hiking in the outdoors
If you’re lucky enough to live in an area that has some epic hikes, going hiking is one of the romantic staycation ideas for couples.
Hiking is a perfect way to get away from it all, and reconnect with nature while reconnecting with each other as a couple. It’s also a perfect way to stay healthy and in shape.
Pro tip* If this will be your first time going hiking, make sure that you read this post to find out the best tips and hacks for hiking for the first time. And while at it, don’t forget to take these day hiking essentials for an amazing outdoor encounter.
Related post: Big mistakes to avoid while hiking
3. Go on a picnic
Is there anything more romantic than a picnic? Certainly, not! All you need to do is to find a nice quiet area for your picnic ahead of time. It could be a beach, a park, or even one of those hidden gems in your area as long as you can find somewhere to sit.
Get your picnic basket ready (you can buy this off Amazon if you don’t have one – it’s cute and cheap).
Add some delicacies that you both love (say fruits, cheese, sandwiches, chocolate bars, etc), grab a cozy picnic blanket like this one, and your favorite bottle of wine without forgetting the wine glasses.
You can even add this portable speaker to play some romantic music as you enjoy quality time with your loved one.
I promise by the end of your picnic, you’ll feel like you just came back from a perfect romantic getaway in Europe even if you were just a few minutes away from your home.
4. Plan a backyard camping night
If you’re a couple that enjoys camping- why not switch things up and camp in your backyard?
It’s actually pretty simple to plan, all you need to bring out are your usual camping equipment and pretend that you’re camping in the wild!
You may not go all out with preparing your meals outside but I promise it’s so much fun to do everything you’d on a real camping trip. If you have kids, they can sleep in the house as you enjoy your adventure in the backyard.
So if I’ve convinced you to try camping in your backyard, here is what you’ll need.
- A camping tent: This one can easily accommodate 2 people
- Sleeping Bags: You can opt to buy 2 of these sleeping bags but if you want to be even cozier, then go for this double couple sleeping bag. It’s large enough for 2 people. Or you can actually just use your home blankets if you don’t have sleeping bags and you can’t get any.
- Sleeping pads: To make sure that you don’t sleep right on the ground.
- Pillows: You can just use your home pillows.
- Flashlight: Turn off your home lights and use this kind of flashlight to have the real thrill of camping in your own backyard.
Though this is an adventurous and fun romantic staycation idea, not everyone has a backyard to enjoy backyard camping. If that’s you, why not try glamping in your bedroom?
You just need to pitch a tent in your bedroom, pull out your sleeping bags or blanket and have a fantastic date night with your loved one.
Related post: Essential camping tips for beginners
5. Check yourselves into a cozy hotel or resort
Sometimes showing your loved one how much they mean to you requires splurging a bit and there is no better way to do that than staying at a fancy hotel or resort in your town/city.
Make research online and find a hotel you’ll love if you don’t know of any yourself. It will even be perfect if you opt for a full board where everything is organized for you without lifting a figure for this one day or weekend.
For such a time, I’d recommend a hotel/ resort with a swimming pool, a spa, or even one on the beach so that you have tons of things to do during the day and reconnect more as a couple.
I use Booking.com to book all my hotel stays as it has a provision to reschedule or even cancel your stay should something unexpected come up.
So what are you waiting for, start looking for that romantic hotel/resort and surprise your loved one with a romantic getaway?
Related post: Romantic things to do in Europe
6. Rent a camper for a weekend and go for a road trip
I love road trips. I think they’re the most fun way to travel as you literally have full control over where to go and when to do what and you’ll just be the 2 of you without dealing with the crowds of people.
If you have your own camper (I am so jealous of you right now if you do), you just need to pack all the road trip essentials and hit the road.
But if you don’t, you can easily rent one or even a rooftop-tented car and start planning your trip. Rental Cars is a great option for renting any kind of vehicle and it operates in almost all countries.
If you’ve never been on a road trip, this post with show you how to easily plan a road trip in a few simple steps, and don’t forget to check out the road trip games you can play should you get bored on the way.
Related post: Big mistakes to avoid while on a Road trip
7. Live out your favorite country in your home for a day
How this works is that you choose a theme country say, France! That means that you plan to live that entire day with inspiration from France.
Start out your day with a breakfast from that country, Crepes, and Croissants if we go with our France example.
If that country has a specific dress code, you can even try it out! For lunchtime, still, go for one from that country and the same for dinner.
However, this should not be just about food, incorporate as much culture as you can from that country to really get a feel like you’re in that country. You can also try to learn a few words of that country’s language to fully indulge in this activity.
And when night comes, you can wind your day with a movie or a series based on the country you chose!
Don’t forget to capture every moment with your camera as it will be so much fun in a couple of months to look back and see how you truly experienced that country’s culture without flight tickets.
Related post: Travel-themed fun things to do at home if you can’t travel
8. Be a tourist in your own town
Have you realized how we usually ignore visiting the places around us and opt for destinations far away?
This is a common thing for almost everyone but not being able to travel abroad or far should inspire you to visit places around you.
You’ll be surprised by how much you’ll end up enjoying yourselves and discover things and places you didn’t even know existed.
So why not out check out that local museum in your town, that waterfall everyone keeps talking about but you didn’t think was too grand to see, or better yet just walk around the town as you take photos with statues or anything that catches your attention – basically be a tourist in your own town.
9. Make a campfire in your backyard
From the burning word, the spark from the fire, the noise that calms the night to the illumination it makes, there is nothing more romantic than sitting side by side with your loved one at a campfire.
As the night goes by, you remind each other how you first met and fell in love, the crazy, fun, and stupid things you’ve done together all this time and how you’re glad your paths crossed!
All this coupled with a cup of hot cholate or beer and laughter, romance will definitely fill the air.
Honestly, if this is not one of the best staycation ideas for couples then I don’t know what is!
Pro tip* You can combine the backyard camping with the campfire to make an entire magical night. But if you’re not into backyard camping, you can still enjoy a cozy night out on the campfire and later head back in the house to crown the romantic night.
However, if you don’t have a backyard but your house has a fireplace, you can still have a romantic time in front of the fire.
10. Recreate your travel photos at home
Photos make a huge part of the travel journey – whether it is solely for memories or to up your Instagram game, you’ll need photos to speak for you.
And just because you can’t travel currently doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t relive your best travel moments in the comfort of your home.
But I gotta warn you, this is one of the cute stay-at-home date ideas for couples that require creativity!
Just go through some of your recent travel photos, and pick out the photos that you think you’ll be able to recreate with materials and items at your disposal.
They may not come out perfectly but it will be a lot of fun and satisfactory when you finally come out with photos that are almost similar to what you took while traveling.
Related post: How to decorate your living room with travel souvenirs
11. Bring A fancy restaurant at home and plan a dinner date
Let’s be honest here! When was the last time you had a dinner date with your loved one? Yeah… if it’s been a while, it’s time to get that cute little dress and heels out and enjoy a fantastic meal at home with your partner as though you were outside.
I know you might now be thinking that it will be like the typical dinner at home but you should make it special and below is how to do that.
- Come out with a menu of the things you both love. (you can even make it a 3-course meal if you like).
- Prepare the meals ahead of your date time and keep them warm.
- Decorate either your living room, dining or balcony with candles and flowers to make it a romantic ambiance.
- Print out your menu if you can and put them on the table.
- Bring out your music that will play in the background – soft jazz always does the trick.
- If you have an older kid, you can even ask him/her to be your server that night so that you just sit back and enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner with your loved one.
- Ask your partner to dress up well as though you’re going to a fancy restaurant and also do the same.
I surely believe this is one of the most romantic staycation ideas for couples if not the most! And by the end of the date, you’ll even be more in love than before and a steamy night ahead will be waiting for the both of you.
12. Go on a travel movie-watching marathon
Watching travel movies brings you closer to the theme destination or at least inspires you to travel there or brings back the memories of that place if you’ve been there before.
I know I felt like I was in Paris and that I wanted to go there when I watched Emily in Paris as it showed almost all the famous places in Paris plus a few hidden gems.
So if you have a destination you want to relive, you can search for movies that showcase them but if you just want to satisfy your wanderlust soul with any travel movies, below are a few you can check out.
- Into the Wild: It’s a true story about a boy leaving behind life as we know it to live in the wilderness of Alaska by hitchhiking.
- Amelie: This movie shows all the places in Paris where you’ll want to pack your bags to travel to the French capital.
- Lost in Translation: I am sure most of us can relate to this movie when it comes to traveling and it will also make you want to explore Japan.
- Up in the Air: This movie tells the journey of frequent travelers and how it can impact their lives.
You can rent out all these movies from Amazon Movies. You can also check out my favorite hiking movies if you’re into hiking.
13. Plan a spa day at home
With all the busy day-to-day life of taking care of the home, chores, work, etc, sometimes romance can slip through your hands and the best way to bring it back while you even relax your bodies is by having a spa day.
Set this day aside for nothing but pampering yourselves. Some of the things you can do on a spa day are;
- A facial scrub
- Foot massage
- Manicure and Pedis
- A full body massage – you’ll need this massage oil and these hot massage stones if you like that.
- And crown your day with a steamy bubble bath together.
Pro tip* If you don’t know how to do a massage, you can try watching videos online to up your skills before d-day.
To end your spa day, you can make a bubble bath, throw in some rose petals, bring some wine glasses, and relax in the bath while sipping on wine or even champagne.
You can also lighten up the entire mood by adding some candles with chill music and I’m sure you’ll find this one of the most romantic things for couples to do at home.
14. Cook an international meal together
If neither of you ever feels like being in the kitchen, don’t kick this idea out yet – I promise you’ll still enjoy it since the point is to do something that brings you together as a couple – one can be chopping the vegetables as the other stirs.
So start by deciding on the international food you’d like to cook! You can zero this down by brainstorming foods you enjoyed while traveling in various countries.
It could be that spicy chicken tikka you ate when you traveled to India, the delicious noodles in China, or even the Boeuf Bourguignon you ate while traveling in France.
Zero down on what you both loved the most and then see if you can buy the ingredients needed and hit the kitchen. Take it a notch higher by getting yourselves chef caps that read the country name whose food you’re making.
15. Go Glamping in one of the cozy cabins nearby
Luckily for you, cabins are increasingly becoming a thing in most parts of the world and they’re usually in secluded but beautiful areas with spectacular views – things that both speak the language of romance.
Make research online and find cabins near your town that you can easily drive to and spend a few nights there with your loved one.
Final Thoughts on How to Plan a Romantic Staycation for Couples
There you have it, lovers, those were some of the romantic staycation ideas for couples you should try out to bring back that spark in your relationship.
Have you tried out any of these fun couple things to do at home? Share your experience with us and if you have something else that is not on this list of romantic staycation ideas, inspire us by leaving it in the comment section.
Looking for more travel inspiration? Check out these posts on the blog
- How to plan a trip from scratch
- How to travel the world on a budget
- Best tips for packing light while traveling
- How to stay safe while traveling
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