These days the idea of any real travel seems like something out of a sci-fi movie. Going overseas would be nice, except for the fact that we would be spending most of our time locked in quarantine. A staycation for couples is more the reality these days. When coming up with staycation ideas for couples a little imagination is sometimes required.
Everyone has a slightly different definition as to what constitutes a staycation, for me it is a vacation out of your home or hometown. You are taking time off work and treating it like an actual vacation. Sitting on the couch watching T.V. for a week to me is not a Staycation, that is just wasting time. You need to get out and try something new. Novelty is key when it comes to travel (read more about this here). The goal is to create a different atmosphere in or near your home.
With a little thought you can transform not only these tough times into a great staycation atmosphere, but any time you want to get away without leaving your hometown. Below are my 15 best staycation ideas for couples.
1. Bring the Vacation to Your Home (with a little help)
If you want to you can transform your house into a vacation spot and make a night of it. With a few tweaks you can turn your house into a romantic staycation destination. First, hire a maid service to clean your entire home. You have cleaning people while away, so it makes sense to do this during your staycation. If you look hard enough you can even have someone leave mints on your pillows and turn your towels into a swan sculptor.
For dinner hire a private chef to cook an extravagant meal, preferably from a place you never have been. A four-course feast from a cook that specializes in Chinese may make you feel like you are in Beijing. If room allows, set up a romantic bartender and band in your backyard. If you cannot go away, spend a night or two making your home feel less like your home and more like a destination. I understand money could be an issue, but you are saving cash on airfare! This will take a bit of planning, but when coming up with staycation ideas for couples, turning your house into a romantic destination is a good place to start.
2. Spend the Night at an Expensive Hotel
This is dependent on where you live, most of us have at least one really nice hotel within 25 minutes of our home. Why not spend a night or two enjoying a 5-Star establishment? Many have spas, a pool, room service, etc. You can hide away in the hotel for two days and forget that a pandemic is even occurring (you must keep the T.V. and internet off).
Of course, this works even in normal times. It will be surprising how much it feels like you are away just by spending a night out of your house, even if it is right down the road. Once again money can be an issue, but this is a staycation, which has to take the place of a real vacation.
3. Be A tourist in Your Own Town
This works a lot better if you live in a major city not a small town with only a traffic light and a peach stand. It always surprises me how many people have not explored the area where they live. I am from Long Island, 45 minutes from New York city, yet I did not visit the Empire State building until after I moved to North Carolina. I hear this all the time, no locals go to XYZ, it is for tourists.
Well strap on the fanny pack, grab your partner it is time to start exploring. Most likely there are at least three things you never have done in your town. It does not have to be as big as the Statue of Liberty. Find some weird museum you never knew was there or go to a park on the opposite side of town. A simple search of “things to do in X” will show you what you have not seen. String a bunch of these together and you may be shocked about how little you know about your own area. Do not forget to buy the refrigerator magnet from any local venders that are still on the street.
4. Expand Your Radius
Maybe this is pushing the definition of staycation, but you should be able to hop in the car and drive to the next town or city over. I am not saying drive to the Grand Canyon (unless you live near the Grand Canyon), just that you should expand your radius maybe 30 miles or so.
By doing this you will find a lot of unexpected treats. Remember the purpose is novelty, seeing a different area will help you to find a novel experience. It is strange how different it can feel just 45 minutes out from your home. Here in Charlotte, a 20-minute ride from the center of the city to the outskirts results in a whole new experience. Take a map and make a circle of anything that is 30 miles away or so, see what you find. Maybe find a hotel in this area. Is it still a staycation? Given it is my website, I say yes.
5. Google Wineries Near You
This is one of my favorite staycation ideas for couples, because sometimes a man just needs a drink. There are a surprising number of wineries close to most areas of the United States. Even if the wine is not great, I cannot remember having a bad time at a winery. There are certainly wineries that I cannot remember, but that is beside the point.
Grab an Uber, spend the day drinking wine and relaxing. After you have had your fill hit a local hotel. Many wineries have hotels close by or even on the premises. If you cannot find a winery, a distillery or even good brewery might suffice. Just make it a place you do not visit often, preferably big enough to make a half-day out of it.
6. Go to an Expensive Spa
When it comes to staycation ideas for couples, spas are great alternatives. If we are to be honest, almost all women love spas. If we are being really honest, men love them as well. Come on, a massage, a steam room, maybe a jacuzzi, what is there not to love. Look for a good one, someplace that you can spend at least three hours pampering her (and yourself) in. You may come out as a different person. Of course, this is all dependent on spas being open where you live.
7. Explore Nature
Hiking is a great couple’s activity with the added bonus of built in social distancing. One good thing about hiking trails is that they are pretty much everywhere. You may have to drive to hit some, but they are out there. Even New York has Central park, which has almost 60 miles of trails. Getting outside and back to nature helps us deal with the stress that is going on around us.
A couple of more staycation ideas for couples in regard to nature. How about a picnic in the park? Grab a bottle of wine (check local laws) a blanket, maybe some good cheeses and make it romantic. If you live near the water, have a boat take you out. You and your partner can enjoy fishing or just being out in the quiet. Clearly this only works if you are near the water (sorry Nevada).
8. Plan a Food and Drink Tour
This is my favorite of the 15 staycation ideas for couples, although it may take a little planning. Find an area (or two) around town that has a group of restaurants within walking distance and hit them all. Unless you are me, you may just want to have a couple of apps at each place and move on, or you will get full quickly. I recommend doing this in a completely new part of town or at places you have never been before.
Most cities have an area with a couple of Vietnamese or hipster places all lined up in a row. Just get online and give yourself a loose roadmap as to which spots you will hit. If you live in a smaller area, with few places close to each other, Uber is your friend, especially if you are drinking.
9. Lock the Door and Throw Away the Key
These are staycation ideas for couples, so you can do what couples do. Go into your room, close off the world. Have a couple of bottles of Champaign in there, have meals delivered and just enjoy the quiet time. The key is not to find your way back to the couch or the laundry. You need to make a conscious effort to keep it a staycation and not an ordinary day (with chores etc..). Therefore I recommend closing off the rest of the house and lounging in bed with each other all day. As a side, keep the TV off as long as possible.
10. Camp in Your Back Yard
Have a tent? No… buy one on Amazon here. If you have a backyard, turn it into a campsite for a night. This is a fun way to stay at home while still feeling like you are away. Trick is to not go inside for a certain amount of time. Well, I am not saying pee in the bushes, so go inside for that…but spend the night in the (hopefully) quiet and enjoy your home and partner. Just be careful not to freak out the neighbors with a campfire.
11. Attend a Class
I like this idea because it combines learning something new and time with your significant other. There are a ton of different classes out there (of course some may be on hold for now). Still there are many online group classes where you can learn a new skill. You can also tailor this to a place you want to visit in the future. Learn German if you want to visit the country. Maybe learn about Italian wines if you plan on visiting Italy after the world stops ending. There are a lot of different avenues to take, to at least prep you for future travel.
12. Turn a Section of Your House or Backyard into a Vacation Spot.
This tip could cost you some money, but if you do not think you will be traveling soon then turning your home into a getaway can pay off for years. It could be something large like adding a pool or jacuzzi to your backyard or something smaller like transforming a unused bedroom into a game room or bar. Make it a place where you can get away from it all while not going farther than your driveway. You will be surprised how much enjoyment one gets by just transforming their home into a mini vacation area. Yes, one of the more expensive staycation ideas for couples, but hopefully it will be a place of relaxation far after we need to take staycations.
13. Have a Night of Luxury
Speaking of expensive staycation Ideas for couples, why not have a blowout night of luxury. Rent a ridiculously nice sports car or take a limo around town. Go to the most expensive restaurant in your area and go nuts. Cap the night with a place that serves $22 drinks on top of any rooftop. Even if you do not feel like you are on vacation, most likely your wallet will!
14. Try a Scavenger Hunt or Escape Rooms
I have always loved escape rooms, they are a very entertaining way to burn off a hour or two and they are a great way to bond with your partner. Or they may cause you to want to kill each other because you are stuck in a room together and trying to work on something. Just know you most likely will not win unless you are both Stephen Hawking.
Scavenger hunts can be fun as well. I am guessing there are websites in most major cities that can help you plan one. If not, get a reliable friend to make something up, it is a great way to do a new activity around your hometown.
15. Combine Multiple Things on this List
All these ideas can work on their own, but what if you combined them? If you started your day with a breakfast from a unique restaurant… then checked into a hotel with a Spa. Have a blowout dinner at night, the next day take a limo to a foodie tour or winery. Come back and chill in your hotel using the pool and other amenities. You would feel like you are on vacation. Yes, this will cost some money, but so does any vacation.
You can also combine things at home. Lock yourselves in your room during the day and go camping or hire a personal chef at night. Just be creative and treat your time off like an actual vacation, not just a day at home.
Additional Staycation Ideas for Couples
Turn Off Anything Work Related: I wrote about how people waste their PTO in this article here. This can be especially tempting to do when you are home instead of being away. Some A-hole might ask you to respond to an email or call you, before you know it you spent your staycation basically at work. Avoid this by turning off your phone and computer, unless you are a doctor or fireman, the world can live without you for a day or two.
Go Someplace New: Novelty is the name of the game here, go someplace different Going out to eat at the same restaurant you visit weekly is not a staycation, it is just your routine. Travel is about mixing it up, so make an attempt to do this. This also includes hanging out with friends, these are staycation ideas for couples, concentrate on your partner.
Ignore all Chores: Clean up after yourself sure, but we do not do laundry or vacuum the house on vacation. You could hire someone to do this, if not just ignore the mess. Concentrate on your partner not your daily routine.
Conclusion: Staycation Ideas for Couples
Times are tough, the idea is to mix it up to make you feel like you are away. You will not be able to replace a trip to Sicily (read more about my experience here). I lost a lot of trips due to the current situation, and it hurts, but that does not mean I give up any hope of travel. Use your imagination, you may find you will have more fun than you realized.
