Stay at Home Date Ideas for Couples That Love to Travel

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You know life is funny!  We get that! Although we probably all wish we could just live a life of non-stop travel and adventure, that isn’t always realistic. 

But, what if I told you that no matter what your circumstance, you could feel like you are traveling without ever leaving your home?  It’s true! 

With a little creativity and some out-of-the-box thinking, you can make it happen and we are here to help!  Our list of stay-at-home date ideas for couples will have you feel like you have been transported to another land in no time!

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Stay at Home Date Ideas for Couples That Love to Travel

Create a “Dream Vacation” Date-Fun at Home Date Idea

Ok, to some this is one of our stay at home date ideas that might sound a little cheesy, but trust me, it is fun!  If you go into it with an open mind and a fun-loving attitude, then you’re going to have fun. 

The concept here is to create an environment that makes you feel as if you have escaped your home and been transported to a new place.

To create these dream vacation dates, just think about what the place/area is most known for. 

What type of food can you create from that region? 

Can you do an activity that will make you think of the area?

Are there any virtual field trips or museum visits available? 

Can you “dress the part” for your evening?  C

an you create a fun game about the area?

Let us dive into this stay at home date idea in more detail!  Here are a few that Marty and I have created in the past:

A Night in Italy

This fun stay at home date idea will have you transported to Italy in no time.  During this date, you will eat Italian food, create an Italian “masterpiece”, and participating in a virtual museum tour!

I created this date night for Marty after we returned from our trip to Southern Italy.  We saw so many amazing things in Rome, Naples, and Capri that I wanted to keep the magic alive at home.

The first thing you need to do to get this date started is to choose a “menu” for the evening. 

I chose to make spaghetti carbonara as we had some of the best ever during our time in Capri, so I knew this would be the perfect dish.  I rounded out my menu with a beautiful Caprese salad, a nice bottle of red wine, some limoncello, and some cannolis that I bought from the local bakery.

You can also try one of the recipes from 50 Italian Drinks That You Must Try in Italy post.

To entertain us for the evening, I thought it would be fun if Marty and I did a watercolor painting.  I chose one of our favorite pictures from Venice, bought some watercolor paints and paper from the dollar store, and voila, we had a makeshift art studio. 

 In addition to this, I set up a virtual museum tour on our smart tv courtesy of the Vatican’s website.

We combined all of this with some Italian music in the background, a checkered tablecloth, and a few candles to have the perfect “night in Italy”.

Beach Getaway

Who doesn’t love a beach getaway?  I know we certainly do.  We love visiting beaches, especially the Riviera Maya and Cancun.  So why not recreate that experience at home?

Now, granted, you can’t bring the ocean into your living room…but you can sure have fun trying.

For this date night, I blew up a kid’s inflatable pool in the backyard, threw in a beach ball, set up some lounge chairs, and turned on some ocean wave sounds (you could do fun music if you would prefer).

If you know us, then you know that we had to include some food.  We kept the menu simple by grilling some hot dogs, opening a bag of potato chips and cutting up a fresh watermelon.  Of course, the date also included some fruity cocktails complete with paper umbrellas!

For entertainment, write secret “messages in a bottle” that you agreed not to open until your anniversary.  You can also use this time to play some fun “beach” games like frisbee and volleyball.

If the weather isn’t nice enough to be outside, recreate the whole set up inside, just don’t put any water in the pool.

Around the World Date Night

Now this at home date idea is so much fun.  Choose 4 different places that you would like to include in your around the world date night.  The concept here is similar to a progressive dinner only we are going to do this by visiting different places around the world.  Here is an example “schedule”:

• Cocktails in Mexico–margaritas and mariachi bands
• Appetizers in China–egg rolls or egg drop soup
• Dinner in Germany-bratwurst, saurkraut, potatoes, and pretzels
• Dessert in Switzerland-delicous chocolate fondue

Make a fun invitation to invite your loved one to travel around the world with you for dinner tonight.  You could even add little boxes at the bottom where they could “stamp” the passport of the places you have visited.

To make this date a success, set up several different areas in your house with the “theme” for that section.

Have cocktails in Mexico out on the patio if possible.  Decorate with some bright colored decorations and have some mariachi music playing in the background.  Bonus points if you bring some maracas in and dance during your fiesta!

For appetizers, consider a small intimate area in your home.  Hang up some paper lanterns, and watch a Chinese dance performance while you enjoy your appetizer course.  You could even get cute little Chinese food take-out boxes and chopsticks to make the experience more fun.

Set up dinner in your dining room.  Serve your meal “family style” while having some fun German music playing in the background.  Another option could be to play a fun video of a tour of Munich from YouTube while enjoying your German meal. 

While you’re on YouTube, be sure to give our channel a follow. ?

For dessert, be sure that you have all of the necessary supplies for fondue.  You need a fondue pot and of course the delicious chocolate.  Consider creating this recipe for the perfect chocolate. 

Get creative with the items that you dip in your fondue.  We love using fresh strawberries, pineapples, bananas, marshmallows, cheesecake, pound cake, rice crispy treats, etc.

Picnic in Paris

This is one of our favorite stay at home date ideas for couples!  Who wouldn’t love a picnic in Paris under the Eiffel Tower?  Talk about a romantic date night!

Display a picture of the Eiffel Tower on your television screen and have some beautiful Parisian music playing in the background.  Spread a blanket down near the television.

For your picnic, prepare the perfect Parisian picnic basket.  B

e sure to include a baguette, some French cheese, some delicious protein like jambon, some yummy spreads like apricot jam, some seasonal fruits some nuts and dried fruits, and of course a nice bottle of wine or French champagne!

Enjoy time just chatting with your sweetie while toasting champagne (cue Instagram) and munching on your perfect picnic spread. 

For an extra fun time, why not get some paints from the local craft store and create some Picasso style portraits of one another, rounding out the perfect fun stay at home date idea.

To take this date a step further, consider doing one of the many awesome virtual tours of Paris that are available.

Visit an Irish Pub

Visiting the pubs in Ireland was a highlight of out time in the Emerald Isle.  We love the fun atmosphere and of course, the great food and beer!  This stay at home date idea will help you to recreate that experience!

Of course like in the previous dates, our first step is to start with the menu.  Traditional Irish dishes include corned beef and hash, Irish stew, and shepherd’s pie. 

Find the one that appeals to you the most and gather your ingredients.  While you are at the store, also buy some Guinness beer!

Consider watching a fun Irish themed romantic comedy, like Leap Year before diving into the delicious Irish dinner that you made. 

For some after dinner entertainment, break into that Guinness and play some Irish games. 

Traditional Irish pub games include rings, backgammon, and darts.  If you don’t have any of these on hand, you could always go for some of these games that we found on Amazon.

Take a Virtual Cruise

Ok, so this one requires a little imagination, but isn’t that what this at home date ideas post is all about?  Head back over to your trusty YouTube channel and find your favorite virtual cruise video, or use this video of an ocean view.

Make sure and set up a photo-op where you and your sweetie will pose with a ship’s wheel or a life preserver, maybe throw in a fake pirate as well?  You will use this throughout the evening.

While “boarding the ship”, be sure and take your photo holding the ship’s life preserver!

Now, before setting sail, you will want to throw yourself a sail-away party.  Put on some make-shift life vests (or real ones if you have them) and gather at your munster station.  Be sure to go over the safety rules for your date tonight just in case there is an emergency. 

Once you have completed your safety drill, pass out some fruity cocktails, like this Bahama Mama, while blaring obnoxious music from your stereo.  I’m talking song like “Celebration”, “We Are Family”, and “Hot Hot Hot”!

Oh yeah, and don’t forget the plastic swords or paper umbrellas for your drink.

In the back yard, set up an inflatable pool with a couple of lounge chairs.  Enjoy lounging around the pool while listening to steel drum music and sipping on some more fruity cocktails. 

When you are tired of being outside, then head to your living room where you will now watch your ocean view or virtual cruise video.  Set up a couple of lounge chairs in front of the tv, have a fan blowing the cool ocean breeze on you while you sip some more cocktails.

By now, you are probably needing some food so set up an all you can eat buffet for you and your date for the evening.   

After eating, head into the other room where you have set up casino-style games for you and your date to enjoy. 

Don’t forget to go back to your photo prop and take a picture with the fake pirate.  Bonus points if it can look like he is slitting your through…why do they always do that?

Close out the evening by holding a raffle for some fun prizes like keychains and fake jewelry!

A Night In New Orleans

Of course, this at home date idea for couples has a special place in our hearts because we LOVE New Orleans!   There is just something special about this city, and we love everything New Orleans has to offer.  So recreating this experience is right up my alley!

To make the menu for you night in New Orleans, think classic New Orleans dishes like red beans and rice, jambalaya, gumbo, or ettouffee.  Of course for dessert you have to make some delicious New Orleans style beignets.

Start your evening off by touring the fabulous French Quarter with this video. 

After getting a feel for the city, let’s get the party started.  Treat your date to a cocktail-making lesson. For this fun activity, choose a couple of classic New Orleans cocktails to make and sample together. 

Enjoy your cocktails outside while listening to some jazz music to get the feeling of a New Orleans courtyard.

After enjoying the cocktails, make your way inside to feast on the fabulous meal that you have created of one or more of the classic New Orleans dishes we listed above. 

After dinner, you and your date are going to record a cooking demo together where you will teach your audience how to make New Orleans style beignets!  After you finish, post your fun video to your favorite social media.  ?

To wrap up a great night in New Orleans, take a stroll down Bourbon Street with this virtual tour before popping into your lounge to listen to some great jazz music.

Final Thoughts on Stay at Home Date Ideas for Couples

I hope our stay at home date ideas have inspired you.  As you can see, the possibilities are endless. 

A basic “recipe” we use when creating these fun dates is to have some food, some decor, and some entertainment for the evening.  Really you can’t do this wrong. 

We would love to hear your ideas.  Comment below and tell us what other fun travel-themed-at-home date ideas you can come up with!

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