Staycation Ideas for Couples: Tips for Planning a Romantic Staycation!

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For those couples itching for a romantic getaway without having to get…far away, a romantic staycation is just the stuff. In this post, we’re going to explore some of the top staycation ideas for couples. We’re also going to offer some tips to maximize your staycating snuggles, kisses, and the overall spirit of your local romantic rendezvous.

But what’s a staycation, you ask?

A staycation is a local vacation not far from your home, on which you may not require overnight accommodation. However, many couples choose to enjoy their romantic staycation spending the night at a local hotel, or other form of accommodation.

Given our changed world, a staycation is the perfect adaptation to chase away some of those pesky stuck-at-home blues (GIRL, I FEEL YOU!) and incorporate travel into your lives, while still maintaining responsible practices.

A romantic staycation is also a phenomenal option for those couples tight on a budget, tight on time, or who simply want to enjoy the delights of their local area. And if you’re looking for some epic gift ideas to go along with your staycation, check out our guide for the best gifts for outdoorsy girls.

Our Experience Planning Couples Staycations

Ben and I have had our fair share of staycations these past few months. We’ve celebrated our 10-year anniversary, our birthdays, and just indulged in a little “we need to GET-THE-FREAK-OUT-OF-THE-HOUSEedness.”

We’ve learned a lot about planning a staycation for couples, and are super stoked to share all of our juicy tidbits about the couples staycation planning process, including how to score some epic romantic staycation deals.

Reconnect on Your Romantic Staycation

Really, no matter what you end up choosing to do, you’ll find your romantic staycation most beneficial to your relationship if you can manage to find a way to disconnect from the stressors of the world. Send your feelers out to your significant other, and meet their feelers back in return. Make it a goal to have real conversations throughout your staycation, and connect in a meaningful way, without the distractions of…real life.

If you’re ready, let’s get started with our romantic staycation guide.

Here are our top staycation ideas for couples!

Look Deep Into Nature

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

-Albert Einstein                   

Einstein said it best. If you’re looking for some staycation ideas for couples–look outside!

A jaunt into the great outdoors will open up a world of affordable (or even free) daily activity excursions to enrich your romantic staycation.

Reconnect With Your Partner and Your Hometown

This could be the perfect opportunity to explore the natural beauty of your local region in ways you’re usually to busy to enjoy.

You might consider checking out a new hike, strolling around a lovely park, packing up some drinks and snacks and heading to a beach you’ve never been to, or getting deep into the nearby woods. Just take advantage of whatever local natural beauty is available to you!

I know too often people often overlook the beauty of the place they live in or grew up in. Visitors might come to your region and gawk at the beauty of your hometown, seeing it with fresh eyes. But, since you’ve lived there for so long, you’ve become so accustomed to it that you might not see its beauty.

A couples staycation is the perfect opportunity to appreciate, or re-appreciate, the natural beauty around you.

For my birthday and our 10-year anniversary this year, we opted to explore some lesser known beaches past Malibu. They’re not even beaches so much as shorelines–and they were perfect for what we were looking for. We were the only ones there, and with fantastic views and near complete privacy, it was the perfect place to enjoy a picturesque picnic in nature.

Hunt for Staycation Deals

The internet is an incredible resource for finding travel deals, and staycation deals are no different. If you’re in the United States, the most reliable and consistent deal website for finding staycation deals is Groupon.

Groupon for Deals on Staycation Activities

Groupon is awesome for scoring deals on hotels and travel packages, but we’ve also used it to book staycation activities.

If you head to the “Things to Do” section for your local city, you’ll find all kinds of activities perfect for your romantic staycation. They have deals on restaurants, cruises, wineries, kayak and boat rentals, and literally so much more it’s insane.

Want to ride horses?

Go skydiving?

Take skateboard lessons?

Outdoor cooking classes?

If you think of it, Groupon will probably have a deal on it.

Other Sites for Scoring Staycation Deals

Klook

Another incredible resource for finding staycation deals is Klook.

The fabulous thing about Klook is they have destinations all around the world. Sign me up, mama!

With deals in North America, Europe, Oceania, Africa, and Asia, Klook can give discounts on tons of romantic staycation activities, as long as you live near one of their city offerings. Browse their site to find deals on experiences, transportation, accommodation, and dining.

We love browsing Klook for Los Angeles staycation activities.

Using Klook, we’re always discovering new activities we never even thought of. Klook will have activities that Groupon doesn’t have, and vice versa, so we recommend consulting both to get ideas.

Trazy

If you’re in South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, we also recommend booking deals on activities through Trazy.

We’ve used Trazy many times in the past while traveling. However, since they don’t have any deals in the U.S., we haven’t used it recently for staycations.

Go For a Long Drive With Good Music

Sometimes the best therapy is a long drive, good music, and good company.

-Unknown                    

If you’re looking for staycation ideas for couples so you can get exploring while staying easy on the legs, a scenic drive might be for you.

Ben and I have gone on our fair share of long, meandering drives around the LA area in which we currently live, windows down and music blasting.

In fact, we’ve gone ahead and catalogued the best vehicular journeys in this epic guide to the best scenic drives in Los Angeles!

Level Up Your Romantic Staycation Drive

If you have room in your budget, and want to make your date drive a little more special, you might considering renting a car for the day. Be sure to check out these rental car staycation deals for the occasion.

Luxury Cars

Here’s an idea…

You can rent a luxury rental car (snazzy convertible anyone?) for cheaper than many hotel rooms.

I’ve seen luxury vehicles rentable for under $60/day and convertibles for $76/day. I’ve seen Maserati’s for rent for $136/day, which isn’t exactly cheap, but  it is cheaper than many hotels!

Vintage Cars

If you’re looking for something really special, you could even consider renting a vintage vehicle.

You’ll find classic car rentals available by the day or hour on Turo and Vinty.

Imagine picking up your loved one in a flashy convertible, and riding around with the top down while exploring some of the most beautiful drives in your local area. Get lost in conversation and feel free while disconnecting from your daily lives and spending some quality time with your honeyboo. What could be better?

Alternative: Scenic Bike Ride

Instead of going for a drive, try going for a scenic bike ride with your significant other for your romantic staycation activity!

It’ll get your heart pumping and put you out in the open air. And the zinger: you’ll get set face to face with some beautiful outdoor settings.

You’ll Find Us By the Pool

Maybe this is just me, but there’s nothing like a refreshing dip in the pool.

If you don’t have a pool at home, you might find that one of the chillest staycation ideas for couples is booking a nearby hotel or inn with a pool.

This gives you the chance to take the day to relax in and by the water. (And get those toes nice and pruney).

We did this ourselves recently, and had the most incredible, relaxing time.

We booked two nights at Sonder at V Palm Springs, and were super impressed with their cleanliness and social distancing practices. Ben and I had the chance to reconnect, and it came at the best time.

We hung out by the pool, enjoyed the Elixir pool bar, had a private dinner at their on-site GiGi’s restaurant, and enjoyed our private balcony.

Wining and Dining, Pool Edition

If your hotel pool has a restaurant, you could choose to order drinks and eats for your poolside date.

If not, bring your own!

You can fill up this insulated wine tumbler and bottle set in a portable cooler tote, and bring along some of your favorite special eats.

Personally, Ben and I love to bring smoked salmon, bagels, cream cheese, capers, and dill, along with some premixed cocktails (gin is my drink, baby!), but you could also bring some special deli meats, crusty baguettes, fruits, chocolates, or whatever else floats your fancy.

This is a perfect staycation for married couples as well, because it’s super relaxed, customizable depending on the hotel you choose, and a perfect chance to connect with your partner.

And for those couples with kids, when is the last time you got to swim in a pool without your little rascals?! I know my sister and brother-and-law love having pool hotel staycations, getting the opportunity to take a dip one-on-one, without their adorable little devils running amok. They recently had a staycation in Temecula, and had the most amazing stay.

To get some fabulous staycation deals on hotels, we recommend booking here, and setting filters for any particular amenities you and your significant other would like for your romantic staycation, such as a swimming pool, a hot tub, and/or a balcony.

Stay in Unconventional Accommodation

Sure, hotels are fabulous. And yes, you can certainly score some staycation deals on hotels right now. But we’re ignoring one very pertinent reality:

We live in the age of unconventional accomomodation.

It has literally NEVER been easier to book affordable, unique places to stay for your couples staycation. Whether you’re looking for yurts, cabins, treehouses, luxury tents, domes, or even UFOs—it’s out there, and easier to find than ever before.

Glamping is perfect for anyone, and the options are even more expansive than you probably realize! We actually run our own glamping business, and our guests absolutely adore glamping.

We’ve written a whole guide for Glamping in Joshua Tree, with everything you need to know and the top sites to book if you’re in the area.

Here are also some fun glamping ideas to inspire your next couples staycation.

If you’re planning a staycation for couples, you ought to consider one of the plethora of booking sites for unconventional accommodations, such as Hipcamp, Vrbo, and Tripping, and Airbnb.

Whether you’re searching for novelty or affordability, you’ll find it if you scan through one of the above-listed booking sites.

While all of the sites are great in their own right, our top-used platforms for booking unconventional accommodations are Vrbo and Hipcamp.

Vrbo

Vrbo is well-developed, with everything ranging from private rooms, entire homes, trailers, campsites, and more.

Want to stay in a tree house? Check. A hobbit hole? Check. A yurt in the forest surrounded by goats? Check.

Hipcamp

Hipcamp is amazing for outdoor stays, from glamping to traditional tent camping, yurts or cabins, and more.

Sign up to Hipcamp using our Hipcamp link and get $10!

We regularly post some of our coolest accommodation finds on our Instagram stories, so be sure to follow us and keep an eye out!

Don’t Forget About Good Ol’ Fashion Camping

Imagine taking your partner out to the woods and reconnecting by the campfire. Oh honey, I’m gushing just thinking about it.

Camping is one of our new favorite staycation ideas for couples. Plus, it’s a perfect social distancing activity to enjoy right now.

If you’re on a budget and love the outdoors…THIS IS FOR YOU.

If you have all the camping gear already, it’s super easy and affordable to trek out to an isolated campsite and unplug for a few days with your boo. Many camping sites are $10-20/night per site.

If you do choose to camp, check out our list of recommended camping gear.

Calling All Experienced Campers

If you’re an experienced camper, you might consider trekking out to Bureau of Land Management public camping lands, where you can get real secluded for your romantic staycation (also known as dispersed camping).

You’ll find over 245 million acres of public lands across the United States where you can camp for free in complete isolation, or at affordable developed camping sites (between $4-10/night).

At the BLM website, you’ll find regional information on public camping lands, as well as databases on where to camp and where to RV.

Just make sure to check the rules and regulations for whatever area you plan on camping in.

For example, if you’re in California, you must check out the fire restrictions. To use a campfire or any gas stove while dispersed camping in California, you need to have a free campfire permit.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with all of the restrictions before embarking on your staycation, no matter where you are going.

And For the Non-Experienced Campers

If you’re not an experienced camper, we recommend limiting your search to more developed campgrounds with plenty of amenities.

Look out for campgrounds with spacious sites, toilets, running water, picnic areas, garbage cans, and, if you’re picky, onsite showers (although you can also grab a fairly easy-to-use personal camping shower and privacy tent ahead of time).

Some camping sites even have electrical hookups and tent pads, so just be sure to have a clear idea of your and your partner’s priorities and preferences before researching the best campsite for your couples staycation.

To Invest or Not to Invest in Camping Gear

If you DON’T have camping gear, you can rent locally or through the outdoor rental site, Arrive Outdoors.

Arrive Outdoors offers everything you need for camping and hiking, or even skiing and snow travel.

If you want to make the investment and buy gear, we recommend checking out local sellers on Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp, or even Ebay, to see if you can score any deals on some lightly used gear.

Personally, I’ve scored some fantastic deals through Ebay!

Camping: A Perfect Staycation for Couples

On our recent camping trips, we’ve had the chance to build a campfire, bond over conversation and toasted/burnt s’mores. Not gonna lie, I have DEFINITELY made s’mores at home sticking a marshmallow on a fork and holding it over the stove flame. IT. IS. NOT. THE. SAME. The campfire experience trumps all.

We made campfire pizzas over the fire. We snuggled under the stars. We hiked in the forest, and splashed in the lake during the day. Idyllic as heck, and a darn near perfect staycation for couples.

Consider Renting an RV

If the RV’s a’rockin’, don’t come a’knockin’!

Sorry. I had to.

Another of our favorite staycation ideas for couples is to trek off in an RV rental. Renting an RV combines several of our other suggestions for couples staycation. You can go for a long drive with good music, get out into nature, stay in unconventional accommodation, and camp, all at the same time!

Your RV can serve as your lovemobile for the duration of your couples staycation. It can serve as your transportation, activity, and accommodation all in one.

The beauty of renting an RV is that it offers you such flexibility in what you can do. Since it’s basically a house on wheels, you can take it nearly anywhere, and be comfortable. You can easily and comfortably do dispersed camping on BLM public camping lands, for example. This allows you to get completely away from it all and have a secluded romantic staycation, while still having comforts like a stove, fridge, toilet, and shower.

Fact is, RV camping is far more comfortable than traditional tent camping, This makes it a wonderful option for those who want to experience camping, but would like more amenities and comforts.

RVshare

If you’re looking to rent an RV, we highly recommend RVshare.

RVshare is basically an Airbnb for RVs you can drive on your next epic road trip. RVshare can be far more affordable than traditional RV rentals! They also have tremendous customer service. They’ve gone above and beyond in helping us in times of need, and we have nothing but good things to say about them.

Outdoorsy

Another great site for renting an RV is Outdoorsy. On Outdoorsy, you’ll find RVs, camper vans, and travel trailers for you to rent at affordable rates.

Sign up using our Outdoorsy link and get $50!

We recommend consulting both RVshare and Outdoorsy to find the best options available in your area.

Know Before You Rent

RV operation does require a lot of research beforehand, however.

If you do consider renting an RV, you’ll want to consider where you’re taking it. Are you going to an RV site with hookups for power and water? Or are you doing self-contained “dry camping”? If you’re doing dry camping, you’ll have to rely on the power of the RV batteries and/or a generator, as well as the amount of water in the holding tanks. So, if you’re doing dry camping, you’ll have to be more mindful of your resource usage.

Additionally, driving an RV and dumping the waste at specified dump sites are processes that might take some getting used to for the inexperienced. Make sure to consider how comfortable you’d feel performing the entirety of the RV rental experience, before you make the plunge!

Note: If you don’t have a commercial license, make sure you ONLY rent a Class C drivable RV, which is easier for for beginners to drive anyway.

RV Tip: It might come in handy to know that many Walmarts allow RVs to camp overnight in their parking lots for free. While we don’t recommend planning your RV staycation in a Walmart parking lot (HECK NO!), this might be useful in a pinch for whatever reason.

Pack a Picnic

If you’re on a budget, or just love preparing special foods–this one’s for you.

Save money, customize the staycation experience, and impress your loved one, AND BRING YOUR OWN FOOD!

You can pack a romantic picnic in this picnic backpack, and sweep your significant other off their feet in a beautiful spot in nature.

For our anniversary, for example, Ben packed me a picnic with homemade poké bowls, a bottle of white wine, and chocolate. He made rice, chopped some veggies like cucumbers and carrots, got some high quality poké, pickled ginger, and nori seaweed from Gelson’s, packed it all up together, and I was SO SMITTEN!

And if you’re choosing another staycation option, such as renting an RV or staying at an Airbnb, bringing your own food and cooking your meals as much as possible is a great way to save money. You can also enjoy the intimacy of cooking together, and avoid potentially exposing yourself unnecessarily in public places.

Be sure to confirm what kinds of cooking materials will be available to you stay ahead of time, so you can know if you need to bring anything extra.

Some homestays come fully stocked with every pot and pan you need. Others come with a grill, and so on, whereas others might leave something to be desired. So research, and be prepared!

We recently stayed at a cute Airbnb in the desert for a little couples staycation, and were lucky enough to have a fully stocked kitchen, complete with propane grill and tons of ingredients in the house we were free to use! However, I wouldn’t assume your Airbnb will come stocked with ingredients, so be sure to do your research, and ask your host any questions you have.

Call Yourself a “Foodie” for a Day

Here’s the lazy couples modification: don’t cook.

If cooking is literally SOO not your thing, this is for you.

Instead of playing chef for the day, call yourself a “foodie” for the day, and order out at some of your favorite special restaurants.

Whether you choose a tried-and-true favorite, or splurge for something extra special, treat yourself to whatever fabulous meal will have your tastebuds squealing!

Ben and I rarely eat out anymore, but we do have a favorite Thai restaurant (Krua Thai, which you’ll find on our list of Dope Restaurants in LA), which we often hit up for anniversary and birthday dinners!

Transform Your Home into a Getaway

And for the truest STAYcation of all, bring the vacation home to you! This is the perfect option if you can’t or don’t want to leave the house.

This is a wonderful staycation for married couples or couples who live together, as you can work on seeing your home as a place of comfort, love, and healing.

Gather Supplies

Transform your home into an oasis customized to your tastes and your needs.

Pick up some candles, incense, or essential oils you love. Load up on lotions and massage oils. Prepare a playlist with you and your loved one’s favorite jams. Get some flowers or chocolate-covered strawberries. Practice the art of couples massage!

Be as cliche or original as you two like. You know your significant other best, so fill your space with any signifiers that will help you recognize this moment as a special date night.

And most importantly–disconnect from any of your typically “real life” distractions. This is the primary goal of any staycation for couples: unplugging from your stressors, and finding relief in the intimacy of your relationship.

Staycation Ideas for Couples: Final Thoughts

We hope our couples staycation guide generated some thoughtful ideas for you! Whether you’re planning a staycation for married couples or unmarried couples, you should be able to get some ideas from our post to get the romance movin’.

We recommend that you and your partner plan as much of your romantic staycation together as possible. This ensures that both parties are fully invested in the experience. This way, you’ll both have input into the activities that you do. Plus, you’ll be able to choose the best staycation deals that work for the both of you.

Just make sure that, no matter what kind of staycation for couples you end up doing, you prioritize each other over all else. You should unplug from the tug of the real world and fully immerse yourself in vacation mode. Even if it’s just for the day.

If you have any more staycation ideas for couples, we’d love to hear them!

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Do you have any other staycation ideas for couples?

Let us know in a comment below!