5 Awesome At-Home Valentine’s Day Ideas for Travelers
Written by Kendal Karstens
Valentine’s Day will look different this year due to COVID, especially for travelers who prefer giving the gift of experiences over chocolates and flowers. While a box of your favorite chocolate, a bundle of roses, and snuggles into the night with your #1 travel partner can be amazing gifts to give and receive, they can often fall flat amongst the hearts of those with an adventurous soul.
Here are 5 of our favorite at-home Valentine’s Day ideas for travelers!
For the people with their head turned up to admire the stars, a bouquet of roses does not compare.
Same goes for the nomadic hearts out there. A box of chocolates is nothing when a weekend in the mountains curled up in a cozy cabin is what they really want.
If you’re a traveler whose feet have firmly been planted on the ground since COVID showed up, here are five ways you can fuel your wanderlust at home this Valentine’s Day!
Have a travel theme night
This Valentine’s Day, visit a destination from home.
If there’s somewhere you and your partner visited together and can’t stop thinking about, a destination you have both been dreaming of, or there was somewhere you were supposed to travel to before COVID shut it down, then take a trip there…at-home, of course. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even throw a dart at a map and see where you land!
Once you have picked your destination, start the evening with food. Find a local restaurant with food from that country and order some delicious takeout straight to your door, or try making a classic local dish yourselves!
Not every Valentine’s Day can be in the Laplands! You can still feel like you’re there though….
The next step for your travel-themed Valentine’s Day night is to curate a playlist from that destination to set the travel at-home mood. To make it easy, play the Top 50 of that country on Spotify or search “(insert country you’re visiting) music” on YouTube!
If you’re really feeling the travel at home vibes this year, you could decorate your apartment. Search Pinterest for some easy DIY decor ideas. Simple decorations like banners, napkins, table toppers, or drink holders could really spice up the night of stay-at-home travel! You could decorate with native plants of that country, scenic photographs, and make a traditional craft. The list is endless.
Don’t forget to purchase souvenirs! Try to find a local artisan from that destination who makes classic souvenirs. The souvenirs could be anything! A mug, sweater, candy, postcards, painting, calendar, kitchen towels, and more!
As a travel professional, I’ll give you a hint--Etsy is a great spot to find unique souvenirs. I’ve also searched for specific souvenirs in the local language with the help of online translators! It’s incredible what you will find with a little research and time.
To end the evening, pick out a movie from that destination. Turn on English subtitles and be transported with your love to a whole new culture!
If you’ve been to that destination before, don’t forget to print out your favorite photographs of you two from that destination to decorate!
2. Travel around the world—through food
Can you and your love not decide on a specific destination? Try this fun game that Shelby, the founder of Authenteco Travel, and her husband do on the regular!
Write down all of your favorite restaurants in the local area on individual pieces of paper, and have your partner do the same. Put the restaurant names in a bowl, hat, or bucket. Then, write down a list of all the courses you want to order (ex. Appetizer, main course, side, dessert).
Now, decide which course you’ll pull for first. Pull a restaurant name out of the bowl. You have to order a dish from that restaurant for that course!
Let’s say you decided to pick the appetizer first and then pull out your favorite Chinese restaurant. You have to order an appetizer from that Chinese restaurant! You keep going down the line until you have your whole meal curated for the evening from different restaurants/ cuisines.
Then, enjoy your night around the world with delicious food and the love of your life!
We’ll help you make a better impression —> Authenteco Experiences
3. Drink around the world
This next Valentine’s Day idea stands alone well, but could also be paired well with any of the other ideas on this list!
Both you and your partner pick a few countries. Don’t tell each other which destinations you’ve picked!
Now, you both individually look up what the local drinks of that destination are. Whether you prefer alcoholic, non-alcoholic, or a mix of both, every country has their own drink preferences! For example, Greece has the spirit Ouzo and Canada has their delicious cocktail called Caesars.
Find a drink recipe from each of those destinations and start mixing! You could have two separate drink mixing sides of the same room so that you are still together during this process, but still keeping the drink names and origin countries a secret.
Once all the drinks are prepared, have your partner try your drinks (and vice-versa). One by one, guess which country the drink is from!
This game is a great conversation starter and a goofy way to try something from a different culture right from the comfort of your own home!
Don’t be that partner ;)
4. Try something new together
One of the biggest things travel does for us when we are travelling is challenge ourselves by taking a step out of our comfort zones.
This Valentine’s Day, push yourselves to do something you normally wouldn’t do that is out of your comfort zone--just like you do when you travel.
Personally, I don’t like being in the cold! When I travel, I always opt for summer destinations that come complete with the ocean, sun, and tropical cocktails!
I never would’ve thought to hike or camp in the snow. Nor would I have ever imagined that I could actually love it!
This year, my partner and I have gone on several snowy hikes as a way to connect with one another and do something we normally wouldn’t do. Every time we step foot in the winter wonderland, I feel as though I could be miles away from home or even on the other side of the world.
Dare yourselves to be challenged. Prepare for and experience the challenges together!
In my partner and I’s case, we packed hiking snacks and picked out new hiking boots together.
There’s a range of possibilities, and it highly depends on what the two of you are used to and would find interesting, but the list of ways to challenge yourself are endless.
No matter what it is, try to throw in a surprise during the adventure for your love (preferably something in their love language).
5. Gift experiences, not stuff
If you want to remind your partner that you can and you will travel together again, an Authenteco Experience is the perfect gift.
Or, if you are ready to go down in history as the best gift-giver ever, gifting an Authenteco Experience will make you that!
Has your partner always dreamed of flying in a WWII jet plane? Or perhaps they’ve always wanted to go paragliding through a valley dusted with snow? Or what about the partner out there--and we’ve all had one--that begs you to indulge in a couple’s spa and massage day with them. And, of course, the partner that tries to escape to a remote weekend escape every chance they get.
Give the gift of building memories together with an Authenteco Experience! Gift one here.
Gifting those experiences will only bring you closer to the one you love, and with an Authenteco Experience, your gift options are endless.
With an Authenteco Experience, the recipient can pick any experience they want anywhere in the world for anytime! The vouchers never expire. Whether they want a special event close to home or to add their Experience to a pre-planned trip, Authenteco Experiences work for you.
Plus, you get the white-glove concierge services Authenteco Travel is known for! That’s right, you tell us when and where and we figure out everything else.
An Authenteco Experience is the perfect gift for an at home Valentine’s Day for travelers!
Which one will you do?
The ultimate gift is more time with your loved one. It’s the special moments and memories that we have with them that are ones we will remember forever.
Although us travelers are stuck inside this Valentine’s Day, instead of exploring the world hand-in-hand with our love, there’s still ways to explore the world and experience its magic together.
With a little thinking outside the box, we can bring (COVID-safe) travel to us this year.
And of course, with the one we love by our side while we do it, there’s nothing more magical than that.
