chloedickensonLast Updated on 9th May 2024
AD | This post about travel inspired date night ideas is sponsored. All opinions and images are my own.
1. Learn a new language – best travel inspired date ideas
¿Te gusta estudiar? – Do you like learning?
Learning a new language has been something I’ve wanted to do for so many years now, so when the chance to learn a language with Babbel came up, I practically jumped at the chance!
I started learning Spanish on Babbel on my own for just 15 minutes every day (which is all the time you need to complete one of the many lessons on Babbel!), but when Matt heard my vocabulary develop and I started to string proper sentences together in Spanish, he couldn’t wait to jump in on the action!
We’ve been using the Babbel app every morning to complete at least one lesson – it’s the perfect way to start the day and it gives us the chance to enjoy our morning cuppa while getting some learning done at the same time.
In terms of using it for a travel-inspired date night at home, you can use the many different lessons and courses on the Babbel app or desktop version to practise greetings, order food and express your feelings.
How does Babbel work?
Babbel works by focusing on real-life, day-to-day vocabulary and getting you used to speaking and interacting in your new language as quickly as possible.
The 15 minutes that it takes to complete a lesson takes you through various ways of repetitive learning (AKA my favourite and most effective method of learning) and different means of practising a language. In just one lesson, you’ll carry out speaking, writing, reading and memorising in a repetitive fashion so that the words and key phrases you’re practising stick in your head.
I also love that Babbel is available on both desktop and on a mobile app. This allows Matt and I to practise together in front of my laptop, so we don’t have to share a tiny screen, but it also means that I can practise my Spanish skills anywhere on my own using my phone.
Why I love Babbel – Spanish date night ideas
As I mentioned above, I’ve wanted to learn Spanish for quite some time now and even though I’ve used other language learning apps and other means of learning Spanish in the past, nothing has compared to how much I love Babbel.
Over 150 linguists and language teachers are involved in creating each course and lesson and every single one is curated in a way that makes learning a language easy, no matter your age or ability.
I love the fact that it only takes 15 minutes to complete each lesson, but also that I can spend as long on the app as I want. There’s no upper limit to how many lessons you can complete in a day and sometimes I feel like I could sit there for hours letting the Spanish lessons wash over me!
How much does Babbel cost?
You can choose from a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription with Babbel which means the longer your subscription, the more value for money.
3 months: £6.99 a month
6 months: £5.49 a month
12 months: £4.75 a month
How many languages are available on Babbel?
There are 14 different languages (including English) available to learn with Babbel.
What’s included in a Babbel subscription?
You get full access to all the courses and levels in the language you have chosen (you’ll have to add to your subscription if you want to learn more than one language at once). You also don’t necessarily need to start from the beginning if you already have a basic understanding and knowledge of a certain language – you can go straight to the intermediate or even advanced courses if that suits you.
What languages can I learn with Babbel?
Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Polish, Russian, Dutch, Turkish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Indonesian and English.
2. Cook/eat together – travel inspired date ideas
¿Cocinamos juntos esta noche? – Shall we cook together tonight?
One of my absolute favourite travel inspired date ideas that you can enjoy at home is to cook/eat together.
Matt and I have always enjoyed eating out at our favourite restaurants, but it wasn’t until we went travelling that we really developed a passionate adoration for all things food-related.
Since we returned home back to the UK, we’ve been using every chance we get to try and recreate a delicious dish that we ate while travelling such as Indonesian Maggi Goreng, scrumptious Spanish tapas or a tasty Italian spaghetti carbonara.
Cooking at home together also gives us the chance to practice our newly-learned Spanish skills so that we can get accustomed to using the Spanish words for all our favourite meals and ingredients.
3. Travel Movie/TV show night
Lo mejor película esta Forrest Gump. – The best movie is Forrest Gump.
A movie night at home is always one of my go-to affordable date night ideas and when it comes to a travel-inspired date night, there’s really nothing better to watch than a movie or TV show that inspires your next trip.
Some of my favourite travel-related films and TV shows include: Eat Pray Love (a cheesy, cliché classic but one I love regardless!), An Idiot Abroad, Ugly Delicious, Wild and Just Go With It.
4. Cocktail party – travel inspired date ideas
Una botella de vino, por favor. – A bottle of wine, please.
Arguably one of the easiest, yet still utterly enjoyable travel inspired date ideas to enjoy at home is a simple cocktail party.
Try your hand at making some of your favourite bar’s classic cocktails such as the Singapore Sling or the Manhattan Cosmopolitan or get creative and inventive in the kitchen and try and make your own cocktail that’s entirely unique to you as a couple.
Of course, if you’re not quite a dab-hand at making cocktails, or you’re just not really a fruity drink kinda person, simply just crack open a bottle of wine or a few beers and enjoy them in the garden on a nice day.
Date nights at home don’t have to be anything flash or extravagant; as long as you’re spending some quality time together as a couple, that’s all that matters!
5. Enjoy a country-specific date night
No hablo alemán. – I don’t speak German
Another great idea is to enjoy a country-specific date night. At the moment, I’m obsessed with all things Italian (the food, the culture, the incredible buildings and landscapes!) so I’m always in the mood to enjoy an Italian themed date night.
I’ve also been enjoying Spanish-themed evenings with Matt which allows us to devour delicious tapas dishes, drink fruity cocktails and practise “ordering” drinks in Spanish.
Some ideas on country-specific date nights you could enjoy:
Spanish: cook tapas or paella, drink Sangria, dance to classic Ibiza tunes.
Italian: drink wine, eat pizza or pasta by candlelight, put white tablecloths out to make your dining room feel like a fancy restaurant.
Japanese: eat with chopsticks, make homemade noodles or sushi, drink sake.
Mexican: make fajitas, burritos, enchiladas etc, make your own margaritas, do shots of tequila.
6. Host an around the world-themed quiz night
¿Vienes a la fiesta? – Are you coming to the party?
While in lockdown during the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, so many people around the world have started taking part in virtual pub quizzes and “parties” on Zoom.
However, you can still continue to enjoy and host themed quiz nights at home as part of your travel-inspired date night. You could create a set of quiz questions to answer with your partner, or you could get other couples involved either online or in real life (of course, once lockdown restrictions have eased and it’s safe to do so!).
There’s nothing like a good around the world-themed quiz night to test people’s knowledge and geography skills and it can be a great way to incorporate some of your favourite travel memories into the evening too!
7. Recreate a hotel at home – travel inspired date ideas
Yo tengo una reserva. – I have a reservation.
You would have thought that after travelling for months on end and staying in over 40 hotels/hostels/Airbnbs during that time that I would be sick of staying somewhere that doesn’t have all my home comforts, but I honestly get so much joy out of staying in a hotel.
Therefore, a perfect travel-inspired date night at home for me would be to try and recreate a hotel stay at home.
You can make your bed with incredibly fresh, stiff white sheets (you know the ones), place little chocolates on your pillow before you go to bed (only the best hotels have these!) and “order” room service to eat in bed!
This is definitely one of my favourite travel-inspired date nights to recreate at home!
8. Have a spa day/night – travel inspired date ideas
¿Te sientes bien? – Do you feel good?
One idyllic way to relive your travels at home is by having a spa day/night in your very own house.
Light plenty of candles, run a relaxing hot bath with plenty of bubbles and bathroom goodies and maybe even try and convince your partner to give you a massage!
We enjoyed the most perfect massages in both Indonesia and Thailand and I’m still constantly trying to get Matt to recreate the elevated feeling that you get when you’re in a complete state of zen after a massage!
9. Play different country-themed Monopoly
¿Te gustaria jugar monopolio? – Would you like to play Monopoly?
Engañar! – Cheat!
If you really want to test the strength of your relationship and get to know the deepest parts of your partner, then there’s really no better way than a heated game of Monopoly!
Of course, if you’re not quite as competitive as Matt and I, then a casual game of Monopoly will probably be quite enjoyable and a great way to spend a few hours together. However, if you are a competitive couple, then maybe leave this one out!
Over the years, we’ve had many different versions of the classic Monopoly board including a York and even a New Zealand version.
10. Takeaway from your favourite place to eat
¡Que aproveche! – Enjoy your meal!
Another great way to enjoy date night at home, feel like you’re still travelling and practise learning a language is to order a takeaway from your favourite restaurant or takeaway eatery.
If you don’t feel quite confident just yet to order your entire meal in the language you’re learning (for example, ordering a kebab from your favourite Turkish establishment), you could still practise your order with your partner.
This is a great way to develop your language skills even further and test your partner, all the while enjoying your favourite dishes from the best takeaways in town!
And there you have it – 10 ideas for a travel-inspired date night at home! My new favourite activity has got to be learning Spanish at home with Matt thanks to Babbel. I’m hoping by the next time I head to Spain, I’m much more comfortable speaking with the locals, ordering food in the native language and being much better at navigating my way around the country!
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- 13 Cosy Autumn Date Night Ideas
Pin for later – travel inspired date ideas
What language would you like to learn on Babbel? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram @imjustagirl_16.
