Where to Go on Vacation for Each Stage of Your Relationship
Whether you’ve got a new boo or you’re in a long-term love affair, there’s nothing like a romantic getaway. But it can be hard to gauge where to go and when: Some places are a little intense for a first-time vacay, and others aren’t a big enough change. We’ve made it simple for you: Use our guide to book the ideal vacation with your S.O. based on where you’re at in your relationship.
Honeymoon Stage
Location: Los Angeles: You’ve established that you’re together, you’ve met each other’s friends and maybe even a family member or two. You’ve done all the cheesy stuff there is to do in your hometown: You need a new place to hold hands and stare lovingly into each other’s eyes, and Los Angeles is the place for you. Take a hike or a walk on the beach, and sip cocktails all night basking in the warm weather. Since you’re still in that blissful stage where doing nothing together is fun, all you really need is nice weather and good food. And each other, of course.
Drinks:Golden Gopher, Downtown: This super-cute dive bar has an outside area and an old-school photo booth ideal for remembering your trip.
Excursions: Check out Airbnb experiences for a fun and fresh way to see the city (without looking like a total tourist).
Totally in Love
Location: Nashville, TN: You’ve still got that lovey-dovey honeymoon phase thing happening, but you’ve probably had one or two big fights, cried a little, and made up too. Nashville is the perfect place to remember how much you like being together. Spend a day in sipping cold beers on the patio of your rental listening to records and snacking on fresh biscuits from Biscuit Love, then pull together your best country-chic outfits and dig into plates of hot chicken and down some Moscow Mules. Once you’re drunk in love, stop in at any one of the many (MANY) bars and venues offering the live music the city is known for.
Dining:Husk, Downtown: Located in a historic home that once housed Mayor Richard Houston Dudley, Husk specializes in locally sourced upscale Southern classics. With an ambiance that feels like eating at someone’s kitchen table, it makes for the perfect vacation date night.
Drinks:Dukes, Five Points: For live music, dancing, and dive bar drinks this spot is everything and more (plus on-site deli sandwiches for when drunken hanger strikes).
Committed Relationship
Location: Cabo, Mexico: You share a Google Calendar, maybe an apartment or a dog, and being a couple is going great, but it’s time for a trip. Whether it’s because work has been crazy, or you just want to reignite the spark, nothing forces you to relax more than an all-inclusive resort vacation. Try a romantic getaway package that includes dinner, breakfast, champagne, and scenic views. You’ll come back home refreshed and ready to return to your regularly scheduled programs.
Stay:Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort: Oceanview suites, restaurants, a spa, and numerous activities — this place has everything you need for a vacation so dreamy you won’t even have to leave the hotel.
Excursions:Land’s End: Take a kayak adventure around the lovers arch and visit Lover’s Beach (or Divorce Beach if that’s your vibe).
Over It
Location: Paris, France: This might seem a little backward, but the lover’s city is a great place to see if you’re still in love with each other. You’ve been fighting more than usual, you don’t cuddle like you used to, and that spark is fading. If a picnic under the Eiffel Tower and a steak frites dinner don’t return everything to normal, it might be time to call it quits (once you get home, of course, a 12-hour flight post-breakup would be rough). Book a room at a super Parisian hotel and stop by a few museums. Split a bottle of wine everywhere you go, and eat until you can’t anymore. Once you’re full of food and wine, you’ll really know if you’re heart is just as full.
Dining:Ober Mama: Italian food in Paris might seem wrong, but the wine list here is amazing, and the truffle pasta is worth the stink. Find your inner Lady and The Tramp and slurp spaghetti until your lips meet.
Excursions:Picasso Museum: The neighborhood super cute and decorated with classic cobblestones streets and stylish boutiques, and this museum is also full of history and art from one of the greats (and way less packed than the Louvre).
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(Photos via Getty)
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