Romantic date ideas: 30 ways to make a date feel special

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forany stage, evenings
• Time2 to 3 hours

A full orchestra playing live is overwhelming in the best way. You don't need to know anything about classical music to feel it. Many orchestras sell cheaper seats high up or for younger audiences, and the view from the balcony is lovely anyway. Pick a program with one famous piece you'll both recognize.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forsecond date and later
• Time3 to 4 hours

Big voices, big costumes and stories that are almost always about love. Most opera houses show subtitles above the stage, so you can follow everything. Read a short summary of the plot beforehand, dress up and share a glass of something at intermission.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forany stage, evenings
• Timeabout 2 hours

Dance says a lot without a single word. A classic ballet is pure romance, a contemporary dance company is often surprising and moving. Smaller companies and dance schools have affordable shows. Talk about what you each saw in it on the walk home, it's rarely the same thing.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forfirst date and later
• Timeabout 1 hour

In many cities you'll find concerts where a string quartet plays film scores, classics or pop songs in a room lit by hundreds of candles (often LED ones). They're short, they look magical and you know most of the music, so they're less intimidating than a symphony. Book early, they sell out.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forfirst or second date
• Time1 to 2 hours

Bookstores, cafes and bars host poetry readings and open mic spoken word nights. Some poems will move you, some will make you laugh, some will be very strange. Pick your favorite line each and tell each other why over a drink afterward.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forfirst date, evenings
• Time1 to 2 hours

Low light, small tables and a glass that lasts an hour. A wine bar is romantic without being too much for a first date, and asking the staff for a recommendation gives you something to talk about right away. Order one small plate to share.

Tip: Ask for "something you'd drink yourself" instead of naming a price. Staff usually love that question.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forfall and winter evenings
• Time1 to 2 hours

A pub, lodge or hotel bar with a crackling fire is the coziest place to be on a cold night. Get there early to claim the armchairs next to it. Order something warm, take off your coats and stay until the fire burns down.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forcouples
• Time2 to 3 hours

Arrive separately, sit a few seats apart and let one of you start the conversation as if you'd never met. Introduce yourselves, ask the first-date questions again, flirt like it's the beginning. It feels silly for about two minutes and then it's surprisingly exciting.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forspecial evenings
• Time1 to 2 hours

A dozen oysters, a glass of something sparkling and a seat at the counter. It feels like a celebration even on a Tuesday. If one of you is new to oysters, order a few different kinds and ask the shucker to explain them. Swap for a seafood platter if raw isn't for you.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forcouples, rainy evenings
• Time2 to 3 hours

Some cinemas have love seats, double sofas or reclining beds instead of rows of seats. Pick a film you both want to see, order snacks to your seat and share a blanket. It's movie night, upgraded. Have dinner before, so there's time to talk.

• Budgetfree
• Best forcoastal towns, any stage
• Time1 to 2 hours

Walk out to a lighthouse in the late afternoon, sit somewhere sheltered from the wind and watch the sky change. If it's a working lighthouse, you might see the light come on as it gets dark. Bring a blanket and something warm to drink, even in summer.

• Budgetfree
• Best forfirst date, cities
• Timeabout 1 hour

A famous bridge, a small footbridge over a river, anything with a view of the water and the skyline. Walk across slowly as the light turns gold, stop in the middle and take one photo together. Plan a cafe or bar on the other side.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forspring and summer, any stage
• Time1 to 2 hours

Many cities have a public rose garden that peaks in early summer, and flower shows bring whole gardens indoors. Walk slowly, read the names of the roses (they're often wonderfully dramatic) and pick the one that suits your date best.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forday trip, couples
• Timehalf a day

Old estates and stately homes often have huge, beautiful gardens: hedges, fountains, hidden benches, a lake. Walk the grounds, get lost in the paths and have tea or a picnic if it's allowed. In the UK especially, there are plenty to choose from.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forspecial occasions, adventurous couples
• Time2 to 3 hours

Some stables offer guided sunset rides along beaches or through hills, and most welcome complete beginners. You'll ride slowly, mostly side by side, with the light going gold around you. Book ahead and wear long pants and closed shoes.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forspecial occasions, old towns
• Timeabout 1 hour

Corny? A little. Romantic? Absolutely. A short carriage ride through an old town or a big park, a blanket over your knees and the sound of hooves on cobblestones. Some places offer them mostly in winter or around the holidays, so check ahead.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forcouples, lazy afternoons
• Time2 to 3 hours

Hang a two-person hammock between two strong trees in a park where it's allowed, bring a book each or just one to read aloud. Swing, nap, talk, look at the leaves. It's very hard to stay stressed in a hammock, and very easy to stay close.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcouples, day trip
• Timehalf a day

Pick a road along the coast or a lake, make a playlist together and stop at every viewpoint that looks good. Find a little town for lunch, an ice cream stand for later and a spot to watch the sunset before you head home.

• Budgetlow
• Best forany stage
• Time30 minutes

Text "open the door in five minutes" and show up with their favorite coffee and a pastry. Stay for ten minutes or for the whole morning, whatever they want. It's a small gesture they'll tell their friends about.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forcouples, birthdays
• Timea full day

Build a whole day out of things they love: the breakfast place they always mention, the park they go to when they need a break, their favorite film in the evening. Don't explain the theme, let them figure it out. It shows how much you've been listening.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forcouples, anniversaries
• Timea weekend

Plan a night away, pack their bag (or give them a short packing list without revealing the destination) and keep the secret until you arrive. Make sure they can actually take the time off and that the plan fits what they enjoy. Surprises only work when they're about the other person.

Tip: Reveal the destination with a little puzzle or secret code they crack on their phone the morning you leave.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forcouples
• Time2 to 3 hours

While they're out, cook the meal they love most, set the table properly, light a candle and put on music. When they walk in, dinner is ready. If you're not much of a cook, their favorite takeout on real plates with a handwritten menu counts too. Need recipes? Try our romantic dinners to cook at home.

• Budgetfree
• Best forcouples, musical people
• Timea few weeks of practice

Secretly learn a song they love on guitar, piano or ukulele, even a simple version. Play it for them at home one evening. It doesn't have to be good. The fact that you practiced for weeks is what makes it romantic.

• Budgetfree
• Best forcouples, anniversaries
• Time1 to 2 hours

Each of you writes down the story of how you met from your own point of view: what you noticed first, what you thought, when you knew. Read them to each other over a glass of wine. You'll find out things you never knew about the night that started it all.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forcouples
• Time2 to 3 hours

Think back to a trip you took together and the meal you still talk about. Cook it at home, play music from that place and look through the photos while you eat. If you haven't traveled together yet, cook a dish from the place you'd love to go first.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forcouples, milestones
• Time1 to 2 hours

Most couples have hundreds of selfies and almost no good photos together. Book a local photographer for a short session in a place that means something to you. It feels awkward for five minutes, then it's fun, and you'll have pictures for the next twenty years.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forcouples, special occasions
• Timea full day

Book window seats on a route known for its views: mountains, coastline, lakes, vineyards. Bring snacks or eat in the dining car, watch the landscape go by and talk for hours. A slow train journey makes you slow down too.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forcouples, cold days
• Timehalf a day

Robes, warm pools, a couples massage and nowhere to be. A day spa takes everything off your plate for a few hours. Book treatments side by side and leave enough time to lie around afterward without checking your phones.

• Budgetsplurge
• Best foranniversaries, milestones
• Time3 to 4 hours

A chef comes to your home, cooks a multi-course dinner in your kitchen and leaves it clean. You get restaurant food with nobody at the next table. Talk to the chef about your favorite flavors and any story you want the menu to tell.

• Budgetmedium to splurge
• Best forcouples, dress-up lovers
• Timean evening

Charity galas, masquerade balls and formal dances are a reason to wear the outfit you never get to wear. Getting ready together is half the date. Dance at least once, even if you don't know how.