Long Distance Date Ideas

Living in a different city, or even country, than someone you have a deep connection with can be a challenge. But that doesn’t mean long distance dating isn’t possible—and enjoyable. In our modern, digital-first world, it’s never been easier to maintain relationships regardless of geographical location. During the pandemic, when the entire world was kept apart, there were huge developments in technology and we got used to connecting digitally.

Here we’ll take you through our ultimate guide of long distance date ideas, to prove that with the right tools, nothing can get in the way of romance. 

Long distance dating is where people who are dating or are in a relationship don’t live within close proximity to one another. They might live in different cities, states, or countries. Approximately 14 million couples surveyed in the United States considered themselves in long-distance relationships in a 2023 survey, and around 75 percent of engaged couple respondents reported having been in a long-distance relationship at some point before marriage.

This can happen for a number of reasons—perhaps they once lived in the same area, but one of them had to move away to study or work. Maybe their family decided to immigrate. Or maybe they were visiting a new city or country on vacation, met somebody local, and then had to go back to their regular life elsewhere. With Bumble’s Travel Mode feature, you can change your location before or during a trip—letting locals know you’re just in town for a short stretch. This enables you to make new connections while traveling, which may (hopefully) continue once your trip is over. 

Life is complicated, and we don’t always know what it’s going to throw at us. There are many reasons why you might find yourself in a long distance relationship, and it’s important to remember that each one is unique. Your relationship’s success depends on how you and your significant other make it work for you. 

It can be a struggle to keep the romance alive in long distance relationships when you can’t physically be close and intimate with your partner. Not being able to do activities together in person can also lead to feelings of longing and loneliness. There are plenty of ways, however, to combat this: 

Obviously you’d rather be together in person, but until that’s possible, use technology. Video call your partner when you wish they could be there with you—in the morning, when you see something you want to share with them, or even to be sexually intimate together (although make sure you fully trust your partner and approach it in the same way as IRL sexual encounters). When there’s Wi-Fi, there’s truly no limit, so take advantage of that. 

How did people in years gone by stay connected without technology? They wrote letters to one another. Taking the time to write to someone is super romantic, especially since you know they won’t receive your letter right away. Love notes, postcards, even magazine or newspaper cuttings they may find interesting—you can get super creative with your mailbox musings.  

Being apart becomes more bearable when you know you have a date on the books to see one another. Make sure you have a trip arranged, even if it’s far in the future, when you know you’ll meet up and spend time with one another IRL. Keep it simple and visit each other where you live, or meet somewhere convenient between both of your locations. You could also plan a trip to some far-flung location to explore a new city together—just think how excited you’ll be to spot your better half at the airport. 

When you’re long distance dating, one benefit is that you never have to worry about the weather or the seasons when you’re planning a “date,” since most of your interactions will take place virtually (more on that coming up). Because of that, when it comes to date ideas, anything goes. 

Winters, though, can be tough—and when the loneliness really sets in. If you can’t be together in person, you can plan some winter-themed dates:

If it’s snowing where one of you is, video call the other person to share the experience with them. Bring some mistletoe for a virtual kiss. 

Take turns to pick your favorite movies to watch together, and set up your phone or laptop so you can share the experience. There are plenty of websites and apps that allow you to chat and message while watching, so it’ll be like you’re sitting next to each other.

This doesn’t need to be strictly for December—it works for any month. Take a photo each day of something your partner would like, or that reminds you of them. Write a thoughtful message to accompany the image and try to send it to them at the same time every day, so it’s like opening an advent calendar. 

Buy a range of drinks or seasonal foods and arrange them so your partner can see via video call. Each of you can take turns testing them out, and describing them to the other person. This could be super fun if you live in countries with very different cuisines and cultures, as you’ll learn more about one another. 

Each of you can dress up and photograph yourself in a festive scenario. You can then text or email the photos to one another as modern Christmas cards. 

As we’ve said, when you’re long distance dating, most of your interactions will take place virtually. Here are some ideas to keep things fun and exciting through screens:

It can be tricky to play card or board games if you aren’t in the same room, but visual games like charades or pictionary can work really well via screens. You can also play a whole host of games online, through apps or websites. 

Set your table like you would if someone was coming over. Get dressed up, serve the meal, and then video call your date (who should have done the same). You may not be eating the same food, but you can connect and chat as if you’re both sitting at the same table together. 

Virtual dates don’t have to be confined to home. Take your date out and about with you. Show them some sights, go on a hike, or even to the beach. They can absorb everything through a phone screen and through your descriptions.

Follow a video or join a live-stream class together. You can sweat it out without worrying that the other person will be able to smell you! 

There are so many ways to connect virtually, which makes long distance dating a more plausible reality for people these days. Remember to always check in with your partner since it can be difficult to fully read somebody’s emotions and body language digitally.

You may reach a point in your relationship where one or both of you no longer wish to be long distance, and that may require some difficult conversations about who will move where, and whose life is going to change the most. Compromising can be difficult, but it’s a natural part of any relationship. Until then, enjoy long distance dating for what it is and all the different experiences it can bring.