This article was published on February 7th, 2019

You might not have the possibility of going to Italy and reconstructing your own Call Me By Your Name Valentine’s Day date, but you certainly have plenty of other choices to do something romantic and still not cheesy this year. Yes, it’s that time of the year again – while we’re still preparing for the new season of Ru Paul’s Drag Race (are we still looking forward to this show that much, though?), there’s something waiting for us just around the corner. So, in order to fully prepare for the most romantic day of the year, two things are important – the gift that you will get your boyfriend, and the kind of date that you will organize. We present to you 5 ideas that are very original and not tacky at all:

1. Day at the beach

Beaches are not only for the summer, as there is something very romantic and beautiful in beaches during wintertime. Most importantly, it’s one of the cheapest but still quite romantic ideas. What you can do this year is organize a picnic on the beach – but if you opt for this step, make sure not to make it a dinner as it can get rather chilly. More importantly, sunsets at the beach during wintertime are very magical, so grab your bottle of champagne, make some pasta, dress in white shirts and hit the beach.

2. Road tripping

Another great idea that doesn’t seem to be very popular for Valentine’s Day (for reasons unknown honestly) is road tripping. Gays indeed love to road trip, so why not do that with your loved one for Valentine’s Day? You can always go to a foreign country and explore it during this weekend, but you can also use the services of good companies such as Avis car rental, get yourself a car for two days and go to a couple of places in your own country. The grass is not always greener on the other side, as there are plenty of romantic and secluded places where you live as well, which could be amazing spots for a nice and sexy Valentine’s Day date.

3. Bring the club to your own home

If you don’t feel like going anywhere and you’re tired of booking the same restaurant year after year, you can do something completely different, and bring a club to your own home. Now, this can be done with only the two of you, but if you’re up for something bolder and more interesting, you can invite other couples as well. Make sure to have all the home bartender essentials though, because if you opt for this step, it would be advisable to do it right. Not every day’s Valentine’s Day, right?

4. Horseback riding

This indeed is such a spectacular idea. First of all, not only will you be filming your own Brokeback Mountain (without the devastating ending of course), but if things go right, you can even name this event Bareback Mountain! What you need to do is go online and find a good campsite that offers horseback riding. Mix this with a nice lunch during your stay there and book a nice restaurant for after the event when both of you will be tired and there you go – definitely a day to remember.

5. Retro drive-in date

If you have a drive-in cinema in your vicinity, why not check it out during Valentine’s Day? Who says that V-Days have to be glamorous? You can always opt for a fast food joint, get yourself some burgers and fries that both of you love so very much, and go to the nearest drive-in cinema to see a retro film, and while there, cuddle in the car? This is always a very interesting and exciting option, and truth be told – you rarely do this, do you? So why not now?

Coming up with an original and non-cheesy Valentine’s Day date is definitely not hard; you simply need to think a bit outside of the box, be motivated and actually believe in the success of your date. This is how you could even secure sex afterwards!