Valentine's Day: Five alternative date ideas from treehouses to museums

Skip the clichés and do something different this Valentine's Day

Halford has benefitted from more people choosing to holiday at home due to a slump in the value of the pound (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

For a lot of people, whether in a relationship or single, Valentine’s Day is just one big commercialised cliché.

Red roses, chocolates, champagne, sexy lingerie, a candlelit dinner… It all adds a lot of pressure and expectations.

But if you are in a happy relationship, it’s natural to want to do something special with your partner. The answer, then, could be to shun traditional Valentine’s ideas and have an alternative date.

Avoid overpriced and overhyped Valentine’s menus in restaurants and do something different but awesome with your partner this V-Day.

Here are five ideas:

1. Go to a museum or art exhibition

Leave behind soppy couples staring into each other’s eyes across their dinners and head to a museum or gallery to expand your minds together.

“It’s something my boyfriend and I both really like doing yet never seem to have time to do,” says Katie, a 25-year-old from London, who went to an exhibition at the Barbican for Valentine’s Day a few years ago.

2. Spend the night somewhere unusual

There’s something about staying somewhere different that is automatically exciting, but luxury hotels are pricey at the best of times, let alone around V-Day.

You don’t have to go miles away either - AirBnB has tons of quirky properties in the UK. Why not try a treehouse, a luxury cowshed or a ‘boatel’ (that’s a boat hotel, obviously). Or if you really want to get away from everyone else for some privacy, why not pitch a tent and camp for the night.

3. Have an at-home couples massage

Spas are often popular options around Valentine’s Day, but it’s not always sexy to be surrounded by other people.

The solution? Bring spa treatments into your own home. Urban Massage's therapists bring couples massages direct to your front door in London, Manchester or Birmingham. Dim the lights, light some candles and you’ll both be relaxed in no time.

4. See a show

Laughing with your partner is always a great bonding experience so why not go to a comedy night to leave you both in good spirits?

If you fancy something a bit more sensual, try a burlesque show - it’s bound to get you in the mood.

5. Do brunch or afternoon tea

Dinner seems the obvious choice, but all too often it feels riddled with pressure to be perfectly romantic and serious. Brunch or afternoon tea are more light-hearted affairs and can thus be a lot more fun.

“My boyfriend and I aren’t big on Valentine’s Day but we use it as an excuse to do something fun and different and spend some time together,” 25-year-old Laura told The Independent. Last year she and her boyfriend went for a fancy afternoon tea, and although it came with “quite cringe romantic stuff”, it was still “something different and cute.”

Whether you’d rather whip up a stack of heart-shaped pancakes for your beloved or simply stuff yourselves with scones, food is undoubtedly the way to everyone’s hearts.