Make date night at home feel like a date night out with these fun car date ideas! 15 excellent date night ideas to make fun and memorable quality time happen with a date night in the car.

Taking Date Night to the Car

Nothing made us more creative with date night than when the pandemic hit, and there just wasn’t anywhere to go for date night. We did pretty well with at home date ideas with little kids at home, and a phase without a babysitter.

I love my children, but there came a very clear moment when I felt like what I really needed was a date night on the town away from kids. 

I wanted desperately to feel like I had a night out, while feeling constrained to my own property. And then it hit us, for date night we’re heading to the car!

We got creative, we had so much fun, and as seasoned professional daters who test ideas to share with others, we knew we were onto something!

One car date night lead to a season of cute car date ideas that got us through that season. We were close enough to our kids and yet could still feel the physical change away from our darling little people. Even if the baby monitor will still be in the car with us and we were only a few feet away. 

Why A Car Date Makes a Great Date Idea

If you are parents who ready for a date night out, but you need to stay within so many feet of a sleeping baby, a date in the car may be perfect!

If you live in an area without many places to go or things that feel exciting to you, you can create a destination date night in your car.

For those who love a quiet spot, and like to feel secluded from others, you can have a romantic date at any scenic location.

If you fit any of these categories, we have your back with a list of several car date ideas you can do from the comfort of your own garage or driveway! 

20 Cute Car Date Ideas

Grab takeout and pretend it’s a night out.

Itching to go out to dinner? This will help you feel more like you’ve done just that! Send one party to get some takeout (and support a local business). Then dress up like you’re headed out on the town and jump in the car for dinner and quality conversation. 

Watch the sunset together. 

Park your car where you have the perfect view of the sun setting. That may just mean turning the car facing away from the driveway. Watch it go down slowly, cuddled up in the front seat, on the hood, or through an open tailgate. This cozy car date is a great excuse for a romantic sunset picnic too! 

Watch the Sunrise Together

If late nights aren’t your jam, and you can sneak away early, try a sunrise car date. We love to go in pajamas and bring extra pillows for a comfy viewing. And bonus points if you go get breakfast or pack a breakfast picnic to enjoy.

Stargaze 

We are such fans of a stargazing date night. It’s so easy, it’s so romantic, and it’s so free! With less traffic, there’s less pollution and smog. That is leading to some fantastic views of the stars. And a sunroof or lying down on the hood of a car makes for a great viewing location. 

Enjoy a movie together. 

It’s as simple as bringing a laptop, tablet, or even a phone to the car. Snuggle up in the backseat and enjoy your new location shaking up movie date night together.

Date Night In the Car

Have a picnic in the trunk.

There is just something about a car picnic that always feels cute and special! Admittedly, this works best if you have an SUV or a truck bed. But you can still pop open up the car’s trunk and set up a small blanket to enjoy a picnic in the most unusual location you’ll never forget!
Pack a picnic basket, a cooler with some drinks, grab a fork or two, and plan a menu perfect for a car picnic in the car’s trunk.
Plus, you could do this weekly with a different dinner item and have endless car date ideas based around food. 

Go to the Drive-In Theater Drive-In Movie.

If you can physically go to a drive-in theater, it’s one of those underrated romantic date ideas we think you’ll both love! Plus, you can often catch a double feature for a drive-in movie date and get a lot of bang for your buck with this fun date!
There’s something so nostalgic and fun about packing some snacks, grabbing some popcorn, and heading to a drive-in movie theater for date night.

DIY Drive-In Movie.

As fun as it is to go to a theater, I have seen so many people get creative with a projector and a white sheet or inflatable big screen and recreate this themself! Plus how great is this cell phone compatible projector? You can also physically move your television outside in safe viewing distance from your car. Get creative! Find a way to set up a drive-in movie right where you are! 

Play Cash Cab

If you haven’t seen the Cash Cab game show, you can still play along! The idea is an unsuspecting group gets in a cab and is able to answer trivia questions to earn money. You can easily recreate this with their Cash Cab at-home game, or any other trivia app. Be sure to keep track of how much you would have won/lost during your date. 

Go Car Camping / Glamping

Remember those carefree college days where you could go camping spontaneously and sleep in a car? Get ready for a grownup far more comfortable date night glamping. Put those backseats down, open the tailgate (if you have one) and set up a comfortable glamping spot for two. 
You could also set up a tent right by the car and enjoy some easy adventures utilizing your car as part of the camping experience.

Scenic Drive

If you don’t have kids to stay in the driveaway for, find a scenic drive in your area. Go look at nature, big city lights, or historic sites in your community. There’s something about taking the scenic route, or heading to a scenic area off the highway that feels like a special date. It’s a lot of fun to explore new places, see a remote location nearby, and just have time to talk and connect in the comfort of your own car.
I’ll never forget seeing all the fall leaves turn through the canyons when I lived in Utah. It was one of the most beautiful scenes, and something to enjoy while you cruise through the sites.

Drive Through a State Park

If you want the ultimate drive-through car date, visit a local state park. Many have drive-through scenic areas. Several will allow you to park and go for a hike to explore.

Complete a Scavenger Hunt

Go on a mini adventure and complete a scavenger hunt together. We have a free printable Holiday Lights Scavenger Hunt and Halloween Scavenger Hunt to use during the holiday seasons. But you can also go look for different things that start with each letter of the alphabet.

At Home Dates From Your Driveway

Sidewalk Chalk Scenery Around the Car 

Can’t drive through the places you’d like to go? Draw a few scenic locations around the car and talk about where you’d most like to visit if you could road trip anywhere right now. 

Watch Scenic Drives via YouTube 

This may make you raise your eyebrow, but have you been to a Disney Park and been on Soarin’ Around the World? This is exactly what the ride does! You just pretend you’re seeing amazing places. Go ahead and “take a drive” through several national parks, Champ de Elysees in Paris, or any other site you’d love to vicariously visit from your parking spot. 

Create the Ultimate Road Trip Playlist Together

Pull up Spotify, Apple Music, or Prime Music. Create your ultimate road trip playlist together. Make sure you listen to it and talk about why each song earns a place on this playlist. 

Play A Competitive Round of Name That Tune 

Turn on the radio and see who can name the song/artist playing first. Keep score! Make sure you know who the true music trivia winner is. 

Play a Board Game. 

Board games are absolutely hysterical to play in a car, there’s a lot of adjusting and making things work. Card games are equally fun and funny! If you need some good couple games we have a huge list of date night games for couples. 

Plan a Stemy Make Out Session in the Back Seat

Here’s your permission to act link teenagers again. Take yourself back to high school/college days and go make out in the car. Grab your favorite song to set the mood, and go ahead and give your permission to make out in the back seat.

Group Date Zoom Call

You can talk loudly, laugh loudly, and not panic about waking kids up from the car! Find your best friends you love going out with, and set up a group date Zoom call from your cars. 

And if all else fails, go give yourself permission to take a nap in the car! You can also just grab dessert (hello pint of ice cream and two spoons) and feel like you got a little physical change of scenery. We won’t judge!  

Like these car date ideas? You may like these date ideas too: 

The Best Date Night Subscription Boxes for Couples

Outdoor Movie Night: A Fun Way to Upgrade Family Movie Night

At-Home Date Ideas

Couple’s Journal: Reviews, Options, and Why Couple Journaling makes a Great Date

Stay At Home Date Ideas (You Can Do During Quarantine)