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Your Guide To The Best Date Ideas Around The World

You have found the #1 guide to date spots and date ideas online! Whether you are trying to find local date ideas or date spots abroad, InstantHookups.com's Guide To The Best Date Ideas Around The World has you covered! Here on this page, you will find information on everything from the definition of "date spots" and "date ideas", to the history of date spots and date ideas, to the best of the best US date spots, UK date spots, Canada date spots, and so much more. We have dedicated countless hours or research and personal experiences to this guide and we are confident that it will contain any of the answers to any of the questions that you have about date spots or date ideas, especially if are looking for dating advice in the three many areas we focused on: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Read on to find out everything you need to know!

So, What Is This All About?

Before we get into all the nitty gritty, we think it is best to take a moment to talk about… well, what we are going to talk about! In this guide we are covering both date ideas and date spots all around the world. But, what are we actually referring to when we talk about these two concepts? In the two sections below, we will give you own definition of each one which you can keep in mind and reference throughout this guide. None of the readings in this guide are required, but we do think that it help to get all the information before you make any decisions about the the date spots you will check out or the date ideas you will implement in your own life.  

Date Spots: Defined

When we talk about the date spots of the world, what are we really talking about? Date spots, technically, can be any places that you could find a date or take a date. However, we find that definition too broad to be helpful most of the time. For example, you could find a date at a dry cleaners, but would you ever recommend that to someone as a place to find a date? No, of course not. And neither will we. For another example, you could take a date up to the sewage treatment plant, but would you? Absolutely not! Just because some places can be date spots, does not mean they should be date spots. So, for the purposes of our guide, "date spots" will refer to the places where you would likely be most successful in finding or taking a date. These places include bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes, museums, theaters, local attractions, sporting areas, and other venues that lend themselves well to dating.

Date Ideas: Defined

When we talk about "date ideas" we are talking about the thoughts or suggestions that concern a possible course of action for a potential date. To put it more simply, while date spots are the "where" of dating, date ideas are the "what" of dating. Just like with date spots, there can be both good and bad date ideas. For example, a park may be one of the good date spots, but if you pair it with bad date ideas, you are still going to be out of luck. Going to the park with some sparkling wine, a picnic basket, and a blanket? Good date idea! Going to the park to watch kids on the playground? Bad date idea (and also, very creepy). It works both ways, too. Good date ideas rely heavily on the knowledge of good date spots because without good date spots where would your good date ideas live?  

The History Of Date Ideas

The history of date ideas follows closely with the history of dating. Whatever the state of dating is at a point in time will greatly affect the types of date ideas that come out of that period. Below, we will walk through date ideas through the ages, from ancient times to the 20th century and through to today's modern dating scene.

Date Ideas In Ancient Times

Prior to the 1700s, dating was more or less non-existent. Since marriage before that time was only ever seen as a business arrangement between families, there was not a whole lot of date ideas being tossed around. The only thing you could really consider to be included as date ideas is the meeting between families to introduce the two that are to be wed. Boring, right? Eventually kids got sick of this too, which lead way to secret encounters of lovers outside of their parents' knowledge (think Romeo & Juliet). These clandestine meetings, which generally happened before a marriage or outside of a marriage are considered the  precursors to all the date ideas that followed.  

 

Going into the 1700s, a worldwide movement began to take place which put focus on the desires of individuals instead of their parents and families. Many societies shifted their views and allowed men and women to decide—on their own—whether they would get married, when they would get married, and who they would get married to. This shift is what brought on the influx of date ideas.

Dates Ideas In The 20th Century

In the early 20th century, all the date ideas mostly involved men and women hanging out under parental supervision, but over time date ideas have became more focused on self-initiated activities outside of the home, in public. The mass production of cars in the 1920s and 1930s allowed date ideas to include date spots that were further away and also allowed for back-seat sexual exploration. In the 1950s, date ideas such as shared milkshakes at malt shops and dancing as sock hops were prevalent. In the 1960s, parking at the drive-in theater and spending a night at the bowling alley were common date ideas. In the 1970s, date ideas were mostly reduced to just "hanging out" or "hooking up". Oh yeah, this is when premarital sex really started to become more common. In the 1980s, drinking and dancing became the go-to date ideas, with dance clubs becoming the go-to date spots. The 1990s were full of date ideas: eating, drinking, dancing, roller skating, watching movies, attending concerts... the list of date ideas goes on and on.

Date Ideas In The Modern Age

The modern age has brought with it a crazy amount of social acceptance and technological advancements that have completely changed date ideas. With an increase of social acceptance, new types of dating and sexualities are now considered acceptable: same-sex dating, transgender dating, and dating without the intention to marry or have children.  With an increase of technological advancements such as smart phones, online dating, and mobile dating apps, people are able to meet, converse, and come up with date ideas much easier (and with more potential partners) than ever before!

The History Of Date Spots

Much like date ideas, date spots also have a history that can be plotted alongside that of dating itself. Unlike date ideas, however, date spots are not often created with the sole intention of being used for dating. A lot of places get their "second wind" as date spots. For example, a football stadium is not built with dating in mind. It is built so that football teams have a place to play their games and so that fans have a place to gather and watch the games up close and personal. However, many people find that these same stadiums make for excellent date spots, too! The same goes for bars and restaurants. They were created for the purpose of selling food and drinks (along with food and drink services) to customers who are looking to eat and drink. It just so happens that a good portion of the people doing that... are on a date!

Throughout the years, the varied interests of different decades have dictated many of the date spots that were created. In the 1950s, diners and malt shops were popular date spots. In the 1960s, the preferred date spots were music festivals and drive-in theaters. The 1970s were the time of discotheque date spots, while the 1980s were the time of dance club date spots. Roller rink date spots lived in the 1990s, and today we have, well... that is what we will get into here in this guide.

The Best Date Ideas & Date Spots Worldwide

All across the globe you will find a huge variety in what is considered the best date ideas and the best date spots. It is a whole lot to tackle, so for now we settled for just three regions: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Below, you will find a summary of great date spots in each country along with a full directory of all the cities that we have covered within each one. To get more information about the best date ideas and date spots in a specific country or city, all you have to do is click!

US Date Spots

The United States of America quite probably has the largest selection of date spots of any country worldwide. No matter which city you live in (or are visiting) throughout the country, there are seemingly unlimited options for US date spots and date ideas. That should come as no surprise though! With over 109 million single people out there looking for love (or lust, we don't judge), there is a lot of money to be made in the US date spots industry.

Notable US date spots include: The Carousel Bar & Lounge in New Orleans, Louisiana; Tiki-Ti in Los Angeles, California; The Frolic Room in Hollywood, California; Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York; Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida; Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri; The Uptown Theatre in Washington, D.C.; Grauman's Chinese Theatre, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois; and so many more!

Click here to check out our full guide on US date ideas and date spots. Scroll down to see our directory of US date spots by city or to continue on to the next country:

UK Date Spots

As of 2014, 51% of the UK population is single so you can rest easy knowing there is no lack of UK date spots! You will find that UK date spots are heavy on the pubs and taverns compared to the US date spots, but that does not mean there isn't still a ton of great alternative date spots to check out!

Notable UK date spots include: The Lion Inn in Winchcombe, England; The Grenadier in London, England; The Sligachan Hotel on the Isle of Skye, Scotland; The Ship & Castle in Aberystwyth, Wales; Peadar O' Donnell's in Derry, Northern Ireland; Wembley Stadium in London, England; The O2 in London, England; Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England; and so many more!

Click here to check out our full guide on UK date ideas and date spots. Scroll down to see our directory of UK date spots by city or to continue on to the next country:

Canada Date Spots

Canada is a land of many kind of date spots, including a ton of natural wonders and landmarks. They also have over 14 million single people looking for date ideas and date partners, so if this is your home and native land, you are in luck!

Notable Canada date spots include: NWT Brewing Company in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; Big in Japan in Montreal, Quebec; The Shameful Tiki Room in Toronto, Ontario; Snakes and Lattes in Toronto, Ontario; Kinsmen Pitch and Putt in Edmonton, Alberta; White Butte Trails in Regina;  Algonquin Park in Algonquin, Ontario; and so many more!

Click here to check out our full guide on Canada date ideas and date spots. Scroll down to see our directory of Canada date spots by city: