Going out of town for any reason (well…maybe not for family visits!) is a great opportunity to hit the reset button on your libido. Leaving your daily routine behind, experiencing new places and people, and even the anonymous feeling of staying in a hotel room can help you break out of a rut or kick your sexual slump. If you’re traveling with your lover, it’s an ideal time to shake things up, to experiment and explore. If you’re single or traveling-solo-and-available, it can be a chance to meet new people and maybe even reinvent yourself a little.
However, there are plenty of pitfalls that could trip up your erotic journey—from airport regulations to mismatched expectations. We want you to have a thrilling vacation this summer, so we’ve compiled some tips for happy travels no matter where you’re headed.
Before You Go
- Think about what your #sexgoals are for this trip—what’s really going to make this a winner for you? What do you need to do to make them happen? If they involve testing the limits of your comfort zone, how can you help yourself overcome your inner obstacles?
- If you’re traveling with your partner(s), talk with each other about your expectations so that you can reach some agreements before you’re on the road. Are you both comfortable with anything new that one of you wants to do? Are you on the same page about how often you hope to get sexy?
- If you’re single/traveling solo and hoping to make some connections, consider changing the location on your dating apps and exploring your matches ahead of time. This Thrillist article has some great tips for using dating apps safely and successfully while traveling.
- Check out the laws and customs around sex and sexuality in the places you’re traveling to. Some places, of course, have harsh anti-queer laws. In others, PDAs are at best frowned on and at worst actually illegal. Penalties if you get caught getting it on or being naked in public can be steep. In places like Alabama and Texas, possession of sex toys is either limited or forbidden. Don’t get caught by surprise by restrictive laws and cultural norms, or assume that you can plead ignorance as a tourist.
Planning Your Travel
- Remember that TSA regulations in the US require liquids in carry-on baggage to be in containers no larger than 3.4 ounces, with only as many containers as will fit in a 1 quart plastic storage bag. Everything else has to be checked. Good news—you can carry a discreet, sleek little travel tube of überlube. It’s refillable!
- The rule of thumb for planes is, if you can’t afford to lose it, check it—or leave it home. Any bondage gear, including rope, must be in checked baggage. So should heavy toys like Njoys, or anything remotely sharp. If it could possibly be seen as a weapon, don’t try to carry it on.
- Pack a few condoms or other barriers, a travel-size lube, birth control pills, and maybe a couple of small toys like a mini bullet vibe or some anal beads in the bag you keep with you—that way, even if your luggage is lost, you can relieve the stress with some fun!
- Looking for a kink-friendly place to stay? Check out KinkBNB, an enterprising response to AirBNB’s reluctance to list overtly sexy places. You can even find places with fully-functional dungeons if you wish.
- Yes, the Mile-High Club is a real thing—they even have merch! If that’s in your plans, check out this flight attendant’s take on the realities of sex in a plane. If you try it and get caught, most likely you’ll just be politely asked to stop—but it’s at the airline’s discretion how to handle it, so tread carefully.
- Enjoy some motion in the ocean? You might want to check out one of the many sex-themed cruises available—they cater to everything from swingers to kinksters, and you’ll have more freedom to play than you might on a regular cruise.
- When making your plans, read up on any sexy destinations you might be planning to hit—museums, kink clubs, play parties, erotic art galleries, sex festivals, etc. Many times, there’ll be a best day of the week to visit, or they might be closed on certain days or even for whole months during off-seasons. Nothing’s more disappointing than getting to a city and finding that the place you were looking forward to seeing isn’t open while you’re there—or has closed altogether.
- If you’re driving, remember that sex behind the wheel is not safe—seriously. Anything that distracts the driver or involves taking off seat belts, while it might sound daring and risqué, is risking not only your lives but those of other people on the road. Plan for some lengthy rest stops or just save it until you’re bunked for the night, instead.
Get the most pleasure out of your stay
- Don’t let sex become a task you have to complete. Vacation time should be relaxing and fun, so putting lots of pressure on yourself to hook up with hotties or to have the most mindblowing sex of your life with your sweetie could quickly become more stress than delight. Listen to your body and try to enjoy each experience for what it is, not what you’ve built it up to be.
- If you’re in a city with high quality sex shops, plan a visit to shop for a sexy souvenir or a little something to spice up your night. While you’re there, ask the staff if they have recommendations for any fun, unusual, or less-publicized sex positive events or places to visit. They are likely to know what places are worth going to and are vetted as safe and welcoming, and may know of things that would be hard for a visitor to find on their own.
- Make sure to get enough rest, eat and hydrate regularly, watch your sun exposure, and take breaks in between sights. Running yourself ragged, getting sunburned, or having a blood sugar crash is definitely going to detract from feeling sexy and aroused.
- Although you should of course take the same precautions for your safety that you’d take anytime you go out, don’t be afraid to take some chances and break out of your routine. When you’re in a place where no one knows you, you can be a little more of your “secret self”. And going someplace naughtier than your normal can be downright exhilarating!
- Take some sexy selfies or eye-popping pics of steamy sights (where allowed) and consider journaling about your experiences—the memories can fuel your fantasies and sexcapades when you’re back home again.
Ready to go?
With these tips tucked away in your suitcase, you’ll be prepared for your most hedonistic travels yet. Is there something else you think that fellow wanderers should know about sex on the road? Drop it in the comments and share it with us!
