The reasons for not owning a car can be plenty – you can’t afford it, you might be saving up for something else, or you just don’t know how to drive! Whatever the reason, not owning a car can sometimes become embarrassing – especially when it comes to dating.
Nothing is more fun than hitting the road on the weekends or planning a long, steamy romantic getaway for couples. Dating a guy with a car has its perks, but those without one can also show girls a good time if they’re smart enough not to make a date about the mode of transport.
Here are some great tips for people who want to date successfully without a car.
Table of Contents
1. Borrow or rent a car.
If you want to impress your date on your first night out, it is a great idea to ask one of your friends to loan you their car for the evening. You can also rent a car from a car service agency – but stick to the basics with a borrowed car if you don’t have that kind of cash.
Of course, after you use the car, make sure to take out any trash, refill the gas, and return it just as you got it.
2. Enjoy a great date at home.
While road trips are great fun and always the perfect thing for a budding romance, the comfort and intimacy an at-home date night give you are totally underrated.
Think about it: if you’re not constantly anxious about returning the borrowed car or hiring a cab, you can’t concentrate on the most important aspect of the date- the person you’re with.
You can go all out by cooking a romantic candle-lit dinner (if you’re feeling fancy), or just buying a pizza and watching a great movie while cuddling. The ease of being at home is absolutely incomparable.
3. Try walking.
If you live somewhere too hot or too cold, you know that walking is not always the best option. However, if the weather is great and the streets are safe, ask your date to take a walk with you.
Long romantic walks are incredibly romantic (and free of charge). You can talk and laugh and find out new things about your partner without needing to spend a big chunk of your salary on it.
When it comes to romance, there really is no price tag attached.
4. Buy a vespa.
This might sound a little crazy, but having a vehicle of your own doesn’t always mean you should buy an SUV right off the bat. You can start small by buying a used car or maybe just buying a nice, brand-new Vespa.
A Vespa is adorable, convenient, and a great way to get from one place to another. Think long Vespa drives with your partner with the wind blowing in your hair and giggles all around.
5. Call an uber.
One of the easiest options, when you want to go out on a date but don’t have a car, is to call a cab or an Uber. This is honestly just a no-brainer.
One great thing to do is book a cab in advance and keep the appropriate amount of cash on hand at all times. Don’t make your date pay for the cab ride if they didn’t initiate the date.
6. Try bicycling.
While nobody expects to compete in the Tour De France, cycling is a great hobby to pick up. Rent bicycles and ride around town, and stop by cafes, supermarkets, and even cinemas with your date.
Cycles are a great low-cost option for people who can’t afford steep cab fares or who live in places where the mass transportation system isn’t too great.
It’s also the perfect way to go out on a date for couples who are both in high school or college and don’t earn substantial income yet.
7. Use mass transit.
There’s no shame in using the local bus or train when you don’t have a car. There’s also no shame in picking your date up on a bus or a subway. The tickets are cheap, and you get to observe many new people you would never have run into under ordinary circumstances.
Remember to live in the moment. The objective of the date is to have fun – not to blow through your money. Plus, you can share a pair of headphones and enjoy each other’s taste in music.
8. Use your partner’s car.
If your partner has a car of their own, then you’re in luck. Having a partner who can take over the stress of arranging the conveyance for the dates can be a load off your back.
Request them to take over the transportation department of your love life – and you can easily go on the long road trips you have always planned on taking.
9. Live in the moment.
As we’ve mentioned before, the point of a date is to enjoy it. If you’re constantly stressed about not having a car or worried about what your date is thinking of you, you will not be present at the moment and instead, look stressed and jumpy.
All this will do is make your date feel like you’re not enjoying their company and dump you before the first date ends.
10. Avoid cabs with passengers already in it.
While it’s completely okay not to have a car, it isn’t okay to completely phone on your date. The whole point of going out is to cherish each other and really make your partner feel like they’re the most beautiful and interesting person in the world.
With the recent sharing economy trend, hailing a cab with other strangers to split the car fare is the new norm – but picking up your dolled-up date just for her to crouch in a small car space is hardly the recipe for romance.
11. Don’t ask your date to pay for their ticket.
Telling your date you’ll be picking them up on public transport because you don’t have a car is a great way to manage their expectations right away – but wanting them to pay for a date you asked them out on is a cardinal sin in the world of dating.
Don’t be surprised if they never call you again after doing this.
12. Never ask your date to split the cab fare.
It’s not ideal for any girl to get picked up in a cab for her date – but it’s worse if the guy expects her to split the cab fare. While we agree that both genders have abandoned conventional dating rituals, it is still chivalrous to make a girl swoon.
If you’ve paid for her meal at a very swanky restaurant, it makes sense that you might be a little strapped for cash – but it isn’t romantic at all to let her know she has to pay for the cab fare because you couldn’t plan your finances correctly.
13. Pitch in for gas.
If you have a partner who already has a car, it means that half of your dating woes have been resolved – but be careful! Don’t take their car for granted.
Even if they always take you on dates in their car, it makes sense if you pitch in for gas. Of course, if your partner can afford a car, it also means that they can pay for its fuel and maintenance – but filling their car up shows that you think about them and appreciate what they do.
If you’re looking to settle down with a said partner, pitching in is the step in the right direction.
14. Don’t always rely on your partner for transportation.
It might be true that your partner has a great car that you love driving or being driven around in, and it might also be true that your partner loves going on road trips and romantic long drives.
However, that doesn’t make it your car – and it definitely doesn’t mean that it should always be at your disposal.
While the occasional pick-up and drop-off are fine, treating your partner like a chauffeur can cultivate a bad impression on you. They might start feeling that you like their car more than you like them.
15. Avoid mentioning not having a car in every conversation.
The fact that you don’t have a car is nothing out of the ordinary, and many people all over the world lead fulfilling lives without ever owning one. Don’t be a spoilsport by always whining about not having a car or wishing you had one.
Talking about the subject can always help, but obsessing over it is a great way to spoil the mood.
The Bottom Line: Dating With No Car of Your Own
Dating someone when you don’t have a car of your own can sometimes be a deal-breaker. How will you take someone out on a date if you ask your friends to drop you off at her house?
Having your own car means you can go anywhere, anytime – without worrying about the cab fares or hitchhiking or using mass transport where you run into all kinds of people. Let’s not forget what a dampener it is on the romance aspect of a date if you want to kiss her goodbye but your cab driver is watching you guys in the rearview mirror.
Let’s be honest. Owning a car will undoubtedly help you attract the loveliest women, and it’s no secret that having a nice house and car are measures of a person’s success – but don’t get disheartened just yet.
Owning a car will definitely help you attract girls and make a good impression, but not having one isn’t always a turn-off. Most girls are now opening up to non-conventional gender roles in relationships, and not all of them expect you to be financially stable right out of college.
If you have a partner who loves you with all their heart despite your earthly possessions (or lack thereof), keep them close to your heart. Treat them well – and start saving up so you can have a car of your own as well.
When it comes to romance, never think that you won’t be able to go out with someone because of something as inconsequential as not having a car. When you realize that you can have a ball of a time even without one, you can refocus your attention to having fun. Check out these date ideas for some inspiration!
If you’re currently dating someone who constantly puts you down for not having a car, it means that they are not the best person to date in the first place.
