The July issue of the UK edition of Marie Claire featured an article on vacation sex, for which we were asked for some insight. Since we can’t link to it online, we thought we’d give you our unabridged thoughts on the topic — hopefully you haven’t taken your summer vacay yet and can benefit from them!

1) Why vacation sex is better than home sex:
The vacation itself can act as extended foreplay.  You’re probably spending some nice quality time with your partner during the day, doing novel things together, which can bring you closer. Since you haven’t been at work all day stressing, it’s a much smoother segue into sex — in other words, you don’t need time to unwind before you get naked. And since mental distractions — work stresses, looming to-do lists, ongoing arguments — can keep women from focusing on the here and now in the bedroom, a vacation can help them be more in the moment, and therefore more likely to have an orgasm, by helping clear their head (if only temporarily). And applying suntan lotion to each other all day = foreplay!

2) How it can be worse:
The expectation is greater, so there’s more room for disappointment if things don’t go as planned.  That’s how it is for all aspects of vacation, whether you’re talking about the weather, the food or the sex.

3) How to make it even better:
Scent is such a powerful memory maker. Get a new, nice smelling massage lotion or lubricant and be sure to use it liberally during your vacation sex. When you get home, pack it away for a while. That way, when you break it out down the road, you’ll be transported back to the time and space of your vacation, a psychic space that was (hopefully) both relaxing and sexy.