Make the most of this romantic weekend

Publication on February 10, 2026

Valentine’s Day has a funny way of sneaking up, doesn’t it? One minute it’s New Year’s fireworks, and the next you’re vaguely panicking about flowers, dinner, and whether “Netflix and takeout” can be rebranded as a grand romantic gesture.

Here’s our little suggestion: trade the predictable dinner reservation for a romantic getaway instead (especially this year! Make it a weekend trip!!). It doesn’t need to be long or extravagant. A single night in a new place can become the most unforgettable time you share!

Let’s wander through a few types of escapes, from classic cities to barefoot beaches, that work beautifully around Valentine’s Day.

The forever classic

There is a reason every list still starts with Paris. You step out of the metro, see a slate roof, a glowing café sign, and suddenly hand-holding feels mandatory.

February in Paris is chilly, but that actually helps. You stay longer in cafés over hot chocolate, you walk closer together along the Seine, huddled under an umbrella, and you get the twinkling Eiffel Tower without the crush of summer crowds. Travel editors still call Paris the top romantic city in Europe for Valentine breaks, and frankly, we agree.

If you go for a quick Valentine’s escape, think in simple little “moments” rather than a packed itinerary. An afternoon wandering the streets around Le Marais. A sunset stroll on the Pont Neuf. A late dinner in Saint-Germain where you’ll undoubtedly lose track of time over wine and something with too much butter.

If you have more time to spend there, you’re very likely to end up adopting a tiny neighbourhood café as “ours”. By the third visit, the waiter there greets you like locals, slipping you an extra macaron, and suddenly the big city will feel like home. That’s the kind of intimacy Paris is very good at creating.

City lights and winter nights

February is still wintertime, so why not visit places that exude that charm? If your shared love language is moody architecture, cobblestones and good wine, a winter city break hits the spot.

Prague looks like a theatre set in February, all amber streetlamps and castle outlines in the mist. You can wander the Charles Bridge at night, find a small bar with live jazz, and thaw out over mulled wine.

Further along the Danube, Budapest adds thermal baths to the mix. Picture soaking together in the steamy outdoor pools at Széchenyi while the air is crisp and your hair steams in the cold. Many travellers rank Budapest high among Europe’s romantic winter cities, especially for couples who like a bit of history with their spa day.

If you’re based in Europe and only have a weekend, these cities are superb “Friday-night-to-Sunday” options: quick flights, walkable centres, and more candlelit wine bars than you will ever work through in 48 hours.

Greece for two

Greece might sound like a summer romance, but even in February there are lovely options for couples who want sea views, whitewashed houses and quieter streets.

Travel specialists in Greece have been pointing out how romantic some destinations feel around Valentine’s Day itself, when the light is soft and the crowds are gone.

On Santorini, many hotels in Oia and Fira stay open year-round. You trade beach days for long, slow walks along the caldera path, sunsets with blankets on your shoulders, and late dinners where the staff has time to chat because they’re not racing between packed tables. Ferries and flights are more limited, but the reward is space and silence.

If you prefer something more low-key, little mainland towns like Nafplio feel incredibly romantic around this time. Neoclassical houses with balconies, waterfront promenades, and gelato. It’s a softer, more lived-in kind of romance. Either way, we recommend taking a little more time if you go to Greece, to really make the most of your trip and enjoy the quiet of the low-season.

Barefoot love

Then there’s the fantasy category. Overwater villas, your own ladder into the sea, and those sunsets that look aggressively edited even when they’re not.

Couples planning honeymoons and “big” Valentine trips are flocking to the Maldives and Bora Bora, especially to stay in overwater bungalows. Recent roundups of the best villas keep highlighting spots like Soneva Jani in the Maldives, with huge private pools and even water slides, and the Four Seasons in Bora Bora with postcard views of Mount Otemanu.

This is the kind of getaway where you honestly don’t need an itinerary. Wake up to water in every shade of blue. Order breakfast to your deck. Snorkel together among curious fish, come back sun-dazed, and watch the sky turn neon at sunset. Romance here is simply unavoidable!

If you like the idea but not the flight time or budget, look for closer-to-home versions: overwater villas in the Caribbean, eco-resorts in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, or tropical islands of Grand Canaria and the Azores. Many offer the same “just us and the sea” feeling on a shorter, more affordable trip.

Budget-friendly romance

The sweetest Valentine getaways aren’t always the farthest or most grandiose ones. Hotel booking data this year is showing a surge in couples choosing short, experience-focused breaks.

That shift is very good news if you’re hoping to plan something without wrecking your savings.

Think of places within two or three hours of home: a pretty small town, a wine region, a national park with a romantic lodge. Swap the idea of “fancy” for “thoughtful”. A pretty guesthouse with homemade breakfast can feel far more romantic than a big hotel, especially if it has a view, a fireplace, or a little balcony for morning coffee.

Members of our team had some of their favourite “romantic getaways” in very modest places. A tiny family-run inn outside Florence where the owner slipped them a bottle of local red “for Valentine’s”. A countryside B&B in Portugal where the main attraction was a basket of freshly-warm bread and the kind of silence that makes you whisper.

Platforms like Airbnb and small design-driven guesthouses across Europe have a growing range of cosy cabins, countryside cottages and city apartments that feel tailor-made for two.

For the spontaneous lovers

If Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, all is not lost. You can still put together something special.

Save the trip for mid-week. Many popular destinations are packed for the weekend, but would be delightfully quiet on weekday nights. Mid-week hotel prices are also often kinder. So you can celebrate on the day, surprise your partner with the booked trip, and then go off on a mid-week rest!

Alternatively, consider a “stay-away”: book one night in a nice hotel in your own city. Arrive early, pretend you’re tourists, and walk a different neighbourhood, visit that museum you always skip, or book a couples’ spa treatment. Order room service breakfast, watch a movie in fluffy hotel robes, and only check your phone to take a few pictures.

Or keep it incredibly simple. A coastal town a short train ride away. A mountain village reachable by bus. Somewhere with a promenade, or a view, or a market where you can pick up picnic supplies and find a bench in a spot that feels like it’s yours.

How to choose “your” romantic getaway

When we talk with couples about planning Valentine trips, the same question always comes up: where do we even begin? The trick is to start with the feeling you want, and let the destination follow.

• Do you want glamorous evenings and smart outfits? Paris, Vienna or Budapest might be calling.
• Craving total disconnection? Think Maldives, Bora Bora or a closer tropical island.
• Dreaming about slow mornings, long walks, and simple food? A countryside cottage in Tuscany, a whitewashed village in Greece, or a lakeside town in Slovenia could be perfect.

There’s no single “right” answer here. Romance is less about where you go and more about how you show up. Turn off email, say yes to a slightly ridiculous dessert, hold hands on the street even if you usually don’t, and let yourselves be a little softer than usual.

Wherever you choose to escape to this Valentine’s Day, we hope you come home with that light, fizzy feeling that stays long after the bags are unpacked.