It’s easy enough to go online and find hacks on how to save money on your vacation. You can always find ways to get a discount on airfare and hotel rooms. You can also find alternative options to airport parking. For example, there are more affordable Philadelphia Airport parking options you can get for almost half the airport parking rate if you simply check online. But tips on how to plan a romantic vacation can be scarce until you ask around couples who have had the experience to help you.
So we asked around, and here are vital tips that travel couples have shared:
Save Up
When you go on a romantic vacation, nothing will spoil the mood more than worrying and discussing about finances. If you have to quibble over the cost of the room service, romance isn’t going to bloom. Nor will any argument about how the money you’re pending could be used to pay for college for the kids.
No Kiddies
As we’re on the topic of kids, don’t bring them with you. In fact, try to go to a place where there are no kids around. Plenty of adult-only retreats are available for couples, and no we’re not talking about the “unwholesome” kinds. In some places, the prohibition against kids is simply a way of ensuring that adults can have more fun.
Don’t Call It a “Romantic Vacation”
Just call it a “vacation.” Any use of the term “romantic” can increase the pressure on you as a couple, and you don’t want to have more pressure for a vacation.
Go in the Off-Season
While this is also a great way to save up, the point here is to avoid the tourist crowd that can keep any vacation from being romantic. It’s better for you two if you’re the only tourists in the place, and the other people around you are locals. Also, crowds are stressful.
Try to Book a Villa
While hotel rooms are nice, a rented villa can be fantastic in forging a stronger bond between two people in love. The privacy lets you do anything you want, and often these villas have booze so you can be buzzed silly and not offend anyone else if the two of you are into PDAs.
Also, most villas are strategically located and you can often enjoy the sunset while sipping wine. This may be a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason. It really is a romantic sight (not that you’d call it that out loud).
Avoid Hard Schedules
Schedules are great when you want to pack as many museums and activities as possible into your trip. But that’s hardly romantic. It’s better if you can just do whatever you want when you want to do it. If you feel like dining out, then go somewhere even if it’s 2 AM or 2 PM. You can ask the front desk for directions, or go online for places that are still open.
The point is that without a hard schedule you can feel freer, and that makes it a more relaxing (and therefore more romantic feeling). You can pencil in a special event like a concert or a festival here and there, but there should be lots of free blocks of time when you’re free to do anything.
Don’t Be Forced to Visit “Must-Visit” Places
Haven’t we already stressed that you should feel free? This means that even when you’re in Paris, you don’t have to visit the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre. You can save that when you’re with the kids. Instead, enjoy spending some time walking around and find a café to rest in and to breathe in the romance of whatever place you’re in.