France
The famous romantic castles in France are not as distant and prohibitive as they may seem: only 40 minutes by train from Paris and you reach the Château of Villiers-le-Mahieu in the middle of the beautiful French countryside. This place can make anyone feel romantic: walking in the castle gardens, over small bridges and along the ducks and beavers swimming in the moat, sitting under the moon lit statues in the courtyard. The castle has a superb spa with a heated swimming pool with a jacuzzi, a sauna and a Turkish bath, a solarium with plenty of free tea and dried fruit, and a gym. There are also massages available, but the prices are pretty high. And just to make it even more romantic, don’t forget to book the dinner table by the fire place.
One night for two people cost 179 Euros, including breakfast and entrance to the spa.
www.chateauvilliers.com
Rue du Centre, 78770 Villiers-le-Mahieu, France
+33(0)1 34 87 44 25
Google map: bit.ly/lgbGLC
It is very romantic for couples, also a great treat for the family. The four-course meal is fantastic, also you get to see all the Paris sights as you take your time eating dinner and drinking wine and listening to the sounds of the piano. A great way to spend lunch or dinner.
Directions to one of Paris’s best-kept secrets: Take the Metro's Line 5 and get off at Laumière. Climb up Rue Laumière until you reach the main entrance of the most beautiful Parisian garden: Les Buttes de Chaumont.
Climb up the hill around the lake, up to the view point. Now the real secret: if you happen to be there on August 30th at about 8.20pm, you'll see the sun setting right behind the Sacre Coeur and the Montmartre hill, now that's a view that will stay with you for a while.
Paris is the city of love but, whether you find yourself there with that special someone or on your lonesome, make your way down to La Coupole at Montparnasse.
The famous haunt of Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir has stunning internal décor and takes you back to another era. The food is delicious and if you are seeking the true Parisian experience then there is nowhere better to dine.
And, even if you end up alone there on Valentine's Day, indulging in their silky hot chocolate, at least the waiters know the way to a girl’s heart. Dessert on the house!
The Terrass Hotel in Montmatre is a fantastic hotel - service, food and staff are all superb in this beautiful region of this most romantic city.
Take the lift up to the 7th floor and onto the roof terrace in the evening and watch the Tour Eiffel light up in the evening surrounded by stunning panoramic views of the Parisian skyline.
On a relaxed & warm summers evening, there's nothing better!
Springtime in Paris for two using Eurostar offered two fairly newly-weds blue skies and perfect weather - Heaven!
We stayed at the modes Hotel des GrandsHommes in the Latin Quarter, exploring my student-day haunts, well off the tourist-trail: the lovely Canal St Martin to the north, with its crazy foot-bridges, "turning-bridge" and the beautiful old Hotel St Louis nearby - eating out at the Degres de Notre-Dame (steak Charolais!), with a view of the great cathedral itself - kissing on the Pont des Arts!
Formerly a railway track linking the Bastille Square to Saint Maur, the "Promenade Plantée" is a hidden oasis of Paris.
Climb the concrete steps from the bustling rue de Lyon, and stumble upon an enchanting winding path filled with an explosion of marigolds, pink roses and trailing vines.
Over the course of about 3km you will be able to gaze over the rooftops of Paris and discover a plethora of small gardens, ageing viaducts and strolling lovers, young and old, arm in arm.
The path finishes at the golden gate and the Vincennes park to the east of the city.
The most romantic place in Paris is the Pont des Arts.
This pedestrian bridge lies betweens the Louvre and the Academie Française. Go there at sunset with a bottle of wine and enjoy youselves!
Best thing to do in Paris: enjoy an evening aperitif in the bar at the top of Tour Montparnase and watch the sun set over the Seine.
Have a second while the city's lights come up - very romantic. Not only that, it's one of the few places in Paris where you're protected from a view of Tour Montparnase.
Afterwards enjoy dinner in one of the several Alsatian bistros in the area.
For a truly romantic dinner try Restaurant Lapérouse overlooking the Seine - you will not find a place like it anywhere in Paris.
It is unique in that it still has private dining rooms in the rear of the building for clandestine dinner parties.
However, the best place to eat is in the main room for the view of the river. After a superb traditional French meal, I proposed to my fiancée on New Year’s Eve just as the fireworks were starting to explode all over the city – we are to be married next year!
Stay at the Hotel Mayet, a design hotel that is reasonably priced. The rooms are small but beautifully designed and romantic. There are large graffiti murals in the lobby, very fun.
Romantic brunch or pre-dinner cocktails at Le Fumoir just behind the Louvre! Artists, writers, couples - you'll see it all!
James, my husband and I love spending weekends in Paris and each time we have the opportunity, we try to experience different places even if it is sometimes difficult not to book into our favourite hotel in St Germain.
We decided to take 4 days off to celebrate Valentine's Day and Paul wanted to organise everything which was very romantic! He seemed so excited about it that I guessed it was something very special. After staying in so many charming places in Paris, we have both become very demanding.
After I insisted so much he gave me the following clues:
He said we would be in the very heart of Paris, with a view from the window of the Place de la Concorde, the Parliament Building and some of the most beautiful bridges on the seine, the Pont Alexandre III. I guessed what it might be but I did not say anything as I did not want to disappoint him.
In fact, during one of our previous stays, after a long walk we had actually stopped at the Hotel Crillon for a cup of tea and I mentioned that I would love to stay there at least once! On our arrival day after the Eurostar the taxi drove us to the Place de la Concorde where the Crillon is situated but instead of stopping in front of the Palace we continued on towards the quai where he stopped in the middle of nowhere as there were hardly any buildings let alone hotel.
When we walked down the steps to the river with our luggage, I suddenly realised that we were not going to stay in a palace but in a péniche which was situated exactly as Paul mentioned: our accommodation would be in between the Alexandre III bridge, the Parliament building and the Place de la Concorde and at my door the quais that I love so much to wonder along. We had a lovely stay at Alain and Rita’s home who live there all year. Paul found this fabulous place through www.paris-apartments-for-rent.com and we recommend you to experience it just for one day. Rate is 150 € per night including breakfast.
Lisa/London
lisa.dawner@yahoo.co.uk
This is a gorgeous bistro in the Latin Quarter. Very romantic and it has lovely food and wine. Highly recommended.
3 rue des Grands-Degrés
tel: 01 44 07 04 24
I have just come back for my unforgettable and romantic stay in Paris. But let me explain from the beginning: I didn't know where to look for a romantic hotel or bed and breakfast in Saint Germain. After surfing on the net I discovered this parisby.com, which has lots of beautiful properties (and pictures of them).
Finally, I found Hotel d'Aubusson, a cozy hotel in the right location. I asked the travel assistant of the website, Elena, to help me with some things (flowers and wine in the room) for our anniversary, and she suggested I write to the owner of the property, and everything went perfect.
Hotel d'Aubusson: 33 Rue Dauphine;
tel. : 33(0)1 43 29 43 43
fax : 33(0)1 43 29 12 62
email : reservationmichael@hoteldaubusson.com
www.aubusson-paris-hotel.com
Two hour lunch cruise on Bateaux Parisiens, wine included, €50-70 per person. We chose the €70 option and had a table at the front of the boat, good quality food, good wine, excellent service and serenaded. What more do you want?
Quai below the Eiffel Tower; www.bateauxparisiens.com/english/fr_dejeuner.html
The Canal St Martin, as featured in Amelie, is a green lung through the eastern side of the city with its entrancing bow shaped, green bridges. Cross over the Place de Stalingrad to continue into the Bassin de la Villette. Very romantic by moonlight.
Start off from metro Stalingrad
The famous cemetery where many artists rest is worth the visit, and not just for the mandatory pilgrimage to Jim Morrison's grave. The bloated monuments, the peaceful atmosphere and the shade of the trees will appeal to art lovers as well as romantic souls in search of a serene place in the middle of busy Paris.
Nearests stations: Père-Lachaise, Gambetta, Philippe-Auguste www.pere-lachaise.com/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise
Forget the Odeon, enjoy the MK2. Next to the modern François Mitterand national library, this MK2 cinema is Eden for cinema-goers. Not only you will enjoy French films in the best audio conditions but the MK2 architect designed comfy armchairs he called "fauteuils pour deux"... armchairs for couples! Vive la France! And if you're single, no worry: you can still watch your film while stretching your big legs. What a pleasure!
128/162 avenue de France - 75013 Paris. Phone: 08 92 69 84 84 Métro Line 14: Bibliothèque F.Mitterrand.
Relatively unknown to tourists this beautiful tree-lined passageway splits the Seine in two, making it the perfect location for a summer evening promenade for romantic couples. The allee provides an up close and personal view of the Statue of Liberty at one end - photos that will undoubtedly confuse the relatives back home - and a magnificant vantage point for the Eiffel Tower at the other.
The Pont de Bir Hakeim, recognisable from all the major anglophone movies that epitomise Paris, gives you the perfect exit strategy with Passy metro on one side and Bir Hakeim tourist central at the other.
allee des cygnes, 75015
Metro: Passy, Bir Hakeim
RER C: Avenue du President Kennedy, Maison de la Radio France
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