Infographic: Romantic Getaway Ideas

You may or may not have already noticed Valentine candy being showcased in your local grocery store. Are you ready for February 14th yet? If not, you aren't alone. This year the holiday falls on a Thursday, which can be great if you want to take a romantic trip with your honey. Airfare and hotels are cheaper in the middle of the week and it's a lot easier to stay on a budget. You might not even want to take your trip in February, which is fine. It's usually enough to let your sweetie know that their gift for the big day is a cozy getaway where you can spend one-on-one time with each other snuggling up and enjoying a fun destination. 

This infographic from Vacation Choices lists the top romantic getaways for couples. Underneath, you'll find links to previous posts that give you suggestions on how to do the cities for less - if I've previously written about them.

Source: Romantic Vacation Choices

Has this list got you thinking you want to take at trip, even if it's not for Valentine's Day? Do them for less, too. Here's how!

• San Francisco - 48 hours of fun on a budget | Westward Ho | Following the Torpedo of Truth
• Las Vegas - 48 hours of fun on a budget | Romantic (and Reasonably Priced) Getaways | Vegas On the Cheap | Westward Ho
• Los Angeles - 48 hours of fun on a budget | Los Angeles Landmarks | Westward Ho
• Honolulu - 10 Ways to Save Money in Honolulu
• Paris, France -  | Live and Learn | Visit the Dead in Paris | The Ultimate in Valentine's Getaway | Low Budget Honeymooning
• Nassau, Bahamas - Frugal Vacation Destination | Live and Learn

Where will you be taking your next romantic getaway?

My Paris Wish List

So, it's no secret that I am looking forward to going back to London and Paris later this year. In fact, I told you all in my last blog post that listed my Travel Goals and Resolutions. I've been collecting ideas for a while on what I want to see and do on my trip back to Paris. On our last trip, we only had a few days and it definitely wasn't enough time, especially since one day was spent at Disneyland Paris - which we'll be visiting again - and that wasn't enough time there either.

Mushroom crepes

I know you think that Paris is an expensive destination. It can be, but that doesn't mean you can't do it on a budget. On our last trip, we crammed some interesting stuff into the few days we were there:

• Disneyland Paris
• Pere Lachais Cemeterie
• Wandered along the Seine
• Enjoyed the view of the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and the Louvre (where we also took in the sculpture garden)
• Eiffel Tower - we weren't going to miss this

On this next trip, we are going to hit some of the same, but we are going to stay longer and slow down a bit. With a true plan of attack for the city, we should be able to see more and do it better. The only thing left is to figure out where we're going to stay and how to get the best deal on the things we're going to do.

Disneyland Paris - One day was definitely not enough time to see all of Disney, which has two  parks and a Downtown Disney district. The best (and oddly most affordable) way to see the parks is to stay on the property at a Disney hotel. It includes your lodging, park tickets and shuttle service to and from the front gate. 

This photo of Disneyland Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Catacombs are mysterious, creepy and totally awesome looking. I am dying to get down underneath the city to see this amazing labyrinth of bones. I'm sure there will be an eerie feeling down there of being watched, but I can't imagine going back to Paris without taking a tour. There is something somewhat sinister about Paris, which is fascinating to me. 

This photo of The Catacombs (Les Catacombes) is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Unfortunately, on our last trip to Paris, we only had the chance to view the Arc from a nearby cafe (which wasn't even a good cafe). I am looking forward to climbing to the top...and also finding a good place to eat on the Champs Elysees.

This photo of Arc de Triomphe is courtesy of TripAdvisor

What's a trip to Paris without trying some famous macarons? Obviously, I did this wrong last time. Laduree is said to have the best macarons in Paris in addition to other deliciously decadent desserts. I'm not saying no to that!

This photo of Laduree is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Two days in Paris and we visited no museums at all, or at least the inside. In a city that is full of art of all kinds, the Louvre can be crowded and overrated, but the Salvadore Dali Museum is off the beaten path and delightfully weird. It's also more affordable than those other big and popular museums. We're there!

This photo of Espace Dali is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Is there a better way to see a city than with someone who lives there everyday and knows all about it? I don't think so. Paris has volunteer tour guides that offer to walk you around the best the city has to offer for absolutely FREE! You just tip them at the end and enjoy your tour.

This photo of Sandemans New Paris Tours is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Yup, I love a farmers' market. The Marche Raspail has some of the freshest produce in Paris and allows you to eat locally on a budget. Yum, yum, yum!

This photo of Marche Raspail is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Not sure I will have time - or money - to enjoy a show at the Moulin Rouge, but I would at least like to see it with my own eyes. This building is a huge part of Paris history, so we will try to squeeze it into our budget and also have an excuse to dress up and splurge on a proper French dining experience.

This photo of Moulin Rouge is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Seine is beautiful from the side streets and bridges throughout the city, but a lovely cruise down the river would be even better. It would certainly give us a new view of Paris, plus, you can have lunch or dinner on board. Multitasking! I also believe this is included in the Paris Pass. 

This photo of Bateaux Mouches is courtesy of TripAdvisor

As much as I'd like to go hog wild at some of the brand name stores in Paris, I know that my wallet could not handle such a thing, so I decided to mash my love of souvenir shopping with my husband's love of estate sales and check out the Porte de Vanves flea market where you can find some crazy awesome finds for great prices. Nothing beats finding a fabulous vintage piece for less. 

This photo of Marche aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves is courtesy of TripAdvisor

One of our biggest regrets is that we didn't take the time to find out where the Statue of Liberty was in Paris. We tried to scope it out from the top of the Eiffel Tower, but since it was dark out, it made it twice as hard. This year we will make a point of visiting it...and maybe one day we'll make it to France's gift to the U.S. in New York.

This photo of Statue of Liberty is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Have I left out anything on my list? If you've been to Paris and have suggestions on what we should see and, more specifically, where we should eat on a budget, I'm all ears. Leave a comment and help us plan our trip!

Travel Goals and Resolutions of 2013

Happy 2013! The first week has officially passed us by and it’s time to talk about travel resolutions for the year. I see everyone adding to their “bucket list”, but I like to have short-term goals of 2-3 years, so they seem more easily attainable. Last year we went on some great trips and saved a lot of money on the way. While we planned to take our big vacation to Europe, it didn’t happen. The new hefty taxes and fees for travelers out of the UK were a surprise to us, but our back-up plan was a huge success and we now know what needs to happen this year to budget for London and Paris.

In addition to our goal of making it back to Europe, I also have blogging goals for the year where I can write (by blog and freelance) my way to working for myself. It’s hard to fit in a ton of extra work on top of my regular 40-hour-a-week gig, but I really feel like I can do it and have set objectives for myself to take me to part-time to full-time work-at-home-r.

I write for this ezine now!

2013 Goals

This year many of my goals are personal, but they are still travel-oriented in some respect. I’ve made big strides in gaining freelancing jobs in 2012 and secured at least three ongoing writing jobs – some of them even paying ones! – and one as a social media manager for a friend who owns a small business. I view these as a jumping-off point to getting bigger and better jobs that will help me achieve my work-at-home goals.

• I would love to have a byline in a magazine or newspaper, so that will be my goal to reach by the end of the year. In the coming months I’ll be working on and sending queries to some of my favorite publications.
• Advertise my writing skills more in order to gain higher-profile jobs – by June I would like to make half the income I make at my regular job from freelance gigs and my blog.
• Have my airfare to London and Paris bought and paid for by the end of Summer. While we have enough BA miles for two roundtrip flights, we still have to come up with the taxes and fees.
• Second edition! It’s true. Book edits are in the works and an updated edition of my book is a goal to accomplish this year.

2013 Travel Resolutions

• This year I will attempt to learn more about SEO, in order to up my blog stats in all ways.
• Be more social. Twitter has never been my strong area in being social, but this year I will spend more time reaching out to peers and followers on social media.
• I resolve to continue to work on my light packing skills. My carry-on on my last trip was packed almost perfectly. There were only two things I didn’t wear. Mostly, I would like to be a better souvenir shopper (which is generally Christmas gift shopping), so when I come back home I don’t have a big heavy extra bag. Obviously, this is a “we” issue and not just an “I” issue, so Eric and I can work on this one together.
• I will go somewhere I’ve never gone before this year.
• I will talk to more strangers on my trips.
• It’s always good to do something that scares you when you travel. I have yet to decide what it/they will be, but I will do at least one thing that I’m not completely comfortable with. Last year I went snorkeling, which would not have been so impressive the second time if the first time didn’t find me hyperventilating and holding onto my husband’s life vest while he dragged me back to the boat.
• I love food! I am looking forward to trying new foods this year, wherever we go.
• Using My French Coach game and Pimsleur, I will learn enough French to get by on my trip to Paris.

Yes, these seem like a lot of goals and resolutions, but I am really feeling that 2013 will be an even better year than 2012. I aim to work crazy hard in order to achieve as many as possible. What are YOUR travel resolutions/goals for the year?