Literal Champagne Travel (Even On a Beer Budget)

When people celebrate things, like Valentine's Day or weddings or anniversaries or accomplishments, they often do so by popping open a bottle of bubbly. Sometimes it's sparkling wine or prosecco, but we almost always say champagne. By now, you probably know it's not champagne unless it comes from the champagne region in France. If you love a good glass of bubbles, you're not alone. 

If you want to travel to Champagne, know that the exchange rate is very favorable for Americans heading to France. That means you can save money getting and staying there and then splurge a bit on a tour. 

There are 5 zones in the region and you can hit one or all of them in a trip. If you want to only focus on non-vintage champagne where you won't find most of the tourists, check out the Aube or the Côte de Sézanne zones. If you want to do more than just drink champagne, head to the more touristy parts of the region: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs. The smaller, boutique producers generally do everything on-site, so you can learn about their bottles from start to finish. Here's a little more about where to go and when from Conde Nast. And if you are going to Reims, here are some awesome things to do there.

You can even learn a little more about champagne before you get there. In fact, Fodor's has 10 fun facts for you.

The idea of champagne and the actual bottles first came from Britain, even though we all think it was France. It wasn't until Britain had discovered the predecessor to champagne, sparkling wine, and how to make the bottles much stronger in order to keep them from exploding under the immense pressure created, that the Champagne region learned how to replicate the bubbly drink in their own way.  

Imagine having the chance to try champagne that is almost 120 years old! That's what some lucky souls are going to get to do, now that the bottles have been rescued from a collapsed cellar in the Northern France city of Épernay. Hopefully, they're still drinkable. 

Pair your champagne vacation with a tour of your favorite foods by taking a French journey to explore the country and the origins of those foods like brie and Roquefort cheese. 

If prosecco is more your speed, or you'd rather spend your time in Italy than France (decisions, decisions), the prosecco region is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. AFAR is here to tell you the best vineyards to check out, as well as where to stay and eat. 

There's also the essential guide that can tell you how to get there and around affordably. Also, where to go for the kind of prosecco you like, the benefits of hiring a driver, and other things to do in the region. 

If you want to add on a unique experience and tour, and don't need everything on your trip to be bubble-filled, check out these vineyard tours of the Bordeaux region by way of a British black cab. Wine-Cab sounds so cool to me, and I've not had the opportunity to try them out yet, but we also aren't big drinkers. The rates are pretty reasonable for half-day trips, and it's nice to not have to drive yourself (you have a built-in designated driver) and find your way around or have to navigate public transportation. It's a luxurious little way to experience the region, which gives a bit more of a romantic vibe. 

I hope this helps you plan a wonderful couple's getaway with some of your favorite beverages, while also creating fantastic memories. Tell me some of your top bubbly drinks in the comments.

Your Next Romantic Getaway

Are you ready for Valentine's Day and beyond? We don't celebrate the day, because everything is so expensive, and we try really hard to do special things all year. If a romantic getaway sounds like something you want to jump on, I'll be bringing you several posts just in time for Valentine's Day.

Some places are just more romantic than others, so if you're looking to go to one of those destinations in the U.S., Fodor's has a list of 15 small towns to check out, from the surprising Eureka Springs, Arkansas to Carmel-By-The-Sea, California.

If you're willing to go further away, there are infinite possibilities. Winni Wanderer has 11 romantic destinations both domestic and abroad, from Paris to Charleston, SC. 

Wherever we go, we try to visit botanical gardens and parks. They are always chill and beautiful and offer a ton of gorgeous photo ops, whether you want to take butterfly pics or charming couple's snaps among the blooms. They can be tiny or tons of acreage, full of flowers or cactus or herbs. Every one is so different and I love it. Afar has pulled together the 15 most beautiful to visit, though I will argue that they're all beautiful in their own way. I enjoyed Longwood Gardens more than any other, but I loved Kew Gardens as much as I loved the Botanical Building in San Diego's Balboa Park.

If the world is too far for you or you're just looking to road trip for some blooms, then Thrillist has pulled the best from the U.S. and I'm absolutely dying to visit Atlanta's with the living Mother Nature. I'd also throw in Japanese and Chinese gardens to your list of musts, because they offer a completely different vibe with lovely little nooks to discover around every corner. 

Paris is known as the City of Love (and lights), and when you visit, there's no question as to why. The buildings are beautiful, the history, the language, the river, the food. I had the best time exploring other parts of the city then I had before. One thing I missed out on seeing was the I Love You wall. If you want to see it, and take a bunch romantic photos in front of it, while absorbing the love radiating from this art piece.

Valentine's Day isn't just an American thing. In fact, there are different traditions in different countries, which can be really cool and romantic in other ways. Here are 11 of the most unique.

Buy some Valentine's travel gear

Getting ready to jetseet now? While a trip is the ultimate gift, maybe you'd like to extend the gift to useful physical things. Here are some "love"ly ideas for your travel bag:

Columbia makes some great pieces, but right now these are two of my favorites. The Holly Hideaway Flannel Shirt for women and the Rapid Rivers Shirt. 

Good walking shoes for your adventures are a must. These bright kicks from Skechers are nice looking and comfy on top of that. Check out the Uno-Stand On Air and the Uno Senior Deloney. Both come in red and other awesome colors.

A non-black hardside carry-on is the perfect travel companion. You will always know which bag is yours and you can't overpack. I'm really digging this violet set from Luggex and this Amazon Basics carry-on with Barbie vibes. Both come in other, less feminine colors if you prefer. 

I always carry a power bank with me to charge my phone while I'm out and about. Between social media, navigation, making reservations, taking tons of pictures, I really need a boost to my phone battery mid-day. This one has enough to charge two phones more than once, and fairly quickly.

Planning a picnic in the park or just having a romantic drinky drink in your hotel room? Bring your own non-breakable wine glasses. I love a good silicone cup, because they feel good in your hand and can squish down in your bag, but I am also a fan of multipurpose items, so these hot/cold tumblers can be used to keep wine cold or coffee hot. I like that they come with their own straws, too. And if you find yourself on a wine tasting, and bringing home bottles, here are some protective wine bags for your checked bag, and a wine tote bag for bringing back if you're doing a road trip.

Stay tuned for our Destination Date Night for Valentine's Day, because you don't have to spend a ton of money to go out to a fancy dinner or travel halfway around the world if it's not in your budget. I'll be sharing some tips, ideas, and recipes in time for you to plan your own, if that's more your speed or you're saving up for a big trip later in the year.

Tell me your most romantic getaway in the comments

You Have Questions, I Have Answers!

I'm coming at you mid-posts to ask you for your struggles. I want to help you all more in 2024 and to do that, I need to know where you're falling short on your travels or what could just help you more.  

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I'll be addressing these via blog posts and newsletters, and short ones may get put into compilation posts and Facebook posts. No matter what you have questions on or need a little bit of help to do better, let me know: 

• Need help learning to plan better?
• Need ideas for budget destinations?
• Still can't pack light?
• Not sure how to budget for a trip?
• Need an audio version of the blog?
• Want video tutorials?

Add your struggles in the comments here, over on the Facebook post, or send me a short email (hit that little envelope up top to do that).