Taking a trip is a time-honored way to celebrate the milestones of your relationship. If you’re planning a vacation with your special someone, consider designing your trip around a romantic theme.
Wedding Vow Renewal
Wedding vow renewal makes a wonderful romantic travel theme. You can invite family and friends to attend or make it a private event. Cruises and couples tours are also popular with travelers looking for ways to celebrate.
Many cruise lines offer wedding vow renewal packages. If you’re renewing your vows at sea, a ship’s officer or member of the ship’s staff presides at your vow renewal ceremony, depending on your cruise line and vow renewal package. Some cruise lines also offer vow renewal ceremonies during port calls. You will need to book and plan your ceremony prior to your departure date. Expect to pay a surcharge, typically $100, if you book a vow renewal ceremony during May, June, September or October.
If money’s no object, you can renew your vows at a luxury resort – even at Disney World – and treat your family and friends to a reception afterward. You’ll need to plan this type of celebration at least one year in advance, just as you would a wedding. Don’t forget to include a second honeymoon in your plans.
Trip Suggestions:Island Getaway
There’s something truly romantic about islands. Perhaps it’s the glorious sunsets or the inviting beaches. Maybe it’s the music that floats toward you on soft, warm breezes. Whatever the magic, islands are ideal romantic destinations.
If you live near the North American coast, you can drive or take a ferry to a nearby island. Residents of the Mid-Atlantic states might want to consider Maryland’s Smith Island or the barrier islands of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The Florida Keys, California’s Catalina Island and Mackinac Island in Michigan are perfect for weekend getways or second honeymoons.
Residents of the heartland may need to plan their island vacation a little farther in advance. Fortunately, you can fly or drive to Miami, Maine or Seattle and be within shouting distance of a romantic island in a matter of hours.
Looking for something a little more exotic? Consider a Caribbean island getaway. You don’t have to travel by cruise ship to enjoy St. Thomas, St. Maarten or Jamaica. Several airlines fly to the larger Caribbean islands, and you can connect to smaller islands by commuter flight or ferry. Wherever you stay, it’s easy to rent a car and explore “your” island. Choose a quiet resort, such as the Grand Case Beach Club on Saint Martin, and enjoy the French West Indies’ famous beaches and water sports.
For many travelers, Hawaii represents the ultimate in island romance. While airfare to the Islands is expensive, you won’t have to deal with exchange rates or language barriers. You can enjoy cultural experiences from around the Pacific without leaving the U.S. Stunning sunsets, black sand beaches and the islands’ unique ukulele and slack-key guitar music add to the romance.
Trip Suggestions:- Michigan’s Mackinac Island
- St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Upscale luxury at the Four Seasons Resort, Maui at Wailea, Hawaii
Romantic Inn / Bed and Breakfast
If you’re looking for a romantic inn or bed and breakfast, you don’t need to travel far from home. It’s easy to find information about bed and breakfast inns online or in guidebooks. Karen Brown publishes three different guidebook series: Hotels, Bed &Breakfast and Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries, which cover Europe, Mexico and select U.S. regions. In her books, she recommends romantic hotels and bed and breakfast inns in cities, villages and countryside locations.
You can also find romantic inns online, using websites such as BnBFinder,Bed and Breakfast Inns Online and BedandBreakfast.com. Reading online user reviews is a good way to find out more about inns you’d like to visit. Be sure to check the inn’s smoking, pet and child policies if you prefer tranquility and smoke-free air.
Overseas, romantic inns may go by other names. Italy’s agriturismi and Spain’s paradores make wonderful romantic retreats. You can enjoy a Spanish spa experience or explore Tuscany, then relax on a terrace and watch a sunset. Look for inns and guesthouses offering activities that interest you, such as wine tasting or hiking.
Trip Suggestions:- Gatlinburg, Tennessee’s Buckhorn Inn
- S. A. Prüm’s Winery Guesthouse in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Germany
- Marqués de Riscal Hotel, Elciego (Alava), Rioja wine region, Spain
