SPOIL your loved one with a Valentine break – but don’t go on February 14 when the price of most romantic holidays is hiked.
Save money and book a night or a few days away to be taken later.
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You could head out on a romantic boat trip, visit the original love island, follow in the footsteps of movie star couples or say it with flowers by exploring the stunning Garden of Roses in Florence.
Trisha Harbord finds love is still in the air everywhere, long after the big day of hearts and blooms.
Med for romance
FLY to Cyprus where Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, was born.
Couples are guaranteed to fall for the luxurious Ivi Mare Hotel on the seafront of Kato in Paphos.
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The 5H venue has a pool overlooking the shimmering blue Mediterranean, as well as a spa and a range of restaurants and bars.
Four nights’ half-board, including flights from Gatwick on February 27, costs from £389pp.
Or, if you prefer later, March 13 is from £410.
See theivimare.com and, to book, tui.co.uk.
Novel treat
AUTHOR Daphne du Maurier knows all about steamy love affairs.
Impress your sweetheart with a visit to Cornwall’s Frenchman’s Creek – the title of Daphne’s romantic novel.
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Wander through Kestle Barton, South Helford, to reach the creek, where you can spot wildlife including seals and dolphins.
From April 1, you can kayak to it on the Helford river.
The 4H Budock Vean Hotel has a pool, hot tub, health spa, tennis and golf course. Dogs are welcome too.
Two nights’ B&B for two from late February, including unlimited use of the leisure facilities, costs from £320.
Four-course dinner from £31 per person.
See budockvean.co.uk.
Taylor-made for two
WHEN film icons Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor wanted to escape the limelight, they snuck away to the Bear Hotel in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
Visit the nearby Blenheim Palace, where Winston Churchill was born, before returning for a candle-lit dinner for two – Burton and Taylor style.
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The Valentine package, available until February 22, includes B&B for two, a three-course dinner and glass of bubbly each, all for £239.
Or £339 for a super deluxe suite.
See macdonaldhotels.co.uk/bear.
Island of dreams
FANS of Love Island should hop over to Jersey – the original island of love.
It was named so because thousands of newlyweds celebrated their honeymoons there in the 1950s.
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The 45-square-mile island is just as romantic, especially if you stay in seafront hotel The Moorings.
Enjoy lunch at Bohemia in St Helier, Jersey’s only Michelin-star restaurant, and stargaze from the ruins of remote Grosnez Castle.
Room-only at The Moorings costs from £203.
See mrandmrssmith.com.
Return ferry from Poole or Portsmouth for two people and a car costs from £150.
See condorferries.com and jersey.com/holidays.
Catch a love boat
PARIS is one of the most popular locations to propose or go on honeymoon.
Take a return voyage on your love boat, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas, from Southampton to Le Havre.
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Visit the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral or the Louvre Pyramid and the Wall of Love – an artwork of 311 proclamations of love in more than 250 languages in Montmartre.
On board, there’s lots to do with the spa, casino, live entertainment, restaurants and cocktail bars.
Two nights’ full-board in a balcony cabin, departing on May 12, costs from £486pp.
For details see royalcaribbean.com.
Food for thought
GINO D’Acampo believes food is the key to romance on his TV reality show, Cooking Up Love.
See if he is right by taking your Valentine to one of his restaurants on a stay and dine package.
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Gino’s Italian fare is served at three INNSiDE by Melia hotels – on Newcastle Quayside, Liverpool’s Old Hall Street and Manchester’s First Street.
The package, available Sundays until end of February, costs £175 per couple and includes B&B, a bottle of wine and £75 to spend on food and drink.
See melia.com.
Ideal spa-rtner
SLIP away to the New Forest for a spa break aptly called Feel The Love at Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa before the end of March.
The package includes B&B, dinner and a couple’s massage in the award-wining Thai spa, plus use of the four-star hotel’s pool, Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.
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Eat British, Thai or French food in one of the restaurants and, the next morning , tuck into a continental breakfast in bed.
The Valentine package costs from £586.
See careysmanor.com.
Turn the glamp on
MONEY can’t buy you love, so cut costs by packing food, buying rose petals and a bottle of bubbly for away-from-it-all glamping.
The Wee Lodge on Loch Morar in the Scottish Highlands is cosy inside, with a double bed, sofa, shower room and kitchen.
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From £90 a night (three-night min).
Wuthering Heights Inn is a shepherd’s hut near Haworth, the setting for Emily Bronte’s famous love story, in West Yorkshire.
There’s no water or electricity on the field but don’t worry, facilities are at the nearby pub! From £65 (two-night min).
See pitchup.com.
Stage a surprise
WIN brownie points for booking a coach trip with tickets to see the West End show Aspects of Love.
Michael Ball is returning to the musical to play George after appearing as the youthful Alex Dillingham when it premiered in 1989.
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“It holds a special place in my heart”, said Michael, who will sing Love Changes Everything in the Lyric Theatre’s reworked production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical.
The two-day break includes coach travel with various pick-up points, B&B at a three or four-star London hotel and show tickets.
Available from June to November from £159pp.
See omegabreaks.com.
Florentine fling
FORGET a bunch of flowers, whip your Valentine off to the Garden of Roses in Florence – one of the world’s most beautiful and romantic cities.
See it in style by a horse-drawn carriage for two from Piazza del Duomo or Piazza della Signoria
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Highlights are the Gothic cathedral with its 300ft dome and medieval stone Ponte Vecchio bridge.
The 4H Grand Hotel Cavour, a 13th century mansion where poet Dante fell in love, has a roof terrace overlooking the city.
Three nights’ B&B, including Gatwick flights on March 3 and a £34 donation to charity, costs from £339pp.
To book, go to offers.charitable.travel.
