A romantic weekend away might sound like a luxury few of us can afford, but head a little off the beaten track and you’ll find surprisingly affordable getaways.
Cities all over the world have hotel rooms that cost less than a dinner in Paris, with the same cosy wine bars and vibey restaurants you’d expect in the City of Love. And with Valentine’s Day on the horizon, there’s no better time to book a romantic getaway.
Metro‘s travel experts have got you covered with our picks of the best destinations for an intimate escape, based on the cost of food, drinks and accommodation, as well as activities for couples who want to spend quality time together.
From hot air balloons in central Turkey to hammams in Morocco and wine tasting in Slovenia, these are the places to celebrate love.
Vilnius, Lithuania
Baroque architecture, cosy cocktail bars and cobbled streets are the cornerstones of a romantic city, and Vilnius has them all.
Best of all, despite its wealth of culture, a trip to Lithuania’s pocket-sized capital won’t break the bank. It was recently crowned Europe’s most affordable city in a survey by Post Office Travel Money.
Last year, the cost of a city break in Vilnius (including an evening meal for two and two nights in three-star accommodation) was estimated to be just £236.51.
This means splashing out on luxury offerings in this charming city is still accessible for those on a budget.
In 2024, Lithuania got its first Michelin guide, with four Vilnius restaurants bagging a coveted star. One of them was Dziaugsmas, an industrial-style dining room that specialises in local delicacies.
Metro‘s Travel Growth editor Alice Murphy tried the €67 (£57) tasting menu in November, and raved about the black pudding doughnuts and bone marrow. She also dined at 14 Horses, a Bib Gourmand farm-to-table restaurant that serves lamb dumplings, grilled eel on sourdough and potato pancakes with sweetbread (four courses for €55 per person).
Both come approved by Metro HQ, but if we had to pick, we’d recommend moodily lit Dziaugsmas for a romantic meal.
After dinner, head to La Boheme, a cosy underground wine bar in the vaults of a monastery. Bottles of local wine start at €28 (roughly £23), with an eclectic selection including raspberry and rhubarb blends.
A real treat is Bokšto Spa, a sleek retreat in a restored cellar beneath the old town. Three saunas, a jacuzzi, a 25-metre swimming pool and a silent room with marble water features are just some of the restorative options on offer. At €80 (£67) for three hours, it’s not cheap. But compared to similar day spas in London that cost almost double for half the time, Vilnius is a veritable bargain.
When it comes to where to stay, it’s hard to look past Hotel Pacai for something speical. Minutes from the city’s finest restaurants, boutiques and landmarks, each of the 104 rooms boast marble bathrooms and plush robes to lounge around in. Double rooms with a remarkably good breakfast start from £162 per night.
But there’s plenty of more affordable accommodation on offer too. The Comfort Hotel LT – Rock ‘n’ Roll is TripAdvisor’s top-rated hotel for value, with rooms from £57 per night.
Marrakech, Morocco
Culture-loving couples will fall head over heels for Marrakech, Morocco’s ‘Red City’ of winding souks, opulent palaces and street-side cafes.
The bustling medina is full of stalls selling colourful ceramics, woven rugs and chunky Berber jewellery. At its heart is Jemaa el-Fnaa, a marketplace square that’s one of the main tourist attractions in the city.
Wander the mazelike medina to find Bahia Palace, a sprawling complex of vibrant mosaics and intricate wood ceilings, and Medersa Ben Youssef. Founded in the 14th century, the Islamic school was once the largest in North Africa and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
After immersing yourself in Maghrebi culture, there’s nowhere more intimate to unwind than in one of Marrakech’s many hammams, where trickling water and glossy marble contrast with the colour and chaos of the souk.
Metro recommended Hammam Rosa Bonheur as one of the world’s top spots for therma tourism, after Alice Murphy visited and raved about the combined scrub, massage and bathing package (from £30 per person).
To add further to the authentic Moroccan experience, stay in a riad — a traditional house built around an interior garden courtyard.
Riad Noir d’Ivoire is one of the city’s top-rated traditional hotels, and includes suites with private roof terraces, jacuzzis and luxurious bathtubs.
Best of all, it won’t break the bank. The honeymoon suite starts from £104 per night and comes highly recommended by Metro‘s Senior Foreign News reporter, Gergana Krasteva.
How to spend 72 hours in Marrakech
Metro‘s Gergana Krasteva recently spent three days in Marrakech investigating the sober tourism trend. She writes:
‘Morocco is not known for its champagne lifestyle; it’s a Muslim country where alcohol is permitted only under strict regulation in licensed bars and hotels. But this is a place that doesn’t need booze to be interesting.
Opulent palaces, ancient architecture and atmospheric souks with aromatic cuisine are all making the city known as the ‘Jewel of the South’ an increasingly popular choice for sober travellers.’
For those who want more than a cheap weekend break, Marrakech is also one of the cheapest all-inclusive destinations for winter sun. Travel Supermarket estimates the average price for a week’s holiday at £479 per person in the winter months.
Those heading to the Red City for a Valentine’s getaway can expect highs of around 21°C, perfect for a romantic escape from the gloomy UK winter.
For a seaside alternative, Essaouira and Tagazhout, on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, boast beaches with world-class surfing and a laid-back atmosphere.
February is an exciting month to visit Tagazhout, when the world’s best surfers tackle Anchor Point, known in the surfing community as Morocco’s most beloved wave.
Piran, Slovenia
Slovenia has seen a steady increase in tourism in recent years, and the lion’s share of visitors head to Ljubljana, the country’s leafy capital.
But Piran, a coastal town that sits at the top of a narrow peninsula just a ferry ride away from Venice, is often overlooked.
Boasting a Venetian-Gothic Old Town — one of the best preserved historical towns in the Mediterranean — it’s a maze of narrow cobblestone streets where couples can enjoy a romantic dinner at one of the many seafood restaurants.
Restaurant Neptun is the highest-rated eatery in the town, known for its fish soup and fresh prawns.
Main courses start from €18 (£15), while a seafood platter for two people is priced at €47 (£39). Pair your food with a glass of Slovenian sparkling wine, which is matured for two years 18 metres deep in the sea of Piran Bay.
For a spot of wine tasting, the Vipava Valley is a lesser-known ‘wine-obsessed’ region likened to Tuscany, just an hour’s drive from Piran.
Wine specialists Winestronaut and Wine Train both offer wine-tasting tours in the region for €79 (£66) per person.
Hotel Piran is the top-rated establishment in the town, offering sea views, a spa and a unique combination of Slovenian and Mediterranean flavours in the restaurant, with prices starting at around £100 per night.
MEMENTO B&B Piran is another popular place to stay, with four-stars and prices from £79 per night for a standard double room.
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Steeped in a blended history marked by Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian rule, Mostar is a complex place built on a laidback Mediterranean lifestyle.
You’ll struggle to find a place as unique as this fascinating but compact Bosnian city, famed for ancient relics like Stari Most (the old bridge) and the towering minaret of Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque.
Jumping off the stone arc of Stari Most into jewel-hued water is a tradition that has taken place in Mostar for centuries, and it’s an activity tourists can join in on too — though you’re unlikely to see anyone leaping in the winter months.
The banks of the famously emerald green Neretva River are dotted with mill house restaurants, serving traditional dishes such as cevapi (minced meat kebabs), somun (Bosnian flatbread) and ajvar (roasted red pepper sauce) in an intimate setting.
All this and more can be found on the menu at Sadrvan, one of the city’s best restaurants, where main courses start from the equivalent of just £4.30. Cafe de Alma is the number one spot for coffee, and its welcoming staff will explain how to make and drink traditional Bosnian coffee.
Hotels and restaurants are much cheaper in Mostar than in neighbouring Croatia, and attract less of the crowds that swamp resorts in Dubrovnik and Split.
Hotel-Restaurant Kriva Cuprija is the top-rated place to stay in Mostar on Trip Advisor, set in a heritage-listed limestone house, and standard double rooms are available for £70 per night. Metro‘s Alice Murphy stayed here in 2017 and said it was the best place she stayed in Bosnia.
Meanwhile, Villa Cardak, another popular hotel in the heart of the Old Town, has double rooms from £42 per night.
Palma, Mallorca
You might associate this Balearic city with sunbathing on the beach, but Palma can make for a romantic getaway during the cooler months too.
Cafe-lined pavements, high-end boutiques and Art Nouveau architecture all make this colourful city feel like ‘Paris-by-the-sea’, according to Metro’s travel guru, Amanda Cable. What could be more romantic than a destination dupe for the French capital, without the sky-high prices?
Tucked down narrow alleyways are secluded eateries serving up a smorgasbord of local fish and wine. One of the top-rated spots is Tapas bar La Botana, raved about on Trip Advisor for its large portions, reasonable prices and friendly atmosphere.
Pinchos (small bar snacks) start from €2.95 (£2.50), tapas from €6.50 (£5.50), and glasses of wine from €3.50 (£3).
Metro’s Head of Growth Martina Andretta spent time in Palma last year and recommended drinking vermouth in La Rosa Vermuteria, followed by La Bodeguilla for dinner.
But there’s more to Palma than a buzzy food and drink scene.
The ancient city blends Moorish buildings with baroque churches, and an imposing Gothic cathedral at the centre of it all.
Immerse yourself in the city’s history with a stroll through the Old Town, stopping to admire art nouveau facades outside bakeries such as Forn des Teatre and Fornet de la Soca.
Drink in the views from Castell de Bellver, a 14th-century structure perched on a hilltop 3km to the west of Palma city centre, or ride the antique wooden train to the historic town of Port de Sóller.
Located on the north side of the island, the journey passes over viaducts and bridges, through 13 tunnels, and across some of Mallorca’s finest scenery.
Expect highs of around 15°C in February, perfect for a balmy hand-in-hand stroll along the city’s palm tree-lined promenade.
For a romantic stay, the five-star beachfront Iberostar Selection Playa de Palma is a standout, with swimming pools, restaurants and a spa — plus double rooms from £139 per night.
For a cheaper option, INNSiDE by Meliá Palma Center has double rooms from £89 per night.
Riga, Latvia
The fairytale city of Riga was ranked as one of Europe’s best value city breaks in 2024 by the Post Office’s City Costs Barometer, with a weekend trip (including an evening meal for two and two nights in three-star accommodation) calculated at £297.20.
But Latvia’s capital has more to offer than extraordinarily cheap prices.
Walking through the streets of this Baltic city feels like stepping back in time, with medieval buildings on every corner and glamorous architecture Paris could only dream of in between.
TikTok travellers call it one of ‘Europe’s best-kept secrets,’ thanks to its UNESCO-listed centre (home to more Art Nouveau buildings than any other European city) and charming wooden houses.
Meanwhile, the city’s flourishing culinary scene boasts plenty of romantic restaurants and kooky bars to while away the hours.
Metro‘s Property reporter Eleanor Noyce spent a weekend in Riga last year and said you won’t want to miss Black Garlic, a restaurant that serves traditional Latvian food with a twist. Eleanor recommends the potato pancakes – ‘like a flat hash brown with extra crisp’ – and fresh smoked salmon on the side.
Another good choice is Milda, a Bib Gourmand restaurant that serves traditional Baltic cuisine in an unassuming setting. Handmade dumplings, rye bread pudding and hearty main courses all come in under €35 (£29).
Temperatures will be low in February, with highs of just 1°C, so make sure to wrap up warm and embrace the cold.
But there’s no need to worry about finding a cosy place to stay — luxury hotels in Riga cost a fraction of the price you’ll pay in western Europe.
The five-star Grand Poet Hotel has double rooms from £127 a night (spa access included), while the Grand Palace Hotel, another top-rated property, has superior doubles with sauna access from £120.
Cappadocia, Turkey
Cappadocia is famous for its otherworldly landscape of tall, cone-shaped rock formations known as ‘fairy chimneys’ and rock-cut churches left behind by ancient civilisations.
The region’s biggest draw, however, is the chance to see the breathtaking scenery from a hot air balloon — new heights of romance, you might say.
Balloon rides can last anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours, with tour companies Get Your Guide and Viator offering experiences from around £50.
If vertigo gets the better of you, keep your feet on solid ground and watch the spectacular display from Göreme’s Sunrise Point, which captures a panoramic view of the vast valley and rugged terrain.
Most balloon flights take place early in the morning, meaning you can watch the colourful display as the sun rises. Swoon.
Turkey is a relatively cheap country to explore, and the central region of Cappadocia is no different, as long as you do your research before you go.
According to Lonely Planet, a two-course meal in a restaurant for two will set you back around ₺1100 (£25), a glass of wine ₺150 (£3.40) and a hotel room for two ₺2000 (£45).
Drink the local wine (Cappadocia has a well-established wine industry) to avoid paying a premium for imported varieties, and head out of the main streets to find more affordable places to eat.
Pide salons are a great choice for lunch, these filled flatbreads will keep you full and only cost around ₺200 (£4.50).
For a unique place to stay, experience a night in a cave hotel. Euphoria Cave House offers a double room with breakfast included from £55.
Metro‘s Acting Lifestyle Editor Kristina Beanland is jetting off to Cappadocia later this week, so stay tuned for her review of the Argos hotel at the end of February.
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