Paris the Most Romantic City for Valentines
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As some of us put ‘dry-January’ behind us, here comes February with it’s usual mix of longer days, lazy Six Nations rugby afternoons, snow drops popping up in the garden and Valentines day.
We recently ran a small quiz/survey on our twitter feed asking our many followers which French city was the most romantic place to spend their Valentine. Naturally, we have a long list of contenders but due to number of choices being limited to just four we had to limit ourselves and rework our list.
The four cities we picked are…; first Annecy in the Alps with its fabulous lake, lovers bridge and intimate restaurants, but sadly it receive nil points or the wooden spoon which is always handy for a traditional raclette by the fireplace…
Then we chose Nice in the south and its amazing colors and vibe, for us it’s the perfect spot on the French riviera for a romantic al-fresco dinner followed by a stroll along the promenade and the seafront … Nice received the silver medal with 18.2% of the votes.
The 3rd choice is la Ville Rose (the pink city) or Toulouse, in the heart of south west France. This vibrant city is extremely rich in history with a some dramatic stories, amazing heritage and varied lifestyle, on the bank on the Garonne river with the Pyrenees mountain range as a backdrop. Toulouse got bronze with 9.1%.
Our last choice is Paris, the gold medallist and clear winner with 72.7% of the votes, however Lyon seems to be more and more popular these days. Paris in our view IS the most romantic capital city in the world, period. But where do you start, there are so many places to choose from and you’d be forgiven for saying the Eiffel Tower or Montmartre!
Why not start in the buzzing St Michel quarter and head for the river Seine, passing near Notre Dame and those amazing quirky book stores scattered along the banks. A little scare in the catacombs could provide an interesting twist before heading to the roof of the futuristic Pompidou center not too far away or les Halles just around the corner, I used to work here.
There are many gardens and parks in Paris, as well as hundreds of delightful cafés and restaurants on every corner, well almost… When I lived there one of the cool places to go with a friend was the Pere Lachaise graveyard, full of famous dead people, and final resting place of Jim Morrison from the Doors, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Chopin and many more…
We suggest you head west towards the Champs Elysées and the Etoile, rather than north, unless you want to treat your date to a fun thrilled experience at the Moulin Rouge, ouh la la la la … And if you went there for a long weekend, its’ worth checking the flea markets at Saint Ouen and Cligancourt, I used to work here too!
Make sure you research and buy the appropriate guides, Paris is a large thriving city and it can take a lot of energy to get around. And given the recent (and ongoing) transport strikes, you may want to re-schedule your trip or find a hotel in a strategic area where you can walk and cycle from easily.
In particular try to avoid taxis and try to work out the tube (Le Métro Parisien) system before you go. And check out the RER lines, they’re super fast metro lines that can really help get from one side of the city to the other very easily, cheaply and cleanly!
And if you are going to Paris for a special romantic moment, why not check the tour we’ve put together, following the footsteps of Emily in Paris.
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