Best Ideas for a Romantic Winter Vacation

10.12.2019

Feeling adventurous? Why not leave the traditional Christmas dinner for your parents and spend the holidays somewhere else? Winter is a perfect time for a change of scenery. Pack the bags, grab your special someone, and say goodbye to monotonous chores, annoying coworkers, and daily routine. No troubles, no worries, just you and your loved one, enjoying the warmth of the tropical sun or a cozy fireplace in a mountain resort. The choice of romantic winter trips today is mind-blowing.

Funny thing is, the variety of destinations sometimes scares potential travelers off before they even start making up a plan of their getaway. And there’s a lot more to do besides picking a place for an upcoming vacation. You need to figure out what clothes and medications to take with you, plan the budget, and prepare the papers. To make the task a bit easier for you, we’ll share some of the winter vacation ideas and tips that’ll come in handy along the way.

What should be the perfect romantic getaway in winter?

The whole point of a romantic getaway is to shake your feelings up and bring something new to the relationship. How you’re going to do that is up to you. Every couple pictures a perfect vacation differently: some make the most of the Christmas/New Year atmosphere when the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, others can’t stand the cold and pick a destination closer to the equator. What would you prefer: a classic winter tale with a chance to catch a cold or a sunny beach full of lonely women seeking men and half-naked grannies? Each option has its pros and cons.

But no matter which one you choose, there’s always room for improvement. The more diverse your getaway is, the brighter your emotions will be. Never stay in one place and try to spice up your activities. Travelling gives you the opportunity to learn and discover. Check out the sights near you, taste local delicacies, take pictures together, and so on. And should we say that romantic getaways and quarrels don’t mix well? Small mishaps aren’t worth fighting – keep that in mind, and you won’t have to end the trip early.

Bottom line, each of us has our own idea of where to spend a romantic vacation, but most would agree that a memorable trip must be active and with a fair share of diversity. Ideally, you should cut your getaway into two parts – cold and warm. If the budget allows, spend a few days in the Christmas atmosphere, skiing and playing snowballs, then hop on a plane have the rest of the vacation partying on the beach. There are hundreds of cheap romantic winter vacations, so it won’t be a problem to make one affordable trip out of two different offers.

How to prepare for a winter vacation?

To make your winter getaway experience enjoyable, you need to take care of important details. The good news is, you won’t have to spend hours in the gym to shape up, although a few visits won’t hurt, as you’ll probably have to walk a lot. Typically, there are six main things to consider: budget, wardrobe, accessories, medications, documents, and company. But since you already have someone to travel with, we’ll leave the last point of the plan to loners and online daters looking where to meet real women. Let’s start with the basics.

Plan your budget

By the time you get to the planning stage, you should already know where you’re heading to. When making up the budget, consider the following aspects:

Transportation. This includes the cost of tickets, transfer, and any travel expenses on the spot. It’s always better to purchase/book tickets in advance. The sooner you do that, the cheaper they’ll cost.

• Housing. The cost of a hotel room or apartment. This is an essential part of the overall trip budget.
• Food. If you’re not gastro tourists, food costs won’t exceed 20% of the budget.
• Entertainment. That’s what the trip is actually for. The more you allocate for entertainment, the brighter your vacation will be.

Prepare documents

If you’re planning a trip abroad, check if your passports are valid and get/extend your visas in advance if necessary. This way, you’ll protect yourself from unwanted problems and worries. In case there’s no time left to put the papers in order, there are great romantic winter destinations in Europe you don’t need a visa for, so the vacation can be saved. Keep the photos of passports, insurance information, return tickets, a tour voucher, and the contacts you might need on your phone. Duplicate the info in paper in case you lose the phone.

Selection of clothes is a decisive factor

Plan your outfits according to the destination. Why carry a ton of clothes with you when you can find the items you need at the spot? If you’re going to spend the vacation in a snowy place, take a winter jacket, a few pairs of pants, winter shoes, and sweaters – basically, the clothes you wear every day, plus something formal. You can buy the rest upon arrival. Take the bare minimum of convenient and functional pieces and don’t get hung up on what to wear. Going on a summer-like vacation? Take shorts and T-shirts instead of pants and sweaters and don’t forget the swimsuits and swimming trunks. Keep the weight limit in mind.

Prepare the necessary medications in advance (creams, pills, etc.)

Naturally, you don’t have to take all the medicines stored at home with you. Pick the essentials – these are the remedies for headaches, indigestion, and allergies. Besides, it’s hard to imagine romantic snow vacations without nasal spray and something against common cold. Stock up on band-aid and sunscreen if you plan to spend the vacation lying in the sun. If you’re taking any medications at the moment, bring along the required amount or even extra. The importation of potent drugs requires special documents (check with the consulate of the country of destination).

Check the necessary equipment and accessories

It’s the last stop before closing the bag. Make sure you take all the devices you need and put the cables and chargers in a separate compartment, preferably surrounded by clothes so that they don’t crash during transportation. Take a spare memory card for the camera in case you end up in a place with no Wi-Fi and any access to the cloud.

Escape from winter or go to the epicenter?

It’s the trickiest question when it comes to planning a winter trip. On the one hand, winter brings Christmas vibes, reviving the cherished childhood memories, and not much can beat this magical feeling. On the other, a tropical romantic getaway is more exotic, especially for those who live in a colder climate. What options are usually available in winter, anyway? The main ones are the beach and mountain resorts. Most travelers choose between swimming and sunbathing and conquering snowy peaks and enjoying active winter sports. Each option comes with a variety of advantages and downfalls.

The pros of beach resorts are obvious: a chance to feel the sea breeze, plunge into the gentle warm ocean in the middle of winter, and get a huge dose of positive emotions. As for the cons, expect the lack of direct flights, acclimatization, damage to the immune system, and jet lag – things your doctor wouldn’t recommend. If you decide to spend the vacation on the beach, it’s better to plan a long trip, as your body will have time to adapt to new conditions, and the likelihood of getting something better than a heatstroke from the vacation gets higher.

Going on romantic winter vacation for couples where snow never melts, you escape from the dank gray winter and delve into the atmosphere of the bright sun that sparkles on crystal-white snow. This is what you think of when picturing a winter getaway with your loved one. Vacations like this are comfortable for the body, as there’s no stress from climate and time zone changes. Besides, you probably won’t have to travel too far. A mountain getaway means active sports, stress relief, and vivid emotions. There are almost no disadvantages, except for potential visa troubles in some countries.

Romantic winter vacation ideas

Knurled tracks at ski resorts, tropical Asian sun, European cultural hubs - every year, winter getaway ideas are becoming more and more predictable. Let’s try to pick something less banal and more unusual. From the hot Thai sun to the most romantic winter vacations in the USA, choose the idea to your liking and turn it into the main theme of your vacation or make it part of your vacation to-do list.

A night in the Icehotel

Few people go on a trip to spend it in a hotel, but there are exceptions. If you want to find yourself in a winter fairy tale, stop by Icehotel – the world's first hotel made of ice – in a Swedish village with a catchy name Jukkasjärvi, 124 miles beyond the Arctic Circle. It was conceived as an exhibition but then turned into a hotel where even beds and decorations are made of ice. Alas, the hotel is short-lived – it melts in spring. Until 2016, when it became Icehotel 365 with main buildings working all year round, the whole complex had to be rebuilt every year. There are rooms to everyone’s taste: nine suites with sauna and eleven art apartments with ice sculptures.

Ice skating through the Amsterdam canals

Holland is one of the best romantic winter vacations for couples. Because of the beautiful canals surrounding the Old Town, Amsterdam is often called Northern Venice. In winter, when the thermometer’s column drops below zero, boats that cut through the city canals give way to the lovers of ice-skating. Locals and tourists take to the streets and glide on smooth ice – this is a convenient way to see the city and have a lot of fun. Severe temperatures are rare in Amsterdam. Usually, you can ride along the canals for just a couple of weeks. So if you can leave a trace of your skates on the ice surface of Prinsengracht, consider yourself lucky.

Get exotic in Thailand

If you’re planning a vacation in January, consider going to Thailand. January is an ideal time for a getaway on the Andaman Sea: Phuket, Krabi, and Koh Lanta are the best winter vacations in the country. There’s almost no rain, and the temperatures don’t get too high at the beginning of the year. The southwestern coast of the Gulf of Thailand (Samui and Phangan Islands) are rainier, but you can always find shelter in a cozy café, with a glass of mango fresh, and wait for an hour until the sun shines again. In the northern part of the Gulf (Hua Hin and Pattaya), there’s no rain at all. If you’ve ever wanted to see Bangkok, Ayutthaya, or Chiang Mai, grab a pullover to warm up in the mornings and evenings.

A getaway in Myanmar

When talking about beach vacation destinations, Myanmar rarely comes to mind, and that’s a shame. Ngapali Beach is an idyllic strip of white sand, framed by palm trees and not as crowded with tourists as other spots in Thailand. Besides, you can combine your romantic getaway with an exciting trip. Admire the ancient Bagan and take a boat ride across Inle Lake. In January, the weather in Myanmar is excellent – it’s fairly warm, and the sun shines from all day long.

Delve into American history

There are hundreds of romantic winter vacations in the US, but few of them are as iconic as Boston. Take a walk along the famous Freedom Trail and feel like you’re part of the Boston Tea Party together with Paul Revier and Sam Adams. Having experienced the history of revolutions, go around the campus of Harvard University and blow off steam at one of the famous city clubs. Then take some time to relax on the beaches of Cape Cod's national coast, go on a whale-watching cruise, and get lost in the wild dunes of Provincetown.

Snow Jacuzzi

Check out Iceland's largest spa resort – the Blue Lagoon, about 25 miles from Reykjavik. The water here has an incredible azure color, with a temperature of 35-40°C. The resort is pretty popular with tourists and is included in the Icelandic Golden Circle route. The convenience of location comes at a price – an admission ticket for adults costs from 40 euros. If you have a few days to spare, head north-east. About 60 miles from Akureyri, you’ll find Lake Mivatn and the geothermal spa, which is as good as the Blue Lagoon, minus the tourists. The admission is cheaper – about 29 euros in winter.

Useful tips for a romantic winter vacation

Even if you’re a seasoned traveler, you’re still not immune from unforeseen situations along the journey. From tickets and passports to money managing, there’s always a chance that something might go wrong. But it’s easy to protect yourself – just follow some simple tips and make sure your loved one does the same.

Don't forget about the camera

What can be more frustrating than a dead camera when you stop by a scenic landscape or a beautiful sight? A sudden realization that forgot the camera. Always check if you put the camera in the bag before leaving home and check again to see if it’s charged.

Get the insurance in advance

Travel insurance is your guarantee of safety. This is perhaps the most justified investment that you can make before the trip, and of course, it’s worth making not only to successfully apply for a visa. Firstly, with the insurance, you’ll be able to consult a 24-hour hotline in case of an emergency. Secondly, you’ll be able to reimburse your expenses for treatment or additional accommodation due to the delay or cancellation of the flight upon return. And thirdly, you’ll feel much more comfortable knowing that your trip is not in danger, no matter what happens.

Learn the basics of the language of the country you plan to travel to

Sure, it’s not a problem to find an English-speaking person today, but it still wouldn’t hurt to learn a word or two in the local language. Firstly, you’ll be able to make basic purchases or introduce yourself if necessary. And secondly, People love when tourists speak their language.

A romantic winter getaway is just what your couple needs. Spend the rest of this year or start the next one making your relationship brighter and stronger. Leave the quarrels and misunderstandings behind and enjoy some peace and quiet together. Going on a long trip abroad, try not to take too much stuff with you. Piles of clothes you won’t need and take “just in case,” dozens of various pills and syrups, umbrellas, bags of cosmetics – all this is a dead weight that serves no purpose but to make your luggage heavier. It’s better to minimize the list of what you need to take with you, depending on the destination. Leave fatigue, bad thoughts, a load of emotions, and other things behind. Let this vacation be special!