It’s never too old to fall in love, nor to show you love that special someone. So, to provide some romantic inspiration, Travel Begins at 40 has rounded up a few Valentine’s Day ideas for you to show your affection in a mature way.
Where else could we start than at Colorado? The town of Loveland celebrates the approach of Valentine’s Day with the Loveland Sweetheart Festival from 8 to 9 February. There is even a special Valentine’s beer to enjoy, appropriately called Bleeding Heart.
It’s hard to imagine Valentine’s Day without a glass of bubbly in your hand. So, where better to celebrate the day than in Reims, the home of Champagne. Take the Eurostar from London and end up in one of the many Champagne producers in the town. Other locomotive Valentine’s Day ideas include riding on the overnight sleeper from London and wake up in the Scottish Highlands, from where you make the short hop to the Isle of Skye.
If you want to get into hot water on Valentine’s Day then why not go on a Faroe Islands holiday and treat yourself to a hot tub al fresco in one of the most unspoilt places on earth. Alternatively, you could spend the night under the stars on the island of Kvaløya in Norway, watching the Northern Lights perform their ethereal light show for you. You might even combine this with whale watching in the fjords and dog-sledding.
Expecting some warmer climes in our list of Valentine’s Day ideas? Head to the white sand beaches and crystal clear waters of Mauritius. The island scooped the Most Romantic Destination prize at the World Travel Awards. Or you could try Sri Lanka, recently selected by Lonely Planet as the country to visit in 2019. But beware you might not find it so lonely once you get there.
From Korean masochism to German pigs and Filipino mass kissing, read about the various ways we celebrate Valentine’s Day Around the World: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Of course, you don’t have to do all that travelling to celebrate Valentine’s Day. How better to celebrate it than with a good film? Pop-up cinema aficionados The Luna Cinema is combining with the Natural History Museum in London for a series of screenings around Valentine’s Day.
Choose between romantic tear-jerkers and Anti-Valentines female empowerment from 14 to 16 February, all screened in the Hintze Hall under the Blue Whale skeleton. Films include Pretty Woman, A Star is Born and Love Actually for the lovestruck, and Kill Bill Vol 1 for those who prefer a Valentine’s Day massacre. Thelma and Louise is also showing to provide a bit of girl power.
Alternatively, take a cruise along the Thames with City Cruises, choosing between dinner or afternoon tea, each washed down with Champagne or Prosecco.
If your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day is to get away from it all, head to Dartmoor in Devon. With no phone signal or internet, Witherdon Wood Shepherd’s Hut provides the ultimate Valentine’s glamping digital detox. Just you and the stars, with the odd deer and owl to keep you company. That is unless you decide to bring your other half along.
Finally, we finish our Valentine’s Day ideas with what promises to be the coolest Valentine’s break. Head to Quebec for the Hotel de Glace, with its 45 rooms, hot tubs and saunas, skating and dog sledding. Yes, we know you can do the same in Sweden, but somehow Ice Hotel doesn’t sound quite so romantic.
Cover photo of Kvaløya c. Tromso Adventure. Cover background photo of the Hintze Hall, c. Trustees of the Natural History Museum.