Planning the romantic weekend of a lifetime.

July 4, 2008 4:24 AM

My friend is looking for a romantic weekend getaway from London. Cheap flights are a possibility, the main requirement is that it be really special and memorable. Suggestions?

A good friend of mine is moving to London this fall to live with her long-time, long-distance boyfriend. To celebrate the occasion (honeymoon-style) she wants to surprise him with a weekend away that he'll never forget. The weekend in question will be in November. He's British (she's Canadian) and he's done all 'the usual' England things, so if it's in the UK, it needs to be special (Wales? Scotland? Lake District?).

Short flights are within the realm of possibility, but he travels a lot around Europe for work, so it still needs to be pretty special if its outside the UK (for example, a weekend in Paris is not, in itself, a big deal for him.) They're both very active - diving, skiing, hiking are all good things as long as they involve a wonderful romantic retreat at the end of the day. It can't require visas for him though, since she needs to plan it without his knowledge.

Hivemind, please help my friend find a wonderful way to celebrate the beginning of her new life!

posted by scrute to travel & transportation (22 comments total)

Venice can be lovely in November, and would be memorable (unless, perhaps, they've already been there) & stereotypically romantic.
posted by misteraitch at 4:51 AM on July 4

Also Barcelona. Magical.
posted by merocet at 5:40 AM on July 4

Brugges is pretty neat.

I'm an American who has lived in England for about eleven years, and I suspect Brugges is much like Niagara Falls was to us (I was reared in WNY) - someplace we'd heard about but almost never, if ever, visited. Even if he travels about Europe a lot on biz (like I do) chances are he's never been there. Eurostar from London to Brussels, then hop an express to Brugges. Shouldn't take any more than four hours, door to door. A small town, a weekend is just about ideal for Brugges.

Barcelona is indeed nice, especially so at that time of the year, but be aware that lots of stags and hen nights take place there which tend to ruin the ambience, at least in the central part of the city.
posted by Mutant at 5:50 AM on July 4

Aviemore, Inverness, Scotland. Romantic hotels and B&B's, central location, near the funicular railway, whiskey tours, and skiing (probably not November, more likely hiking). I stayed at a B&B there (can't remember the name) but the Cairngorm Hotel is awesome, ate dinner there and it was lovely. It's also central, not too far North, so you can see other sights in the area yet still be back to Edinburgh for a flight back to London within 1/2 a day's drive. There are paths around town and of course, the Cairngorms National Park.

If they plan on staying in Edinburgh one night on the way there or back, book a B&B well in advance. The tourist bureau sent us to a very modern, ugly hotel, and we drove around asking until we found one, but driving around Edinburgh isn't a great time when you're tired and hungry. I like the Jekyll & Hyde pub on Hanover Street, part of a 4-pub Eerie Pub Crawl. It's goth and touristy but it's fun.

There are also buses and other ways to get there.

I would save the Lake District for summer, but Aviemore should be fun and romantic as well. Hope they have a great time wherever they go!
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:06 AM on July 4

Iceland?
posted by girlpublisher at 6:08 AM on July 4

I'll second Brugges and when you're there you can quite easily visit Gent and Antwerp as well.
posted by ob at 6:13 AM on July 4

I'm not sure Bruges would be enough as a "honeymoon-type" destination. How about Istanbul? An evening cruise down the Bosphorus would be pretty memorable, as would the Hagia Sophia, the markets, and the food.
posted by hazyjane at 6:19 AM on July 4

The Landmark Trust and Vivat Trust both provide for rent some quite amazing historic properties in great locations around Britain. (A friend stayed in Barns Tower, from Vivat, which by all accounts was v romantic and had easy access to outdoor activities.)

Also the Witchery in Edinburgh looks incredible, and incredibly romantic, though I've never stayed there as it's somewhat pricey.
posted by thoughtless at 6:30 AM on July 4

Get on a sleeper train at London Euston - you could choose Inverness - but for a real contrast try the one to Fort William (The Deerstalker) and get off at somewhere like Bridge or Orchy or Rannoch. A bigger contrast for the capital would be harder to imagine. At that stage you could opt to go wilderness camping or choose a B&B - but in November weather this hotel might be a good bet.
posted by rongorongo at 6:49 AM on July 4 [1 favorite]

I'm with girlpublisher : Iceland...
posted by chromatist at 7:06 AM on July 4

Aviemore, Inverness, Scotland.

I love Aviemore and used to live there (well, Glenmore-by-Aviemore, same difference) but I wouldn't choose it for a romantic weekend unless they are a seriously outdoorsy couple. Why? Aviemore outside ski season gets a LOT of stag parties, men in large groups for "adventure weekends" of hiking, shooting and windsurfing. The hotels tend to be crowded with families and school groups, and it's a very small town with not much in the way of great culture or architecture to distract from that. Yes, the mountains are amazing, and if you know the hills intimately, it can be a fantastic place... but unless their idea of romance involves getting onto a trail and sleeping in a tent, avoid.
posted by methylsalicylate at 7:21 AM on July 4

Sea kayaking in the Western Isles or west coast of scotland (or even Shetland) would get my vote. These places are BEAUTIFUL. Some info here. You could rent a 2 person kayak. Accommodation is usually relatively cheap too in these remoter parts of the UK.

@ merocet For me, it's way to hot in Barcelona at this time of year.
posted by jonesor at 7:24 AM on July 4

Seconding the Landmark Trust - the buildings are breathtaking and often in breathtaking settings as well.
posted by ukdanae at 7:52 AM on July 4

These are great - the suggestions of actual hotels are especially great - anywhere can seem romantic if you've got that great place to stay at the end of the day.

Romantic inns or bed and breakfasts anyone?
posted by scrute at 7:57 AM on July 4

Um, duh.
posted by DLWM at 8:08 AM on July 4

Its a little more out there than most suggestions but how about a weekend at La Rosa staying in a vintage caravan with decorations to match? Its in Goathland in the North Yorkshire moors so its really stunning countryside.
posted by tallus at 8:16 AM on July 4

Do you know which countries he travels to for work? Tallinn in Estonia has an absolutely fairy-tale old town which is quite magical. It might be just starting to snow about then, making it even more beautiful. Easyjet do pretty cheap flights from London.

That said, I was last there in 1998 and I believe it's been discovered by stag parties since then, so it might be less romantic now than it was then. It's really beautiful, though, and small enough to go for a weekend and just amble around the winding cobbled alleyways. Awww...
posted by penguin pie at 8:57 AM on July 4

Lake Como.
posted by Zambrano at 9:06 AM on July 4

Istanbul is gorgeous, cheap (the flights might set you back a bit, but on the ground would be wayyy less than a city in Western Europe), and should be pleasantly balmy in November. Palermo might be nice and sunny, if not scorching, too, and has a really fascinating history. Marrakesh or Fez would be really, really romantic, and really different from London, and you could arrange to stay in a riad for a little extra local flavor. I'm almost certain neither of you would need visas in advance; both Morocco and Turkey give visas on arrival at the airport; Turkey charges some money but Morocco doesn't.
posted by mdonley at 9:31 AM on July 4

We stayed at this cottage last spring and are going back in February. They have a lot of other neat looking places. All self catering though.
posted by smcniven at 12:25 PM on July 4

I second Marrakech. I stayed at the magical Riad Kaiss, and the dirham is a lot more tourist-friendly than the Euro.
posted by Lillitatiana at 12:50 PM on July 4

A little dark in November for the gorgeous hiking, but a weekend at the Walnut Tree Inn in Wales would be charming and romantic.
posted by mozhet at 5:11 AM on July 6