There may be no better place to travel for romance than Europe.
Whether you're relaxing at a spa on the shores of Lake Como or strolling through Salzburg's cobblestone streets hand-in-hand, the slower pace of life on the Continent is deliciously conducive to couples time.
These are the best spots for a romantic getaway in Europe.
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Champagne Country
As you head toward Reims, the landscape loosens and undulates, and the hills tantalize with French vineyards that—thanks tola méthode champenoise—produce the world's antidote to gloom. Sample some bubbly, see the vineyards, and visit the cavernous chalk cellars where bottles are stored by the million. There’s more to do than just drink: Hiking on one of Champagne’s fabulous, forested sentiers de Grandes Randonnées can be an intoxicating outdoor activity, and no fewer than 10 Gothic cathedrals dot the region—don’t miss the biggest (Amiens) or the tallest (neighboring Beauvais).
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Champagne Country Guide
Lake Como
If you're after palatial villas, rose-laden belvederes, hanging wisteria and bougainvillea, lanterns casting a glow over lakeshore restaurants, and majestic Alpine vistas, then Lake Como is for you. Though summer crowds threaten to diminish the lake's dreamy mystery and slightly faded old-money gentility, the allure of this spectacular place endures. Como remains a consummate pairing of natural and man-made beauty. The villa gardens, like so many in Italy, are a union of two landscape traditions: that of Renaissance Italy, which values order, and that of Victorian England, which strives to create the illusion of natural wildness. Such gardens are often framed by vast areas of picturesque farmland—fruit trees, olive groves, and vineyards.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Lake Como Guide
Venice
Venice is a city unlike any other. No matter how often you've seen it in photos and films, the real thing is more dreamlike than you could imagine. With canals where streets should be, water shimmers everywhere. The fabulous palaces and churches reflect centuries of history in what was a wealthy trading center between Europe and the Orient. Getting lost in the narrow alleyways is a quintessential part of exploring Venice, but at some point you'll almost surely end up in Piazza San Marco, where tourists and locals congregate for a coffee or an aperitif.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Venice Guide
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