Valentine's Day in Paris: cliché or not?

Paris is the city of lovers. Ask any girl who has been hit by Cupid’s arrow and you are bound to hear she wants a romantic vacation in Paris. Of course, you, as a loving significant other, want to make it happen but quickly realize you might need to break a bank in order to fulfill her dreams.
Well, think again! Sure, Paris is expensive. We cannot argue with that. But there are ways to cut down costs and still afford a lovely romantic escape to the City of Lights.
First of all, don’t plan a long getaway. Sure, it would be awesome to spend a week or two in Paris but chances are you won’t afford too many nights if you look for hotels (even budget hotels). A trick to spend more time here and not break the bank is to choose one of the best hostels in Paris. If your lady friend is not into this kind of accommodation, then you need to be creative in order to “sell it” to her. Look for private rooms in quiet places. You’ll have the intimacy you need.
Way before you look for the accommodation, start looking for cheap tickets to Paris. If you need to spend hours in airports waiting for connections, so be it … if you want to cut costs a lot. Otherwise, you should be able to find something affordable if you don’t wait for too long before booking. Europeans are lucky because there are a lot of low-cost carriers serving Paris.
Once you get to Paris, avoid the fancy restaurants and make sure to be romantic and spontaneous…on a low budget. Bistros are romantic, aren’t they? You get the atmosphere and the good food sans the high prices.
And there’s nothing more romantic than walking hand in hand along Seine’s bank, right? Just make sure you dress accordingly. And bring the camera to catch the romantic moment. Be prepared and do a search in advance and plan to take her to the most romantic places in Paris (of course, walking hand in hand is the most romantic way to do it).
You should plan to take her to the Eiffel Tower. It’s crowded and touristy but it’s romantic. Double points if you offer her a diamond ring while gazing upon Paris’s landscape.
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