Valentine’s Day? Have it when you want! 💘✈️
Next year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday. On paper, that sounds perfect for a romantic getaway… until you actually try to book one. Airlines and hotels clock the date and suddenly everything shoots up in price. Because apparently love = surcharge.
We at Holiday Hackers went digging for a proper deal to whisk you away to Paris over Valentine’s weekend. The result? Nothing that felt like a hack. Paying inflated prices just to travel when everyone else does doesn’t have that “smug grin at the airport” vibe we love.
So, we tried something different. We channelled our inner Karl Pilkington — who once said about Pancake Day, “Why does it have to be on that day? Why can’t it be when you want?” Swap pancakes for romance, and there’s your hack: Valentine’s Day? Have it when you want.
And here’s the kicker — you can save over £200 by shifting your trip a single weekend earlier.
The Numbers: Valentine’s Weekend vs The Week Before
Here’s what we found flying from Manchester and staying at the same hotel in Paris:
💝 Valentine’s Weekend (13–15 Feb)
2 nights, Hôtel Provinces Opéra, flights from Manchester
👉 Check price on Trip.com
💷 £611.64 for 2 adults (breakfast included)
✨ The Weekend Before (6–8 Feb)
2 nights, Hôtel Provinces Opéra, flights from Manchester
👉 Check price on Trip.com
💷 £397.74 for 2 adults (breakfast included)
That’s a saving of £213 🥂 — enough to cover a proper candlelit dinner, a river cruise, and still have change for croissants.
About the Hotel 🏨
The Hôtel Provinces Opéra – Vacances Bleues isn’t some budget shack on the outskirts. It’s a charming 3-star in the 10th arrondissement, right between the buzzing Grands Boulevards and the glamorous Opéra Garnier. You’re a short stroll from theatres, shops, and bars, and with the Bonne Nouvelle Metro station around the corner, the whole city is within easy reach.
The building itself is classic Paris — Art Deco touches, high ceilings, and a light-filled lounge called La Verrière where you can kick back after a day of sightseeing. Your stay also includes a continental breakfast with locally sourced, eco-friendly produce (read: buttery croissants without the guilt). It’s a simple but romantic base that ticks all the boxes.
What To Do With Your £213 Saving ❤️
Rather than watching that money vanish into inflated airfares, here’s what you could splash it on instead:
🛥️ Seine River Dinner Cruise – champagne, three courses, and the glittering city lights. Romance level: 100.
🗼 Eiffel Tower Skip-the-Line Tickets – glide past the queues, toast at the summit.
🍷 Montmartre Food & Wine Tour – winding cobbled streets, a glass (or three), and plenty of French charm.
🎨 Louvre Guided Highlights Tour – Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and a whole lot of culture without getting lost.
💃 Moulin Rouge Cabaret – sequins, feathers, can-can, champagne… need we say more?
Spend the difference on memories rather than markups. That’s a hack worth bragging about.
The Hacker’s Take 🕶️
Paris is Paris. The croissants don’t suddenly get flakier on February 14th. The Eiffel Tower sparkles just as brightly on February 7th. And the Seine doesn’t charge you more for floating down it with a glass of fizz the week before Hallmark’s big day.
So why pay the Valentine’s tax? Hack the date, save over £200, and invest it in romance that actually means something.
And when the real Valentine’s weekend rolls around? Just hand over a card, maybe a supermarket rose, and say: “Remember Paris? That was your present.” Job done.
