5 romantic cities that aren't Paris or Venice
Well, Paris is for lovers, and Venice is for gondola selfies. We all know that. But if you're the kind of couple who rolls their eyes at the obvious and wants a bit more flair with their fairytale, we got you covered.
Because romance isn't just about roses and candlelit dinners. Sometimes, it's about snow-dusted castles, spontaneous tango sessions, or cherry blossoms, or you can make all your guesses. swirling like confetti.
So skip the clichés and say bonjour to these five lesser-known romantic cities that bring the charm, the chemistry, and a little unexpected magic.
Kyoto, Japan
This Japanese city has all the grace of a geisha and the mystery of an ancient scroll.
Mossy temples, cherry blossom flurries, and bamboo forests that creak and whisper as you walk through them hand-in-hand. It's intimate, serene, and the kind of place where you can fall in love again.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
This is a city where even the sidewalks feel like they're about to break into tango. Whether you're sipping malbec at a dimly lit café or getting dizzy from staring into each other's eyes during a dance class, Buenos Aires serves romance with extra flair.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
2 & 3 BHK Homes Near Padur, OMR Starting @ ₹72.50 Lakh*
TVS Emerald
Undo
Read more:
6 wild places in India to go looking for one-horned rhinos
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Tiny but mighty in charm, Ljubljana is like stepping into a watercolor painting. Winding lanes, whimsical bridges, and a castle perched above it all, this city is soft, sweet, and ideal for couples who like their romance sprinkled with European magic and zero tourist stampedes.
Quebec City, Canada
Québec City is basically Paris with a fleece blanket and a mug of maple latte. With its cobbled streets, French signage, and old-world charm, it's a cold-weather cuddle-fest.
Add in castles, Christmas markets, and the chance to kiss under softly falling snow, and you've got yourself a rom-com waiting to happen.
Read more:
8 best wellness tourism destinations in India for a unique holiday
Bruges, Belgium
Bruges is like a box of romantic clichés, but somehow manages to be irresistibly charming. With medieval buildings, winding canals, swans, and enough chocolate to ruin your diet and your willpower, it's basically what would happen if Cupid directed your romantic itinerary.
One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Summer Holidays Hit By Turbulence
New Delhi: It's the season when suitcases come out and travel plans take off. But this summer, for many outbound flyers, wanderlust is tempered with worry. From tense airspace maps to the recent air tragedy, there's a lot of rethink going on at what is otherwise peak carefree vacation time. The skies between India and the west have become a minefield with airlines avoiding ever-expanding no-fly zones. Air India resumed overflying Iran after Pakistan airspace was closed to Indian carriers on April 24 to make the longer detours bearable. But with Iran closing its airspace following the Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites, the longer routes between India and the west will get even longer. The deadly Air India crash in Ahmedabad has also created a fear of flying. "There's concern among flyers. Many are opting for airlines other than AI," claimed Anil Kalsi, vice-president, Travel Agents Federation of India. "The current uncertainty about routes and the memory of the horrific air crash have caused nervousness among travellers. Many people are deferring non-essential travel until the situation stabilises on either or both of these fronts." The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has asked Air India to inspect its Dreamliner fleet, employed in routes to Europe and the Far East. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo These craft are being checked as they fly into India and are cleared for the next flight only after passing the checks. "AI has completed checks on nine of the B787s. Some of these inspections could lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays on certain long-haul routes, especially those to airports with operating curfews. Customers will be duly notified about any delays. They are advised to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport," AI posted on X on Saturday. The closure of Iranian airspace led to 16 AI flights being affected on Friday. Some were diverted to cities en route such as Vienna, Jeddah and Sharjah, while others returned to their port of origin. IndiGo's once non-stop flights between Delhi and Tbilisi and Baku are now one-stop routes. "Safety is any traveller's first concern. The crash pushed Air India's image back by at least three years. Both family and solo travellers are equally rattled," said M. Iqbal Mulla, president, Global Tourism Council, and former head of Travel Agents' Association of India. "Then, the impact of the Iran airspace closure has proved severe." The bottlenecks in the sky could get worse. The airspace of Jordan and Lebanon closes whenever there's conflict in the region and has shut several times since the Hamas attack in Israel in Oct 2023. Expectedly, travel agents are inundated with panicked calls, airports are grappling with unscheduled landings, and passengers are coming to terms with the uncertainty. Sunil Kumar R, president, Travel Agents' Association of India, said, "The confidence of international travellers has been affected. Many of them are now undecided and awaiting stabilisation of the situation. This indecision is having a negative impact on outbound travel. While some of this may benefit domestic tourism temporarily, continued uncertainty will discourage overseas travel altogether. We're receiving several calls from customers confused about whether to book or postpone travel." J yoti Mayal, chairperson, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council and former TAAI president, reiterated, "The Israel-Iran conflict and airspace closure have disrupted over 1,800 flights and prompted diversions, especially on routes from India and southeast Asia to Europe and the US. Amid this, Air India has faced a wave of cancellations and change requests, particularly from those booked on similar flights." The India-Pakistan airspace standoff whenever there is tension also forces carriers to take detours and passengers to think twice. There is discussion every day among potential travellers whether it is the right time to be travelling. Sonalika said, "I remember cancelling my flight tickets from Canada to India because of the tension between the two countries earlier. I can only imagine how it feels right now." Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Boeing trims projection for 20-year jet demand
Passenger traffic growth forecast lowered from 4.7% to 4.2% Boeing forecasts 43,600 new airliners needed by 2044 Boeing sees 51% of new aircraft demand from growth, not replacements Boeing's forecast aligns closely with Airbus's revised demand outlook June 15 (Reuters) - Boeing expects global demand for air travel to increase by more than 40% by 2030, driving the need for thousands of new jetliners in the next few years, according to its 20-year demand forecast for commercial airliners released Sunday ahead of the Paris Airshow. The company expects demand for 43,600 new airliners through 2044. That is essentially the same as last year's edition, which projected demand for 43,975 new deliveries through 2043. European rival Airbus last week revised up its own 20-year commercial demand forecast by 2% to 43,420 jets, saying the air transport industry was expected to ride out current trade tensions. Boeing's delivery projection includes nearly 33,300 single-aisle airliners, just over 7,800 widebody jets, 955 factory-built freighters and 1,545 regional jets. Single-aisle jets include the 737 MAX and competitor Airbus's A320neo family and make up roughly four of every five deliveries now. While Boeing's deliveries projection is roughly the same, it pared down its 20-year forecast for passenger traffic growth from 4.7% in last year's outlook to 4.2% this year. Likewise, it lowered its global economic growth forecast from 2.6% to 2.3%, cargo traffic growth from 4.1% to 3.7% and fleet growth from 3.2% to 3.1%. Despite the lower projection for cargo traffic, Boeing Vice President of Commercial Marketing Darren Hulst told reporters in a briefing that trade volatility is not expected to significantly shift long-term demand. "I think we need to point back to the perspective that the last 20, 40, 60 years have given us in terms of the value of air cargo, and the fact that it's roughly a 4% growth market through all this time," he said. Since COVID-19, air travel demand has bounced back, but airplane production is only half or even less than what it was before the pandemic, resulting in a shortage of 1,500 to 2,000 airliners, he said. Both Airbus and Boeing have struggled to return aircraft production to pre-pandemic levels. Boeing has been dealing with production safety concerns following a 2024 mid-air blowout of a panel on a nearly new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX. As a result, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration capped 737 production at 38 airplanes a month. Boeing has significantly improved production quality in recent months, but the crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on Thursday put it back in crisis mode. CEO Kelly Ortberg cancelled his plans to attend the Paris Airshow in order to assist with the crash investigation. Global air travel is projected to increase by more than 40% by 2030, compared to the pre-pandemic high, according to the forecast. During the next 20 years, Boeing expects about 51% of demand for new aircraft to come from growth rather than replacing older airplanes. China and South/Southeast Asia, which includes India, are expected to account for half of that additional capacity, according to the outlook. North America and Eurasia account for more than half of projected deliveries for replacing older aircraft. China makes up an estimated 10% of Boeing's existing order backlog. The country paused taking delivery of new Boeing aircraft as China and the U.S. clashed over tariffs. However, deliveries are expected to resume this month, Ortberg said in May during an investors conference. (Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Indo-Pak tension impact: 2 flights from North America make re-fuelling pitstops at Kol airport
1 2 Kolkata: Two Air India flights—one from San Francisco to Mumbai and the other from Vancouver to Delhi—are making a refuelling pit stop at the Kolkata airport as the aircraft have to take a rerout amid the ban on Indian flights in the Pakistani airspace. "The San Francisco-Mumbai flight stops in Kolkata for refuelling in the early hours, while the Vancouver-Delhi flight arrives in the evening to refuel after the long-haul flight across the Atlantic Ocean," a Kolkata airport official told TOI. The rerouting of the international flights came into focus after several other AI flights to the West were rerouted on Friday following the closure of the Iranian airspace due to Israeli airstrikes. Altogether, 18 Indian flights were diverted or delayed. On Saturday, AI 180 from San Francisco landed at 12.35 am in Kolkata after travelling almost 17 hours. The Boeing 777-200LR aircraft made a technical halt for refuelling and change of crew due to Flying Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) before it again resumed its journey to reach Mumbai at 4 am. Similarly, Flight AI 186 from Vancouver landed in Kolkata at 4.10 pm on Saturday for refuelling. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo The Boeing 777-300ER flew more than 15 hours non-stop before touching down in Kolkata. It departed for Delhi after refuelling. An official at Kolkata airport said the time schedule for regular maintenance work on the primary runway was adjusted to accommodate the Vancouver flight. "Between Tuesdays and Thursdays, the primary runway is usually shut from 11 am to 4 pm for regular maintenance. During this time, the secondary runway is available for operations. The Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), a notification issued to pilots about the closure, was thereafter altered. Now, the primary runway opens at 3.30 pm so that AI 186 does not face any problem when it arrives," the official pointed out. In the absence of the primary runway in Kolkata, the Vancouver flight would otherwise have had to make a landing in Dhaka for refuelling. With no certainty about when Pakistan will reopen the airspace and routes will be restored, the travel trade industry in Kolkata has urged Air India to consider operating the flight from Kolkata, running the Delhi-Kolkata leg as an 'international-cum-domestic' sector. "These flights are making a technical stop in Kolkata. Many on board the flights, who are from the east, have to again take flights back to Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Ranchi or Guwahati. It would be great if these passengers could disembark in Kolkata. Also, this would gift Kolkata a long-awaited long-haul international sector flight," a travel agent said. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has time and again pointed at the need for Kolkata to have a direct flight to Europe and America. Officials said this was the opportune moment for the Bengal govt to reach out to the Centre and request it to assign traffic rights for the flight to Kolkata. That, an official said, should not be a problem as AI was an Indian carrier. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
