Paris Undressed: Valentine’s Day in the French capital

Valentine’s Day in Paris is undoubtedly the perfect place to get your romance on. But with so much love in the air, things can start getting a little, well, impersonal.

So instead of dinner and a show, or an overcrowded cruise on the Seine, we’ve come up with a few cheeky ideas to keep your Valentine’s Day in Paris intimate and intriguing (and a little bit fun).

Bubbles and breakfast in bed

Enjoy a night in a luxury hotel the evening before Valentine’s Day and wake up together for a romantic champagne breakfast in bed, courtesy of room service. This can be a handy last minute idea too, with hotels less likely to be booked out the night prior to Valentine’s Day.

Of Timeout’s top picks for sexy hotels in Paris, our fave is Le Petit Paris in the Latin Quarter. Take a stroll through the 5^th after breakfast for some added sweetness at the fun Bonbons Au Palais. Be sure to pick up a few candles here so you can set the mood back at home and celebrate Valentine’s Day twice in one year.

For the love of French lingerie

For a bit of fun and some added intrigue, go shopping together for irresistibly sexy lingerie at least a couple of days before Valentine’s Day.

Keep it hidden away and don’t mention a thing until you’re wearing it out at dinner on the 14^th.

The slightest hint and reminder of what’s underneath will make for a flirty night with lots of smiles well beyond dessert.

Try new pop-up shop The Panties Bar, at Galeries Lafayettes until 24 February, for a divine collection of limited edition lingerie from the best in industry. We love the alluring Aubade (they have some wonderful Valentine’s his ‘n’ hers) and adorable wares from Chantal Thomass.

Stylishly single femme indépendante? Treat yourself. Fabulous lingerie has a way of making a girl feel amazing, no matter what day of the year it is.

The single life in Paris

Flying solo on Valentine’s Day in Paris really isn’t that bad – you’re in Paris after all! It’s best to avoid notoriously romantic restaurants or strolling wistfully through Sacre Coeur on your own; even the most self-assured singleton is likely to feel a bit left out.

Instead, celebrate all that you love about Paris. Do your favourite things, with your favourite people, at your favourite places. Get a group together and hit up somewhere fun like Pink Flamingo or Le Derriere – make a night of it and fall in love with Paris – and life – all over again. And see the above comment on lingerie – trust me, it works.

Where romance lives in Paris

We asked Paris-based New Yorker and handbag designer, Kasia Dietz, about her favourite romantic spot in Paris.

“Paris, itself, is romance,” she says. “Simply walking along the Seine at dusk, staring at the pink and blue hues of an ever-changing sky, is one of the most romantic experiences of all.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Unattached or attached, what are you doing this Valentine’s Day?