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Valentine’s Day is inextricably linked to couples activities, from dinner dates and nights out to, increasingly, romantic travel. To many couples, a perfect Valentine’s Day is as simple as jetting off to a palm-fringed beach somewhere in the tropics.

Of course you don’t need to be romantically involved to fall in love with some of the most famous destinations in the world. Why sit at home and wallow about the fact that your favorite restaurant is all booked up when you can embark on an adventure of your own?

Virgin America’s Valentine’s Day Sale

Whether you head to traditional lovers’ destinations like Paris or the Caribbean, or head to an exotic locale where Valentine’s Day isn’t even celebrate, start a romance with the world at large this February 14 and save the roses and chocolates for another year.

City Destinations
No destination in the world is more synonymous with romantic travel than Paris, the city of love. Still, the Eiffel Tower isn’t any less majestic when you stand under it alone than it is when you’re holding hands with your honey. Not feeling the escargot or the smelly Seine? Jet off to exciting domestic cities like New York, Chicago or San Francisco, or try your luck – however you interpret that – in Las Vegas.

United’s Last-Minute Weekend Deals

Beaches and Sunsets 
When you hear the phrase “long walks on the beach,” it’s usually in the opening paragraph of someone’s personals ad. Why not take a long walk on a beach by yourself? From the sugar-sand shores of Caribbean islands like Jamaica and Antigua, to the less-explored shores of Thailand, Bali and Vietnam in Southeast Asia, a solo beach vacation may be just what you need to be the Valentine’s Day blues.

Off the Beaten Path
Who says you Valentine’s Day travel even has to be romantic? If you aren’t feeling warm and fuzzy inside, maybe you should head to somewhere where sweet nothings will be the last thing on your mind. Why not backpack through India or South America? Make it an even less traditional Valentine’s Day by jetting off to sub-Saharan Africa and watching the love between two giraffes or hippos.

US Airways Last-Minute Deals to Europe

The Silver Lining
Traveling alone means you’re by yourself, which means you’re easier to approach. If you happen to be sitting near another single guy or gal in a restaurant in some far-flung destination, traveling solo for Valentine’s Day could actually make sure you don’t spend next year alone. Even if you aren’t on the market for romantic companionship, traveling alone is also a great way to link up with other solo travels and groups of travelers for platonic fun.

Travel With Friends
Are you not the only solo flyer in your circle of friends? Make it a group thing. Whether you want to live it up with the girls in Hollywood, or take the guys on a golf vacation in the Yucatan peninsula, traveling with friends on Valentine’s Day may just make you realize that you don’t need to meet that special someone just yet – you’ve already got tons of special people in your life. Or, a bunch of wingmen or wingwomen at the ready.

About the author

Robert Schrader is a travel writer/photographer and editor of the blog Leave Your Daily Hell, your source for destination information, travel photos, practical travel advice and inspirational travel essays. Robert’s writing and photography has been published on websites such as CNNGo, Tripping and Shanghaiist and in print publications like That’s Shanghai and East & West magazines. Robert’s travels have thus far taken him to more than 40 countries and to all six inhabited continents. Follow the Twitter feed, “Like” the Facebook page or add Robert to one of your Google+ circles.