7 alternative romantic city breaks in the USA and Canada

1. Savannah, Georgia

Savannah serves up a romantic canvas few other cities can match, with its cobblestoned squares, moss-covered trees and elegant antebellum mansions. You don’t need to look far for loved-up nooks like Forsyth Park, Savannah’s answer to Central Park and whose fountain – flanked by grand oak trees – is a marriage proposal spot in waiting. Or, you can stroll along the cobblestoned waterfront of River Street, where you can walk to the backing track of live music, relax on a river cruise or soak up a fiery sunset – the ideal backdrop to a romantic meal.

But Savannah isn’t all style over substance. Go kayaking among Savannah’s Low Country creeks and marshes to paddle alongside otters and dolphins; after working up your appetite, the pair of you can seek out a Cajun cooking class, for Savannah is a cornerstone in Deep South cooking.

2. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

With its chocolate box 19^th-century architecture, Niagara-on-the-Lake is like a storybook written for lovers that has leapt off its pages. Rolling among its quaint floral displays, brick heritage buildings and well-tended gardens in a horse-drawn carriage may seem like an overblown romantic cliché but among the overriding peacefulness of Niagara-on-the-Lake, it just feels right.

The village’s trump card is its bucolic location and it’s easy for you and your loved one to escape to the surrounding countryside. Hire bicycles and pedal among its vineyards, stopping off only to sample some ice wine at one of its wineries, while the iconic Niagara Falls is close enough to visit in a day yet kept at arm’s length so you can return to Niagara-on-the-Lake’s harmony.

3. Amelia Island, Florida

Florida’s huge popularity means it’s hard to find a quiet corner in the Sunshine State but Amelia Island is one of its few remaining secret spots. Its cotton-white sands and azure waters are its main drawcard, the idea setting for a romantic picnic where you’ll only be joined by oystercatchers and sandpipers. However, Amelia Island is far more than a picture postcard brought to life.

One of its towns, Fernandina Beach, is one of the oldest in Florida, first being settled in 1685. Even if you’re a couple that aren’t fans of history, you can’t help but swoon at the handsome Southern Victorian architecture as you take a walk among Fernandina Beach’s boutiques, art galleries and eateries – including a bar that predates Prohibition. Fort Clinch State Park isn’t just a well-preserved Civil War fortification but a pocket of wilderness you can both dreamily get lost in.

4. Victoria, British Columbia

Couples were once drawn to Victoria for its overarching aura of Britishness: think afternoon tea, cosy pub lunches and rides on double-decker buses. While British influence still remains in Victoria it’s not as strong as it once was, but the capital of British Columbia hasn’t lost an ounce of its romance. Movie-like moments for couples are ten-a-penny in Victoria, whether it’s meandering through the colourful blooms of Abkhazi Garden or spying a jaw-slackening sunset beside Fisgard Lighthouse.

They say variety is the spice of life and the same rings true for love as well. In Victoria, there are no end of ways you can soak up the city together, from paddling Victoria Harbour in a kayak to a spellbinding seaplane ride over the Gulf Islands.

5. Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston’s Georgian mansions, cobblestone streets and historic churches may tell of a time long gone but this is a city that is knitted together by bucketloads of Southern charm that will just sweep you up off your feet. Begin days with cosy breakfasts and end them with candlelit dinners in quaint restaurants, filling your time in between with long walks along Waterfront Park (keeping your eyes peeled for bottlenose dolphins) or through Charleston’s jasmine-scented streets.

If you want to crank up the romance, just head out of town to the atmospheric tree-lined marshlands of Cypress Gardens – a setting you might remember from The Notebook.

6. Williamsburg, Virginia

They say Virginia is the state for lovers and that’s especially the case of Williamsburg. Most primarily come to explore Colonial Williamsburg, a huge outdoor museum that evokes 18^th-century American life, but couples can find plenty of other charming nooks to enjoy – especially during autumn, when Williamsburg’s foliage goes golden. Colonial Williamsburg’s arboretum makes for a romantic stroll among fiery leaf litter, while the leisurely lunches you can tuck into at the quaint cafés of Merchant Square embrace the ingredients of harvest season.

If you want that quintessential couples shot, however, then the crimson-coloured Crim Dell Bridge on the bridge of William & Mary university is a scene seemingly torn straight from a fairytale.

7. Québec City, Québec

Paris is one of the world’s most well-known romantic cities but with French being the language of love, then Québec City is an undisputed hidden gem for lovers. Float along the Saint Lawrence River for an unblemished view of its UNESCO-protected Old Town, before walking hand in hand within its historic stone walls along the winding cobblestone streets.

Make your couple’s trip here extra special by heading here in winter, for Québec’s 17^th- and 18^th-century architecture wouldn’t look out of place on a Christmas card when dressed in white. Climb to the top of Old Québec’s walls, in the eyeline of Old Québec’s church spires, and feast on a widescreen vista across a city looking resplendent when wigged with cake frosting-like snow.