It's not hard! Chocolate truffles, a leisurely hilltop stroll, and an intimate meal are key ingredients for Valentine's Day in Rome, the hometown of martyr San Valentino. Couples who work up an appetite browsing museums and archaeological sites—offering 2-for-1 admisson on Valentine's—can break for an afternoon treat of fine handmade chocolates.

La Bottega del Cioccolato does a lovely rich and bitter ultra-dark chocolate as well as legendary marrons glacés, chestnuts candied in syrup. The small red shop has glass displays of unwrapped chocolates (dark and milk, only) and glass containers with pieces individually wrapped in colored foil (via Leonina 82).

Said, an 80-year-old chocolatier with a café and restaurant, makes decadent truffles and thick, creamy hot chocolate that you can savor indoors—or take to go (per portare via). Chocolates are sold by weight; expect to pay around €7.50-10 for a box with 8-10 pieces (via Tiburtina 135).

There's no shortage of paths and lookout points for a hand-in-hand stroll.

Facebook is a super way to connect with friends and family, but it can sometimes be tough on relationships. The main issue for travel lovers? When one person in a couple lives their life online while the other one doesn't.

For some, it's about safety. It may be deeply unnerving when your sweetheart posts on Facebook about upcoming vacations. A spouse might say, "I don't think it should be public knowledge about when we're out of town." Or, more sarcastically, "Why don't you post a giant sign advertising to robbers the best time to break in to our place?"

Most people love the idea of getting together with loads of family members and friends, especially if you're gathering in a fun location. But the more people you have, the harder it becomes to make everyone happy.

How do you pick a destination that's convenient and in the price range of everyone invited?

Who pays for what?

Who decides who pays for what?

How do you get organized, and keep everyone in the loop regarding decisions about food, activities, and accommodations?

What are some ways to use your numbers to your advantage and get the best group discount?

How do you coax everyone into getting along and not driving each other nuts?

How do you even begin pulling off such a monumental, potentially complicated trip with minimal headaches and maximum payoff?

If you've got questions along these lines, ask away, and we'll provide answers in an upcoming issue of Budget Travel.

This Friday brings Vancouver's turn in the spotlight as the host of the Winter Olympics. But back in August 2008, all eyes were on Beijing for a dazzling opening ceremony that captured China's grand-scale ambitions—and that will be hard to top.

We tracked the buildup to the Beijing games and published a slide show documenting the capital's frenzied construction of cutting-edge stadiums, subways, and high-rises.

With the athletes and spectators long gone, these stadiums have been left lonely and waiting for new purposes. I was intrigued by a story and photos in the NYT this weekend that captured scenes like a guard dozing off at an empty underpass at the Olympic Green and locals sledding on artificial snow at the Bird's Nest. It now doubles as an amusement park with the goofy name of Happy Ice and Snow Season.

Here's an interview with Rachel Klein, editor of Fodor's Hawaii 2010. Klein is also the Hawaii expert for Fodor's 80 degrees, a Web tool that lets you find a warm-weather escape best suited for your personality based on 20 criteria.

1. Which island should I go to?
Oahu is sometimes referred to as "one stop Hawaii" because it offers visitors a sampling of experiences and activities that can be found on all the other islands. Those interested in history won't want to miss Pearl Harbor and the Bishop Museum.

Maui is a popular pick for honeymooners, as its beaches are considered some of Hawaii's most beautiful and the resorts of West and South Maui are spectacular. The breathtaking views on Maui's Road to Hana are sure to inspire romance.

Kauai offers a more secluded, slower-paced island vacation on its splendid, lush Napali Coast, sunny South Shore beaches, and the sleepy quaint town of Hanalei.

The Big Island is a good choice for families, as there are tons of active adventures with a scientific spin, including visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and taking a trip to the top of Mauna Kea to see some of the world's largest telescopes at the Keck Observatory.

Molokai and Lanai are your best bets are for those truly looking to get away from it all.

Join the Carnival celebrations Rome is embracing its carnevale traditions for the first time in centuries. The events lineup, spanning February 6 to 16, includes costume parties, musical performances, butteri (equestrian shows by Tuscan cowboys), and a parade in Piazza Venezia on February 14. Fireworks will cascade over the Pincio Hill, near the Piazza del Popolo, on Carnival, February 16. Free.

Dance and photography take center stage There's always something noteworthy happening at the Renzo Piano-designed Auditorium Parco della Musica. It just launched Equilibrio, a month-long contemporary dance festival, while February 18 to 21 brings an exhibition with photos, food, and films related to Gran Sasso National Park. If you're looking for something to do this weekend, Sunday, February 7, is the last chance to skate at the Auditorium's outdoor rink. viale Pietro de Coubertin 30, 011-39/06-8024-1281. Equilibrio tickets from €2, exhibition free, skating rentals €8.

2-for-1 admission on Valentine's Day Rome's National Museums (Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, the Baths of Diocletian, Crypta Balbi) and several archaeological sites, including the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Villa dei Quintili, are treating couples to 2-for-1 admission on February 14. Museums open 9am-7:45pm (last entrance one hour before closing. Archeological sites open 9am-4:30pm (last entrance one hour before closing). Museum admission €7; admission for archaeological sites, €6 to 12.

We're giving you the floor! We recognize that our readers are true experts, so we want to hear your thoughts on all sorts of travel topics.

Our October 2010 magazine issue will be devoted to what you tell us.

Let us know your favorite island getaway in the world—and why—by posting a comment below. The more details to make your case, the better!

PLUS
Most beautiful city in the world?

Favorite and least favorite airlines?

Favorite national park?

Best food city in America?

Coming soon, our Readers' Choice poll, at BudgetTravel.com/readerschoice

London's quiet in February. So it's a good time to see things which get busy the rest of the year. There are some new openings, too.

Havana Rakatan - Cuban Dance on Valentine's night
With most event on or around Valentine's night costing upwards of $80, this Cuban street ballet and live music spectacular from Havana choreographer Nilda Guerra and son band Turquino offers great value at around $25 for a ticket for front-and-center seats. On selected nights, the price includes a free post-show dance class. At the Peacock Theater, Sadler's Wells. sadlerswells.com

The Changing of the Guard
Every morning at 10:28 a.m. (9:28 on a Sunday), mounted ceremonial guardsmen leave Hyde Park Barracks for the Queen's residence at Buckingham Palace where they change sentry posts in one of London's most famous daily displays of pomp and pageantry. The soldiers take 40 minutes to perform the changing of the guard ceremony, marching up and down in their scarlet coats with sparkling buttons and their towering furry hats, accompanied by a booming military band. Most months of the year the rails around the palace are choc-a-bloc with flashing tourist cameras. But it's almost tourist-free in February and its free. Be at Buckingha.m. Palace (subway- Green Park) at 11:30 to see the show and at Hyde Park Barracks at 10:20 to follow the soldiers to the palace. royal.gov.uk

The Real Van Gogh
The first major Van Gogh exhibition in London for over 40 years is on at the Royal Academy of Arts in the city center until April. The exhibition marries painting and drawing (with over a hundred of Vah Gogh's art works) with 35 of the Van Gogh's letters, rarely exhibited to the public due to their fragility, and offering a unique insight into the artist's tortured psychology. Tickets are $12.50 with a student card and the price includes a $4 exhibition guidebook. royalacademy.org.uk

It's high season in Mexico and the Caribbean, which means people are flocking to the warm sand and sun down south—doesn't that sound nice, especially with this huge snowstorm moving across the country?

The good news is that deals don't disappear during the high season—sometimes, you just have to dig a little to find them. One strategy is to sign up for online newsletters, which often offer exclusive savings on packages and hotel stays. If you're looking for deals just in the Mexico and Caribbean, try signing up for CheapCaribbean.com's newsletter.

CheapCaribbean.com has these 99-hour sales that happen so fast, even we have trouble keeping up with them. The sales happen weekly, starting on Mondays at 9 p.m. Eastern and ending Friday at midnight. You can save up to 70 percent on vacation packages in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Riviera Maya in Mexico, and plenty more.

And now, if you sign up for the CheapCaribbean.com free newsletter, they'll release the sale to you in advance. So you get a few hours' head start on all the other people hoping to book.

For every day you opt out of housekeeping at a Starwood hotel, you'll get 500 bonus loyalty points or a $5 credit at the hotel restaurant.

A Wall Street Journal story reports that 8.5 percent of Starwood guests take advantage of the hotel company's "Make a Green Choice" program, which gives rewards to guests who don't need daily vacuuming, making the bed, and other typical housecleaning services. There's an obvious environmental benefit when linens and towels aren't cleaned every day.

Seems like a neat idea. But should the rewards be even more generous? The story mentions that the total cost of cleaning a room at a luxury hotel comes to about $22 a day. So a hotel obviously saves a lot of money when it doesn't have to provide daily housekeeping.

Instead of a restaurant credit or bonus points, should you get a cash discount on the room rate for opting out of housecleaning services? You're getting less, so shouldn't you pay less?

Have you ever been tempted to take advantage of the vacation-rental clearance—booking a beach home or mountain condo mere weeks before check-in?

Luckily, a Web site launching today will help make it easier for you to book an affordable vacation rental at the last minute: PackLate.com. The site has a simple motto: "The closer to check-in, the bigger the discount." A condo in Utah that ordinarily rents for $150 a night on a vacation rental booking site like HomeAway will be offered on PackLate for about $100 a night two weeks in advance, and then, say, $75 a night a week in advance. The site is free to use, but you have to provide your e-mail address or Facebook account access in order to sign up to see deals.

This news is part of a larger trend than the mere launch of a small website. PackLate's arrival means that—at last!—the vacation rental industry is becoming more technologically savvy and its yield-management systems will be hard at work. A sale can now be launched and then ended within hours. For example, many PackLate deals are available for only a three-day, 24-hour, or even 10-minute periods. That means discounts will be lower than ever before, but only sophisticated travelers will benefit the most.

Rates drop by at least 10 percent for bookings made within two or three weeks of arrival. Brokers become desperate to put some heads in their beds, rather than leaving their places empty. PackLate allows owners to offer even discounts of 45 percent off when I looked today, even for Presidents' Week rentals that are normally sold out at peak prices by now.

Even storm clouds and crying babies can't dim the glow of a getaway if you follow sometimes-counterintuitive strategies—all part of the growing field of positive psychology. Gretchen Rubin has attempted to put into practice the insights of positive psychology, and she recounts the story in her new book, The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. We spoke with her recently to find out a few things she's learned from traveling with her husband and two young daughters.

Trip Rx: Pack almonds or another healthy snack. For example, Rubin was recently away with her family and in-laws on an annual vacation. Despite the fact that this place is lovely, she ended up feeling a bit crabby. It wasn't the company that got her down. It was because her vacation schedule had thrown off her diet, and the change in her blood sugar levels affected her mood. Says Rubin: "Being on this vacation means I'm often starving before we eat. I can't eat as often as I would like. The food is richer than the food I usually eat, but somehow it doesn't seem as filling." So now Rubin brings a couple of packages of almonds, and other snacks, to help even out her diet—and moods.

Pack early. "I make the odious task easier by starting a week in advance (my husband packs at 10 p.m. the night before we leave). I bring the big suitcase into my bedroom, and whenever I think of something (sunscreen, passports, adapter) I put it in."

Trip Rx: "Your PDA is a great tool but a poor master," says Rubin. Use it for what it does best: Make reservations, check the weather forecast, get directions. Then power it down, and focus on savoring your surroundings. Or just on chilling out.

An interesting discussion broke out in the comments on our recent post about whether shipping your bags to your destination is smart.

It began with this comment from G:

Every time there is a post like this, someone chimes in with the useless comment that I should travel lighter.
Well, I travel with two car seats, a stroller, two children, two adults and we travel internationally and stay for weeks.
We actually come with a few empty bags (to buy the great bargains in the US for my children's feet, especially) but really—a DSLR, three compact cameras, a netbook, a Macbook, a large business required Dell laptop, two Nintendo DS, a bunch of coloring books, dolls and the Kindle (which has lightened my load) as well as chargers and adapters.
Do these folks have any idea what it's like to travel as a family?…

Diana responded first:

Good grief! You don't have to take your whole house. Find other ways to entertain the kids. When I was a kid we would travel 8 hours and all we had to for entertainment was whatever my folks wanted to hear on the radio and looking out windows.

B chimed in:

I've traveled with 4 children and never needed to take that much. As for the extra suitcases, buy the stuff, pack it in a box and ship it home.

G answered back:

We're giving you the floor! We recognize that our readers are true experts, so we want to hear your thoughts on all sorts of travel topics.

Our October 2010 magazine issue will be devoted to what you tell us.

Let us know your pick for the world's most beautiful city—and why—by posting a comment below. The more details to make your case, the better!

PLUS
Favorite and least favorite airlines?

Favorite national park?

Best food city in America?

Coming soon, our Readers' Choice poll, at BudgetTravel.com/readerschoice

On a day whose main activity involves sitting in front of a TV, why not get some fresh air and exercise earlier in the day? Lift tickets are discounted at 44 ski resorts around the country.

Ski pass discounter Liftopia is hosting its third annual Super Bowl sale: Lift tickets valid for use on that day only are being discounted by as much as 63 percent. A day pass at Vermont's Burke Mountain, for example, which normally sells for as much as $59, is being sold at Liftopia for $30.99. Tickets at Colorado's Crested Butte are available for $44, or nearly half the usual walk-up price.

Check out the list of ski resorts in the Super Bowl bash at Liftopia.

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Super Bowl travel, without a super-high cost