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Boxes from La Bottega del Cioccolato make beautiful, tasty gifts (Katie Parla)

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.

The Capitoline Hill is a more central option. Climb the hill from the via dei Fori Imperiali, following the snaky path up to the viewing deck for sweeping views over the Forum. Pause in Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio, with three elegant 16th-century buildings, and then follow the path to the left of the Palazzo dei Conservatori and climb the stairs to the Café Capitolino, the Capitoline Museum café with a terrace overlooking the domes, towers, and rooftops of the city. It's a perfect spot to steal a kiss or to linger over an aperitivo before dinner.

Make a restaurant reservation as soon as possible if you’ll be in Rome for Valentine’s Day. Hedonists should consider Cantina Lucifero, an intimate family-run wine bar and restaurant specializing in luscious, melt-in-your-mouth steak tartare and in fondue. Bubbling cauldrons of cheese are served tableside with cubes of bread and iron skewers. Polish off a meal with chocolate fondue with fresh fruit (via del Pellegrino 53; about €20 per person, plus wine).

La Campana sticks to seasonal Roman fare, such as tender roasted meats, tagliolini with anchovies and pecorino, and pasta with artichokes (vicolo della Campana, 18; about €30 per person, plus wine). For something lighter, find a cozy table in the wood-paneled wine bar Giulio Passami L’Olio, where you can share cured meats and cheeses over a bottle of wine (via di Montegiordano 28; about €15, plus wine).

And if you feel it just isn't Valentine's without a bouquet, swing by the flower vendors at Campo de' Fiori or Piazza Madonna dei Monti. Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday, Rome’s traditional day of rest, so do your shopping early to avoid coming up empty handed!

Read more recommendations—and ask trip-planning questions—on our Rome city page.

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(Courtesy Anyaka/Flickr)

Jared Wilk, 28, has a girlfriend who loves posting pictures to Facebook, a pastime he doesn't mind, except that it's gotten him into "trouble" with friends and relatives who are surprised to see pictures of him visiting their towns when they had no idea he was in the area.

After his girlfriend uploaded a picture of him running the "Rocky" steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art—a lifelong dream—cousins who live in the area, but whom he hadn't contacted, were "a little disappointed." College buddies in Washington, D.C., were likewise unhappy to see photos of him at the Lincoln Memorial when they didn't know he was in town.

Posting travel updates and videos to Facebook can also upset people who are shy. Some photos that may be cute when shared with your spouse aren't cute when shown to your co-workers and relatives. Does your Aunt Jean back home really need to see photos of you at a resort drinking at a swim-up bar?

Of course, the issues are generational. People under 30 generally post their lives online, while those in their 40s typically don't.

What are your thoughts? Feel free to sound off in the comments.

MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL
Check out Budget Travel's Facebook page

Read our story about how one woman visited Istanbul using no guidebooks and no language skills—only social media and mobile apps like Facebook: The Connected Traveler

(Illustration by Chris Gash)

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.

It was slightly eerie how they were playing the official Olympic theme songs, as well as playing fake sporting event noises from inside the Bird's Nest, wrote flickr user kalleboo, who posted this photo on January 18, 2010 (Courtesy kalleboo/Flickr)

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.

Every host city has to grapple with repurposing these kinds of venues, and some have run into more trouble than Beijing. Athens, whose Olympics construction was plagued by delays and cost overruns, let 21 of its 22 stadiums fall into disrepair. There were even reports of squatter camps in the fields by Faliro Bay Complex back in fall 2008.

Closer to home, Atlanta successfully converted its main Olympic stadium into Turner Field for the Braves baseball team, while Georgia Tech oversees the aquatic center and uses the Olympic Village for student housing.

Lake Placid, a two-time host, turned the athletes' village into a correctional facility, but opened the bobsled and luge facilities to the public. You can take to the ice yourself at the outdoor speed-skating rink at Lake Placid's Olympic Center, where would-be medalists still train. If you're feeling inspired, consider this Real Deal that includes tickets to the Olympic Center, a stay at the Mirror Lake Inn, and lift tickets to Whiteface Mountain.

(Courtesy alohamorrison/myBudgetTravel)

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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.

3. What are some special Hawaiian activities for kids?
Aside from water activities—snorkeling and body-boarding being two popular choices—and outdoor adventures such as zip-lining and mountain tubing that are available around the islands, most of the larger Hawaiian resorts have cultural programs for kids. Everything from storytelling about Hawaiian mythology to native craft-making is often part of the experience. There are also luaus to attend on every island, some more authentic and others more of a show, but most are very kid-friendly.

4. What are some of the best one-day itineraries I can take on each island?

On Oahu: You'll be up at dawn due to the time change and dead on your feet by afternoon due to jet lag. Have a sunrise swim, change into walking gear, and head to Diamond Head for a hike. The climb is fairly strenuous—think lots of stairs—but it affords spectacular views of Honolulu, Waikiki, and the ocean. After lunch, nap in the shade, do some shopping, or visit the nearby East Honolulu neighborhoods of Mo'ili'ili and Kaimuki, rife with small shops and good, little restaurants. End the day with an early, interesting, and inexpensive dinner at one of these neighborhood spots.

On Maui: If you don't plan to spend an entire day hiking in the volcanic crater at Haleakala National Park, this itinerary will at least allow you to take a peek at it. Get up early and head straight for the summit of Haleakala (if you're jet-lagged and waking up in the middle of the night, you may want to get there in time for sunrise). Bring water, sunscreen, and warm clothing; it's freezing at sunrise. Plan to spend a couple of hours exploring the various lookout points in the park. On your way down the mountain, turn right on Makawao Avenue, and head into the little town of Makawao. You can have lunch here, or make a left on Baldwin Avenue and head downhill to the North Shore town of Paia, which has a number of great lunch spots and shops to explore. Spend the rest of your afternoon at Pa'ia's main strip of sand, Ho'okipa Beach.

On the Big Island: Take a day to enjoy the splendors of the Hamakua Coast, or any gorge you see on the road is an indication of a waterfall waiting to be explored. For a sure bet, head to beautiful Waipi'o Valley. Book a horseback, hiking, or 4WD tour or walk on in by yourself (just keep in mind that it's an arduous hike back up, with a 25 percent grade for a little over a mile). Once in the valley, take your first right to get to the black-sand beach. Take a moment to sit here: The ancient Hawaiians believed this was where souls crossed over to the afterlife. Whether you believe that or not, there's something unmistakably special about this place. Waterfalls abound in the valley, depending on the amount of recent rainfall. Your best bet is to follow the river from the beach to the back of the valley, where a waterfall and its lovely pool await.

On Kauai: Start your day before sunrise and head west to Port Allen Marina. Check in with one of the tour-boat operators—who will provide you with plenty of coffee to jump-start your day—and cruise the iconic Napali Coast. Slather up with sunscreen and be prepared for a long—and sometimes big—day on the water; you can enjoy a couple of mai tais on the return trip. Something about the sun and the salt air conspires to induce a powerful sense of fatigue—so don't plan anything in the evening. The trip also helps build a huge appetite, so stop at Grinds in Hanapepe on the way home.

5. What are some Hawaiian "street foods" I must try?
For something easy, inexpensive, and very local, try a "plate lunch," which usually consists of a main entrée (often meat-based), a scoop of macaroni salad, and two scoops of rice. Also cheap and filling is Spam musubi, a Hawaii-only version with the canned ham topping the traditional Japanese rectangular seaweed-wrapped rice snack. Everyone will love "shave ice" (note: not "shaved ice," which if uttered will immediately let people know you're a tourist), a plastic cone filled with extremely finely-shaven ice, sweetened with food coloring and often topped with a scoop of ice cream plus a dusting of tart li hing power, made from dried plum. Also don't miss the great fresh fruits, baked goods, at roadside stands and weekly farmers markets.

REAL DEALS!
See Budget Travel's hand-picked vacation package deals for Hawaii

Earlier: Reader tips on where to eat and sleep in Hawaii

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Auditorium Parco della Musica, a concert venue with three halls and an open-air arena (Couresty patrizia ferri/Flickr)

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.

Michelangelo's monumental vision The Capitoline Museums' annex plays host to an exhibit on the architecture of Michelangelo through February 21. It counts more than 100 drawings, prints, letters, and models related to St Peter's Basilica, Palazzo Farnese, and Piazza del Campidoglio, designed during the artist's nearly forty years in Rome. Keep an eye out for signed drawings and two portraits of Michelangelo. Piazza del Campidoglio, open Tues-Sun 9 a.m.-8 p.m., admission €6.

PLUS
Going to Rome soon? Ask Katie a question on our Rome city page!

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

(Courtesy Josephers/Flickr)

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

MORE

Ask Alex a question about planning a trip to London on our London city page

What's Better than Buckingham Palace?

(Courtesy laratada/myBudgetTravel)

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.

Not sure where to go? Our Nonstop Caribbean tool shows all the nonstop flights to the Caribbean from major U.S. cities, so you can get to the beach faster. And for more trip ideas, check out our Real Deals section, currently with 148 deals to destinations around the world, from $24 a night.

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?

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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.

Another complaint: PackLate is primarily courting vacation rental management companies to get its listings. Our readers have found that those companies often add middleman's fees of up to 50 percent of the rent to a travelers' bill. We hope that more property owners will become hands-on landlords themselves and use sites like PackLate let them rent their rooms directly to you—with deep discounts. One bit of good news: The site plans to soon let travelers contact the vacation rental companies direclty to make an offer below the current price.

One final word of caution: Don't let the time pressure force you into making a decision before you read the fine print, ask the key questions, and ask about fees. During this lingering recession, renters have enormous bargaining power. Don't settle for what's on offer at any website. You may still find that negotiating with an owner directly gives you the best rate.

MORE TIPS ON VACATION RENTALS
Check out our Vacation Rental Handbook.

Prefer to rent through a mainstream travel agency that specializes in advance bookings? Here are the best vacation rental sites to use.

EARLIER
Short-term vacation rentals made easier with Zonder.com

(Courtesy pasotraspaso/Flickr)

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.

Unpack right away. "My husband is adamant about this. The last thing I feel like doing when we arrive home from a week away is to tackle the unpacking, but he's right, we both feel much better when we've put that task behind us. It makes it a lot easier to unwind and enjoy being home."

MORE TIPS!
Writer Robert Firpo-Cappiello interviewed a dozen scientists and researchers to find out other tips on how to have a happier vacation. Check out his article: Get Psyched.

The Happiness Project blog has more details on Rubin's fascinating experiment and her easy-to-read, inspiring book.

Feel free to chime in with your own tips!

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?…

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(Courtesy Nationaal Archief/Flickr)

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:

Maggie wrote:

I tried to resist making a comment, but I just can't.… Seriously G, you don't need three computers, four cameras and two DS to take photos, keep in touch with work and amuse the kids. And I am speaking from experience in traveling internationally with two adults and two children.

Mike F. spoke up:

"G" needs to rethink his/her travel method, a lot of that stuff really is unneeded. 3 cameras ? Can't people share the camera ? I have been travelling with one carryon & 1 personal bag for many years, domestically, to the caribbean, and if you are smart about packing only what you will need you'll be fine. I'm a gadget nut & love my electronics, but people need to experience and look at the place they're going to, interact with real people & events there, & not be glued to a computer/nintendo/etc. That's the whole point of travel! If you need email, web, etc, get a smart phone, leave the computer at home. You can buy /rent things you didnt bring at wherever you go, if you really need to.

Ernest pointed out:

When we were growing up, my parents had a strict "carry-on only" rule for themselves and the five of us kids. So we never checked any bags, even on long European trips. If we couldn't carry it on the plane, then we couldn't take it. Simple.

M agreed:

G - I'm agog that you need three computers and three cameras, two nintendos, and two carseats, plus the extras you noted. I can understand one computer and one camera, but triplicate? Do the children need to be entertained by electronics, especially one who's young enough for a stroller? Car rental companies rent car seats, and strollers can be inexpensively purchased at your destination and then left with the relatives you mentioned. If you're willing to pay all the fees and charges associated with the excess baggage (and that's *not* a snide comment), then more power to you. My family's rules? One carry on per person, no matter how many adults, children, babies, teens, seniors are traveling.

What do you think? We don't want to pick on G, who is on an extended, super-sized trip with his family and may have unusual needs. But more broadly…

Is "packing light" reasonable advice for families? Or is it unrealistic?

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

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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Ask Trip Coach: Ski Vacations

Expert Advice: Top 9 Ski Tips

Super Bowl travel, without a super-high cost