You could fly to Venice for Valentine's Day cheaper than going to hotel in Ireland

Valentine's Day can be an expensive day for couples with prices for restaurants and hotels on the up for the commercial celebration on February 14.

However, while couple scroll endless dine and stay deals from luxury hotels across Ireland, a quick romantic hop to the city of love in Venice, Italy, could work out the same price or maybe even cheaper. 

A quick search on some of Ireland's nicest hotels and Valentine's overnights with dinner and breakfast can go for anything from €250 to well over €1,000. Somewhere in the middle is a fair estimation of what an overnight in Ireland will cost a couple between travel, a meal, a few drinks and maybe a trip to the spa. 

Let's put a figure of €500 on a night like that in a very nice 4 or 5-star hotel, because let's face it, we're not going to slum it on Valentine's Day.

With that figure in mind, our thrifty traveller set about getting a deal to fly to one of the most romantic cities in the world - Venice - for Valentine's.

First up are the flights and flying with Ryanair from Dublin to Venice with cost just over €200 for the basic flights for two people and no checked on luggage. It's just a short trip away after all - travel light and you can avoid given Michael O'Leary those few extra bobs.

The flight over would be on February 13 with the flight back on February 15, so you get two nights and all day on Valentine's Day in Venice. 

You can book a bus from the airport to the city itself for around €10 per person so we're up to €220 and we're already perusing the sights and sounds of Venice.

Hotels range from very cheap to extremely expensive in Venice and if you want to go ultra cheap, the Hotel Canada will set you back just €70 for two people for those two nights but it's Valentine's Day and we've got that €500 budget to work with.

The very nice 4-star Plaza Hotel or Leonardo Royal Hotel Venice Mestre will set you back around €177 for a couple for two nights. That's not bad at all and brings out total spend so far to €397. If you had a cheap meal say for €30 on night one and €70 (average in Venice for two people with a bottle of wine is €55) for something a little more special on Valentine's Night, that brings us in at €500. 

We've got to factor in some walking around money and small expenses but for around the price of a Valentine's Hotel stay in Ireland, you could create a very special memory in an iconic location.

Which one are you choosing?

APPROX. PRICES - VALENTINE'S IN VENICE:

Flights - €200

Transfers - €40 (both ways)

Hotel (two nights in 4-star) - €177 / Alternative option of 3-star for €70

Food - €100

TOTAL - €517 with 4-star option or €410 in a 3-star hotel