Taking the Kids: Romance any time you can make it happen

Portugal is a popular destination and the kid-friendly Martinhal Lisbon Chiado (kids will love the bunk beds!) has a kids’ club open in the evenings so parents can enjoy a guilt-free night out.

Adventure trips offer lots of romantic possibilities — even with kids along. Backroads, which offers three distinct categories of family adventures based on the kids’ ages, has dedicated youth staff so parents get a break. And without the kids, there are plenty of romantic trips – everything from a Vermont bike tour to a Greek islands adventure and a winter trip to Yellowstone. They’ve spurred many proposals!

You shouldn’t feel any guilt getting away without the kids, experts say. You want the kids to see that your entire life doesn’t revolve around them. And if you plan right, they will thoroughly enjoy their vacation from you, whether staying at a friends’ house, with grandparents, a favorite sitter, etc.

The key: If you are leaving the kids behind, you don’t want to be surrounded by other people’s kids.

The adult-only Virgin Voyages recently introduced its most inclusive offer ever: as long as you book by the end of February: Buy one Sailor and get the second Sailor 55 percent off, plus up to a $600 bar tab depending on the voyage length ($300 for voyages six nights or fewer, and $600 for voyages seven nights or more), or plan ahead for a voyage through the Greek Isles or to Bali this summer and fall.

The all-inclusive adult-only Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Golf & Spa Resort in Cabo (their Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Golf & Spa Resort is designed for families) is touting a special romance package. (Book by March 15 for travel until Dec. 19 with everything from a couples massage, tequila tasting session, private dinner on the beach and a keepsake glass heart made by the San Miguel Blown Glass Factory from recycled bottles sourced from the resort and more. Prices start at $3,125 for three nights for two.)

Sandals resorts, popular for intimate destination weddings (get a free wedding with a three-night stay!), are exclusively for guests 18 and older. We enjoyed our stay at the 74-room Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica: Look for deals at the newest Sandals Royal Curacao where even PADI-certified diving is included and there is a stocked bar in every room.

Plan a trip around your passions — visiting off- the-beaten-track wineries, backpacking, baseball (spring training!), the night sky (gaze at the night sky in the Sonoran Desert in Scottsdale with Stellar Adventures) and, of course, cooking, perhaps in Italy.

Take a romantic pizza-making class with Bettoja Hotels and discover the history of this traditional dish. Plus learn how to make a real Napolitano pizza from scratch during a workshop inside one of the best Roman pizzerias in the Eternal City. Chef Gabrielle Hamilton is hosting a week-long culinary cycling tour of Sardinia with Tourissimo May 26 to June 1. The Tuscan Women Cook culinary vacations that combine cooking classes with cultural immersion in the heart of Tuscany are so popular that this year’s classes are sold out. Book for 2024.

I’m ready. Are you?

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia and The Kid’s Guide to Camping are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)