Regardless of time and budget, you and your partner deserve time away together - alone. It's time put aside those old excuses and allow yourself to focus on fun, fantasy, festivities and romance.

            First of all, plan a real vacation. It doesn't have to be a world cruise or a first class getaway (unless, of course, you can afford it). It does have to be an honest-to-goodness vacation. No cell phones, no laptops. Check off the dates on the calendar and keep it like you'd keep any business appointment. The planning of romantic travel is a fun activity that the two of you can plan for months.

            And make sure you involve each other in the trip planning. Very often, one partner gets the job of planning a trip that quickly becomes boring. Planning your trips together is part of the romance and half the fun. Visit a travel agent. Try Orbitz- See all the latest flight deals! Collect brochures. Buy a guidebook. Rent a video about your destination. Search the internet for information.

            Do something neither of you have ever done. You can be as low-keyed or as wild as you dare. Go whitewater rafting. Rent a houseboat. Ride in a hot air balloon. Spend the weekend in a local bed and breakfast. Learn to scuba dive. Dance the night away under the stars. It's up to you. Want to make your lover feel first class when you're riding in coach? Before your trip, pack a special bag of first class treats--expensive chocolates, cashews, almonds--then order some wine or your favorite drink. Bring along two colorful napkins or placemats. Enjoy a romantic picnic at 30,000 feet.

            Make sure you go to at least one festival each year. Special events take place just about everywhere. Whatever your interests -- from square dancing to sandcastle building -- you'll find a festival celebrating with a day or two of fun and food. If you don't have the time or budget to go too far, try contacting tourism offices or chambers of commerce within a day's drive of your home for their calendar of events. If you can, make a long weekend out of it. If you've got the time and resources, check out some of the major fun festivals like Mardi Gras or Rio's Carnivale.

            Resolve to take one mini-vacation every month. Even if it's just for the night, plan one tiny slice of a vacation every single month. The only rule: you must pretend you're on vacation. Book a night at a local bed and breakfast. Call your local hotel and find out their non-peak nights (in business-oriented cities, it's usually Friday and Saturday) then plan a short romantic getaway.

            And if you think this means rearranging your budget, think again. The romance you get out of a trip is based on the romance you put in the trip, an investment that's far more important than money. Here are some suggestions:

• Take a mini-vacation in your hometown. Call your chamber of commerce and get a visitor's guide. Find a place where the two of you have never been. Dine at a restaurant you've never visited. Create a five-star atmosphere with a picnic in a park, a basket of cheese and crackers and a bottle of good wine. Bring along a portable CD player for some mood music.



• Stay at an inexpensive motel. While your partner's in the bathroom getting into something more comfortable, do your own turndown service: turn back the covers, put chocolates on the pillows and light some candles.



• If you can't afford a getaway, create one at home. Pick a destination and live there for a night. Serve French food and French wine, for instance. Have a fiesta with margaritas and Mexican food. Learn a few words of the local language. Get a CD of local music or rent a movie shot on site.

            Vacations alone with your partner create a much-needed break in your daily routine. It's not difficult to get bored when each day seems much like the last. Some people may even blame their boredom on their partner. So getting away from it all is an investment in your relationship. It restimulates the romance that often gets lost in the everyday shuffle of jobs and kids. Start planning your romantic getaway now.