You don't have to be an oligarch to enjoy the riches of the Russian capital (although it does help). Tickets for the first low-cost flights from London to Moscow went on sale this week, bringing the notoriously expensive city within reach of budget travellers. EasyJet (easyjet.com) will start a daily service from Gatwick on 18 March with fares from £47.49 one way. Make your roubles go even further by checking into Moscow's newest and brightest budget digs, the Safari Hostel (£20pp, hostelworld.com) and hanging out at the many free exhibitions at Winzavod (winzavod.ru), the city's hippest art and cultural centre, housed in a former winery.
It's a good time to... book a Valentine's event
Once upon a time, no self-respecting singleton would be seen out after dark on 14 February. But now Valentine's Day is one of the best dates to be footloose and fancy free as museums and attractions cotton on to the fact that not everyone wants to spend the evening gazing at a loved one across a candlelit table for two. The Museum of London will be running a 1920s-inspired late-night event complete with Charleston dancing, cabaret, art nouveau craft sessions and a Bloomsbury-style salon (£7, museumoflondon.org.uk), while at the Natural History Museum you can join a night safari led by scientists who will talk about love and romance in the natural world (£28, nhm.ac.uk). Even if your eyes don't meet over the invertebrates, at least you will have learned something new.
A more intimate vibe is promised at 40 Winks, a quirky B&B in east London which runs regular Bedtime Story Nights (dresscode: pyjamas). "Tales of Love, Lust and Longing" is the theme (13-15 February, £30, 40winks.org). The @Bristol science centre is running a party with after-hours access to the exhibits, a pop-up dating booth and the chance to take part in a dissection of a pig's heart (£7, at-bristol.org.uk). Who said romance was dead?
Give me a break: the week's best deals
Half-term hikes Book a family-friendly walking break for February half-term with HF Holidays and children under 11 go free, while 11- to 17-year-olds are half-price. The four-night trips in the Lake District and North York Moors cost £339 per adult and £169 per child over 11, and include full-board country house accommodation, guided walks tailored to children, and evening entertainment (hfholidays.co.uk).
Croatia by design The Hotel Lone is a slick and stylish retreat in Rovinj, on the Adriatic coastline. Designed to resemble a cruise liner, it has 248 rooms, some of which boast their own infinity pools. Rates usually start from around €150 per night but you can save 30% when you book before 15 February for a stay between 2 February and 31 December (lonehotel.com/en/special_offers).
