Where to go for a "romantic"/relaxing week?

Wow! You are going to receive a lot of responses. IF it were summer you would have more choices. If you reside in MA. you may be acclimated to the cold. IF so, spend some time in Murren, near a fireplace, make some Samores and eat some cheese fondue(take some original Rotel, to "livin' up the cheese ). If none of the posts sound appealing, check out post for inquiry into a Romantic evening in Rome on this board. (to the boot: Italy) There are several light-hearted ones and don't miss James from Germany's idea,it will work in a pinch. Almost forgot, Spa, Belgium, Radisson Hotel, VERY nice indoor/outdoor pool/spa.

Important question- will you have a car available?

I will not have a car but it's possible we could rent one if there is an exciting enough endeavor with a car. But no, probably not. Thanks for your replies-I'll check out Murren!

OK, probably no car then... In that case, fitting your requirement of relaxing, it would be best to hit a big city or easily accessible resort area. Paris is VERY easy to reach from Kaiserslautern. You're close to the Romantic Rhine, but it can be dead in late October. Along the same lines, most of the businesses in Murren will have shut down by late October and they don't reopen until the ski season begins. If you want to spend sometime hiking in your immediate area, the Pfalzerwald is criss-crossed by thousands of miles of trails and the mountains are littered with dozens of castle ruins. You should be able to find a hiking guide at a local book store.

My vote is for Wiesbaden - smallish city center, very walkable, loads of cultural activities, good restaurants, no stress to visit historic sites but you could go down to the Rhein (maybe even via city bus) if you wanted. Nice hotels, some with spas (Wiesbaden has been a spa because of various springs since Roman times.) It's also easy to reach from Kaiserslautern. Oh, and here's a thought: Heidelberg is not far from you and will probably offer everything you seek. It lies in the valley of the river Neckar which has a somewhat milder microclimate. It's a university town, so there'll be things going on for young people. I change my vote to Heidelberg.

Have you considered Vienna? It's a beautiful city.

For that time of year, my vote is for Paris. Very romantic and great for long, leisurely walks and sitting in cafes. You can do as much or as little as you want. For me, it doesn't get better than Paris.

James in Germany should be along soon to give you tips on a romantic way (his idea anyway) of conserving laundry.

Ghent, Belgium. Great small city with great castle and canals. Easy side trips to Brugges or the coast or Brussels or Antwerp.

Thank you all so much! I think the top contenders right now are Heidelburg, Murren, and Ghent. Now just to decide one or two!

In Austria, we stayed in "zimmers" that were fabulous. Very quiet and with a true feel of the culture. The villages we liked best were Zell am Ziller and Achensee. I've probably misspelled them but great towns with friendly people and good food. We hiked up a mountain, taking verniculars/ski lifts part of the way. Had picnics aside a stream, cooling our wine in the fridged water and basically had the mountainside to ourselves!! Just another suggestion. Paris gets sooo crowded!

For two people in their early 20s... Ghent and/or Heidelberg, definitely! One of the regular posters on this website lives in Murren, and he can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe most of businesses in town temporarily shut down in late October through November.