Top 20 places to propose

Thinking of popping the question but don't know where? Read on for our countdown of the most spectacular, charming and occasionally cheesy places to win your true love's heart.

20. Florence, Italy

A loved one. A room. A view. A window seat for two. Watch the sun go down over a glass of Chianti and declaring undying love seems the only possible course. Surrounded by wooded, rolling, emerald-green hills, with a Unesco-listed medieval centre, the drop-dead-gorgeous city of Florence straddles the Arno River. It looks like it has sprung from a medieval illuminated manuscript. Propose here, and you'll be up the aisle before you know it.

19. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

The beauty of proposing in Las Vegas is that you won't have to wait out a long engagement. Get yourself down to a quick-fix chapel and you can get hitched right there and then, following in star-studded footsteps – from Elvis and Priscilla Presley to Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. And fingers crossed, marriage will last longer than other Vegas lovebirds Pamela Anderson and Rick Soloman (six months) or Britney Spears and Jason Allen Alexander (55 hours).

18. Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic

Unless you thrive on an audience, night time is proposal o'clock on Charles Bridge in Prague. During the day it's mobbed by human traffic. But once the crowds have ebbed away, the bridge reveals its beauty. Lined by dramatic statues and surrounded by a fairytale cityscape, it's a fantastical place to go down on one knee.

17. Coronet Peak, New Zealand

Any mountaintop will do, really. But Coronet Peak would have to be among the most sumptuous mountainscapes around. There's something supremely elemental about being able to see for miles. And if you've made it to the top together and still want to get married, obviously you're doing the right thing.

16. Iceland

Hot mud, active volcanoes, steamy geysers and lava deserts: all memorable stuff. So why not propose somewhere in Iceland's otherworldly landscape? Pop the question amid steam and bubbles at the natural geothermal seawater Blue Lagoon. Or travel somewhere remote to watch the natural fireworks of the Northern Lights and produce some sparks of your own.

15. Alhambra, Granada, Spain

The seat of the Muslim rulers of Granada, built in the 14th century, the 'red palace' is Spain's most exquisite example of Moorish architecture. It forms a delicate complex of courtyards, fountains and carving more intricate than lace. Here you'll find many shady, hidden corners: perfect hideaways for the essential question.

14. A felucca, the Nile, Egypt

Arguably the longest river in the world, the Nile is fringed by sand dunes and palm trees, lagoons and lakes. The most romantic way to see it is on a felucca, a traditional white-sailed wooden boat. Pop the question on the shore, during a starlit overnight stop, under a big African moon.

13. Taj Mahal, India

It might be a tomb, but the Taj Mahal is also the world's most spectacular monument to love. Shah Jahan had it built to commemorate his beloved wife (he planned a mirror-image building for himself in black marble). The shimmering white structure, reflected in ornamental pools, is beautiful at any time of day. But sunrise and sunset are the best moments to open your heart.

12. The Maldives

White sand caresses your skin like velvet. Clear sea invites you to take the plunge. Pristine tropical palm-fringed islands and turquoise lagoons lie all around. There are few places more romantic than this archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Once you've popped the question, however, you will be faced with a problem. How can we top this for the honeymoon?

11. Diving

A novel place to ask for somebody's hand is underwater (obviously it'll help if you're both divers). You'll have to write the question on a slate, and might have to make do with a thumbs up/down for an answer, but there's something ineffably romantic about being under the sea surrounded by flitting fish, and any blushes will be well disguised.

10. In a gondola, Venice, Italy

Picture yourself swishing through a Venetian canal in an elegant gondola, a glass of bubbly in your hand. Then ask yourself – is it possible to refuse? But if proposing on water doesn't float your boat, wander through the stage-set-like wonder of Venice's streets to Harry's Bar. Here ask the staff to bring the ring in a glass of champagne. Cheesy perhaps, but this is quality cheese.

9. Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Apparently all that rushing, pounding water produces negative ions that act as an aphrodisiac. Around 50,000 couples get married at Niagara every year, so there must be something in it. You can stand behind the falls, but this might drown out your question. Don't, whatever you do, take a boat. It'll just add to the stress. Speak from the heart and you won't be upstaged, but make sure you stand a good, safe distance – and don't have to shout.

8. In a hot air balloon

The roar of the fire, the rise of the balloon, then silence. You float across the landscape. This is as close to being a cloud as it gets. High above the ground, watching shadows stretch across the ground, a hot-air balloon for two is an eternally memorable place to do the deed. As long as having a balloon pilot listen in doesn't put you off your lines.

7. Empire State Building, New York, USA

Where could be finer to propose than 320m above the rush and hustle of NYC? Follow in the footsteps of Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant, who met here annually in An Affair to Remember and Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle. It's open until 2am, but unless you need a night out on the tiles to build up courage first, the best time to aim for is sunset, ideally on Valentine's Day when the tower is lit up in red.

6. Rockefeller Ice Rink, New York, USA

For romance with built-in glide, propose at the Rockefeller Ice Rink. If you buy the Engagement on Ice package for US$200, the staff will clear the ice of everyone but yourself and your partner, play your song over the tannoy and supply champagne. Get down on one knee to cheers from the crowd. Then you can skate around for your victory lap. It's best to go for this one if you're really sure it's going to be a yes.

5. Above the rooftops, Rome, Italy

Rome put the 'Rom' in Romantic, and there's a plethora of magical places to declare your love in the city. Steer clear of the Trevi Fountain, as the mass of happy-snapping tourists doesn't lend itself easily to romance. Head for the hills instead. The summits of Pincio, Giancolo or Aventino have heartrendingly beautiful views across the city's domes and spires.

4. Sahara Desert, Morocco

A night under the stars in the Moroccan desert is an unforgettable experience. And a proposal in this setting? Well, it could be one of the most romantic nights of your life. A long journey home if he or she says no though.

3. London Eye, London, UK

If you can get over the fact that the package is called 'Cupid's Capsule', this could be a clincher. The London Eye is the world's tallest observation wheel, and you can book a romantic package pod for two (time it for sunset), complete with fast-track boarding, champagne and champagne truffles for 299.

2. Grand Canyon, Colorado, USA

There's nothing like a bit of awesome natural beauty to act as a backdrop for your bended knee. Looking out over this magnificent, humbling sight, 277 miles long and over a mile deep, formed over six million years by the Colorado river – it has got to be a yes.

1. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

The most iconic building in the city of love, the Eiffel Tower sees lots of lovers go for make or break at the top. If it's good enough for Tom Cruise (it's where he proposed to Katie Holmes), it's good enough for us. Rod Stewart also asked Penny Lancaster here, and he's a man who's had some practice – she's his third wife. Plus, if you're still together after all the queuing, then you're probably going to stay the distance