Honeymoons are often the most memorable trip in one’s life, though anyone with limited funds knows that trying to plan such a journey on a budget can be difficult. There are ways to spend less on a honeymoon trip without compromising the nature of the journey. A willingness to consider alternatives can produce significant savings and also provide a sense of adventure to the voyage. What follows is a collection of 10 ideas to help plan affordable honeymoons:
1. Select a time of year to travel when the majority of tourists will be absent. By doing this, it is possible to cut the costs of the journey to certain locales by half. As an example, it is possible to visit a number of Caribbean locations inexpensively during the summer months.
2. Once you have selected a location, it is important to make airline reservations ahead of time. Many large airlines charge increased prices to anyone reserving seats fewer than 30 days in advance of the flight. Smart travelers will be certain to establish frequent flyer accounts with the relevant airline, and perhaps even a credit card account associated with the airline. My family just made use of United Airlines frequent flyer mileage, which helped pay for a journey to Italy. By charging the majority of our routine costs of living to the United Airlines card, frequent flyer miles continued to accrue.
3. Also be sure to book your hotel as soon as you know where you are going. It’s fairly easy to negotiate prices on rooms during the off-season. You could even look into a short-term apartment stay, or try and find a nice bed and breakfast, and you could save even more money.
4. Before leaving, learn the area and try to find a hotel or bed and breakfast close or central to the attractions you want to visit. If you can find a place to stay that is close to everything you want to see, you are going to be able to walk to everything. Not only will this save you money on taxi fares, this is going to allow you more time to visit what you want.
5. Taking your meals where the local inhabitants eat likely means you are sampling truly authentic cuisine at reduced cost. Dining on American foods away from the States is excessively pricey and likely less appealing than trying the local fare that costs far less.
6. Perhaps one of the most important rules of planning affordable honeymoons involves being aware of exchange rates with regard to different currencies; moreover, know where to get the best exchanges as well (ATMs often have great exchange rates). Merchants know these rates all too well and will offer you prices in local and US currency that will never be in your favor if you let them.
7. The best money to use when you are overseas is the credit card for several reasons: you won’t have to worry so much about pickpockets, you will usually receive a good exchange rate on things you buy, you will have to worry less about carrying local currency, and you will have a nice way to show everywhere you went.
8. Shopping, of course is one of the most fun things to do on any honeymoon, but knowing what to shop for is the key. Have a game plan as to the people you want to shop for and what items are best from the locale that you are visiting. This will cut down on useless, tacky gifts that will either collect dust or just end up being “re-gifted”.
9. Pack efficiently. No matter your destination, or the length of your journey, you always pack more than you need. Also, it is likely that you will purchase some locally-made garments while traveling. It is common to get wonderful bargains on quality clothing and decorative items in the local shops and markets.
10. Public transportation is cheap, efficient, and always an adventure (and a safe one at that) in most places outside of the United States. It is also a great way to see and experience local life.
I hope this list of tips has been helpful. As you can see, planning affordable honeymoons can be a really fun process. More importantly, the more you plan right now, the more you can relax and have a good time on your actual trip.
Check out my site for more about affordable honeymoons. Find honeymoon stories and honeymoon reviews.
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