Honeymoons are the most awaited trips in couples’ lives. It’s once in lifetime travel that each couple wants to enjoy to the fullest. A honeymoon is a great way to relax and rejuvenate after all the stress that a couple goes through while planning for their wedding. But, honeymoons are expensive affairs. Here we share money-saving tips for your honeymoon for all those who are about to get married and looking for money-saving tips.
Here we go…..
1. Set up a honeymoon budget
The first step to start your honeymoon planning is – setting up your honeymoon budget. It is essential to set up your budget before you start looking for other details, such as destination, accommodation, etc. According to your budget, you can decide on your honeymoon location.
2. Stick to your budget
There is no doubt that honeymoons are exciting and the most awaited trips in a couple’s life. More often than not, out of excitement, couples send lavishly on their honeymoons, which they regret later. If you want to save money on your honeymoon, it is crucial to stick to your budget.
3. Do enough research
One of my friends planned her honeymoon on her own. Instead of taking a professional’s support, she did a lot of research and found out fantastic and amazing deals. She actually saved a lot of money on her honeymoon by doing this. Research is an integral part of your honeymoon planning. Doing enough research can help you find the best deals and fantastic honeymoon locations. You can design your itinerary and save a lot of money on your honeymoon, which you end up giving to a professional otherwise.
4. Compare prices
The key is to play SMART! I know there will be a lot of other things to take care of associated with your wedding. However, you cannot simply make your bookings. The best way is to take quotations from at least five hotels or resorts, compare their prices along with other details. Accordingly, you can choose a hotel that offers you the best deals.
5. Consider off-season honeymoon
It’s no brainer that all the destinations are costlier during peak seasons. If you really want to save on your honeymoon, it’s better to plan an off-season honeymoon. Moreover, a honeymoon is all about having a good time with your significant other. Of course, you would want to have a place where there is less crowd. All the places during peak seasons are crowded and overly populated. Choosing an off-season honeymoon will allow you to save a lot of money and have a peaceful time as well.
Avoid making random bookings. Just because you liked a few pictures on their website is not enough reason to book a hotel. You will need to put in a lot of effort to find out the good deals.
7. Choose mini-moon over honeymoon
Of course, weddings are expensive affairs, and you need to take care of so many things to make them happen the way you want. And honeymoon just after a wedding becomes a tad bit tough for couples who do not have financial support. But each couple desires to spend some time alone in a distant place, especially just after their wedding. In such a case, choosing a mini-moon can be really helpful. You can choose to spend a weekend in a close-by city, and later after six months, you can plan your honeymoon. This way, you will have enough time to save money for your honeymoon!
Trust, mini-moons are also great! You can do whatever you wish to do in your mini-moon. Even a road trip to a tourist destination close to your city can make for a perfect mini-moon.
8. Minimize the number of days for your honeymoon
You may want to have an eternal honeymoon, but it’s always good to have a reality check. If a mini-moon is not your cup of tea, and you are also looking for ways to save money on your honeymoon, then it’s better to cut on days. Yeah, instead of honeymooning for 15 days, you can choose to honeymoon for a week or ten days. Trust, even cutting on the number of days won’t matter if you know the right way. In fact, it could be a perfect way to have a great time together in your budget.
9. Be aware of hidden costs
Your wedding is already a pricey affair, and your honeymoon will also cost you something. While planning your honeymoon, be aware of hidden costs such as visas, airport transfers, taxes, etc. can cost you extra. Make sure you know in advance what is included in the cost of your bookings, for instance, knowing in advance whether your resort has your airport transfer or not or the breakfast is included in the package, etc.
10. Work with Travel Agent
Working with your travel agent can also be helpful. You can consider a travel agent or a trip planner for that extra guidance while planning your honeymoon. There are many in the market already, and they are perfect at their work. They can quickly help you plan your honeymoon, or if you want, they can give you a customized honeymoon package. They are excellent sources to get first-hand destination knowledge. They can help you find the best location in your budget because they have contacts in almost all the major destinations.
Look for a good travel agent; they can help you choose the perfect destination with the right fit, they will do all the planning and researching, and also they will provide clients service while you will be honeymooning. Basically, they take care of everything.
11. Honeymoon Registry
Honeymoon registries are trending. Many couples these days prefer to set up their honeymoon registries over traditional wedding registries. Believe it or not, honeymoon registries are a better option to finance your honeymoon. A honeymoon registry is a service, typically on the Internet, that assists engaged and married couples in financing their honeymoons.
12. Look for all-inclusive deals
Another SMARTEST way to save on your honeymoon is to go for an all-inclusive deal. Yes, a few hotels offer all-inclusive deals. These deals include accommodation, breakfast, pool, pick and drop facility, etc.
13. Consider booking off-hours flights
If you are a frequent traveler, you might know that off-hour flights are comparatively less expensive than the regular flights. Most people avoid off-hour flights; that is why the airfare for these flights is lesser. So, you can take advantage of this feature and save money on your honeymoon. You can choose any of the two, late-night flights or early morning flights.
14. Book Airbnb
Airbnb is another great option to save on your honeymoon. Instead of choosing an expensive hotel for your honeymoon, choose Airbnb. There are myriads of benefits that Airbnb offers, such as inexpensive rooms, wide selection, homestays, etc. Moreover, Airbnb is available in more than 81000 cities and 191 countries, making them widely popular and easily accessible.
15. Choose an offbeat destination
Offbeat destinations are cool and less-crowded. So, they can be an excellent option for your honeymoon, especially when you want to save money. Know that the popular travel destination will always be costlier than the less popular ones. Less known destinations are ideal and can turn out to be an excellent location for your honeymoon.
16. Consider farther airports
Avoid local airports, especially if you are traveling to a less-popular destination. Airfares for such locations will always be costlier because only fewer people travel to these locations. It is better to book tickets for major or farther airports and save money on your air tickets. To reach your destination, you can book a cab or take public transportation, or even some hotels provide pick up and drop facility even to connecting cities.
17. Look for free pick up & drop facility
Believe it or not, even airport pick up and drop can cost you money if you don’t plan smartly. So, it is better to ask your hotel for a free pick up and drop facility. Most hotels provide their customers with this facility; you also check before booking the hotel. And if they are not providing, then don’t tell them you are honeymooning. Hotel staff would consider your request, and if they don’t look for another.
18. Book early
You must book all your tickets, accommodation, etc. in advance. Don’t just wait for the last minute; no honeymoon is planned at the last minute. The benefit of making all the bookings in advance is that you can get the best travel deals and good honeymoon packages. Often people get good deals when they book their tickets in advance.
19. Avoid fancy dining
Every couple wants to have the best time during their honeymoons, but sometimes finding the midway is the best way. When you want to save money on your honeymoon, it’s better to avoid fancy dining. When I say fancy dining, it means eating inexpensive hotels. Of course, once or twice is okay, but daily can be expensive. Instead, you can consider eating at the hotel. If you are in a homestay, then cook your meals. Buy groceries and food items from the local store. It will let you save a lot of money.
20. Look for other modes of transportation
Instead of traveling by air, you can consider traveling by train or bus. Train and bus fares are always cheaper than airfares. If you are planning your honeymoon in your own country, then consider a different mode of transportation. This way, you can save a lot of money.
21. Try public transportation
Opt for public transportation for local traveling during your honeymoon. Private cabs or uber can be costly. They will add to your budget hugely. Thus, it is better to try local buses, etc. Not only will it help you save money, but also you can experience the local touch of the town.
22. Keep your itinerary short
Of course, you would want to experience and see everything in the town during your honeymoon. But don’t forget that it will add to your cost. It is better to make a list of places that you MUST VISIT and stick to it. Keep your itinerary shot and to the point. This will help in many ways, like saving money, which you will otherwise spend visiting different locations. Also, you will have time for yourself. Know that honeymoons are special, and the time spend on the honeymoon won’t come again. So, you must make your itinerary worth it. Instead of hopping from one place to another, you should get enough time for each other.
A honeymoon is not an adventure trip; it is, in fact, a trip to have some relaxed time with each other. It is time to know each other, come closer to each other. The adventure you can do any time later in your life, right now, just focus on each other!
23. Use travel reward credit points
If you are a frequent traveler, your travel credit points can be your savior. Frequent travelers easily qualify for a travel rewards credit card that earns points or miles for every dollar they spend. You can use your miles to take care of your travel purchases or book travel directly.
Besides, you can join as many hotel and airline loyalty clubs as possible – they don’t charge membership fees. All you have to do is – enter your member number while booking a flight or room. You can even make a booking on third-party booking websites. Watch your point balances carefully to make the best use of them.
24. Call your hotel directly
It is advised to call your hotel directly for any query. Calling your hotel directly can let you have further discounts or accentuated offers. You can even find out which rooms are best in the hotel, inquire about weekend rates, extended stay discounts, and seasonal promotions. Like this, you can have the most up-to-date information about the hotel and its offerings.
25. Don’t hesitate to tell you are a honeymooner
Don’t hesitate to play a honeymoon card. Whenever you inquire about rates or make a reservation, don’t hesitate to tell the person that it’s for your honeymoon. You never know; you can even get a free bottle of champagne or maybe the hotel’s best room at the discounted price. Try it out!!
Summing it up…..
These are the 25 money-saving tips for your honeymoon. All 25 tips are tried and tested. You can try all of them or whichever you find the best fitting to your needs.
