How to Plan a Honeymoon on a Budget

When it comes to your wedding, you do not want to skip on even minor details. The same goes for the period right after your wedding, which is your honeymoon. Planning the best possible honeymoon is a trend these days, so that, couples can start their new life with positivity. But do you have additional funds lying around after your wedding expenses to plan a honeymoon on a budget?



Here are ways to plan a honeymoon on a budget.

1. Tickets

A lot of people like to plan an honeymoon abroad in places like Maldives, Mauritius, Italy, Europe, Greece, Hawaii. Therefore, flight and cruise tickets are one of the major expenses related to their trip. Excursions bought onboard might be a bit pricier than what you might find in the ports, but they do come guaranteed and if a tour bought onboard is late for boarding in one if the ports, they WILL wait for it.

Not so much for the tours bought in port, where there is no way of knowing where you are and what happened. Cruise in shoulder season to get the best deals. The absolute best time to get cruise offers is between Thanksgiving and Christmas, non-inclusive of the actual holidays. GREAT DEALS to be had. January is also a good time.

2. Hotels

Another thing that can prove to be a major part of your honeymoon budget is hotel or accommodation expense. Thus, even if you want to select 5 Star hotels for honeymoon, you can move ahead with bookings without worries.

Accommodation is one of the major travel expenses in every travel plan. So, get cheapest rooms and try to spend less on hotel rooms. There is no point in spending for premium services when you are on a trip as you will just stay in the room at night to get a good sleep. Rest of the day you will simply roam the places.

Then why to spend much on premium or luxury services? Try to find out good, family-friendly accommodation. You can go for a room share concept or try to find out someone who is renting out their room for few days in a good locality rather than in any hotel or lodge.

3. Food and Drinks

The next on our list of expenses that you can check is pertaining to food and drinks. Unless you’re a heavy drinker, the drink package is not really worth it. There’s free water, juice, coffee and tea available at all times and you can bring one bottle of wine onboard free of charge. Regarding that bottle of wine, if you want it open in the dinning room by the staff, you will have to pay a cork fee.

4. Shopping

If you are a shopaholic who wants to collect souvenirs, don’t buy any gifts on the cruise until the last day. See what you can find in port, and then use the ship as a last resort. That’s when everything goes on sale anyway. There really aren’t any sales going on. Don’t hold off buying whatever it is you like.

Nothing that you see in the shops will go on some miraculous sale on the last day, because they have to get rid of it. Guess what: 5000 other people WILL come the next day. If you like something, get it. Stocks are limited and the shops won’t be restocked if they run out of certain items and it does happen.

If by some accident or communication from the mother ship something does go on sale, the shop staff will always honor the cheaper price if you ask for it. Same thing for port price matching when it comes to alcohol. They will honor it, just make sure you bring a receipt with the lower price from that sailing. It’s ridiculous when some guests ask for a lower price just because they saw a lower price in port. Can’t be honored without proof!

5. Water

Bring a bottle or a refillable water container and fill it up at the gym or spa on the cruise. Most of the time they have citrus infused, or cucumber infused water. The water on the ship is so overpriced. Save the money and get the good stuff. Rinse out the container at night, and you're all good. Oh - and you CAN drink the water from your faucet in the bathroom sink. Since most ships bunker or make their own water in a reverse osmosis plant, it’s all the same.

6. Travel during off-season

You will have to pay around 2 to 3 times more money if you have not planned your travel, stay and itinerary way before the pick season. Book your train tickets, air, airbnb, hostel as soon as your travel itinerary is confirmed. Exchange currency in your own country, before leaving! Travel on a weekday. You can get even cheaper rates depending on your travel dates and area. Plan well to decide in which area you want to put up.

The popular myth is that the Nordic countries are super expensive, but in fact, they’re pretty much on par with the expensive parts of the United States. A sit-down dinner with a waiter in Helsinki is probably going to cost you $30+, especially if you order alcohol. Northern Europe in general is going to be pricier than southern Europe, but, northern Europe has other options.

You don’t have to eat at a sit-down restaurant. And you don’t have to stay at a hotel. In fact, once you cover certain places in Europe on your first trip, the trips that follow in the future will be all budget friendly trips. There will always be things or items you need for your trip or that you need to do before your trip.

It is better to note them down and make a list so that you don’t forget about them. It is extremely important to make a physical list rather than a mental list. It makes checking off items you have packed easy. You can make your travel planner.

Create an email folder for your trip. This one may seem obvious, but again, you'd be surprised how easy it is to forget. Planning a trip can be a long process, especially if you are an all-in-the-last-detail planner. Create a folder or label in your e-mail for your trips and send each confirmation, itinerary, receipt and document corresponding to your trip.

Heck, you can even take a screenshot of every email on your phone. This way you have easy access to confirmation numbers, record locators, frequent flyer numbers, names and addresses, and you no longer have to spend your time searching your inbox.

7. Free museum days

Wherever you are traveling, if you have a lust for visiting art galleries and museums, try availing free museum days. Cities like Berlin and London have them. However, you will find them a bit crowded on those days but that is well justified for saving several dollars. Especially, if you are traveling with a family, it is best to visit museums and galleries on their free entry days. It will help you save a bunch.

8. Activities

If you love educational vacations, visit places that have both wildlife and landscapes to explore. If possible, go to places like America’s East Coast where there are many libraries and books for you to read as you vacation. Museums could also be ideal for you. Google reviews and other online feedback is vital in making the right adventure decision. Don’t go exploring blindly. Look around for the right places to visit on your budget.

When picking your destination, think about the specialties that an area is known for. If you love sports, know which regions people love sports as much as you do. Off-roading, for example, is very popular in California. Snorkeling, on the other hand, is very common in Florida. Even if these kinds of sports aren’t in your primary traveling objective, it is good to know that they are there in case the sporting side of you kicks in.

Spring is the best Mediterranean season - low prices and a nature in full bloom. On the southeast coast of Spain, temperatures are like early summer. Rhodes and Cyprus are the islands that can tempt with 19-24 degrees in April, long before the summer tourist masses arrive. Dreaming of Maldives? You can also visit when prices are lowered in April, at the end of the islands' high season.

Who needs to travel the world in search for a great experience when we are lucky enough to live near the magnificent nature, trendy cities and exciting attractions. We love Denmark for its relaxed atmosphere and picturesque, sandy beaches. Both at Sweden and in Finland, the archipelago is unique and Norway boasts spectacular mountain and sea.

While you are on your honeymoon, there are a number of different activities that you would participate in. Avoid the crowds and do what everyone else is not doing. It can either be visiting museums or even a theme park. All of this would cost you a lot of money. It is especially when you add up the expenses of your entire trip. Go to the pool at night. Eat at off peak hours. See the show that’s less attended. But have fun!

The casino on the cruise line generally give free lanyards on the first night of the cruise. Lanyards go for 5$ - 15$ onboard, but a trip to the casino might get you a free one. Last but definitely not the least; local commuting can also be a significant expense. Bring sufficient cash with you. There are ATMs onboard, but the commission is quite high.