Fancy a five star honeymoon but without a five star budget?
Your honeymoon is meant to be the holiday of your lifetime, spent with the love of your life. But how much would you pay for it?
According to Hotels.com, some newly-wed couples are happily prepared to blow the budget; its recent research revealed that the average cost of a honeymoon has soared from £2,963 in 2006 to a whopping £4,063 this year.
I’m getting married in October, and although my fiance and I are yet to make a final decision on our honeymoon destination, there are three things we have decided on. Firstly, wherever we go, we’d like to stay someplace luxurious. Budget holidays are fine, but then again we do that all the time and it would be extra special to stay somewhere magical on our honeymoon. Secondly, we won’t be asking guests to contribute to our honeymoon through a gift list. And thirdly, we definitely won’t pay over £4,000 for a two-week holiday, especially not after our big fat Asian wedding.
So what if, like me, you want all the luxury of a five star honeymoon but aren’t prepared, or can’t afford, to pay extortionate costs? With a little organisation and creativity, and a lot of hours spent online, I’ve found ways to bring down the costs, whether it’s haggling, clever online searching or making use of some great websites. Here’s what I found in my search for the perfect luxury but affordable honeymoon - now it’s just the small matter of booking it...
Avoid package honeymoon deals at all costs!
As soon as you specifically search for a “honeymoon deal”, prices will soar. A package honeymoon trip will typically put you in a more expensive honeymoon suite and will charge costly extras (such as a private driver) - all of which will significantly bump up prices. Instead, use the honeymoon packages for inspiration on where to travel, places to stay and itineraries.
You can then build the same package yourself by searching for your own flights and directly contacting the hotel for rates (more on this later). It takes time but will save you a considerable amount of money.
Just keep in mind that you won’t be ATOL-protected if you forgo a package deal, so do remember your travel insurance.
Luxury doesn’t have to mean long-haul...
Most travel agents and travel websites all list the Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives, Hawaii and the like as top honeymoon destinations. They are undoubtedly stunning places, but also among the most expensive to visit.
Since they fall into the long-haul category, the flights alone will take you over-budget. Also their popularity as honeymoon destinations means hotels can easily put their prices up due to demand.
If you haven’t got your heart set on somewhere far-flung in particular, then look a little closer to home. The money you can save on flights can go towards the luxury boutique accommodation you’ve always dreamed of.
...Nor does a honeymoon have to be a beach resort
Think outside the box and don’t honeymoon where every other couple does (see above). City or rural breaks in quirky accommodation that doesn’t carry a conventional “honeymoon” tag (cottages, luxury yurts, pretty B&Bs) can feel sumptuously cosy once you get there. Visit 101 Honeymoons.co.uk for accommodation ideas.
Mini-moon now, honeymoon later
If you don’t have the budget to fly away for a fortnight, treat yourself to a three or four day staycation break in a romantic bolthole. Being away for a shorter time period means you’ll spend less and you can always save up for a longer holiday to take later.
Sign up to flash sale travel websites
Flash sale website VoyagePrive.co.uk offers holiday savings of up to 70% on luxury hotels but it really only works if both of you aren’t too hung up about the country you visit, as the choice of destinations is limited. The deals last for about five days, so get your skates on to bag a deal. Some long-haul destinations are admittedly what many of us would consider over-expensive (over £1,000 each) but others are more attractive especially when you take into account that the accommodation is almost always five star.
I found a particularly tempting deal to Morocco for just over £500 each to stay six nights half-board in a suite in an opulent secluded riad, including flights, transfers and breakfast, plus little honeymoon perks.
You also have the option of finding your own flights. A week half-board in a luxury Umbrian spa would cost you £239 each, but book budget airline flights, and you could easily be enjoying the good life for a lot less than it would otherwise be. Also try Jetsetter.com. Recently launched in the UK, its flash sales are pricier than VoyagePrive.co.uk but you might just strike gold.
Contact hotels yourself
I’ll admit I’ve wasted hours drooling over gorgeous, over-priced hotels and B&Bs on the likes of MrandMrsSmith.com and DesignHotels.com. I searched online for three hotels I particularly liked and emailed them directly - unsurprisingly, each one came back with slightly cheaper rates than quoted on the original websites I found them on. Plus, one of them even threw in a 20% discount because I mentioned the H word. Which leads nicely onto the next point...
Use your honeymoon to haggle to your advantage
There’s no harm in asking if you can either get a discount or an upgrade because you’re on honeymoon. In some scenarios, it can seriously pay off - whether it’s a flight upgrade, a room upgrade, a discount off your honeymoon accommodation or a few free spa treatments or a free meal. Most hotels go out of their way for honeymooners - so milk it while you can!
More: Airlines defy ruling to stop charging ‘unfair’ fees | The worst summer holiday rip-offs