The wedding was a few months ago, but you decided to put off the honeymoon until both of you would have your annual four-week paid vacation from the office. Now, you are ready to start planning and buying all the essentials, such as, airline tickets, hotel rooms, and excursions. You managed to pull off a stress-free wedding, thanks to a wedding loan from a peer to peer lender, and are hoping to do the same with your honeymoon.
Here are a few tips to help you put together a fabulous honeymoon that will give you decades of fond memories without putting you into debt.
Plan Ahead
While it is true that you can sometimes find awesome last-minute travel deals, it is best to start planning your honeymoon ahead of time, even before the wedding. After all, this is the most special trip you will ever take together. Orbitz, CheapTickets, and Travelocity consistently rate at the top of the list of best online travel sites, although there are some smaller specialty sites worth the visit. The best reviews on destinations, hotels, restaurants, spas, etc., can be found on social networking sites, such as Libertrip, WAYN and Couchsurfing. These sites are great for the planning, but also once you are on the road, they offer tips for last minute deals, or how to quickly find a new place should the one you reserved fail to live up to your expectations. Also check out the many travel apps that can help you plan the most awesome honeymoon.
Location
You only have one honeymoon, so for sure you want to enjoy a romantic, intimate getaway in the most exquisite place. Fodor’s 2015 January list of the world’s best honeymoon destinations includes such gorgeous places as the Phuket Islands of Thailand, Bodrum in Turkey, Chile, Nicaragua and Banana Island. Surf the internet and you will find many online publications to help inspire you as you search for the exact location that will bring optimum enjoyment to both of you.
Timing
As they say, “timing is everything,” and when it comes to traveling this is a certain fact. Summertime is the most expensive time to hit the road, whether by air or car. If your office gives you flexibility with your vacation days, try and take them during the off-season, but still pleasant times, such as spring and fall.
Budget
Once you have done your homework and narrowed down your dream locations, list of hotels, costs for excursions, airline tickets and so forth, prepare a detailed budget for each option. Be sure to include unforeseen expenses, such as a missed flight or extra day at the spa. Do you have enough saved up for the honeymoon? Decide how much of a peer-to-peer honeymoon loan you are comfortable carrying. With your final budget in hand, head to the internet and check out budget-saving sites such as PopSugar. Their list of the most amazing, yet budget-friendly destinations will have you dreaming of Antigua, Guatemala, Croatia, and Cambodia. TheKnot.com has a great list of gorgeous honeymoon spots for under $2,500, including Dublin, Ireland, Aruba and Belize. Low budget does not mean boring.
Paying For It All
If you could not save for the honeymoon, or have only enough for a portion of the total budget, then you are going to need financing. You might think to use your credit cards, after all, they are easy and accepted everywhere. However, with the high interest rates, projected to increase this year, you will find yourself paying off your honeymoon debt for a very long time. A peer-to-peer honeymoon loan will provide you with the exact amount of money you need, in a timely, easy and manageable way. Skip the headache, get the funds you need and start packing for your honeymoon.