Do's and Don’ts While Booking Your Honeymoon Tickets! (If You Guys Are Winging It On Your Own)

How far in advance should we book our honeymoon? Where should we go? How can we get the best deal? If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, not to worry, we have the top honeymoon planning Do’s and Don’ts just for you!

Pic via Sherin Sam Photography 

Don’t Procrastinate The ideal time to book your honeymoon is six to eight months prior, especially if you're planning to go to boutique resorts, they book up early. And the cost of airfare increases as your travel date approaches. So, when it comes to booking your honeymoon, the earlier the better! Here's a good tip: Go to Skyscanner and put in India and scroll down to the tag that says "Everywhere", it gives you all the lowest rates around us - so you can pick a date and destination according to your budget. I found like cheap tickets to Australia at Rs 11,000 at one point, can you beat that? The same goes for Kayak too, it aggregates and finds you the best Don’t be fooled by flawless pictures We all know that looks can be deceiving, so don’t rest your honeymoon plans on a handful of overly-photoshop’d images. Instead rely on a real person that has actually been there or best, a travel agent. Do your research well. Tripadvisor has a good collection of pictures against each property - one gallery from the hotel and the other gallery from people who stayed there. Compare the two and you'll know the difference! Don't Just Go On Popular Choices When we booked AirBnB on one of our trips, we realised that it gave us the freedom to cook what we want (so romantic) while hotels were all about room service which was impersonal. At the same time, cleaning up after in our flat was a pain while we had our hotel rooms cleaned up in a jiffy by hotel staff. So choose carefully - hotel or AirBnB? Don't go by popular choices, see what works for you as a couple! Don’t let one person do all the planning A honeymoon involves two people, and those same two people should plan together. Even if one person makes the final bookings, the research should be done as a couple. That ways everyone is happy! Don’t let “deals” be your guide There is a difference between being deal driven and budget conscious. Look for a honeymoon package that is a good value, not a good “deal”. Compare the benefits, amenities, and features, not just the price. Don’t travel a long distance if you don’t have time Flying countless hours to Bahamas when you only have five days doesn’t make sense (unless your heart is set on it). If Bahamas isn’t in the cards this time, start saving for a future trip and take a mini-moon! Don't put in too much into your itinerary Divide it into two parts: Essentials and Spontaneous stuff. Each day, make the first half about seeing the essential touristy stuff and the second half can be dedicated to roaming around and finding your own space - discovering new things and eating at new restaurants etc. Don't spend time on social media Stay off of Facebook and Twitter. You can upload photos and write witty messages when you get back. Remember, this is your honeymoon! Be in the moment. Pay attention to each other and relax. Or maybe just Instagram a few shots - just so we can peek!

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Do use your air-miles Paid all the wedding expenses through your credit card? Now is the perfect time to use all those points or pending miles on the card to book your honeymoon! Do choose a destination that fits your style Don’t travel somewhere because you know someone that went there, find the honeymoon getaway that is perfect for you! Copy-paste honeymoons don’t work. Do set a budget It can be very easy to go overboard when it comes to honeymoon spending, but it’s important to stay within the realm of what you can afford. Take a look at what you know you can afford, set a range and do your best to book your flight and accommodations within that range. Do space out your honeymoon It happens in movies: The happy couple floats from their reception to the airport, en route to their honeymoon. But we advise taking a day off. You may have had a little too much to drink the night before, and you'll definitely be exhausted. Just a one day in between works well! Do check out the best hotel rates  ...by logging onto sites like Hotels.com or Agoda.com you will end up finding hotel rooms at a much cheaper rate than on the site! AirBnB is a great option too to find something in your budget! Do your packing well It’s obvious you won’t carry a bikini set to the Alps, but pack right for your honeymoon. Get all the essentials that you may need in a foreign country down on a list and pack. Right from currency to an insect repellent spray! Do plan your activities well A mix of adventure and relaxation makes for the perfect honeymoon. You'll want to explore new lands but you'll also need time to recharge before getting back to reality. Be sure not to wear yourselves out — or give yourselves an opportunity to get bored. Book Everything That You Can Book Online  Especially when traveling to Europe, it costs a lot at museums and heritage places. Instead you can check the websites of the respective museums and get a good deal. You can club a few together or add in a few more - these not only save your money but booking tickets ahead means, not waiting in long lines! Do Research Well  Honestly, if you are doing a certain city then check up on festivals around that time or even artists visiting on those dates. We only realised after we booked our tickets that Beyonce's Formation Tour was happening at that time and tickets were cheap. Hurrah, it pays to know these things. Just put in "artists + city + performing + dates" into google search. Do Book a Tour  If you research well, you'll know that every city has a tour - bicycle tour or night tour or any fun ones lined up. It might be a cool one, a wine tour can take care of your drinking and checking out new wineries for the whole day. My husband wanted to do the "Haunted Barcelona" Night Tour. Some good restaurants also have offers and things - so best to look up these things ahead! Book with Eat With so you can have a local meal with a local family at a fraction of a price! Do relax, unwind and celebrate You’ve just spent months planning a wedding, sending out invitations and going to countless events leading up to the big day. Now is the time to forget about what you need to do once you get home, and just spend quality time with each other. No stress, no worries, just a week (or more) doing what you love, with the person you just married!