How Much Does A European Honeymoon Cost?

A European honeymoon or holiday is on everyone’s bucket list. The enchanting landscapes, rich history, and romantic ambience make it an ideal destination for newlyweds seeking an unforgettable experience. However, amidst the excitement of planning the perfect European honeymoon, there's an important factor that often comes into play: the budget. So we decided to unravel the mysteries behind planning a honeymoon in Europe and answer that million-dollar question - How Much Does A European Honeymoon Cost?

We give you the nitty-gritty of honeymoon budgeting and planning – from flights and accommodation to dining, activities, and those extra-special experiences that make your honeymoon truly magical. Two special itineraries – for Paris and Switzerland along with costing. Along with that detailed tips and tricks on how to plan your honeymoon at any European location. What more do you need?

Image via @the.happy.postcard

So let's dive right into it!

Paris

Image via Pinterest

Best Time to visit Paris – While the best season is June July, we recommend the months of April, May and late September because of the heat and crowds in June and July in the last few years.

Things to do:

You can do endless things in Paris but we have curated a unique itinerary for you. But if you are in the mood to do touristy things, you should not miss the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, Luxembourg Gardens and the Tuileries Gardens.

Image via Pinterest

Day 1 to 3 - Visit the Musée d'Orsay, a world-renowned museum housed in a former railway station. Admire the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces on display. You can also check out Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic chapel with stunning stained-glass windows. One of the afternoons, take a walk through the Jardin du Luxembourg, a beautiful park in the Latin Quarter. You can take a boat cruise on the Seine River. Admire the city's iconic landmarks from a different perspective.

Day 4-7 – Keep a day for shopping if you are looking to shop at one of the most fashionable places on the planet. For trendy stuff, check Marais, home to a mix of high-end boutiques and independent shops. If you want luxury shopping, check Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.

If you are in a mood for a day trip, go to Versailles, the former royal residence of France. You can also visit the Trianon Estate, a series of palaces and gardens located on the grounds of Versailles.

Places to eat - Bistro Paul Bert, Le Comptoir Général in the 10th arrondissement, Le Bouillon Chartier, Breizh Café, L'Arpège for some Michelin star food, Les Deux Magots and Café Marly for the stunning views of the Louvre Museum and the Tuileries Gardens.

Mid-Range Hotels - Hotel Bourg Tibourg, Marais, Hotel Paradis, Hotel Bienvenue and Hotel Albe Bastille

Total Trip Cost for a budget trip for two people: INR 3,00,000

Stay – INR 1,00,000 Flights – INR 50,000 per person Food & Drinks – INR 60,000 Misc costs – INR 40,000

The prices include flights from Delhi for mid-2024 dates and mid-budget hotels. The costs will vary depending on your location of flight, hotel choice and any other personal costs.

Switzerland

Image via Pinterest

Best Time to Visit Switzerland – June to August is their best season, weather wise. But if you are looking to cut costs or want to go skiing then April-May and September-October (for spring/autumn seasons) and November to February for peak winter seasons are the best!

Things to do:

Image via Pinterest

Day 1 -3 – You can choose to stay anywhere in Switzerland but we recommend Lucerne as its connectivity is top notch. On day one you can take a cable car to the top of Mount Pilatus for stunning views of the Swiss Alps and Lake Lucerne. If you want to do something unique, you can also take a day trip to the Swiss Museum of Transport, one of the largest and most comprehensive transport museums in the world. We definitely would recommend Mt. Titlis if this is your first time. Take a train to Engelberg and take a cable car to the top of Mount Titlis. Enjoy the panoramic views from the Rotair revolving gondola, and visit the Glacier Cave

Day 4-7 – Depending on what you want to do, you can either do day trips to Grindelwald and Zermatt in these 3 days. At Grindelwald, Take a cable car with stunning views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains. Enjoy the Cliff Walk by Tissot, a suspended walkway along the cliff face, and the First Flyer, a giant zip line. At Zermatt, you can visit the Matterhorn Museum to learn about the history of this iconic mountain. If you want to do more unique things or this is a repeat trip to the Swiss, this is what we recommend:

• Visit the Swiss Chocolate Trail, a self-guided tour of the Swiss chocolate industry
• Go wine tasting in the Lavaux region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its terraced vineyards.
• Visit the Swiss Open Air Museum Ballenberg, an open-air museum with over 100 traditional Swiss buildings from all over the country.
• Check out the Alpine Cheese Museum in Gstaad

Places to eat - Restaurant Old Swiss House, Lucerne, Restaurant Zeughauskeller, Bern, Restaurant Chesa Grischuna, Interlaken, Café Sprüngli, Zurich, Café Kornhauskeller, Bern and Café Matterhorn Blick, Zermatt amongst others

Mid-Range Hotels (Lucerne) – Bettstatt-Neustadt, IBIS Lucerne, Holiday Inn and Hotel Sonnenberg

Total trip cost for a budget trip for two people – INR 3,55,000

Stay – INR 1,20,000 Flights – INR 55,000 per person (to Zurich) Food & Drinks – INR 75,000 Misc costs – INR 60,000

The prices include flights from Delhi for mid-2024 dates and mid-budget hotels. The costs will vary depending on your location of flight, hotel choice and any other personal costs.

Things that are not included in the cost – visa fees, any special dinners or travel plans, any car rentals, tips and shopping!

Package Based Honeymoons

If you opt for a tours and travels package, you know exactly how much you are paying for what. Most tours are all-inclusive in terms of stay, meals, travel and basic stuff so you are 95% covered in the cost. And most European tours begin from INR 1,50,00 upwards when it comes to honeymoons for 7n/8 days packages. Try Thomas Cook, SOTC and Cox & Kings for all-inclusive packages. They include airfare, airport transfers, hotel accommodation, basic sight-seeing plans and all meals. But that means, travelling in a pack, on a bus with others.

But if you want to do it on your own, the costs change a bit.

On Your Own

But if you don’t want to be surrounded by other people and crave for some privacy (after all, it’s your HONEYMOON!) you can travel Europe on your own too. This gives you the flexibility to pick and choose what you want to do and for how long. Also, if you are on a budget, you can always pick wallet-friendly destinations as well (Check 7 Affordable (But Stunning) Places In Europe To Travel To With Your Bae!) Countries to Choose: Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greece and Czech Republic are relatively cheaper than countries like England, Switzerland, Croatia, and France.

But there are too many variables when it comes to Europe so always average out the cost while you plan. Always remember that all your costs will depend on what season you are travelling. If you are honeymooning in the summer – costs and lines at all popular places will be higher and longer!

We also have 3 Unique European Itineraries For Your Perfect Honeymoon if you aren't keen on research work! 

Airfare

Airfare is the most expensive part of your European honeymoon as airfares across the globe have risen thanks to the oil prices. Most flights cost anywhere between 40k-90k depending on which month you choose to travel and what destination you pick. For example, flying to Zurich is much more expensive than Frankfurt or Amsterdam. You can always take a train from these airports and travel to the destination of your choice.

We recommend that you don’t travel in summer since the airfare will be exorbitant and will be crowded. Chose the extreme start or end of the peak season where the crowds are less yet places are open and beautiful. Don’t rule out a winter honeymoon in Europe too – as the snow is glorious in places like Switzerland! For cheap tickets, For cheap tickets, check Hopper, Kayak, and Skyscanner. Put your dates and brackets, and the app tells you when tickets are lower. Also, don't forget to check 5 Super Affordable Flight Options For Your European Honeymoon!

Stay

You have a plethora of choices when you are staying in Europe – hotels, Airbnb, hostels and homestays. On your honeymoon, we recommend hotels and Airbnbs that are close to the main city. This way you can cut down on travel costs and walk around the city. Hotels in Europe vary depending on the place you chose to stay. An average range for a double room at a mid-range hotel will cost you INR 9000- INR 20000 per night. If you want to stay at iconic hotels or luxurious places – it will set you back by Rs 35,000+ per night. Depending on your budget you can pick Airbnb as well. Ensure you pick something that is highly reviewed and rated so that you don’t have to worry about anything. If you want to go all out, check out this Amazing Italian Glamping Experience Is The Offbeat European Honeymoon You Need!

Country Of Choice

Your destinations are going to be a major factor when it comes to cost. Pick countries that are next to each other so that you save on internal travel costs. Most people pick Switzerland for its natural beauty, but Austria is equally gorgeous yet much cheaper. People often think that Greece ends at Santorini and Mykonos, but there are plenty of other islands and places which are much prettier and less crowded. So pick well and that will drastically change your cost. Check out Affordable European Destinations For Your Honeymoon!

Other Costings

Photography by Ever Photo Shoot

Schengen Visa

The current visa cost per person is INR 7088. do note that if you are travelling out of the Schengen area, you will have to apply for visas separately to those countries.

Eurail Pass

Approximately INR 40,000 for a 15-day Global pass. If you are doing a quick trip, then you can also opt for the 4-day global pass for INR 20,000.

Sightseeing

For Colosseum, Eiffel Tower, Vatican City, Louvre museum cost around Rs 15,000 for tickets. You can put aside some money for such museums and palaces: Factor in 10K a day per head at least if you're actively sightseeing. There are also specific days of the week where some popular sights are free for tourists, but they are also the days when it's super crowded.

Internal Travel

Cabs are expensive, so a quick rise will set you back by at least INR 1000-2000 per ride. Buses for intra city travel are your best bet with tickets starting at INR 700 onwards. If you are planning to travel by car – you can hire a self-drive vehicle for INR 5000 onwards. Please check your driving licence is valid in the said country you are travelling.

Meals

An average cost of INR 1000+ per meal, per person, should suffice for daily meals. Please note that this doesn’t include fancy dinners or exotic meals. Meals in good restaurants and cafes should set you back by INR 2000 per person at least.

Miscellaneous

The tipping culture here is around 5%-10% and isn’t stringent. If the service charge is optional, you can remove it and pay a tip! Theatre tickets start at Rs 1500 and go up to even Rs 15,000.

Travel Insurance

At least around Rs 4k or more. Get this one as if you get Covid or you are stuck in a hospital with a food allergy, it'll drain your savings!

Total

Total cost for a week is likely to be between 1 -2 lakh per person depending on the choice of location, hotel, flight and where you eat out.

Doing Europe for much cheaper is possible but you are on your honeymoon so don’t be conscious continuously about what you are spending on each moment. Draw up a budget and stick to it. Don’t compromise on experiences because you may not do that country again. Check The Most Quirky Things To Do On Your Europe Honeymoon and try to at least do a couple if not all!

Image via She Wanders Abroad

Things To Remember To Save Big

• Book tickets at least 5-6 months in advance
• Check websites for annual sales - like MakeMyTrip or Booking.com
• Work on references - ask friends and family for their reccos for Airbnbs and you will end up saving on time and headaches!
• Pick countries and cities that are pretty yet not super touristy
• Eat local. A pizza in Europe will always be much cheaper than Indian paneer masala or dosas!
• Carry food. Most delis and patisseries do packed sandwiches and bagels. If you are sightseeing, this can be a quick lunch!
• Don't discard hostels quickly. A lot of them are better than 3-star hotels in India and do private rooms. You will save big if you are ok with no room service!

Disclaimer: This one is a bit of a relative cost in places because our experiences could be different from yours. A trip to Interlaken will be very different from a trip to Greece - in terms of costs and experience. But that said, on average, these costs give you an idea of what to expect. Happy Honeymooning!