Luxury European Honeymoon Mistakes to Avoid

I know, I know. You are busy searching Pinterest, making lists, and planning out all of the details of your big day. It's a lot! The honeymoon is another significant expense for most couples, so it is important to avoid these mistakes when planning your honeymoon.

Article Title

As a travel agent that specializes in honeymoons and romance travel, these are the things you should avoid:

1. Waiting too late to book
close with time management words all around

Planning a wedding is time consuming. Throw in work or school and it is downright crazy at times trying to fit everything into your day. But procrastinating on the honeymoon plans too long can be costly. Especially if you will be traveling during peak travel season (for most places this will be when school is not in session), delaying the honeymoon game plan will limit the availability of options. 

If you start early, you will also be afforded the option with Endless Routes Travel to make payments and work this cost into the wedding budget. 

2. Booking in your married name
adult-blur-business-1266017

Airlines are extremely strict about passports matching the name on your ticket EXACTLY. If you are planning to go on your honeymoon soon after your wedding, you will want to book everything in your maiden name. You won't have time to change your name on everything and apply for a passport in time. 

The good thing is that you can change your name on your passport within one year of issuance for free. 

stress

In the weeks leading up to your wedding, the honeymoon will be more of an after thought. Your energy will be going in to making sure your wedding day goes off without a hitch, instead of prepping and packing for your honeymoon. Instead of trying to stress out about catching a flight the next day, I always recommend giving yourself at least one day in between so your stress level doesn't go through the roof. If you need to drive any significant distance to get to an airport, this is especially important. 

4. Not buying trip insurance
umbrellas

I get it. Insurance is not a "fun" way to spend money. However, from personal experience and seeing how it has saved my clients thousands of dollars, it is something that I won't personally travel without. 

There are too many unexpected things that could prevent you from traveling even when you are adamant that there isn't. Here are real emergencies and scenarios that have prevented or almost prevented them from traveling.

  1. Got sick with flu-like symptoms and was unable to travel
  2. Grandmother's health was deteriorating
  3. Military revoked approved time off/leave
  4. Client had kidney stones the day before travel
  5. The airport clients were flying into was shut-down due to a strike

Give yourself that peace of mind and additional protection with travel insurance. 

5. Not checking weather for the destination
monsoon in nepal

Most destinations have an optimal time of year to travel based on weather. Depending on your preferences, there may be times of the year you will want to avoid a destination. If you don't want to be rainy and cold, avoid Ireland in the winter. If you can't stand 100 degree temperatures, avoid Cancun in the summer. 

Remember, if it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is summer in the other half of the world. So literally there is somewhere you can go at all times of the year. 

6. Booking basic economy seats
airplane full of people in seats

It's very easy to book a basic economy seat online if you aren't careful. So many of the big name online travel websites include these restrictive airline fares as a default. As a rule of thumb, I avoid booking these fares for my clients due to all of the limitations and restrictions. For a honeymoon, one of the biggest drawbacks of these fares is the fact you do not get to select your seat assignments. If you would like to sit next to your soon-to-be spouse, paying the extra money to have a regular economy fare is worth it.

Need help planning your honeymoon?

See how Endless Routes Travel planning services work and can make planning a breeze.

LUXURY VACATION GUIDE

Luxury travel ideas for those seeking the ultimate experience and exclusive access - from customized itineraries to the latest luxury ships.

Budapest