Affordable Honeymoon Destinations: Where Love Meets Affordability

Need affordable honeymoon destinations? Perhaps you are like the many people who want to kickstart married life with a bang and not a budget blow out. While a honeymoon is incredibly special, online searches for the most affordable honeymoon destinations are on the rise, and budget honeymoon destinations isn’t a dirty phrase if you don’t want to start married life in debt!

The good news? There’s never been a better time to find cheap honeymoon destinations that are still memorable for the right reasons!

(Now cheap as a term is relative. Reading this from the USA? A trip to Paris might be out of your budget. As such, this is a UK focused guide, but keep your eyes peeled as we may add further locations soon!)

Destination highlights for a budget honeymoon 

Okay, let’s think about the best places to go. We don’t know about you, but if we want to save funds, airfare is always going to focus on the budget airlines. After all, travel makes up a huge portion of your honeymoon funds and honeymoon destinations on a budget mean you have to ensure enough to have a great time for a week or even two!

While adventure is great, for a longer and more luxurious trip, you might want to stick to the well trodden paths. Okay, so there may not be rainforest adventure or exploring new lands on the agenda, but you get the benefits of a cheap air fare, lots of available travel times and also, really great connections from across the UK.

Honeymoon Destinations – Affordable Options

Greece

• Attractions: Iconic whitewashed villages of Santorini, historic ruins, crystal-clear waters, and delicious Mediterranean cuisine. You could head to Mykonos, Corfu, Rhodes, and Kefallonia, which are all famed for their incredible beaches.

• Enjoy a day out fishing on the Mediterranean, or hop from island to island on a guided boat tour. Spend your money on travel, soak up the beauty, and save money on dining by heading out to enjoy delicious food like souvlaki.

• Cheap honeymoon destination tip: Don’t think you have to go to Santorini! Many of the mainland seaside places are cheaper than islands and they have the same beaches. E.g. The Peloponnese Region.

Croatia

• Attractions: Stunning Adriatic coastline, historic cities like Dubrovnik and Split, picturesque islands such as Hvar and Korčula. The team here at Collection Pot sees this as one of the best affordable honeymoon destinations.

• What to do: Consider paddle boarding at night and / or boat hire to see more of Split or simply enjoying the foodie delights of Dubrovnik. You may be surprised by the things to do that are cost effective, like entry to the beautiful Plitvice Lakes National Park at just under £15.

• Cheap honeymoon destination tip: Budget-friendly accommodations are easy to pick up here, and AirBnB has a huge range but you might need to head out of the town. In Dubrovnik that means looking to Zaton or Babin Kuk and in Split, head outside the main town. 

Canary Islands

• Attractions: Tenerife, Lanzarote, La Palma, the Canary Islands are one of the most affordable honeymoon destinations and often overlooked. Yet with year-round sunshine, diverse landscapes including beaches, volcanic terrain, and lush forests, outdoor activities like hiking and water sports, this is a dream yet budget friendly honeymoon option.

• Budget-friendly accommodations: The huge range of places to stay make this one of the best budget honeymoon destinations. Apartments, aparthotels, and budget resorts on islands like Tenerife or Gran Canaria, providing great value for honeymooners.

• Cheap honeymoon destination tip: This is a place where all-inclusives are plentiful. With so many choices of 3 – 5 star resorts you can choose to really go all in on a beautiful location, and save budget for exploring other attractions. 

Malta

• Attractions: Malta offers a mix of history, culture, and natural beauty, with ancient temples, medieval towns, and stunning coastal scenery.
• What to do: Explore the historic capital of Valletta, visit the ancient temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, relax on the beaches of Gozo, and take a boat tour to the Blue Grotto.
• Budget-friendly accommodations: Look for guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, or self-catering apartments in towns like Sliema or St. Julian’s for affordable options.

• Cheap honeymoon destination tip: Consider exploring the lesser-known islands of Malta, such as Gozo and Comino, for a quieter and more budget-friendly experience away from the crowds of tourists.

Sicily

• Attractions: Sicily offers a blend of history, culture, and natural beauty, with ancient Greek temples in Agrigento, stunning beaches along the coast, and charming towns like Taormina and Siracusa.

• What to do: Explore Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active volcano, take a leisurely stroll through the picturesque streets of Baroque towns, and indulge in Sicilian cuisine, known for its fresh seafood and delicious desserts.

• Budget-friendly accommodations: Look for agriturismo accommodations (farm stays), bed and breakfasts, or guesthouses in smaller towns and countryside areas for affordable options.

• Cheap honeymoon destination tip: Consider visiting lesser-known destinations in Sicily, such as the Aeolian Islands or the inland regions, for more budget-friendly experiences away from the tourist crowds.

Pro tips to save money on your honeymoon 

Affordable honeymoon destinations start with cautious and proper planning. While each location will have its known hacks and tricks, here are some ideas to get you in a budget mindset that can save money for the more important things. 

Consider cutting the transfer

You are newlyweds and enjoying the adventure, so why not get only the country’s bus or train system and navigate to your hotel or living quarters? With the internet at hand it’s never been easier to get the details and if you fail, an Uber is usually only a few minutes away! 

Sort cheap flights: 

• Get sorted with a flight tracker. Jacks Flight Club will email alerts of cheap flights if you have flexible dates, and Holiday Pirates searches for package deals and alerts email newsletter subscribers. 
• Use Momondo, a metadata search engine that has ‘Flight Insight’ data to pinpoint when is the best time to book, which day of the week to fly and even which airport will be cheapest to fly to.
• Get in there early, not last minute! Research shows that the cheapest time to book is at least 48 days before departure.
• Sometimes an indirect flight only adds a couple of hours to the journey, but could make it cheaper. 

Consider staying on a campsite 

Camping in the UK might have you thinking about drizzle, but in a beautiful location with your new bride or groom by your side, this could be the romance and memory you look back on in a few decades time. Consider buying a tent at the other side after you travel, or looking at a serviced campsite. Check the transport routes and spend time planning if you do take this option! 

Can you reduce food costs? 

Eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner soon adds up and can be a significant portion of your budget which is better spent on seeing the sights, or savings that can set you up for your new life together back home. Consider going to a self-catered property, cutting out formal breakfasts in favour of pastries and fruit overlooking a beauty spot, or looking into experiences that include dinner, such as a cookery class or a wine and tasting tour. 

Can you get cheaper flights? 

Did you know that it can be cheaper to get a flight where your destination is a stop, rather than heading directly to that location? Or did you know that you can look for whole months to choose the best dates, other than picking dates individually? 

Many tools allow you to build your own packages for honeymoon destinations on a budget, but beware the add ons! By the time you have added baggage and picked seats, it may have been worth getting an airline who offers a complete holiday package instead. 

Can you wait? 

No one can wait for a break to celebrate being freshly married, but when it comes to a honeymoon, it can pay to travel out of season. A peak season offers the prime weather and tourist experience, but if you don’t mind some places being closed or a sleepier feel, you can pick up a real bargain. 

Add to your budget with a honeymoon fund 

Create a honeymoon fund so that guests on your big day can choose to contribute to your big adventure and you may not even need affordable honeymoon destinations! A Collection Pot is a personalised, secure and easy way to bring friends & family together to collect towards your honeymoon fund.

Create a Pot and set a deadline for people to contribute. It is free to create a Collection Pot for any occasion!