Honeymoons: What You Need to Know Before You Plan
For many couples, the honeymoon is the first major vacation they have had to plan and go on alone. Sure, they went on trips with their own families and may have journeyed around their country with friends, but honeymoons, particularly those to exotic locations, require more knowledge of the travel industry than the average person typically has.
The best examples come from honeymoon packages. These packages are great ways to make planning the trip easy but the descriptions can often be confusing, especially to individuals who have not had much traveling experience. For example, many packages include food but this information is usually described as an American Meal Plan, a European Meal Plan, continental breakfasts, Modified American Meal Plans, etc. All of these are different. An American Meal Plan includes three meals while the modified version only includes two. The European plan actually doesn't include any meals, and a continental breakfast usually consists of rolls, fruits, and coffee typically served in a lobby area of your hotel. Without knowing these differences, you might end up thinking that all or none of your meals were covered in the package.
Another example may arise when you are booking your honeymoon flight. For instance, many people don't know the difference between a nonstop and a direct flight. A nonstop flight is just what it says – it goes right to your destination without making any stops along the way meaning it's usually going to be far faster than your other choices. A direct flight goes from Point A to Point B without requiring you to change plans, but it does make stops at other airports. However, you don't have to leave the plan during these stops. Obviously, a direct flight is going to take longer.
If you're dealing with packages, you also want to be careful about the wording they use. Some packages are called all-inclusive and that gives the impression that everything you need during your stay will be included in the price of the package. That's not always the case. Some packages will include your transportation to and around the destination, others only include a rental car, and still others don't include any transportation. Some include meals while others don't. Almost all of them will require you to pay for your own alcohol and tipping. Before you purchase any package, you need to read all of the details and find out exactly what is included and what isn't so you can accurately determine how much spending money you need.
You will also need to do some research about the country or area you are visiting before you start making arrangements. That's because the same terminology we use related to travel may be different than what they use. For example, an Italian hotel manager won't know what you want if you ask for a queen-size bed. Instead, you would ask for a matrimonial bed. Most of these beds are slightly wider than standard queen size beds and some are almost as big as king-size beds.
The bottom line is that if you want to plan a perfect honeymoon, you'll need to do a little research or talk to an experienced travel consultant before finalizing any details.
Leave a Comment