You’ve probably been dreaming of a honeymoon featuring white sandy beaches and glimmering yachts. The average honeymoon only lasts a week due to financial and professional restraints, so it’s up to you and your partner to make the most of that time.
Your first vacation as a newlywed is an important one, and the Mediterranean is the picture-perfect place to begin your life together as a married couple. With all the stress of wedding planning, however, honeymoon planning often gets pushed to the side. To maximize your honeymoon experience, consider our top tips for honeymooning in the Mediterranean.
Plan the Details of Your Trip
When it comes to the specifics of your trip, it can be fun to go with the flow, waking up each morning and doing exactly as you please. However, some adventures must be planned for, like yacht charters, cooking classes, and lodging in some areas of Europe during the high season. Most travel planners advise beginning preparations at least six months before the big day if you plan to depart for your honeymoon immediately after.
It’s also smart to plan the timing of your trip. After all, the last thing you want is to arrive at the seaside in Barcelona only to find the waters ice cold and the shores deserted. For optimal weather and the full Mediterranean experience, visit in April through November.
When prepping for your honeymoon, it’s a good idea to prepare your electronics as well. Removing all distractions and unnecessary applications from your phone can help you maximize your time abroad. On the flip side, your phone is your means to communicate with friends and family back home and will also come in handy for making phone calls or handling potential emergencies while on vacation. Plan for international data usage, travel adapters, and security concerns when preparing your phone for vacation.
Create a Budget to Maximize Your Vacation Time
After all the time you’ve spent wedding planning, budget spreadsheets and price lists may make your heart rate soar. However, it’s important to maximize your honeymoon budget, and it doesn’t have to be nearly as stressful as you might think.
When creating a wedding budget, you likely paid attention to your own financial situation, spent time researching several options, tracked your spending, and saved where you could. It’s no different for your honeymoon budget! There are plenty of luxury islands dotting the Mediterranean, but there are also more low-cost, budget-friendly alternatives that are just as beautiful and convenient. Price versus location is always a delicate balance to strike, but when you properly plan both your wedding and honeymoon budgets, it’s easy to maximize your funds.
Consider a Destination Wedding
If a week of sailing around the Mediterranean doesn’t sound like enough of a wedding celebration to you, consider a destination wedding. Increasingly popular, destination weddings involve not just you and your partner but also all of your wedding invitees, including family and friends.
Combining your wedding and honeymoon into one is an unforgettable experience to share with your loved ones. Your wedding pictures will have a beautiful built-in backdrop, and a beachside wedding doesn’t limit you to the shore. There’s a boat, rental house, pier, or lighthouse somewhere in the Mediterranean with your name on it!
Weighing the pros and cons of a beachside wedding will help you and your partner decide if you want to say “I do” in an exotic locale or local venue. Some couples even choose to have a larger, official ceremony closer to home and a smaller, more intimate symbolic ceremony abroad.
Take Advantage of the Sun and Surf
The Mediterranean is famous for its stunning blue waters, and you’d be remiss not to spend time soaking in the sun and sea of the area. Countries like Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain repeatedly top the list for European honeymoon destinations, and it’s easy to see why.
These Mediterranean gems offer the perfect place to kick back, relax, and enjoy the sea. Boat outings allow tourists to explore even more of the small islands and coves for which the area is famous. Chartering a boat in Greece, for instance, provides you with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Santorini from the sea, splash around in secluded coves, go scuba diving, or even zip around in jet skis.
If land-based activities are more your speed, there’s no shortage of offerings there either. Gorgeous mountain terrain allows for splendid hiking opportunities and even extreme sports for adventurous couples. For a more low-key honeymoon, opt for relaxing experiences like a private romantic sunset tour in the Algarve. Exploring Portugal with your lifelong partner is a dream come true, and a gorgeous sunset view from the sea is the cherry on top.
These kinds of experiences can only be had amidst the deep-blue waters of the Mediterranean, with the salty sea air coursing through your hair. Choose the Mediterranean for an unforgettable honeymoon experience, and follow the above tips to enjoy a seamless, well-deserved vacation with your new spouse.
Photo by Khamkéo Vilaysing on Unsplash
