Top tips for booking the perfect honeymoon

1. Once you have decided on your honeymoon destination, book as soon as you are able. June, July and August are always busy times for honeymoon travel, as is the Easter and Christmas period. Of course your wedding date will probably determine your honeymoon travel plans, but whilst it is i t is a tradition to go on honeymoon soon after the wedding, more and more couples now delay their travel date to within a few weeks of their wedding for the sake of convenience or other commitments.

2. Do try to avoid booking a honeymoon during the school holiday period. Couples without children often overlook this, but it can make a huge difference to both the cost and the honeymoon experience. This may be one of the few times in your life when you can travel outside of the school holiday timetable, and you should really make the most of it.

3. Book with a reputable tour operator. Companies like Kuoni specialise in the honeymoon market and so you can often get a package that includes a better class of hotel or airline. Kuoni , usually uses scheduled flights, which in a lot of cases make flying times shorter. To have a memorable and trouble free honeymoon it really is worth going for a specialist operator like Kuoni.

4. Work out and plan a honeymoon budget. Whilst it’s nice to look forward to an exotic break after all the that hectic wedding planning, it’s no fun if you have not budgeted for things like room service and romantic cocktails by the hotel pool.

5. These days some of the best honeymoon deals can be found online directly through the tour operator. They are cheaper because the tour operator does not have to give a travel agent a commission. This saving is then passed onto the customer.

6. Check in online. Many airlines now offer an online check in service so that you can check in online 24 hours before your honeymoon flight departure. In fact, many airlines are changing to e-ticket systems where you have little choice but to check in online. This sometimes means being directed to an electronic check in terminal at the airport if you have not already checked in online. Early online check in is essential for the best seat allocation, to ensure that you and your spouse are sitting together. If you are booking into a hotel before your flight, do ensure that it has easy internet access, or a good concierge service, so that you can take advantage of the online check in service. Failure to check in online may mean that you find yourself queuing up at the check in desk, only to find that everybody else has chosen their seats 24 hours before hand.

7. Don’t be shy on announcing that you are on honeymoon. Quite often hotels will throw in a complimentary bottle of champagne, and if the there is room in the hotel you may even get a room upgrade. Airline upgrades are more difficult to come by, but you are more likely to be successful if you are smartly dressed. So give some thought to your going away outfit. It’s a great excuse to dress up and spend a little extra on yourself. A smart blazer, designer sunglasses and classic jewellery like pearls works wonders with a pair of smart jeans.

8. Make sure you arrange for your name to be changed on your passport if you are travelling in your married name. Names on passports and tickets have to match for security reasons. You will be charged an administration fee for name changes on ticket bookings if they do not match the passport name.

9. Think seriously about taking laptops, mobile phones or any related work items. Make sure the honeymoon isn’t over before it begins.

10. If you intend to travel the day after your wedding night, ensure that you have someone else to drive you to the airport or cruise terminal. It is not unknown for brides or grooms to find themselves over the drink drive limit the morning after their wedding.