Honeymoon Destinations
Sep 9th, 2015, 04:45 PM
#1
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Honeymoon Destinations
My boyfriend and I have been discussing getting married and we want to go to Europe as our honeymoon destination. We're looking at either Tuscany/Florence, French Riviera, southern Spain or another romantic destination. We've never been to any of these places and are exciting to make one of these places our honeymoon. I was wondering if anyone had been to any of these places for their honeymoon, had suggestions of what to do, where to stay, etc. Also, if any one has any other places that I've overlooked as great romantic honeymoon destinations, please feel free to speak up!
Sep 9th, 2015, 04:54 PM
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To give you useful info we really need to know:
What time of year will this be? (Temps can vary a lot - as can the size of the crowds)
How many weeks will you have?
What does your budget look like? (Spain is cheaper, France and Italy more expensive, Monaco is a real budget buster).
Are you looking for luxury or moderate or cheap and cheerful (nightly hotel budget in $ or euros).
What do you want to do/see? Beaches (be careful -many in europe are rocks or pebbles, not sand), natural beauty, art/architecture, fine dining, wine tasting, hiking, just sitting in a cafe relaxing,
There are dozens of answers but we really need some input from you.
What time of year will this be? (Temps can vary a lot - as can the size of the crowds)
How many weeks will you have?
What does your budget look like? (Spain is cheaper, France and Italy more expensive, Monaco is a real budget buster).
Are you looking for luxury or moderate or cheap and cheerful (nightly hotel budget in $ or euros).
What do you want to do/see? Beaches (be careful -many in europe are rocks or pebbles, not sand), natural beauty, art/architecture, fine dining, wine tasting, hiking, just sitting in a cafe relaxing,
There are dozens of answers but we really need some input from you.
Sep 10th, 2015, 03:16 AM
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Our budgets is still to be determined but I'd safely say no more than $10k.
We're either planning an September/October honeymoon (unless he decides to change his mind).
We're looking for moderately priced places that have a romantic/relaxing feel. Our honeymoon, we've decided, we want to be relaxing but also have access to beaches/things to do.
Paris is out of our mind because we know how expensive it can be and we want to somewhere that neither of us have been before.
We're either planning an September/October honeymoon (unless he decides to change his mind).
We're looking for moderately priced places that have a romantic/relaxing feel. Our honeymoon, we've decided, we want to be relaxing but also have access to beaches/things to do.
Paris is out of our mind because we know how expensive it can be and we want to somewhere that neither of us have been before.
Sep 10th, 2015, 04:32 AM
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Does the $10K include airfare from the US - and how long is the trip?
Paris isn't really that expensive (Monaco way more) but if you've been already I can understand wanting to visit elsewhere. If you perceive Paris as expensive then I would focus on Spain which is easier on the budget than most of western europe. The only problem is that it can be hot as hell, esp in Sept- unless you head for the Atlantic coast and avoid Andalusia, which IMHO is the most interesting part.
Paris isn't really that expensive (Monaco way more) but if you've been already I can understand wanting to visit elsewhere. If you perceive Paris as expensive then I would focus on Spain which is easier on the budget than most of western europe. The only problem is that it can be hot as hell, esp in Sept- unless you head for the Atlantic coast and avoid Andalusia, which IMHO is the most interesting part.
Sep 10th, 2015, 05:39 AM
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French Riviera is expensive and I don't find it romantic.
My idea of a romantic city is always an Italian city :
Firenze, Venice, Siena.
But for me (and my wife) the most romantic place was Agrigento and the valley of temples (Sicily). Or Greece. For the same reasons.
We loved Sicily, which has temples, beaches, great cities (Palermo !), great food, great weather (october may be quite cold up north).
My idea of a romantic city is always an Italian city :
Firenze, Venice, Siena.
But for me (and my wife) the most romantic place was Agrigento and the valley of temples (Sicily). Or Greece. For the same reasons.
We loved Sicily, which has temples, beaches, great cities (Palermo !), great food, great weather (october may be quite cold up north).
Sep 10th, 2015, 06:43 AM
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No beaches near Florence and the Tuscan beaches in October can be very chilly with a LOT of rain. Monaco/Riviera costs a fortune, and October weather along the Riviera can be quite rainy.
You'll get different ideas about what is or isn't romantic. (I would hate Positano or Siena for a honeymoon, and would love the Alhambra in Spain or Greece -- but everybody is different). Probably best for you and your possible future spouse to have some more conversations about whether the honeymoon would be right after the wedding, how tired will you be, how much do you really want a beach/warm weather, how much cultural activity you want, how much effort do you want to make to get there, want to rent a car?..... probably the more you fine tune those questions the clearer it will become about which destination fits what the two of you are looking for to enjoy together.
You'll get different ideas about what is or isn't romantic. (I would hate Positano or Siena for a honeymoon, and would love the Alhambra in Spain or Greece -- but everybody is different). Probably best for you and your possible future spouse to have some more conversations about whether the honeymoon would be right after the wedding, how tired will you be, how much do you really want a beach/warm weather, how much cultural activity you want, how much effort do you want to make to get there, want to rent a car?..... probably the more you fine tune those questions the clearer it will become about which destination fits what the two of you are looking for to enjoy together.
Sep 10th, 2015, 07:02 AM
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JMHO, but I think you need to focus more on what you're looking for.
You say you want beaches/relaxing/things to do. Hmmm. What "things"? Hiking? Museums? Water skiing? Sight-seeing, such as Pompeii? I'm not criticizing your choices. I just don't know what they are.
But let me say if you're looking for a beach resort to sit around and consume drinks with little umbrellas in them (and that's not a bad thing), don't waste your money on Italy or some place like it. There are nicer beaches closer to home and better things to do in a place like Italy or Spain.
You say you want beaches/relaxing/things to do. Hmmm. What "things"? Hiking? Museums? Water skiing? Sight-seeing, such as Pompeii? I'm not criticizing your choices. I just don't know what they are.
But let me say if you're looking for a beach resort to sit around and consume drinks with little umbrellas in them (and that's not a bad thing), don't waste your money on Italy or some place like it. There are nicer beaches closer to home and better things to do in a place like Italy or Spain.
Sep 10th, 2015, 07:37 AM
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<<We're looking for moderately priced places that have a romantic/relaxing feel. >>
What does that mean for nightly lodging budget? Speak in numbers - dollar and cents or Euros.
What's romantic or relaxing to you? This is an eye-of-the-beholder issue. Some people relax by hiking in mountains, others need a cocktail with a funny umbrella and some manner of rum.
And let's be honest: if you're really looking to fly-and-flop or essentially keep yourself on or near a beach, the Caribbean is a FAR superior destination than Europe. This isn't a close call - St Lucia, St Kitts, Belize, St Maarten/St Martin (which will certainly give some European feel), Aruba (if you want to gamble), St John's if you have the dough to blow, and more will have immeasurably better beaches and likely far better value once the plane fares and travel time is factored in.
What does that mean for nightly lodging budget? Speak in numbers - dollar and cents or Euros.
What's romantic or relaxing to you? This is an eye-of-the-beholder issue. Some people relax by hiking in mountains, others need a cocktail with a funny umbrella and some manner of rum.
And let's be honest: if you're really looking to fly-and-flop or essentially keep yourself on or near a beach, the Caribbean is a FAR superior destination than Europe. This isn't a close call - St Lucia, St Kitts, Belize, St Maarten/St Martin (which will certainly give some European feel), Aruba (if you want to gamble), St John's if you have the dough to blow, and more will have immeasurably better beaches and likely far better value once the plane fares and travel time is factored in.
Sep 10th, 2015, 09:33 AM
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Venice is not really great for a budget and while I think it is very romantic the Lido is not really a resort - just a not great beach in a city. (There are some great hotels there - but they wouldn;t fit in your budget.)
Sep 12th, 2015, 12:30 PM
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Went to french riviera and monaco this july with a girlfriend (girls trip!) and I would not go there for a honeymoon. Had a great time, its beautiful, but I can think of a ton of other places I would rather honeymoon..
Positano-I love it there and I found it to be very romantic-went there with a boyfriend a few years back and we stayed at a charming little family run b&b for a great rate and it was an amazing stay. For a honeymoon I would hit one of their hotels with a little more to offer. We also went to Capri on that trip-that's a place I dont feel the urge to return to. $120 USD for two plates of pasta and a bottle of mediocre wine. No thanks.
September would be a great month to hit the greek islands. Best weather, warm water. Thats my favorite time to go there. And I would definitely consider it to be a romantic destination. Caldera views and an infinity pool or private jacuzzi on your balcony in Santorini. I always go with girlfriends but when I do, I always catch myself thinking, "this is so romantic, i should bring my boyfriend next time
"
Positano-I love it there and I found it to be very romantic-went there with a boyfriend a few years back and we stayed at a charming little family run b&b for a great rate and it was an amazing stay. For a honeymoon I would hit one of their hotels with a little more to offer. We also went to Capri on that trip-that's a place I dont feel the urge to return to. $120 USD for two plates of pasta and a bottle of mediocre wine. No thanks.
September would be a great month to hit the greek islands. Best weather, warm water. Thats my favorite time to go there. And I would definitely consider it to be a romantic destination. Caldera views and an infinity pool or private jacuzzi on your balcony in Santorini. I always go with girlfriends but when I do, I always catch myself thinking, "this is so romantic, i should bring my boyfriend next time
"
