Wondering where to go on your honeymoon and feeling overwhelmed by the results of your most recent “best honeymoon destinations in the world” search? I’ve been there.

The good news? There’s an easier way to narrow down your options.

Here’s what to consider when choosing the perfect honeymoon destination for your dream vacation.

1- Know your budget

First things first, how much can you realistically afford and/or do you realistically want to spend on your honeymoon? Depending on where you go, you’ll need to factor in various costs, such as:

• Flights
• Accommodations
• Insurance
• Food/drinks and gratuities
• Exchange rates
• Experiences/excursions
• Transportation (local transit, taxi/uber, car rental, gas, road tolls, etc.)
• Souvenirs
• Unexpected fees

Knowing your budget is the initial step in choosing a honeymoon destination. The amount you can spend impacts all plans you make going forward. This includes when you go, how far you can travel, how long you can stay, and what you can do while honeymooning.

Obviously, if money isn’t an issue, the world is your oyster. But if you are limited, staying closer to home or considering an all-inclusive resort off season can help your money go further.

2- Make a top honeymoon destinations list of where you’d both like to travel

It can be helpful to get recommendations and suggestions from experts, friends, and family about the best honeymoon destinations in the world. However – ultimately - you need to think about what you and your partner want.

• Would you like to go somewhere familiar or somewhere new?
• Would you like to travel in your country or aboard?
• Would you like to go somewhere warm or somewhere cold?
• Are you looking for adventure or somewhere to relax?

Be prepared to compromise! Your preferences and opinions may not always align with your partner. Although you might want to catch some rays on a beach in Barbados, your significant other might want to go on wine tours in the Nappa Valley or explore museums in Paris. Your honeymoon should appeal to and accommodate you both. In fact, you may want to think about the possibility of a multi-destination trip.

3- Consider the types of activities/experiences you enjoy together

Choosing the perfect honeymoon destination for your dream vacation has a lot to do with considering the types of experiences you both enjoy and/or new experiences you’d like to try together.

Choose a place that reflects your tastes and interests as a couple.

For instance, if you’re adventurous, pick a destination that is filled with physical and/or mentally stimulating activities, like hiking, rock climbing, boating, diving, etc.

If you prefer to relax, choose a more leisure-filled holiday with beaches, cruises, museums, guided tours, etc.

For the most special honeymoon that makes for more treasured memories, a place that is new to you both allows you to share a first-time experience exploring and discovering together.

4- Think about when you want to go and how long you’d like to stay

With your budget, top destinations list, and your interests in mind, think about when you want to go on your honeymoon (low season, mid season, high season) and how long you’d like to be gone (a few days, a week, several weeks).

Having a general trip time and duration in mind can also help with choosing the perfect honeymoon destination for your dream vacation. For instance, although one week long honeymoon vacations are quite common, if a flight takes 10+ hours for you to reach your desired destination, you might want to stay longer.

To save the most money, it’s typically best to travel to places during their lowest tourism periods. That said, usually a destination’s lowest tourism time occurs when there is unreliable/unpleasant weather. For instance, you might not find the savings of taking a Caribbean honeymoon vacation during the low tourism period (June – November) worth it since this time of year also comes with the risk of hurricanes.

5- Don’t swamp yourself with choices

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when faced with countless honeymoon destination possibilities. If you find choosing and planning stressful, consider consulting with/hiring a travel agent to help bring your dream honeymoon vacation to life.

If that’s not in your budget or you don’t want to take the travel agent route, pace yourselves and avoid leaving your travel planning to the last minute. Have fun with your honeymoon planning experience and remember to make your choice based on:

• What you can afford
• What you like to do together
• The type of weather you both enjoy
• The ideal time and length you’d like to travel

Bottom Line

You can enjoy the perfect honeymoon even if you’re not vacationing at one of the best honeymoon destinations in the world recommended by experts or friends. Choosing the perfect spot is simply a matter of finding the best honeymoon destination that works ideally with your and your partner’s preferences and budget.