Eight cheap honeymoon ideas for couples on a budget

Between paying for the wedding and setting up a new household, many couples find there’s not much money left in their budget for the honeymoon. But who says you have to spend a fortune to enjoy a romantic honeymoon at your dream destination? Here are eight ideas for a more affordable, yet still romantic, honeymoon.

1. Ask for the gift of a honeymoon You can defray the cost of your honeymoon, or perhaps even cover the cost entirely, by listing it on a honeymoon gift registry. A honeymoon registry works just like a wedding registry, but instead of buying you china your wedding guests buy you a trip to China (or the honeymoon destination of your choice). Yes, your guests could just contribute cash toward your honeymoon, but giving a particular portion of the honeymoon (dinner at a fancy restaurant, or a carriage ride through the historic district of a far-off city, for example) is somehow more meaningful. You’ll find a number of honeymoon registries online; theBigDay.com and theHoneymoon.com are two of the most established.

2. Exchange homes If you prefer to mingle with the locals rather than other tourists, look into a home exchange for your honeymoon. In a nutshell, you go stay in someone else’s house while they stay in yours. Sound risky? Maybe—but tens of thousands of people have exchanged homes since the 1950s. For an annual membership fee (usually around $50), home exchange clubs open the door to thousands of people from around the world who are interested in swapping homes. You could probably find a home exchange partner on your own, but the home exchange clubs offer tools to help the exchange goes smoothly. According to ExchangeHomes.com, a home exchange can cut your travel costs by as much as half. More importantly, though, you’ll get to live like locals, and perhaps make life-long friends.

3. Rely on the hospitality of others Hospitality clubs can hook you up with people who are willing to host you in their private homes; the largest such club has more than 23,000 members in 148 countries. Membership is usually free, although you’re asked to provide hospitality to others (on a voluntary basis) sometime in the future. In addition to saving you money, it’s a great way to meet locals who can give you an insider’s perspective on your honeymoon destination. Other places you can look for free or reduced-cost accommodations include hostels (they’re not just for the young and single anymore) and monasteries and convents, some of which open their doors to guests for little or no charge.

4. Win a free honeymoon "Nothing in life is free"—unless you win a free honeymoon vacation in a promotional sweepstakes or contest. Quite a few travel agencies and other companies run contests giving away honeymoon vacations as a way of promoting their services. The odds of winning a free honeymoon may be remote, but the cost of entering is usually just the time you spend searching the web for “honeymoon contest” and filling out online entry forms.

5. Go camping Firelight and shooting stars every night . . . breathtaking natural beauty . . . snuggling with your honey in a cocoon of zipped-together sleeping bags . . . . Yes, camping can be romantic, as long you’re well prepared and have the right equipment (warm sleeping bags, a comfortable mattress pad, and a waterproof tent are a must). Plus, it’s pretty cheap--$10 to $20 per night at most locations. It’s even cheaper if you cook your own food. You can mix a few nights of camping with a few nights in hotels to make your honeymoon more affordable. And don’t overlook the rustic (but cheap) cabins available for rent at many state and national parks. Some even offer a honeymoon cabin!

6. Travel in the off season It may be obvious to seasoned travelers, but those with less experience may not be aware of how affordable it can be to honeymoon in the off season: basically, any time other than when most people travel to your destination. Certain destinations’ accommodation and airfare prices may be slashed by 30 percent or more during the off-season compared to the peak travel season. Traveling in the off season doesn’t necessarily mean enduring wintry weather. Fall and spring usually offer discounted rates as well.

7. Consider your airline alternatives When booking airfare online, don’t overlook the discount airlines (Southwest, Song, jetBlue, and so on); some are not listed on the big travel portal websites, even though they might have a lower fare to your destination. Also be sure to compare rates for alternate airports within a reasonable traveling distance. You might live half an hour from a major airport, but the smaller airport a couple hours away might have substantially lower fares, perhaps saving you hundreds of dollars. Finally, be flexible about your arrival and departure dates; the major travel portals all have options to search for the cheapest flights within a range of dates. Any one of these alternatives could potentially save you hundreds of dollars.

8. Check budget travel newsletters If you’re not picky about where you honeymoon, you can probably cash in on promotional deals offering deep discounts on airfare and lodging—if you know about them. To stay abreast of the latest offers, sign up with as many free budget travel newsletters as you can. Start by signing up with the budget travel newsletters offered by Frommers.com, About.com, and MSNBC.

About the author:
Jerry Windley-Daoust is co-founder of the website Creative Honeymoon Ideas.

Driving In Baja Gets Easier With Bilingual Ticketing

Driving In Baja Gets Easier With Bilingual Ticketing
Other Cities Expected To Join Program In 4 Months
Mexico has always been a popular tourist destination for San Diegans, and a new policy may make it even more appealing to local drivers.
A new program called the bilingual ticket is designed to make traveling to Mexico easier and to save a lot of time.
While getting a traffic ticket is never fun, if a driver got a traffic ticket in Mexico in the past, it had to be paid for in person at a Mexican police station, where the lines could be very long.
Now, drivers can avoid that problem in the cities of Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada. Drivers there who are pulled over for minor infractions can ask for a bilingual ticket, which can be paid for by mail after returning to the United States. Tecate and Mexicali are expected to offer the bilingual ticket in about four months.
"What we're trying to do is make it easier," said Ives Lelevier, the deputy secretary of tourism in Baja California. "Not distract time from your stay in Baja California."
In related news, travelers to Baja are being urged to remember the number 078, which is the tourist hot line. It can be called from any public or cell phone and has lots of helpful information.

A Wedding in the Bahamas

Author: Ester Napoli


Do you envision your wedding in a tropical paradise? Perhaps you see yourself exchanging vows on the warm sand beside an aquamarine sea or sailing off into the sunset with ten of your dearest friends to enjoy a wedding feast and the spectacular scenery. If such a scenario appeals to you, a Bahamas wedding can make your dream come true.

In order to be eligible for a legal Bahamas wedding, you and your partner must spend one day in the Bahamas before submitting an application for a marriage license ($100). You must provide a photo ID. If you are widowed, you are required to provide the death certificate of your spouse; if you are divorced, you must provide a document proving that you are legally divorced. You will also need to have proof of your arrival date in the Bahamas (your Bahamas Embarkation Card will do). It is recommended that you obtain a copy of your wedding certificate before you leave the Bahamas. It can be mailed to you if time is an issue but delays and complications have been frequently encountered. Once you arrive home, you will need this marriage certificate in order to obtain other legal documents.

Wedding packages are offered at most hotels and resorts in the Bahamas. Prices vary. Here are a few examples:

• The Bluff House Beach Hotel located in Green Turtle Bay, Abaco, Bahamas, offers a wedding package that includes: a wedding coordinator, a wedding cake, a minister or administrator to perform the ceremony, a photographer, the bride’s bouquet and a bottle of champagne. They will also be happy to arrange for a live band and a buffet.

• Small Hope Bay Lodge located in Andros Island, Bahamas, is a smaller resort consisting of 20 cottages, one of which is a honeymoon cottage. It offers a simple wedding package for $500 which includes all the necessary paper work, a cake and champagne, a video and photos. At this resort you can get married on the beach or even underwater!

• Bahamas Wedding Paradise is an organization that offers several wedding packages. You can select one of their packages or design your own. Packages range in price from $360 to over $3000 (please note that Bahamas Wedding Paradise is not a hotel or a resort).

Make the wedding of your dreams a reality and start your married life in the tropical paradise of the Bahamas.

About the author:
Ester Napoli: One of my passions is traveling and the one place I fell in love with was the Bahamas; the white sand, clear waters, friendly environment. It is paradise on earth. See my website (http://www.gloriousbahamas.com/) Glorious Bahamas Real Estate.