Five Affordable Honeymoon Ideas for Budget-Conscious Couples

Summary: Newlyweds whose spirit of adventure is larger than their honeymoon budget can take advantage of creative, cost-saving ideas from the Creative Honeymoon Ideas website (http://www.CreativeHoneymoonIdeas.info). Swapping homes with other couples or joining a hospitality club are just two of the cost-saving measures suggested by the website.

(PRWEB) June 27, 2005 -- The average couple spends upwards of $3,700 on their honeymoon, according to the Travel Industry Association of America. But what about newlyweds who cant afford to spend that much on a honeymoon, especially after the expense of a wedding?

Couples dont need to spend a fortune to have a romantic honeymoon-especially if they have an adventurous spirit," says Jerry Windley-Daoust, co-founder of Creative Honeymoon Ideas (http://www.CreativeHoneymoonIdeas.info). Here are just five ideas for dramatically cutting honeymoon costs:

1. Ask for the gift of a honeymoon
Couples can defray the cost of their honeymoon, or perhaps even pay for it entirely, by listing it on a honeymoon gift registry. A honeymoon registry works just like a wedding registry-but instead of buying china, wedding guests buy the happy couple a trip to China (or the honeymoon destination of their choice). Yes, the guests could just contribute cash toward the honeymoon, but most people prefer to give a particular gift-dinner at a fancy restaurant, for example, or a carriage ride for two. Numerous honeymoon registry services are available online, or couples can create their own honeymoon registry with the help of friends.

2. Exchange homes
Couples who prefer to mingle with the locals rather than other tourists might look into a home exchange for their honeymoon. One couple spent their eight-week honeymoon touring Europe without ever staying in a hotel; instead, they stayed in private homes while their European hosts stayed in their New York City apartment. 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 help members arrange exchanges, as well as offering tips to make the exchange go smoothly. According to ExchangeHomes.com, a home exchange can cut travel costs by as much as half. More importantly, though, home exchanges make it possible for tourists to live like locals, and perhaps make life-long friends.

3. Rely on the hospitality of others
In a slight twist on the home exchange idea, couples can join a hospitality club that will match them up with people who are willing to host them on their honeymoon. The largest hospitality club has more than 23,000 members in 148 countries. Membership is usually free, although members are asked to provide hospitality to others (on a voluntary basis) in return sometime in the future. In addition to saving money, staying with others is a great way to meet locals who can give an insiders perspective on the honeymoon destination. Other places to look for free or reduced-cost accommodations include hostels (theyre 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, the old adage goes, but the honeymoon vacations many companies are giving away as part of promotional sweepstakes and contests come close. True, the odds of winning a free honeymoon are remote, but theyre better than the odds of winning the lottery. Plus the cost of entering is usually just the time it takes to search the web for honeymoon contest" and to fill out online entry forms.

5. Go camping
Firelight and shooting stars every night . . . breathtaking natural beauty... snuggling in a cocoon of zipped-together sleeping bags... Yes, camping can be romantic, given enough preparation and the right equipment (warm sleeping bags, comfortable sleeping pads, and a waterproof tent are a must). Camping is an affordable alternative at many otherwise expensive honeymoon destinations: Hawaii offers camping at one national park and many state and county parks, for instance, and more than one couple has spent a beachside honeymoon at Virgin Islands National Park. Plus, its pretty cheap: $10 to $20 per night for tent camping at most locations. Many state and national parks also rent basic but comfortable cabins for a little more-some even offer a honeymoon cabin.

More details on these and other creative honeymoon ideas can be found at the Creative Honeymoon Ideas website, http://www.CreativeHoneymoonIdeas.info.

About CreativeHoneymoonIdeas.info:
Creative Honeymoon Ideas (http://www.CreativeHoneymoonIdeas.info) features ideas for off-the-beaten-track honeymoons that are not heavily marketed by the travel industry. The site was founded in 2004 as a part-time hobby by freelance writer Jerry Windley-Daoust, who researched his own 1999 honeymoon in Banff, Canada, entirely online.

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