Here’s the dilemma. You spent most of your hard-saved budget on your wedding day, and that’s left you little over for a honeymoon. But of course, you really do want to have a few days together after the wedding to relax, unwind and enjoy getting used to being a Mr & Mrs. So how can you get your romantic getaway without breaking the bank?
Well, we’ve discovered a few budget honeymoons that cost just under £500, so they should fit into even the tightest of budgets. Okay, so you won’t get two weeks in Mauritius for under £500, but you will get a few nights together to just be alone and get away from it all – here are some of our picks!
Glamping
This isn’t camping as you know it – it’s glamping. That’s camping with all the mod cons and glamorous bits, like lighting, flushing loos and hot baths!
First off, how about staying in a luxury designer yurt at Priory Bay Hotel in the Isle of Wight? The yurts are equipped with stylish accessories and furniture and in their own woodland clearing with dramatic views out to sea and through the woods. Each yurt is 20 feet in diameter, furnished with a king-size bed, sofas, soft lighting and an ensuite bathroom complete with flushing loo!
Prices from £200 per night inclusive of bed and full English breakfast. Accommodation available from 29 April to 31 October 2013.
If you’re happy to go camping in a more traditional way but don’t have a tent or fancy struggling to put one up, then you’ll find plenty of places where the tent is included in your stay. For £120 a night you could stay at Jollydays Luxury Camping in North Yorkshire in a lodge tent, which has its own toilet, double bed and shower.
Fancy something a little more space age? Then how about staying in a geodesic dome in The Dome Garden in The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire? At £375 for three nights you’ll get solid floors, wood burning stoves, comfortable beds, your own camp kitchen and an ensuite shower or bath.
Glamping isn’t an option if you’re having a winter wedding and want to honeymoon directly afterwards, as most camping places are closed then, but if you’re getting married at any time between April and October and have a tight budget (and love the great outdoors) then it’s certainly something to look into.
A log cabin
You don’t have to go to somewhere like Canada to find a cozy log cabin to spend your honeymoon in. Visit the Griffon Forest just outside York and you can stay in the Poachers Lodge for a short break for £339. The accommodation includes a king size four poster bed, a 6ft circular Jacuzzi, a large timber deck with a sunken outdoor hot tub plus complimentary wine and chocolates on arrival. What’s not to like?
Walking honeymoons with holiday cottage
How about renting a holiday cottage? If you love hiking, the Peak District is amazing walking country and if you’ve got a dog, you can bring him or her on your honeymoon too! Go self-catering – even if you don’t feel like doing much cooking, you can just eat breakfast at home, take a packed lunch for when you’re out walking and head off to a local pub for dinner. We like the sound of The Old Farrowings, an ancient cottage in the Peak District, Derbyshire that you can rent for £45 a night. It sleeps two in a romantic king size four-poster bed, and there’s a cozy wood burning stove to snuggle up to at the end of the day.
A theatre break in the city
Like the idea of a trip to London with a visit to see a show, dinner and a luxurious stay in a central hotel? Yes, it can be done for £500. We found a two-night stay in Central London, staying in a hotel in vibrant Covent Garden, with dinner and breakfast included plus two tickets to the award-winning show War Horse. And the price? £363 for two, which leaves you some cash left over for lunch out and a spot of shopping too or cocktails somewhere glitzy! Via Superbreaks
And, if you really want to go abroad…
If you’re desperate to get out of the country for a few days, don’t forget that you’re only a short train ride away from that most romantic of cities, Paris. You could travel there together on Eurostar from St Pancras and stay in the Hibiscus Hotel, which is just half a mile from the city centre. We found a rate of £285 for two adults, including return fares and a double room with full breakfast for two nights. Which leaves you some spare cash to go out to dinner, visit the famous galleries and sites of Paris and take that must-do trip up the Eiffel Tower.
See? You don’t have to spend a fortune for a memorable honeymoon – just spending a few days after the wedding in a place where you can relax and enjoy each others’ company is a wonderful way to start married life. For more honeymoon inspiration, whatever your budget, why not visit the Honeymoon Section of our website?
