Travel tips
Honeymoon packages: when flight and hotel together pays off
One booking, one price and often better protection. This is when it pays to book your honeymoon as a flight and hotel package, and when to book them separately.
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In short
A flight and hotel package usually pays off when you are staying at one hotel on a long-haul trip, as in Dubai, Mexico or the Maldives. You get one booking and often a lower total price. If you are touring with 2 to 3 hotels, it is usually easier to book separately.
Our first choice: See rooms at Jumeirah Al Qasr
The honeymoon is often the most expensive trip you take together, and it is easy to book flights in one place and the hotel in another without comparing. On many long-haul trips the total price is lower when you book both together, because the hotel rate inside a package is not shown on its own. It pays to check both before you decide.
When does a package pay off?
One hotel on a long-haul trip: If you are staying all week at the same resort, a package often gives the best price and the least work.
One booking: If flight times change, the hotel is part of the same booking, and help is easier to get.
Protection: Flights and a hotel booked together usually count as a package holiday, with extra protection if something goes wrong. Check the terms before you pay.
When should you book separately?
If you are touring with several hotels, as in Sri Lanka or Costa Rica, it is usually easier to book flights and hotels separately. The same goes if you want to use air miles, or have your heart set on a particular villa that is not in the packages. See our Sri Lanka and Costa Rica honeymoon guides for the routes.
Three destinations where a package works well
Madinat Jumeirah
The beach at Jumeirah Al Qasr.
Dubai: Jumeirah Al Qasr
Dubai is one of the most popular package destinations, with plenty of flights and hotels to choose from. Jumeirah Al Qasr is built like an Arabian palace on the beach at Madinat Jumeirah, with Burj Al Arab next door and boats on the canals. The weather is best from November to March. Flight and hotel together: See Dubai packages.
Best for: couples who want a shorter long-haul trip with beach and city.
Book your honeymoon: See rooms at Jumeirah Al Qasr
Tulum
La Valise sits by the sea south of Tulum.
Mexico: La Valise Tulum, Riviera Maya
For the Riviera Maya you fly to Cancún, and Tulum is a couple of hours south by car. La Valise is part of Small Luxury Hotels and sits by the sea on the way to the Sian Ka’an reserve, with cenotes and Maya ruins nearby. December to April is the driest time. Flight and hotel together: See Cancún packages.
Best for: couples who want to combine beach with cenotes and ruins.
Book your honeymoon: See rooms at La Valise Tulum
Maldives: Six Senses Laamu
In the Maldives most couples stay at one resort for the whole trip, which suits a package well. Six Senses Laamu is far to the south, a domestic flight and a short boat ride from Malé, with villas on the beach and over the lagoon. Check whether the transfer from Malé is included. Flight and hotel together: See Maldives packages. Six resorts are in our Maldives honeymoon guide.
Best for: couples who want peace and good snorkelling.
Book your honeymoon: See rooms at Six Senses Laamu
How to get the most from a package
Check the transfer: In the Maldives and on other islands, boats or seaplanes can cost a lot extra if they are not included.
Mention you are newlyweds: Many hotels do something extra for honeymooners, but only if they know.
Compare: Search the package and the hotel alone on the same day, so you can see what you actually save.
Frequently asked questions about honeymoon packages
Is it cheaper to book a honeymoon as a package?
Often, especially on long-haul trips where you stay at one hotel throughout. The hotel rate inside a package is not shown on its own, so the total can be lower than booking flights and hotel separately. Compare both on the same day before you decide.
Which destinations work best as a honeymoon package?
Destinations where you stay at one hotel, such as Dubai, Mexico’s Riviera Maya and the Maldives, work best. You get flights, hotel and often transfers in one booking. Tours with several hotels, as in Sri Lanka or Costa Rica, are usually easier to book separately.
What protection do you get with a package holiday?
Flights and a hotel booked together usually count as a package holiday, which gives you extra protection if something goes wrong or the trip changes. That is more security than two separate bookings. Read the cancellation and change terms all the same before you pay.
When should you book a honeymoon package?
Book six to nine months ahead for high season, such as Christmas, half term or Easter. Package prices follow flight prices, which often rise as the date gets closer. Mention that you are newlyweds when you book, as hotels often do something extra.