How long should a honeymoon be and when should you book it

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Most couples ask two questions at the same time: how many nights they need, and how early they must book. The answers are linked. A long-haul trip needs more nights to be worth the journey, and the peak dates need booking almost a year ahead. Below we show how we work out the length, how far your annual leave can stretch, and a booking timeline from twelve months out to the week before you fly.

In short: honeymoon length and booking

• Europe: four to seven nights is enough when the flight is short and the time difference small.

• Long-haul beach: ten to fourteen nights, because the outward and return journeys take two to three days.

• Two places in one trip: fourteen nights or more, with at least three nights in each place.

• Book flights early: British Airways, for example, opens bookings 355 days before departure.

• Peak dates: book flights and hotel nine to twelve months ahead for Christmas, Easter and the school summer holidays.

• Our hotel pick: Shangri-La Le Touessrok on the east coast of Mauritius, rated 9.4 out of 10 from 375 reviews on Hotels.com.

Our first choice for a two-week honeymoon after a summer wedding: twelve nights at Shangri-La Le Touessrok, in Mauritius's dry season. Check availability and prices at Shangri-La Le Touessrok

This guide is part of our plan your honeymoon series. Taking a new surname? Read our guide to passport name change before you book.

How we work out the right length

Start with the travel days, not the number of nights. On a long-haul honeymoon the outward journey usually takes a full day, and with an overnight flight home the last day is spent travelling too. The first full day at the hotel often goes on sleep, especially after a late wedding party.

Our rule of thumb: take away three days from the trip for travel and rest, and look at what is left. Fourteen nights in Sri Lanka, around 11 hours from London, leaves about eleven good days. Seven nights in Bali, around 16 hours 30 minutes away with one change, leaves only four. That is why we recommend at least ten nights for any beach trip that needs a long-haul flight.

Nights by type of honeymoon

• City or coast in Europe: four to seven nights. Short flights and a time difference of an hour or two mean almost no lost days. See our mini-moon ideas for trips of a few days.

• Long-haul beach, one hotel: ten to fourteen nights in places such as the Maldives, Mauritius or Thailand.

• Far away with a change of plane: fourteen nights for Bali or Japan, where the clock moves seven hours or more.

• Two places in one trip: fourteen nights or more. Read our guide to the multi-centre honeymoon.

• Safari and beach: twelve to fourteen nights, with three or four nights on safari and the rest by the sea.

Jet lag is part of the sum. Symptoms usually improve within a few days, according to NHS 111 Wales, so a short trip far from home can end just as you have adjusted.

How far your annual leave goes

In the UK, most full-time workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, which is 28 days for a five-day week, according to GOV.UK. Bank holidays can be counted in that total.

The longest honeymoon from the fewest days of leave starts on a Saturday. Ten days of leave, from a Saturday to the Sunday two weeks later, gives you 15 nights away. Around Easter, Good Friday and Easter Monday stretch the same leave by two more days, though Easter is also one of the busiest and most expensive weeks to fly.

When to book your honeymoon

• Twelve months before: choose the month and the destination. Airlines open their schedules around eleven months ahead, and British Airways sells flights and flight-inclusive holidays 355 days before departure.

• Nine to twelve months before: book flights and hotel for Christmas, New Year, Easter and the school summer holidays. The best villas and the most convenient flights go first.

• Three to six months before: enough for other dates. Book the flights and the hotel in the same week, so you do not end up with one and not the other.

• Two months before: check passports, visas and travel permits such as the US ESTA, and travel insurance.

• Two weeks before: tell the hotel it is your honeymoon, and confirm the transfers from the airport.

If the wedding date may still change, choose flexible rates for both the flights and the hotel, even if they cost a little more.

Straight after the wedding or later

Many couples leave a few days after the wedding, but the best season for the dream destination does not always match the wedding date. A summer wedding fits Mauritius, Bali and Zanzibar, which are dry in the European summer. The Maldives and Sri Lanka's south coast are at their best in the British winter, so a June wedding and a January honeymoon can be the better plan. Our honeymoon calendar shows where to go in every month.

Our verdict

What Picolo recommends: count three days for travel and rest, and book at least ten nights for any long-haul beach honeymoon. Book nine to twelve months ahead for peak dates.

Why: the travel days cost the same whether you stay seven nights or fourteen, so a longer stay gives far more holiday for the journey.

The trade-off: two weeks far away uses most of a year's leave and costs more in hotel nights. If that is too much, choose a shorter trip in Europe now and the big journey later.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a honeymoon be?

A honeymoon should be ten to fourteen nights for a long-haul beach trip, and four to seven nights in Europe. The flights and transfers on a long-haul trip take two to three days in total, so a short stay leaves little time to rest. For two places in one trip, plan fourteen nights or more, with at least three nights in each.

How far in advance should you book a honeymoon?

Book a honeymoon nine to twelve months in advance for Christmas, Easter and the school summer holidays, when the best rooms and flights sell first. Outside the peak weeks, three to six months is usually enough. Airlines open bookings about eleven months ahead, so for the busiest dates it pays to be ready when the flights go on sale.

Is a week long enough for a honeymoon?

A week is long enough for a honeymoon in Europe, where the flight is short and the time difference small. For a long-haul destination such as the Maldives or Thailand, a week leaves only four or five full days after the travel and the first day of rest. In that case, ten nights or more gives a much better balance.

Can you go on honeymoon months after the wedding?

Yes, you can go on honeymoon months after the wedding, and many couples do. It lets you travel in the best season for your destination, spreads the cost and gives you time to rest after the wedding. Some hotels limit honeymoon extras to a set time after the wedding date, so check the terms when you book.

Sources

The holiday entitlement comes from GOV.UK. The booking window comes from British Airways. The advice on jet lag comes from NHS 111 Wales. Flight times and seasons come from Picolo's honeymoon guides for each destination, and the calculation of travel days is our own. The guest scores come from the hotel's page on Hotels.com. Last checked: 5 November 2026.

Read more

• Plan your honeymoon

• Honeymoon calendar

• How much a honeymoon costs

• Passport name change

• Multi-centre honeymoon