Many couples use their honeymoon as a reason to plan an amazing trip outside of the United States. With so many incredible locations in the world open to travel this is understandable! However, the idea of traveling to an unfamiliar place can seem daunting, especially if there is a language barrier. This shouldn’t deter you from planning a bucket list honeymoon. Use these tips for traveling internationally for your honeymoon to enjoy that once-in-a-lifetime trip.
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Hire a Honeymoon Planner
While you could take to the many travel search engines online to plan your international honeymoon, this will most likely get overwhelming fast. Your honeymoon is a once-in-a-lifetime trip and you want it to be as enjoyable as possible from the planning to the trip itself. A honeymoon planner uses their industry knowledge to help narrow down options and customize a trip based on a couple’s interest. We always recommend couples use this service, rather than spending your valuable time trying to figure it out yourself. One of our favorite honeymoon planners is Theresa Chu-Bermudez of Get Out! Custom Travels. She has been helping couples plan amazing honeymoons for the past 5 years and we have personally used her for several of our trips.
Purchase Travel Insurance
Just like any type of insurance, travel insurance is something that you hope you will never have to use. While the likelihood is low, it is something that you definitely do not want to skip. Life happens! International trips are thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars. If you are put in a position where you can’t travel, you could be out of that money. Travel insurance allows for you to recoup most if not all of the funds you invested into your trip, for a situation out of your control.
Another point is travel insurance can help you on your trip as well, in say a medical emergency. Navigating healthcare in a foreign country is a challenge. Travel insurance will cost a small percentage of your trip but having someone help through the process will be invaluable should you need it.
Check-In with the Local United States Embassy
The United States has many embassies in countries throughout the world for the citizens of the U.S. If you are traveling to another country, enroll in STEP, which stands for Smart Travel Enrollment Program, through the United States government. This is a free program. Once you provide your travel information, the program provides the following:
- Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
- Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
- Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.
STEP allows for US travelers to have support if needed in a country that they may not be familiar with.
Pre-Book Your Airport Transfer
You will most likely be exploring the area of your destination. However, pre-booking your transportation to your hotel or accommodations prior to arrival will be very helpful. This makes sure that you get to your home base without any issues, at which point you can regroup from your travel. It also allows you to get a “lay of the land” during the transport. If you worked with a honeymoon planner or travel advisor prior, they will organize all this for you along with your itinerary for your trip. The hotel concierge can also help you with anything while at the destination.
Another tip is to have the address of your hotel or accommodations on hand to show the driver that you pre-booked. They will have this information as well but just to confirm the information.
Do Research Prior to Travel
Every country in the world has its own customs, laws, and expressions which in many cases are different from that of the United States. Take time to research the main difference in order to get a general idea of the country you are traveling to. You don’t want to be in a situation of doing something that is acceptable in the United State but is offensive to the citizens of the country you are visiting. Along with this, learn about any currency differences and the proper exchange rate to the US dollar. Remember you are visiting their country and therefore need to be respectful of that.
Learn Basic Phrases
While no one expects tourists to learn an entirely new language prior to visiting a country, you should learn common phrases of the native language you are visiting. This helps you with navigating. You will find that in general, locals are very kind and accomodating to the language differences. They also appreciate the effort.
Don’t Go Looking for Trouble and You’ll Be Fine
Just as with any country in the world, there are areas of that country that may not be safe. Understanding this prior and doing a little research, will help you avoid any issues. Sticking with the itinerary provided by your honeymoon planner or travel advisor is the best route to go. Remember, don’t go looking for trouble and you’ll be fine!