The basics of honeymoon planning.

If you don't have a lot of experience planning your own travels, don't give up on the idea that you can put together a honeymoon on your own. After determining where it is you want to go, follow these basic steps to working out all of the details:

1. Buy your plane tickets.
   Once you have tickets purchased, your dates and starting/ending points are set in stone. If you are planning a trip that involves moving around from point to point, think about buying an “open jaw” ticket. This will allow you to arrive in one city, but leave from another. These type of tickets don’t cost much more, but can save you time and other costs further down the line.


2. Develop a potential itinerary.
   Base your itinerary on the number of "nights" you want to spend in each place. Use a map to figure out a logical route for your journey. Be sure to include one night for any overnight flights. Most importantly, don’t forget to consider travel time between destinations. Rework your itinerary until it feels just right. If you don't plan on moving around during your honeymoon, skip ahead to the next step.


3. Book hotels.
   Now that you have your itinerary finalized, start researching and reserving hotels for each stop. Using email or a hotel’s website, you might contact a few hotels for each destination to see if there is availability during your stay. If you want to be sure that you're getting a hotel that will cater to your needs, check each hotel’s rating on TripAdvisor.com. If every hotel you contact is booked, revisit your itinerary. Look at a map and see if it’s logical to change your route. If that’s not possible, research smaller towns close to your desired destination to see if there are more options for lodging. Doing so can often lead to big savings.


4. Decide how you’ll get from point to point.
   Get a train pass and/or reserve a car. Again, if you don't plan on moving around during your honeymoon, skip ahead to the next step.


5. Finally, plan all the fun bits!
   Make any necessary sightseeing reservations. If you're a foodie, figure out where you might want to eat. Whatever you decide, make sure it's a nice mix of relaxation and fun.