Honeymoon under $2K?

arfriend

My fiance and I are trying to decide where we want to go on our honeymoon.  We just got back from a week in the Dominican, so we don't really want to do the whole tropical/Carribean thing.  Does anyone have any ideas for a budget honeymoon that would be both adventurous and relaxing?  We would love to go to Europe, but I'm assuming that's not possible with our budget.  Our wedding is in June 2011. 

DetroitAG

May I ask .. how was your review of the Domincan Republic? Where did you stay (town)? We are thinking of this as our HM?

Thank you!

bridetobemo

Are you wanting to stay in the US or go abroad?? If you want to stay here in the US, since you live in NC, I'd highly recommend the outer banks, they are gorgeous and incredibly romantic, or if you want to go a little further away than i'd say hilton head island sc, for a couple days, then a couple days in nearbly savannah ga, its only about an hour between the two

dshrawder

You could always do a cruise to Alaska or something along those lines.  What about Niagara Falls...

Chasity08

Yeah Europe is definitely not going to be likely with a $2k budget unfortunately. We're doing a 13 days trip and (without spending cash) it's looking to be between $3000-$3500 for roundtrip flights to London, trains between our 3 cities, and hotels. Unfortunately I don't have many reccomendations for the US as I haven't traveled much throughout the US (just overseas mostly). But I would definitely agree with the PP and check out cruises. You can find some REALLY great prices! GL! =]

mrshendree

You could do Europe on a cruise if you like cruises at all... Carnival has a great Europe cruise for 7 or 8 days that would be under 2k..and I also agree with the Alaska idea as well!

arfriend

Detroit AG: The Dominican Republic was fun.  We stayed at Lifestyle Tropical Resort in Puerto Plata, DR.  I'm not a big fan of the all-inclusive resorts because it's so crowded and the food/drinks get really old.  Don't get me wrong - the all-inclusive idea is great because you know exactly how much you're going to spend, but like I said - eating the same food & drinking fruity rum drinks got old after the 3rd day (we went for 7 nights.)  The beach at Puerto Plata is not near as pretty as it is in places like Sosua, DR.  We took a day trip to Sosua and went snorkeling and it was BEAUTIFUL!  I would definitely recommend going snorkeling or horseback riding.  I think Sosua may be a little more expensive that the all-inclusives at Puerto Plata, but I think it would be worth it.  Also - if you have a weak stomach be careful.  My fiance got sick for 3 or 4 days from either eating the food or accidently drinking the water.  We were really careful about not drinking tap water, but I think some of the food (lettuce, fruit, veggies) are rinsed in it.   

arfriend

Thanks for all the great suggestions!  I have a list of places to check out   We were definitely considering Niagara Falls (I've been there but my fiance has not.)  We thought it would be nice to rent a car and drive up to downtown Toronto and maybe check out a few places in Canada. 

sassy8179

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_honeymoon-under-2k?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:68946b2d-c519-48dc-8af7-a0092337ce6cPost:0da7ec90-7cfd-4fd2-a6c9-7065e1e68fa5">Re: Honeymoon under $2K?</a>:
[QUOTE]Yeah Europe is definitely not going to be likely with a $2k budget unfortunately. We're doing a 13 days trip and (without spending cash) it's looking to be between $3000-$3500 for roundtrip flights to London, trains between our 3 cities, and hotels. Unfortunately I don't have many reccomendations for the US as I haven't traveled much throughout the US (just overseas mostly). But I would definitely agree with the PP and check out cruises. You can find some REALLY great prices! GL! =]
Posted by Chasity08[/QUOTE]

Chasity, are you doing an organised tour? Or did you plan and book everything separately? And which 3 cities are you doing? I'm thinking about the same kind of thing, and have looked at some tours but they don't do everything i want to do, etc, so I was just going to organise everything myself.

kaesha

Toronto is tons of fun (I live there)! I highly recommend it. Do Niagara Falls for a night, then hit up Niagara on the Lake (the Shaw Festival is on during the summer) and all the great wineries there (We did a private tour of Jackson-Triggs in September, and it was so much fun - I have pictures & a blog post here).

naomikb

If you're thinking about southern Ontario/Toronto I can give you some ideas, I live here.  Niagara Falls is nice, lots of restaurants, the falls, shows, casinos. 

Niagara-on-the-Lake is nearby but a lot more quaint, with small shops and small B&Bs that would be nice for a honeymoon, it's not so commercialized.  Depending on when you go the Shaw Festival might be on, which is a big theatre festival.

Toronto is an experience in itself and you can make it whatever you want.  You can do the partying thing, nightclubs, bars, etc. or there is the more natural side to Toronto - a beach (and a nude beach), the islands have wonderful parks and places to canoe/kayak, walk, etc.  Of course there is the CN Tower and the Rogers Centre, where there are lots of sport games (baseball, some soccer) played and the Air Canada Centre often has music shows, basketball, hockey etc.

Feel free to PM me if you want more info on a certain place.

NatandIsaac

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_honeymoon-under-2k?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:68946b2d-c519-48dc-8af7-a0092337ce6cPost:edf9d766-cecf-4b29-b6cf-e170c6744cb2">Re: Honeymoon under $2K?</a>:
[QUOTE]You could do Europe on a cruise if you like cruises at all... Carnival has a great Europe cruise for 7 or 8 days that would be under 2k..and I also agree with the Alaska idea as well!
Posted by mrsgoody2shoes[/QUOTE]

<div>I would think that airfare alone would put you over the 2k budget. Do you know of anyone who has done a European cruise for under $2K?, because I would love to hear about any deals.</div>

irisheyezfsu

^^^^ I would too!

kelseydjames

We're flying to California and crusing to Mexico. Airfare, cruise tickets and a hotel for the night before we leave and night we et back is all under 2K :] We had the exact same budget, a gift from his parents.

Summer2011Bride

You could do CHicago. I grew up near there and have been well over 50 times. The weather would be nice in June. There are lots of sightseeing things you can do, great shopping, nice hotels that you can get good deals on, museums, theater shows, awesome restaurants, but you can also just relax on a number of beaches around Lake Michigan or rent bikes and go for a leisurely bike ride. I bet you could do Chicago for under $2,000/

Ashes_3

You aren't going to be able to go to Europe for under 2k. We were planning on going b/c I get hotel rooms for cheap but the flight to Rome is 1000+ per person! The flights are very expensive. We are planning on either going on a road trip or going on a cruise!

megandjay

Mexico, Canda, or US- you could do something in the Southwest. I went on a trip where we flew into Vegas, rented a car, and then visited some of the national parks (camping). Bryce Canyon is amazing, Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon are all within driving distance (some other parks as well). And then we went to the Hoover Dam and back to Vegas and flew home again.

Chasity08

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_honeymoon-under-2k?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:68946b2d-c519-48dc-8af7-a0092337ce6cPost:77cfcbeb-b060-4d2a-b9ad-3a183e168184">Re: Honeymoon under $2K?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Honeymoon under $2K? : Chasity, are you doing an organised tour? Or did you plan and book everything separately? And which 3 cities are you doing? I'm thinking about the same kind of thing, and have looked at some tours but they don't do everything i want to do, etc, so I was just going to organise everything myself.
Posted by sassy8179[/QUOTE]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you!

I am organizing everything myself. I've done a ton of research on TripAdvisor for hotels and also for activities. I am starting in London, then going to Paris, then going to Bruges, and the last day I am coming back to London for my flight (cheapest way to get a flight was roundtrip to London).

I have a lot of the details of my trip in my planning bio if you're interested, or feel free to PM me if you have any questions. HTH!!! =]

Chasity08

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_honeymoon-under-2k?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:68946b2d-c519-48dc-8af7-a0092337ce6cPost:afbb99c4-1811-4bc0-b902-c447b84d722f">Re: Honeymoon under $2K?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Honeymoon under $2K? : I would think that airfare alone would put you over the 2k budget. Do you know of anyone who has done a European cruise for under $2K?, because I would love to hear about any deals.
Posted by NatandIsaac[/QUOTE]

Yeah I was thinking the same. Those cruise prices normally don't include airfare unfortuantely. My Mom and I did an 11 day cruise around Europe last year, and we spent about $12k on it after you consider our flights, the cruise cost, the excursions, spending cash, and 2 days beforehand in London. It was an expensive trip....

Altoid_Storm

Don't forget amazing places in the US like the Smokey Mountains (some people rent a cabin in the mountains, it's stunning), Rockies, San Diego (one of my favorite cities and Balboa Park there is breathtaking--went there on vacay for 7 nights and spent well under $2000), and even places like Maine. Though I don't know when your wedding is...if it's in the fall Maine and Vermont are breathtaking!