Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

First-timers to Europe, Albert and Kristen made the popular (and great) choice of spending their honeymoon touring around Italy. Read all about their trip and check out their gorgeous photos below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Italy – Venice, Florence, Rome, and Sorrento [from the] end of September to early October 2011.

How long was your trip?

2 weeks.

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

It was somewhere neither of us had ever been, and had both always wanted to go. Plus we love to eat and drink wine, so duh. :)

The best part about our honeymoon was…

The food and wine! but really we saw some amazing history too.

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

I might say that we would have spent a day less in Venice and a day more in Rome. Albert would say less time in Florence, [but] I’d disagree on that.

How much planning did you do in advance?

Minimal to moderate-we used a travel agent to book flights and hotels. We booked trains from city to city and a Vatican tour before. Everything else was chosen the day we saw it. Good ole’ Frommers Guide, we’d just wake up and say, “what do we want to see today?”

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Real Honeymoon: Portugal

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

My friends Shannon and Eric recently went on an incredible honeymoon in Portugal. I’ve been hounding Shannon for details for weeks because I’m hoping to go to Portugal myself next summer. Read her responses to my questions below, and if you want to see more, check out this blog post, too.

When and where did you honeymoon?

We traveled throughout Portugal in the month of August.

How long was your trip?

16 days.

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

We wanted to go somewhere (1) where we both had never been, (2) with good weather at the time of our travels, and (3) that could provide us with both adventure and relaxation.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

being together and not at work! And the food!

If I knew then what I know now, I’d change…

We traveled through Portugal by car which worked out well, but was slightly stressful because in the event of an emergency we did not have a phone. We were surprised to learn that our smartphones would not work in Portugal. Rather than chance it, I would have picked up a phone at the airport for peace of mind.

Also, our itinerary was fly into Lisbon (3 nights), drive to Porto (2 night), drive to Douro Valley (2 nights), drive to Montemor-o-Novo/Evora (2 nights), drive to Algarve/Portimao (4 nights), drive to Sintra/Cascais (1 night), fly out of Lisbon. If we could do it all over again I would have stayed less nights in the Algarve since at this time of the year the beaches are crowded and accommodations are overpriced. Or in the alternative, I would have stayed in a less high traffic town and spent the extra money on a boat trip or other daytime adventure as opposed to overpriced accommodations. We also learned the hard way that there is only one non-stop flight to Portugal from LAX a day so book your tickets early to avoid our mistake of multiple layovers.

How much planning did you do in advance?

We had help from a travel agent for booking our accommodations and some restaurant reservations which took away some of the stress of planning a trip, but when it comes to traveling I like to be in control so we definitely spent many hours pouring over our travel books. We started making reservations around 2-3 months before, and spent some time as the trip got closer figuring out which towns to stop at along our drives, and what specific things we wanted to be sure not to miss.

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Making the Most Out of Layovers: Part 1

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

I really hate layovers. To me, they’re almost always a waste of time and just another chance of a delayed/missed/canceled flight while the airline loses my luggage. That’s why earlier this year, my husband and I made the conscious decision to always pay extra to fly direct whenever we possibly can.

However, flying direct to many popular honeymoon destinations is just not feasible, even for those who live near big hubs like Los Angeles or New York. So if you need to have a layover or two, why not try to make the most of it à la Anthony Bourdain?

Los Angeles

You may find yourself stuck at LAX en route to Hawaii, Australia/New Zealand, Asia, or Tahiti/Fiji. Depending on how much time you have, you will probably want to rent a car since the city is so spread out.

I totally agree with Tony that your very first stop should be In-N-Out Burger – there’s one right by the airport. (The burgers aren’t huge – you’ll still look awesome in your bikini, I promise.) After that, the world is your oyster. If it’s your first time in LA, you may want to drive over to do some shopping in Beverly Hills or The Grove. If you’re looking to just take it easy, maybe drive over to Malibu or Santa Monica.

Beware of LA traffic though, and make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport before your next flight.

Miami

Miami is the gateway to the Caribbean and South America. The infamous beaches are just 30 minutes away, and you can easily get there via the super shuttle or a taxi.

South Beach is a pretty amazing place to people watch and get some excellent seafood. But if you don’t want to venture out of the airport, there’s a pretty decent Cuban restaurant that you should check out in Terminal D.

London

London is a great city for a layover because there’s so much to see and do, and Heathrow will connect you to many airports throughout Europe and Africa. Unless you’ve got tons of money to spare, take the Tube into town because taxis are incredibly expensive. In fact, everything you do is going to be pricey, so just be aware of that. If you’re going to be in London for < 24 hours, just buy a one-day travel card. But if you’re going to be in town for longer than that, buy yourself an Oyster card.

Crunched on time? Just go to a pub. Which pub, you ask? Any pub will do. Really. Beers will be at least $8 each, but they will be delicious and worth it. Order some fish and chips as well.

Have plenty of time? There are so many great (and free!) museums in London, my favorite being The British Museum. You’ll also want to take obligatory photos near Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace.

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Real Honeymoon: The Greek Islands

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

The Greek Islands are one of my favorite places in the world. One of the best things about them is that there’s so much variety. Whether you’re looking to hike, learn about the history, or just lay out on the beaches, you can find the perfect island(s). Read all about Mia and Evan’s awesome honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

Greek Islands (Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes) [September, 2011]

How long was your trip?

12 days

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

We were looking for something easy, where we wouldn’t be overwhelmed by activities and choices and “overdo it” like we ALWAYS do. This option seemed obvious since the islands have great weather in September, they are small with not a ton of stuff to do (but just enough to not get bored), and we could travel to two or three of them without having to worry about flights and pre-planning.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

A day on a catameran in Santorini. Our friends got us as a wedding gift an excursion on a catameran including lunch, bottomless booze and multiple stops around the island to jump in the water, see the hot springs, and “snorkel” (in quotes because of lack of living things to see in the Mediterranean). We booked through Spiridakos and don’t regret a second of it.

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Real Honeymoon: Italy

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Peonies to Palm Trees

A lot of people would agree that Italy is one of the most romantic countries out there, so it’s no surprise that it’s popular with honeymooners. Read all about Alex and Nick’s fun Italian honeymoon below:

When and where did you honeymoon?

September 11 – September 24 / Italy: Rome, Santa Margherita Ligure/Cinque Terre, Florence

How long was your trip?

13 days

The Coliseum – Rome, Italy

How did you decide on your honeymoon destination(s)?

Given my and my husband’s love of food and wine, Italy became a clear front runner from even before we were engaged! So when we got engaged and started talking about our honeymoon more seriously, we really didn’t even consider other locations – Italy was it.

The best part about our honeymoon was…

The food/wine/coffee! I mean – seeing Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum, the Forum, the Vatican, the David – I mean it was all amazing, but the food, wine, gelato and coffee in Italy was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Suffice it to say, we ate/drank our way through Italy. And it wasn’t just the food itself – it was the whole dining culture: once the restaurant fills its tables – it’s full for the night. They don’t turn tables, they don’t rush your meal, and you usually have to hunt the waiter down just to order or get your check. Dinner is the evening’s activity and it was so much fun!

Caffe Greco – Rome, Italy

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