So you’ve decided on a Greek Honeymoon? Congratulations!! You’ve made an amazing choice.
We got married in Greece in 2014 and did part of our honeymoon in Greece. Since then, we’ve made 5 more trips to Greece, each one more romantic than the last. So we have a lot of recommendations to share with you!
Here are our top 7 Greek Honeymoon Tips You Need to Know!
1. How YOU Can Afford an Amazing Greek Honeymoon!
I’m all for budget traveling y’all (in fact, Larry and I spent the first half of our Honeymoon backpacking in Switzerland before getting to Greece for the second half). But the truth is, most of us long for a little luxury on our most romantic vacation ever.
So how did we make that happen? Larry and I were young when we got married and I was actually still school. We could NOT have made our dream honeymoon come true without using resources like Honeyfund: This is the exact service we used 10 years ago.
We loved using Honeyfund because it allowed us to ask for specific and special experiences for our guests to buy us as wedding gifts … rather than just asking for straight cash. Here are some examples of things we asked for in our Honeyfund:
- $100 Dinner for two in Zurich
- $100 Gift Card to spa in Athens – x2
- $50 sunset boat tour in Milos – x2
- $30 train ride through Interlaken – x2
- $50 towards stay at a hotel in Santorini
- And so much more!
Larry and I had THE BEST time dreaming of our honeymoon and planning out all these stays and experiences. We remembered to send pictures and thank you cards of each of these events to those who paid for them. Which is so much more fun and personal than typical registries and thank you’s.
2. Use Travel/Registry Hacks to Book Plane Travel!
For large ticket items like flights to Europe, you have two options:
Use Honeyfund (or similar services) and break up your flight into “$50 American Airline gift cards” or “$100 American Airline gift cards” for example. This is what we did back in our registry day. Again, feels so much classier than asking for straight cash, and people feel happy to be contributing to your honeymoon in a tangible way!
Use Miles and Points! This is what I would do if I had to do it all over again. There is much more to come on this topic, but briefly, you would pay for most of your wedding expenses with a travel credit card that you sign up for SPECIFICALLY for a big sign-on bonus. You reach the sign-on bonus (in points) by paying for your wedding and then USE THOSE POINTS to book airfare.
3. Plan your Greek Honeymoon for the May, June, or September
I strongly recommend planning your Greek Honeymoon during the shoulder season for many reasons.
First of all, you’ll find the entire trip – airfare, hotels, ferries, etc – to be so much cheaper during these months. Particularly if you’re wanting to stay in the most expensive zones of Greece, like the island of Santorini, you can save $100-$200 per night by staying in the shoulder season.
Secondly, you want to avoid July and August if at all possible. The prices are higher, there are more crowds, and the weather is very hot. Don’t get me wrong, Greece is always lovely, and a Greek honeymoon at any time will be a romantic time!!
But if you can choose, I recommend focusing on May, June, or September for good weather, fewer tourists, and better deals.
4. Santorini Honeymoon Recommendations
Now to the fun part … Where should you go for your Greek honeymoon?
Santorini is an obvious option!! You can’t mention the words Greek honeymoon without discussing the granddaddy of all romantic vacations. This place is as beautiful as you’ve seen in pictures and more. Here are sone ideas for areas to stay:
If you are traveling on a tight budget ($100-300 per night … trust us, for Santorini this IS considered budget), then I strongly recommend staying in Akrotiri.
This is a quickly growing tourist destination and town on Santorini and has increasingly beautiful accommodation options. Don’t be bummed that you aren’t staying on the caldera side of the island … just do what Larry and I did and rent an ATV to get around the island or take public transportation! The island is small enough that you can get around in no more than an hour.
A couple great budget options in Akrotiri are linked here and here
If you are looking for mid-range accommodations, ($300-500 per night), consider staying in Fira.
This is a lively town with great views, restaurants, and nightlife! Like we previously stated, this town is close enough to the famous sunsets of Oia that you can easily traverse the distance on a moped, ATV, or bus. There is also a lovely hike from Fira to Oia that we would recommend to anyone visiting the island!
A couple great midrange options in Fira are linked here and here.
Larry and I stayed at the Atlantis Hotel when we visited Fira. While it was well located and adequate …. I honestly think there are many better places you could stay in Fira for a comparable price. The hotel is fine, but it certainly doesn’t give you the WOW feeling of staying in a white cave or a cliff side dwelling that other Fira accommodations offer.
If you have a budget above $500 per night, you could stay anywhere on the island including the gorgeous village of Oia!! This is the town with the famous sunset view and the walk down to world-famous Amoudi Bay!! It can be extremely difficult finding a good view of sunset here simply because of all the tourists and cruise-ship day-trippers queuing up for the same picture. So having your own balcony (or private plunge pool) to see the sunset from will be a romance life-saver!
5. Figure out where in Greece you want to go!
Obviously, Santorini isn’t for everyone! Or, it may only be a small portion of your Greek honeymoon itinerary. So, how will YOU figure out where to go? You need to read this super easy guide on how to plan your perfect Greek itinerary! I’ve made it as easy as possible to figure out the perfect region of Greece to explore.
- The Ionian islands are great for anyone who is struggling to decide between a Greek honeymoon and an Italian honeymoon!
- The Cyclades are a group of islands for those of you dreaming for a typical white-cubed, blue-domed Mamma Mia fantasy of Greece!
- The Dodecanese are ideal for people who are on a strict budget and want to experience authentic Greek island life.
- Mainland Greece is best for people who have a short period of time in Greece, love history, but still want old world charm and beautiful beaches and coastlines!
6. Don’t Skip Athens!
Athens, particularly if you focus on the romance of the Parthenon at sunset and the glamour of the Greek riviera, is not to be missed!! Make sure you check out our 3-day Athens Itinerary for first-timers to get you started!
7. Pack Appropriately!
The experience of a Greek honeymoon revolves are the ocean! You want to be able to comfortably get in and out of the water on a Mediterranean rocky beach. You want to be able to spontaneously pull the car over and swim on a deserted beach you spotted from the road. And then, you want to be able to change into dry clothes, pack up your swimsuit in a wet bag, and enjoy a lunch in a nearby town!
To be perfectly prepared for a Greek honeymoon, you must read my 17 surprising but critical items to pack for a Greek vacation!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this post covering 7 Greek Honeymoon recommendations! From covering the cost of your honeymoon, to booking at the right time of year, to picking the perfect Greek honeymoon itinerary and packing like a pro!
