All Things Travel Podcast
Listen in each week with Creating Magic Vacations Travel Advisors and destination experts Ryan and Julie.
He is your travel professor, teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. She is a Disney-loving, Maryland mom of 3 and a specialist in family travel.
Whether they're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories…it’s always All Things Travel.
All Things Travel Podcast
Say "I Do" to Paradise: Ultimate Honeymoon Destinations for Every Couple
In this episode, travel advisors Ryan and Julie discuss their top recommended honeymoon destinations both internationally and within the United States. They provide expert insights on accommodations, activities, and planning tips to help couples create the perfect post-wedding getaway.
For each destination we discuss suggested accommodations, travel considerations, and activities.
International Honeymoon Destinations Discussed
St. Lucia
The Maldives
Italy
Greece
Mexico
Domestic Honeymoon Destinations Discussed
Hawaii
Charleston, SC
Savannah, GA
Napa Valley, CA
Honeymoon Planning Tips
- Have your passport ready for international destinations
- Consider your preferences as a couple:
- Leisure vs. adventure focus
- Available time off (weekend vs. extended trip)
- Financing options:
- Use travel credit card points from wedding expenses
- Consider honeymoon registry/funds instead of traditional gifts
- Plan early to secure the best options and reduce stress
Coming Next Week
European entry requirements, online passport renewals, and Real ID updates
Whether you’re an expat chasing the dream, a traveller inspired by European elegance...
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Hello and welcome to All Things Travel. The month of February celebrates all things love, and that means engagements, weddings, and an overall focus on your relationships. Today we're going to highlight our top honeymoon destinations, perfect for all of you who celebrated your relationship this month.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Listen in with travel advisors and destination experts, Ryan and Julie. I'm your travel professor, teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. And she's a Disney loving, Maryland mom of three, and a specialist in family travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel. All right, Julie, how are you doing? We are recording the middle of February. How is life?
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Well, we're gearing up for a lot more snow this week,
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yay winter
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:I hate winter so much. I really thought we were going to get like zero snow this year because I had gone out and made sure I had snowsuits and hats and gloves and boots for everyone. And I was like, oh good, I'll do all this and it's not going to snow. And I think we've had snow like every week. The kids have just not gone to school. It's not fun. I don't like it.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:All right,
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:we're keeping busy. It's been a super fun week for work because Disney Cruise Line finally started booking their 2026 itineraries.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:tomorrow as we're recording it opens for the general public so I'm gonna be on early Getting some cruises booked.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Oh, I'll see you there.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Okay. Maybe you can book mine for me.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Well, I booked my family's cruise and so excited.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:everybody, this is Julie's texting me back and forth as the cruise lines open. I'm working on these cruises for my clients. Oh, here's all the stuff I'm planning for my trip. So it's a very good balance, right?
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:It is. We've been wanting to do a MedCruise for so long. And I finally
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:I know you have.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:be the year. You know, I've been waiting for Disney to drop these itineraries for so long. And I remember screenshotting them to you. This one's it. This one's it. I'm so excited. So I can't wait to share more about that, as we get closer to it.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:I had a client who is a frequent cruiser with me, mostly in the Caribbean with Disney Cruise Line, and she has kids about your kids ages. And she asked, can I do the Mediterranean Disney Cruise Line? Do you think? And I'm like, I bet you can, because I know somebody who's doing it.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Does she need a travel agent?
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:We're good. We're good.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Okay. So back to honeymoons, this is like
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yes.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:thing now. people plan these super big honeymoons and, Sometimes we're lucky enough to be a part of that planning. I know I've planned some really awesome out of the box ones the past year or two. And I remember when I got married, which wasn't that long ago, it was 10 years ago. I feel like everyone just went to Mexico.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:had no idea what we were doing. So I think it's a great idea for us to highlight destinations that are not Mexico, but spoiler alert, Mexico is on the list.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:And for me, when I think about planning a honeymoon for folks, it's really, how can we maximize. focusing on being together so I think it does lend itself to an all inclusive type situation a cruise or Guided travel where all the variables are taken care of and you just have to focus on Enjoying travel with each other. So I like some of these options that you put together julie
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah. And at the end, I have a couple tips and they're mostly questions to ask yourself as a couple about what we want out of our honeymoon and how that's going to help you narrow it down?
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah, great, well, why don't you start us off what's the first location you have for us
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:So we're going to start with international destinations and this one is like the top of my list because it's fairly easy to get to. The flight time there is pretty intermediate from most parts of the U. S. we are talking about St. Lucia and
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Nice Mm
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Grand St. Lucian. Sandals does have two other resorts that are nearby. One is a little quieter. One is on a little bit of a different landscape, but I like the Grand because it offers a lot of activities. also a lot of other all inclusives there if you're not a Sandals. fan but that's the one I
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:hmm.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Some of the best things that you're going to do in St. Lucia, the things you think about that are most iconic are going to see the pitons, driving into the volcanoes, going to the mud baths, the waterfalls, sunset cruises, rum tastings,
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Love it.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:ATVs, jeep, jeep rides. there's so much adventure that you can do, but if you've got a week there, it's very easy to spread that out. And enjoy a lot of relaxing time on those really beautiful beaches.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:I love that and, you know, if sandals isn't your thing to be honest, if you are a couple who are going to go celebrate romance and your relationship, you can't go wrong with sandals. they just do such a great job when it comes to couples.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:And if you were interested in a destination wedding, and you book your trip at Sandals, you get your wedding included.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah. Absolutely. Alright, so let's talk about a little bit more of an exotic location the Maldives. We talked about the Maldives about a year ago on this show And it was for a honeymoon, I'm thinking of a place like the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, which is a nice luxury resort. Think about those over the water bungalows. that private island as a resort. now the travel experience here is going to be a little more challenging, but completely doable. you obviously do need a passport. You have very long flights, usually two, depending on where you're coming from, but you can plan stopovers in Dubai or Thailand or Sri Lanka, to add some more adventure to your honeymoon. when you think about Maldives, it's all about being pampered and top level of luxury, but you can also have some adventure. So it's Nurse shark swimming, snorkeling, any type of water activity is perfect in the Maldives all year long.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:let's go across the pond, away from the beaches for a little bit. this? has been one of the most popular honeymoon destinations for my clients recently, and that's Italy. Everyone wants to go to Italy this past year, Whether they're going on a cruise or a land trip, we've been working on that one a lot. So, Italy. similar to the last two locations, quick reminder, you still need a passport. You probably have an overnight flight. and you probably want to plan for this to be a longer trip. You don't want to go to Italy for five days. You want to go for a minimum of, seven, eight to 10 to 14 days.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:unless you have been to Italy multiple times and you're going to just enjoy one specific area. I think that's okay, but most people are not at that level of travel.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah, especially not on your honeymoon. And you're thinking you're coming off of getting married and all that wedding planning you want to have, just not be rushed. so you also want to think about. The other two we mentioned were there were all inclusive resorts available in Italy. That's obviously not an option. Now, we can build you an all inclusive package that includes your hotel. Excursions, your tours, your trains, your transfers, all these extra things that you add in. So we can present that to you that feels like an all inclusive, but do know that there's going to be so much in addition to just a hotel cost. some of the top places that you want to go and the things that you want to do there be Rome, going to see the Colosseum, the Vatican, maybe a cooking class in that area. Ryan always talks about Getting lost in a good way. And I think Rome is a great place to do
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:it's the perfect place to do that.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:right? Get lost and find some pizza. Sounds great. Heading down to Naples and going to Pompeii. Usually Naples is more like a stop through on an itinerary, but still a great place to visit. down towards the Amalfi Coast towards Sorrento, Positano, all those beautiful coastal towns. Make your way over to Capri and the Blue Grotto. Go to Anna Capri and the funicular ride. the pictures that come out of the Amalfi Coast are beautiful. Think about including Florence on your trip. It's pretty close to Rome. You can do some vineyard tours, go see the Accademia, the Palazzo Vecchio. Ryan's been there. I remember he had all those awesome pictures from the vineyards a couple of years ago.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yes, absolutely.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:to keep going, head over to Venice and do a gondola ride. Go to the glass blowing factory over the Murano and Barano Islands. There's so much to see in Italy, there's no way you're going to do it all in one trip. So depending on your length of trip will depend on what we can include in it.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:I love that. Now let's head to one of my favorite European destinations, and that is Greece. I'm thinking of staying at places Like the Perianthe Hotel in Athens, the Royal Mekonian Resort at Mykonos, Secret Legend Suites in Santorini. It's going to not just be going to a resort. You're going to have trains, flights, transfers, and with some of these places besides the flight, you may even have a ferry stop. depending on how you want to get to those islands, you might want to consider pairing Greece with a MedCruise. that's a good way to see the islands of Greece. in Athens, doing a city tour with the Acropolis and the new Acropolis Museum. is always on the list, shopping and strolling around the Plaka, which is the old part of the city in Mykonos, doing a food tour. being in Mykonos and Santorini. I was there a few years ago. No Photoshop needed. Those places look exactly like they do in the photos. Mykonos. You walk around and your jaw is just. On the floor with the whitewashed walls the blue trim and the pink flowers. Santorini. Then doing a sunset cruise and also doing a winery tasting. One of the fun things about Santorini is it sits on a volcano. Santorini, the island is a volcano, so you have very different soil there. And so the wine has very unique taste. I want to go back, maybe not for a honeymoon even, but I want to go back.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:you painted an amazing picture and I was like, Oh, I wish that was on my MedCruise itinerary. it's definitely on the travel wishlist, if anyone didn't already have it on their travel wishlist, they should after that description. I know I kind of downplayed this one earlier, but I'm going to throw Mexico in here because it's an affordable honeymoon destination. More affordable than Italy and Greece and probably even St. Lucia and definitely the Maldives.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:but what I will say before you is these resorts that you are suggesting are upper level as far as levels of service. So this is not the stereotypical, which there's nothing wrong with that, but for your honeymoon, maybe you're looking for something a little different.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah, absolutely. the resource that I think about when sending clients for a honeymoon to Mexico are Atelier Playa Mujeres, Secrets Maroma, the Banyan Tree Mayakoba. I mean, these are more elevated resorts and there are so many levels of resorts that it's easier for us to find something at your price point that is still going to feel elevated and not like a party scene if that's what you don't want. it's a little easier to travel here from most destinations in the U. S. It's going to be a shorter flight. It may be a direct flight. I know for me from Baltimore, it's a direct flight. With it being all inclusive, it can be a lot more affordable. you might want to add an excursion or two, get off property, But that's not going to add as big of a cost as, you know, Even comparing, obviously, like going to Italy and Greece, like we mentioned. A couple of the top excursions in Mexico would be going to see the Mayan ruins, swimming in the cenotes, snorkeling, but also just hanging out, relaxing on the beach, and enjoying that all inclusive feel. other great thing about Mexico being a little closer is you can make that trip a little shorter if you need it to be.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Hawaii obviously makes a fantastic, Honeymoon destination. thinking of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach, the Grand Hyatt Kaua'i Resort and Spa, which I've actually been there, I was staying next door to Marriott, and that has the best beach on the island of Kaua'i, the Grand Hyatt does, So travel experience, obviously the good thing here is no passport, but for most people, a longer flight, depending on where you're coming from Island hopping I think is a lot of fun and a great way to see Hawaii, but it does add more travel time. It adds more variables. So if your goal was to relax on your vacation, you may not want to do it here, but I definitely see the value of going to multiple islands while you're there. there are no all inclusive resorts on Hawaii, so you are going to be looking at rental cars. excursions, different things like that. And that's okay. a good travel advisor can help put all that stuff together. So you don't have to stress about anything. So let's talk about the things that you could do. Hiking Diamond Head, seeing waterfalls, Waimea Gardens on the North Shore, Pipeline Beach, all those things on Oahu, Waikiki, obviously snorkeling, water sports, surf lessons a luau in Hawaii, which is a must, my favorite island, which is Kauai, seeing the Nepali coast, Doing a sail and snorkeling on a catamaran. It's just amazing. Poipu Beach on Kauai is a lovely spot and that would be where that Hyatt is. in Maui seeing the beaches and some of the island's, uniqueness like the road to Hana.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:And I love, Ryan, how you pointed out that Grand Hyatt resort has the best beach on that island.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:It really does.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:it shows our value, right? I didn't just pick random resorts
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:stay here. I'm picking ones that I know are going to be great for my clients for a good reason.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:there.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Because Kauai is very rocky, and so there aren't a lot of resorts that have an actual sand beach. So, for instance, the Marriott, Kualoa Poipu Beach, which was next door that I was at, has one of the best pool complexes in the United States. you're still gonna love it, but you're not gonna have a beach. But you go next door to the Hyatt, and And there is an opportunity for beach, but more of a standard pool. So it's kind of, you know, what, what are you looking for? And, and wanting out of that time there. Well, Julie, before we talk about more spots in the United States, I have an ironic where in the world is all things travel, because when I looked at more recent locations to pop up, Mililani town. on the island of Oahu it is straight north of Pearl Harbor, Pearl City, kind of in between Pearl Harbor and the Dole Plantation, we love to see spots like this pop up and listen to all things travel. So I'm going to put you on the spot here, Julie, if we're meeting our listener from Mililani Town, what is a place on Oahu that you want to see with them that maybe you didn't see with your family on this last trip?
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Did you say it has to be on Oahu?
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Well, that's where it is.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:the most sense.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:the pipeline beaches. I did not get to stop at any of those,
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:You guys kind of zip through that because of the kiddos, right?
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:they were asleep in the back. We couldn't just get out.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:So here's what we're going to do. We're going to drive up to the North Shore. We're going to stop at Mililani Town, pick up our listener. we're going to head up to the Pipeline Beaches, check out the surfing, spend some time on the beach. We're going to hit Haliva, have some lunch at the Beach House. I hear their pork sliders are the best in the world, and we're going to have a great time.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:I love that.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:hey, Oahu, we are so excited that you are listening to All Things Travel. Do us a favor, reach out to Julie or I, and you can do that via email or on our website, allthingstravelpodcast. com, because I want to send you a little aloha love all the way out to Oahu for being featured on the show today.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:some really popular and great domestic destinations for honeymoons. The first one is going to be Charleston, South Carolina. this is kind of like a laid back town, very historical It's great for a quick getaway. if you are super busy at work and can't get a lot of time off after your wedding. A lot of people take a lot of time off when they're planning their wedding. you could do a quick weekend getaway. You don't need a passport. It's likely a short flight or even a drive depending on where you're located. So those things make it a great destination. some of the top things that I would recommend you do in Charleston are a culinary crawl. I'm going to give you a couple of the best restaurants to see that should be on your list when you go there. The Husk and Fig, The Ordinary, and Fleet Landing. And then there's also some great neighborhoods you should go to like King Street and East Bay. If you want to see some history of the city, you've got to go over to Rainbow Row. There's some pastel colored 18th century townhouses, which kind of give you a hint into the past of Charleston. You can wander through the Battery, where the majestic antebellum mansions line the waterfront. There's the famous Gibbs Museum of Art Waterfront Park, White Point Gardens. a nice, relaxing weekend getaway with some great food and great sights.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:I had a friend in graduate school, whose husband did, his culinary school training in Charleston and he just raved about Charleston as a culinary scene.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Love that.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:on my list.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Okay,
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:to Savannah. staying in a place like the Hotel Barbados Savannah. It's gonna be a quick weekend getaway, likely a short flight, especially if you're on the eastern side, of the United States. walking through the historical town, you've got the grand tree lined streets with 18th and 19th century mansions. You can marvel at the architecture of the historical churches, the history with the Civil War, Just a lot of culture there in savannah when it comes to history dining. You've got the old pink house a historic restaurant serving dishes like shrimp and grits and fried green tomatoes. You've got leopold's ice cream You've got the gray which offers a sophisticated take on southern cuisine And a restored get this Greyhound bus terminal julie. I think that would be kind of fun And for seafood lovers, you've got the Wild Dock Bar, which is a must visit, offering fresh, locally sourced seafood with stunning marsh views. So again, you've got that steeped in southern history and southern culinary traditions. both of these places sound like a great way to celebrate your honeymoon.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:across the country, to Napa Valley, California. And this is one that wasn't forefront in my mind, but when I came across it, I was like, yeah, that is a really great honeymoon destination. The flight might be a little bit longer than Savannah or Charleston, just depending on where you are in the U. S., but that means you can still make it a pretty short trip. Some of the best things that you're going to want to do there are obviously focusing on the vineyards. Go do a wine trail and visit a bunch of different vineyards throughout your stay, sampling the wines, taking tours. There are some really great Michelin rated restaurants out there. La Tocque is a Michelin recommended gem over in Napa Valley. It's intimate. There's a lot of family owned estates nearby. You can really get in depth with what's going on and this restaurant is right in that area. with a Michelin star, that sounds amazing to me. French Laundry, which has two Michelin stars, so it must be amazing. another really fun thing to do in Napa Valley is to take a hot air balloon ride all over and see that valley. So that is like a very romantic, but again, very relaxed getaway.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:So we've got a couple tips when it comes to planning a honeymoon. The first is if you have an international destination coming up, have your passport ready. if you're unsure about that, listen to next week's episode, I've got some pointers for you.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Oh, what a good teaser. All right. And then the next things I want to say are Asking yourself some questions and, you know, as a couple, do you want more of a leisure honeymoon? Do you want more of an adventure honeymoon? Do you have a lot of time to take off? Or do you have just a weekend to take off? Those two questions are going to really help you narrow down where you want to go.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:So another thing to consider when it comes to finances. What if you paid for your wedding on a credit card with travel points and you can help make that, honeymoon more affordable, or if somebody is paying parts of the wedding for you maybe strongly suggest that those would make a great wedding gift.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Right. Those travel points could
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:absolutely.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:what an amazing way to have an affordable honeymoon. a lot of people like to do a honeymoon fund on their bridal registry.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:I love that.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:thing too.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah, absolutely. And then obviously, as you and I always say, plan early, you're going to be taking the time to plan your wedding. Far out in advance, don't forget about the honeymoon, having those ideas locked down or even just saying, This is when I want to travel. This is where we want to travel. Let the travel advisor put that together for you. the earlier you plan, the better options you have.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:You want to plan a trip to an amazing destination for your honeymoon, but don't know how to get started as your travel advisors, we work with you to create a customized itinerary for your vacation and take the stress of planning away so you can focus on the fun and creating memories. You can reach us at allthingstravelpodcast. com and click on the contact us section.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:We look forward to talking to you next week on all things travel. When we discuss European entry requirements, online passport renewals, and the real ID, all these important updates. We'll go over it all.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:All
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:One last place,
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:favorite place.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:Next favorite place.
j_1_02-16-2025_191948:Yeah, because you love Greece so much. this one is kind of like, I put it in the international, but it doesn't belong in the international.
ryan_1_02-16-2025_191948:I was about ready to say our last international destination and then I looked and I'm like, wait, what is going on here? So, contrary to popular belief, Julie Hawaii is part of the, 50 United States. So, but
