Couples Travel Deals

There will probably always be some debate about whether it’s better to travel on your own or with someone else, but the truth lies – as it so often does – somewhere in between. One thing that makes traveling with another person a good idea, however, is that you can save money. As counter-intuitive as it might seem, finding couples travel deals is often easier than finding solo travel deals.

Most package trips, cruises, and resorts cater to couples, whether they advertise it that way or not. Room rates are typically based on “double occupancy,” which obviously favors people traveling in a pair, and it’s solo travelers who have to figure out how to avoid the single supplement.

At the same time, however, by simply naming a particular special a “couples travel deal” it’s easy for a resort or cruise to make it look like they’re offering great luxury travel deals when they’re not. And if you’re in the mood for a romantic trip, the right marketing can cause you to overlook the fact that the whole thing might be overpriced to begin with.

With any travel package, you definitely need to dust off the calculator in order to figure out whether a so-called deal is really going to save you money. If you find out you could get a flight and a stay at the same hotel for less if you booked them separately, then the rose petals on the bed or bottle of bubbly may not seem quite so “complementary” anymore.

Couples can make any trip romantic, so you don’t have to rely on the cruise or tour company to supply the romance for you – especially if you’re really in the market for a budget-friendly trip. Not finding a killer deal on the resort you had your eye on? Book a cheaper hotel in the area and splurge on a fancy dinner or couples spa treatment at the resort. Can’t afford the 4-star hotel for your whole trip? Spend the weekend (when rates are higher) in a cheaper hotel and move to the more expensive hotel when rates drop mid-week.

As we mentioned recently, shoulder season travel typically offers the best combination of lower prices and smaller crowds, so if you’re in the mood for a quieter escape with your sweetie without spending a fortune, take a look at shoulder seasons around the world to see where you might save a little money and avoid the worst of the crowds.

Melanie Waldman of the couples travel blog Travels With Two does note that many resorts and high-end hotels will offer “romantic getaway” discounts on a fairly regular basis, so be sure to check that resort or hotel’s website and look at the “specials” page to see what’s available. You still need to do the math to see if the deal is really a deal, but these un-advertised specials can offer great savings – especially mid-week or in the off-season.

photo by kramerhawks