All About Travel

A look at the state of the honeymoon, both at home and abroad

A lot of goes into a wedding; About a year of planning, on average, and upward of $20,000, give or take, depending on whom who ask. It makes sense that after all of that, a vacation – the honeymoon – is in order.

Which, of course, is another $5K or so, according to TheKnot.com, which in late May unveiled results from its 2010 Honeymoon Study. The poll of more than 12,000 couples married last year is the wedding website’s third annual report on honeymoon stats.

According to the study, an estimated 1.4 million couples honeymoon each year for an average of eight days. The average cost of a honeymoon is $4,466, which 62 percent of couples foot that bill themselves (at least 90 percent).

Couples on average book their honeymoon four months before the wedding date. Here’s a look the stats on honeymooners, both continental and abroad:

Continental U.S.

Nearly 30 percent of newly married U.S. couples honeymoon within the continental U.S.

Top Destinations: Florida (8 percent), California (5 percent) and Nevada (3 percent)

Average Length: 6.7 days, excluding travel time

Accommodations: Deluxe Hotel (28 percent), Standard Hotel (19 percent), Bed & Breakfast/Inn (17 percent), Lodge/Cabin (15 percent), Rental House (13 percent)

• 59 percent said they were more likely to book directly with a vendor, and 57 percent said their trip was “extremely enjoyable.

International

More than 70 percent of newly married U.S. couples honeymoon outside the continental U.S. – including Hawaii

Top Destinations: Mexico (15 percent), Hawaii (12 percent), Jamaica (7 percent), Bahamas (5 percent), Italy (5 percent), St. Lucia (5 percent), France (3 percent) and U.S. Virgin Islands (3 percent)

Average Cost: $5,5219 – more than twice the cost of a domestic honeymoon

Average Length: 8.7 days, excluding travel time

Accommodations: All-Inclusive Resort (39 percent), Resort – not all-inclusive Hotel (20 percent), Cruise (16 percent)

•44 percent said they were likely to book a package, with 34 percent saying they were more likely to book with a travel agent.

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