UK couples plan a royally good honeymoon

With the Scilly Isles, Scotland and Canada all mooted as possible honeymoon destinations for the royal couple, Tesco Travel Money has found that Kate and William are not alone in foregoing the traditional long haul beach holiday.

Research from Tesco Travel Money has also found that, while Southern Europe is the top spot for newlyweds, nearly a quarter of engaged couples (24%) are considering a honeymoon in the UK.

Almost half of those getting married (48%) still plan to hit the beach for a relaxing first break as a married couple, yet multi destination trips are proving popular with almost a fifth of engaged couples (18%), closely followed by city breaks (14%). At the opposite extreme, one in ten couple are opting for an active or sporty honeymoon.

The research also identified a large proportion of newlyweds who planned to delay their honeymoon rather than travel immediately after their wedding.

The honeymoon is the activity where couples are most likely to stretch their wedding budget: 39% of married couples said that this was where they really splashed the cash at their wedding. So it is perhaps no surprise that one in five are waiting to save up enough money before their honeymoon, 18% are waiting to travel at a cheaper time of year and 6% are waiting until it's the best season for their chosen destination.

Younger couples appear to have the most traditional honeymoon tastes. Under 25's are most likely to go away straight after the wedding, most likely to go abroad and most likely to opt for a traditional relaxing beach holiday.

John Howells, Head of Tesco Travel Money, commented: "The honeymoon will be the most expensive holiday that many couples have ever taken and it really pays to shop around for discounts in popular honeymoon resorts. Couples should also keep an eye on exchange rates to see where their pound will stretch the furthest. Sterling has held up quite well in the global recession and, compared with 12 months ago, there are a number of currencies where you will get more for your pound this year. You will get 10% more in Turkish lira, 6.5% more in US dollars and 6% more in Barbadian dollars.

"Getting a good rate on your foreign currency can make your holiday money stretch a lot further, and ensure you don't lose out on any savings you might have made by picking up a cheap break."