Your honeymoon might not be the first trip you take together as a couple, but it might be one of the most memorable. It should be a time to relax, explore, enjoy each other’s company, and plan for your married life.
What better way to do that than on a road trip? In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of taking a honeymoon campervan trip and some of our favorite destinations, which are sure to make for amazing memories and stories you can tell for years to come!
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Why Take a Honeymoon Road Trip?
We think a honeymoon is the perfect time to take a road trip. Embarking on an adventure together is a wonderfully symbolic way to celebrate the grand life adventure you’re about to start. Road trips are all about exploring, discovering, and spending time together. Plus, you’re newlyweds, so you can probably still spend long hours in a car together without driving each other crazy!
Check out some of the other benefits of making your honeymoon a campervan trip.
Low Cost
Let’s not beat around the bush: weddings are expensive! Even if you go DIY and keep costs low, it always ends up being more than you thought. It’s tough to pile the expense of a traditional honeymoon on top of that. After flights, hotels, meals out, etc. you could end up spending quite a bit.
A campervan trip is significantly cheaper, not only because driving costs less than flying, but because you won’t have to spring for a hotel, you can cook your own meals, and save that money for fun activities.
Time to Connect
You can spend the entire trip sitting next to each other, holding hands, and listening to your road trip playlist. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to talk, laugh, and make memories. Driving through beautiful countryside is so much less stressful than dealing with airports and cramming into a plane together. We can almost guarantee your mood will be better when you get to your destination.
Unique Memories
Going to Bali for your honeymoon is so “early two-thousands.” There are so many incredible places to visit right inside the US (or Mexico, if you’re willing to go a little further South, or Canada if you want to head North!)
Places like Yosemite National Park, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, South Dakota, lakes, rivers, forests, beaches…the list goes on! And the best part is that on a campervan trip, you’re not limited to just one.
Have any places on your bucket list that you’d like to check off? Now’s your chance!
5 Romantic Honeymoon Destinations
If you’re not convinced yet that a camper van honeymoon is the way to go for your post-wedding trip, check out some of the beautiful romantic destinations on this list.
Pacific Coast Highway
The PCH is one of the most iconic stretches of highway in the United States. The route is technically two roads: Highway 1 and Highway 101, and between the two of them you can take this trip all the way from Washington to San Diego (and even into Baja California.)
We recommend starting at the northern end of the drive, as that way, you’ll be driving on the side of the road closest to the ocean. Give yourself about 10 days – more if you want to spend longer in some of the best destinations.
This route will take you from the stunning, rugged forests of the Pacific Northwest, through the bustling hub of San Francisco and some of California’s funkiest beach towns, to the desert of So Cal. We highly recommend continuing across the border down the Baja California peninsula for some incredible surfing, tacos, and some of the most remote, beautiful beaches you’ll ever see.
Route 66
Another iconic stretch of Americana, Route 66 extends all the way from Los Angeles to Chicago, and passes through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. It was one of the first-ever highways built in the US, and has been immortalized in songs, movies and TV shows.
Unfortunately, much of the original route has now been replaced by newer interstate highways, so many people prefer to choose a section of the route, or base themselves out of a single city to explore. It is possible to drive the entire stretch, but it requires a bit of zigzagging to find the connections.
Our favorite stretch of this route is between Amarillo and Albuquerque, where you’ll get the wide-open desert the route is famous for. There are plenty of vintage museums, roadside cafes, and motels to stop at, and the new interstate runs parallel to the old road, so you can take either one and have the same experience.
Ozark National Forest
Getting married in the fall? Why not take a road trip to see the colors change? Ozark National Forest in Arkansas is one of the best places to do this, boasting spectacular fall colors at places like Fellows Lake and Dogwood Canyon.
If you want to get out and stretch your legs, there are also unique viewing opportunities along the way, including hiking, kayaking, bike trails, and horseback riding. The best time to go is late September through October, with peak color in late October.
South Central Alaska
An eight-day Alaskan road trip is an incredible way to see some wild, rugged places and experience some amazing local culture and history. Depending on the time of year, you can see wildflowers blooming, beautiful snowed-in mountain scenery, or swim in mountain lakes and hike to spectacular peaks.
We recommend starting in Fairbanks and spending a day or two exploring the city and Alaska’s Arctic, which can be seen through tour companies. From there, head out to Chena Hot Springs, and then on to the Copper River Valley. Spend a relaxing day in slow-paced McCarthy, where the population is only around 28 people, then head to Valdez and take the ferry to finish up in Anchorage.
Yellowstone National Park
When it comes to jaw-dropping scenery, it doesn’t get much better than Yellowstone. Even if you’ve been before, it’s always good for a re-visit; if you haven’t, experiencing it for the first time with someone you love is magical.
One of our favorite Yellowstone road trips starts in Denver and takes you through the Rocky Mountains, wide-open Wyoming, and Grand Teton. You’ll spot incredible wildlife like bears and bison and take in some of the most beautiful scenery and fascinating history this country has to offer.
Extend Your Honeymoon… Indefinitely!
Who says your honeymoon has to have an end date?
If you’re reading this article, you’ve heard of #vanlife. Our founder, David, traveled for over two years when he got married and often joked about how the first two years were a never-ending honeymoon. He traveled across the country in a self-converted campervan before finally settling down to have his son, Summit.
In all honesty, the two years on the road probably cost just as much as a two-week “traditional” honeymoon! It was an unforgettable experience that never would have happened if he hadn’t opted for an alternative lifestyle.
Planning Your Campervan Honeymoon Road Trip
Your honeymoon campervan trip can be as adventurous or as laid-back as you like. That’s the beauty of this type of honeymoon: you get to do it exactly how you want to.
Give yourself a few days’ buffer on either end to make sure the trip is as stress-free as possible, and then enjoy the slow pace and easygoing fun as you Find Your Outside™ during the first adventure of your married life!
