To keep transit low, choose direct flights where you can, land in daytime, stay close to the airport on the first night, and count only the days you will really spend together. Add up every leg of the journey before you book. A shorter ticket can still be a long day.
This guide belongs to our occasions topic. For ideas on where to meet, see halfway meeting cities from Malaysia.
What does a door-to-door table look like?
List every leg for each of you, in order. Use real times from current schedules.
| Leg | Partner A (hours) | Partner B (hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Home to airport | ||
| Check-in and security | ||
| Flight 1 | ||
| Layover | ||
| Flight 2 | ||
| Immigration and bags | ||
| Airport to hotel | ||
| Total |
The total is your real travel time. Compare the totals, and also see pick a honeymoon by flight time.
What are the five rules?
- Prefer direct flights when leave is short.
- If you must connect, choose a layover with a comfortable buffer and a single terminal.
- Arrive in daytime if you can, so check-in and a meal are easy.
- Avoid a hotel that is a long transfer from the airport on the first night.
- Protect the last day: keep the return flight at a sensible hour.
These rules trade small amounts of money for more time together.
How do we count real days together?
Count from the moment both of you have arrived. Subtract the first evening, which will be tired, and the last morning, when you head to the airport.
Our guide on usable holiday hours and the usable holiday days calculator show how to work this out. A trip that looks like five days may be three.
How do we keep the first night calm?
Book a hotel close to the airport or the arrival point, with a late check-in and a simple dinner. Read matching flight times to resort check-in for ideas.
If one of you arrives a few hours earlier, agree a meeting point and a plan. A pickup at the gate is lovely, but only if both flights are on time.
What if connections go wrong?
Allow a buffer. Our guide on connection fatigue on long routes explains why a single hard connection can cost a day.
Keep your documents together, share your live flight status and decide in advance where you will meet if plans change.
What should we do next?
- Fill in the door-to-door table for each of you with real times.
- Count the real days together.
- Send us the table and your leave dates. We will compare routes and show you the total for two with the days you actually share.