Off-Season Travel Guide
Traveling off-season allows you to experience less crowded tourist attractions, providing hours of savings as you take in each sight without feeling rushed or overwhelmed by crowds of other tourists.
Fall in New England or Switzerland’s alpine valleys offers an incredible display of color.
Cheaper Prices
As demand decreases, prices often decrease; therefore planning a trip in the off-season could be worth your while and effort.
According to Columbus Travel, winter in Europe offers the lowest hotel rates and airfare rates; or for traveler’s looking to visit South America between June and August is when prices drop significantly while crowds shrink considerably.
Off-season travel in Southeast Asia can save big money; although weather may not be ideal. Still, off-season travel gives you the chance to immerse yourself in local culture and have a relaxing getaway despite rain. Off-season travel also makes your dream trip more financially feasible; all it requires is being open-minded about planning out your itinerary in creative and flexible ways.
Less Crowds
As a rule, destinations experience lighter crowds during the off-season. This allows visitors to easily secure prime spots at iconic landmarks, spread out more on beaches and access some of the best restaurants more readily.
Travelzoo reports that tours that focus on European and other popular off-season destinations typically provide savings of 20%-40% when compared with peak-season itineraries, including airfare savings but also lower hotel, bucket list activities, and local attraction prices.
Cape Cod can be a hectic place during the summer season, but in September and October you’ll find that its population dissipates considerably and that you have more choice of hotel rooms and hotspots.
Authentic Experience
Off-season travel provides you with a more authentic experience of your destination. Locals won’t have to deal with as many tourists, which means they’ll likely be more friendly and helpful with you – not to mention more available activities because fewer people will be present.
For example, to experience Machu Picchu in Peru is best visited during spring or autumn if possible; similar logic applies for Morocco’s Atlas Mountains and Egypt’s pyramids. Rough Guides or Wildsam offer excellent off-season travel guides.
Off-season travel offers an ideal opportunity to discover some of the most iconic landmarks of America, like the Grand Canyon in autumn or New York City in winter. By doing this, it may help avoid typical tourist traps while giving you more insight into more obscure parts of each city.
Peace and Quiet
Off-season travel offers many advantages: sunset picnics sans chatter of people passing by; long strolls along deserted beaches or just taking in your surroundings without being distracted by other tourists are all wonderful experiences to look forward to.
Finding dining or activities may be harder in certain destinations, but locals will appreciate your business and treat you more courteously. Travel by train such as South Western Railway often allows cheaper fares during off-season travel.
Off-season travel may not suit every destination, especially those with extreme climates; but for an affordable and low-key vacation experience, off-season travel could be worth your while! Just make sure that you research weather and seasonal closures prior to making your decision.
