Traveling in the off-season can be very much worth your if you can get the time off while everyone is working and you don’t mind conditions that might not be the ideal. When you’re traveling when others aren’t, it gives you a certain edge in the fact that you don’t have to spend as much on your getaway – that means extra dollars in your wallet.
You also won’t be sweating as much because of stifling and uncomfortably hot weather (or cold weather), while waiting in never-ending lines for attractions. You won’t be fending off hordes of tourist who flock to the destination during peak-season either.
More often than not, many veteran travelers choose off-season over peak-season — for good reason too.
Put it another way, there are some trade-offs that come with low-season travel, but there are probably just as many, if not more benefits, at least within reasonable expectations. For reasons quite obvious, you wouldn’t want to be trekking to Rajasthan during mid-July, or taking a trip to Florida right after spring season, or backpacking through South Asia during monsoon.
While arguments can be made for traveling during both off or peak season, today, we’ll be breaking down some of the advantages of traveling during low season. Hopefully, it’ll help you decide if a trip to your favorite destination can be a great idea during the low season.
You can plan a spontaneous getaway
Need to make a last-minute reservation? Or book tickets? Only you can’t because it’s Christmas and you’d have to do that, weeks in advance. And if you haven’t made the booking ahead of time, you can’t expect a discount off your flight tickets or hotel rates.
But that won’t be the case if you’re traveling off-season. Hotels and transport won’t be sold out because not many people are traveling to the destination. You can make last-minute bookings and get a good discount to boot. And if you have a change of heart at the last minute, you can change your holiday destination for a different one too.
Off-season travel affords more flexibility since you don’t have to plan out your itinerary to the T. You can plan your day when you get there. Aside from flexibility, this allows for spontaneity as well.
You can have a meal at some of the top restaurants without reservations because they will have spots available when tourists aren’t over-running the destination. During high season, many restaurants shoot up the prices. And you guessed it, you can save money on your dining bills traveling when most tourists aren’t. So you can have dinner at that famed fancy restaurant your friend told you about within budget. The same goes for transport services and popular tourist attractions like museums or temples for instance.
Great flight deals on the cheap
Ask any seasoned traveler and they’ll tell you that traveling during peak-season can cost you a fair bit in ticket prices. And that isn’t limited to international travel either (consider the ticket prices in the US during Thanksgiving).
The demand for flight tickets naturally drops during low season, as do the ticket prices. That means cheaper fares during off-peak times. And considering how plane tickets can take up a sizable chunk of your vacation budget, you can save yourself the expense on pricey airfare.
To give you an idea of how much you can save, it’s not uncommon to see a drop of up to 50% at times in ticket prices (with decent flight times, of course).
Better and cheaper accommodation
Not too different from airline fares, hotel rates fluctuate drastically depending on what time of the year you’re visiting. During peak season when they’re overcrowded, hotels, Airbnb hosts and hostels charge higher rates, and that too requires you to make reservations beforehand.
On the other hand, when tourist spots are more or less empty during the off-season, as are hostels, Airbnb rooms, and hotels. They need to be filled somehow, so to attract tourists, they cut the prices by 30% at least and sometimes as high as by 70%.
And since most rooms are vacant, a handful of guests would be their sole focus – which translates into better service. It won’t be unusual for them to upgrade you to better rooms — the rooms are vacant anyway so why not?
Plus, you can negotiate prices which simply isn’t an option when they have streets overflowing with tourists.
Destinations won’t be over-run by droves of tourists
Sure, fewer crowds mean fewer tourist attractions will be open. But it comes with an advantage – you won’t be going heel-to-toe with other tourists who are flocking to the same attraction you’re interested in. The lines are shorter, which means you won’t have to wait for hours at end, saving you time and energy. Time and energy which can then be spent elsewhere.
Aside from avoiding ridiculously long lines, you’ll find the beaches clear – both from tourists and the mess they bring with them – which means you can kick back and relax in secluded spots and soak in the sun without the cacophony of crowds.
Hiking trails will be deserted, mostly. So you won’t have jostle with scores of hikers and you’ll be able to take in the nature in relative peace and quiet.
When you visit during low season, you’ll realize that the place you’re visiting is more than just a tourist destination. You’ll notice that when there are more locals around than there are tourists, you can witness what day-to-day life is like for them. This is certainly a perk because you get to have a more authentic experience.
You can snap photos free from tourists in the background
I’m sure you’re familiar with how you have that tiny window of time to capture a photo with your favorite place in the background when it’s empty. But it’s often missed, and instead of a memorable photograph, you get one with scores and scores of tourists in the background.
Fortunately, that’s not a problem when you’re traveling in low season. Since your favorite places aren’t crowded, you can take as many great and often unique photos – a snowy Eifel Tower for instance.
More amicable locals
When you aren’t part of the swarm of tourists arriving in their city, the locals tend to be friendlier and helpful. You can meet and strike up a conversation with them. They’ll help you with directions, give you useful tips about where to stay, places to avoid, and attractions to visit.
You get to make friends, learn firsthand about their culture and deeply rooted traditions, which probably won’t be possible if you’re visiting in high-season.
Nice weather
The peak season for a lot of destinations is during summer, which means you’ll either be sweating in the sun waiting in long lines (hint: very unpleasant) or hogging the air conditioner for the better of the day. Add to that the crowded attractions, and the weather would hardly be favorable or conducive to your experience.
But if you visit during low season, the weather might be a bit nippy at times, or it might rain for a day, but its nothing an umbrella and a sweater can’t fix.
Evidently, I don’t recommend trekking to the Himalayas when it’s covered in snow during the off-season but a number of destinations do have favorable weather conditions.
Explore more on the same budget
Finally, you can add more attractions and destinations to your itinerary, thanks to all the money you saved.
Final thoughts
The sum total of this article would be that you should consider traveling during the off-season if you are on a tight budget, or if you’d like to save a lot of money in airline fares, accommodation, and dining. Or if the idea of having the whole destination to yourself (only a few tourists will be around) sits well with you, or if you’d rather avoid unbearably long lines, sticky hot weather and noisy tourists and their kids, and get a more grounded and authentic experience.