Knowing where to go is half the battle, so good on ya if you have that one figured out (if not, here’s how to pick your next destination)…
Now you just need to finalize when to go.
Many factors at play here, and some — such as your work vacation days — might hold the veto power.
But if you can be a bit flexible, today’s email will be a big help…
Let’s start the #1 factor for most of us: the dinero. 💰💰
Shoulder Season
You’re familiar with the idea of “high season” and “low season” for travel destinations (sometimes referred to as “peak season” and “off season”), but it’s the one in between — shoulder season — that takes the cake. (mmm, 🍰)
This is because you get almost all the benefit of the good weather for much less the price, along with way smaller crowds at the major attractions.
Very generally:
- High season is mid-June through August
- Shoulder season is April through mid-June and September through October
- Off season is November through March
But this is destination specific and many places don’t abide by these dates. This is because the weather in a destination may play a big role if that destination’s weather accounts for why people travel there.
For example, if you’re looking to ski the Alps, the warmer months of winter are their shoulder season, whereas the typical spring and fall shoulder seasons would be too warm to hit the slopes.
To make it easy to find the shoulder season in your destination, check out this interactive map:
(If you’re having a hard time seeing this, click here to see it online)
To get more info on your destination’s shoulder season, easiest thing is to Google it (although I think we should make a cool tool for this… would you like that?).
Additionally, here’s a few other resources that might help:
- Picking Your Season And 6 Other Ways To Live Like A Local While Traveling
- Make sure you’re good with the weather by checking out the averages for your destination (here’s another option on an interactive map)
Now let’s talk about picking dates around holidays…
Holiday Seasons
Here’s the skinny with picking your travel dates based on the local holidays in your destination…
Popular holidays will cost you more for flight and accommodation (unless you’ve booked at the right time… but more on that tomorrow).
If you’re on a strict budget, booking during their holidays might be too tight on the wallet…
That said, there is often nothing more interesting and entertaining than experiencing holidays in another country!
Want to get covered head-to-toe in bright powder and paint while partying during Holi in India? Well, this Hindu “Festival Of Colors” happens in March every year.
Or want to dance for days on end at Trinidad Carnival? Fly in near the end of February (and put your party boots on!).
Whether you’re aiming to avoid them or join them, it’ll definitely help to be aware of them! Click here for a simple way to discover all the holidays for your destination.
And here are a few cool posts on this front:
- 7 Unusual Holidays & Festivals Celebrated Around The World
- 14 Wild & Wonderful World New Year’s Eve Traditions
- 5 Harvest Season Festivals Around The World
I hope this helps in pinning down some dates for that destination you’ve got locked in.
Are there other factors that are more important to you than what we talked about here? Let us know in the comments below!
