While most travel during the summer months, AAA recommends considering travel during the fall and winter months for various reasons.
“With interest in travel high, more travelers are looking for bargains, and ‘shoulder’ season offers a variety of benefits, including more options for cost-conscious adventurers. Many families must travel during the summer when the kids are out of school, but other travelers purposefully choose the fall and even winter for less expensive trips to popular destinations when they are less overrun by tourists.”
Morgan Dean, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic in Virginia
Recommended Videos
AAA defines “shoulder season” as the time of year between a destination’s peak season and its off-season. Here are some great benefits of travelling during the off-season:
- Smaller crowds, allowing you to explore at your own pace without feeling rushed.
- Shorter lines and less demand for tickets at popular attractions and destinations and tables at favorite restaurants.
- The worst of the summer heat has subsided in the Northern Hemisphere, making for a more comfortable travel experience.
- Airline seats and flight times may be more available to choose from.
- Better prices than peak season, not only for airfare and tour packages, but also for hotels, rental cars and train tickets. Travelers can find better prices for ocean and river cruises. River cruises continue to be incredibly popular and there are substantial savings in the shoulder seasons for European river cruising.
- With fewer tourists, there are more opportunities to interact with the locals and have more authentic experiences in the country or destination.
- Many theme parks, cities and regions host cultural or food festivals in the Fall and Spring, providing a glimpse of local cuisines and traditions.
You can learn more or book travel through AAA here.