When you picture off-season travel, what do you see?

Is it trudging through snow-covered streets past shuttered-up shops?

Or is it being able to walk around without bumping into hordes of tourists, while still avoiding extreme weather and saving a buck or two?

The reality is the latter, as travelers and destinations alike have embraced the idea that sometimes the best way to enjoy a location is to find when everyone else is going — and steer clear.

Off-season travel allows you to simply do more, partly because the lines are shorter, and also because the prices are often more affordable. After all, you want to be on the right side of supply and demand, right?

We took a look at a few destinations that demonstrate how bucking the conventional wisdom about when to visit can work in your favor. Then we looked at a few cities that are dealing with overtourism, the phenomenon of overcrowding that can cause everything from landmarks being overrun to local wildlife being disrupted. And we included some suggestions for responsibly enjoying these hotspots during the off-season.¹ 

Weather or Not…

The temperature, humidity and chance of precipitation.

It’s as obvious as a downpour on a tin roof: climate and weather loom large when it comes to determining the popularity of a destination. If you’re a savvy traveler focused on when others aren’t flocking to certain spots, you can pinpoint when off-season travel begins. Then, you can dodge the crowds and save on costs from lodging to airfare. And you might just find that by taking the trip less traveled, you can have an even better time than the crowds that will gather in another six months. Here are a few examples of how you can win at off-season travel.

• Flip the ski weekend: Breckenridge, a former mining-town-turned ski resort destination, is famous for downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and even dog sledding. What do all these activities have in common? You guessed it, snow. With the blustery weather and packed powder comes gaggles of cold-weather sport enthusiasts to Breckenridge’s 2,300-plus acres. That’s the scene, from November through May-ish.
  
  But what about afterward? That’s when the off-season travel begins. (Yes, it’s also called mud season, so bring your boots.) At Breckenridge, offseason excursions aren’t afterthoughts. In fact, they’re pretty awesome. Just imagine blazing a trail on foot or on a bike in 70F, which is the typical summer temperature. You can also head out to the water — yes, the unfrozen snow and ice — to go fly fishing, kayaking, whitewater rafting or paddleboarding. Mix in a trip to the aptly named Breckenridge Brewery if you need some hydration, which offers two-for-one entrees during mud season.²

You know what you don’t have to do before jumping into any of these activities? Wait for a chairlift. Need one more carrot to consider Breckenridge for off-season travel? How about saving nearly 50% on lodging.³ 

• The ‘B’-side of the beach. Coastal hotspots just aren’t the same when it’s 43F, or for that matter 103F, when the sweat and extreme heat make it unbearable. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that oceanfront cities and beach towns can also be fun for the entire family during off-peak dates. Take Miami, for example, which fills up with snowbirds escaping the real winter up North. What’s already a pretty pricey town — can you say $23 mojitos — becomes even pricier. Sure, there’s the summer, and yes, Will Smith’s party anthem begged us to “party in the city where the heat is on,” but it’s just plain unbearable in Miami in June through August, when the sheer heat is compounded by high humidity and disruptive afternoon storms. That brings us to Spring, quite possibly the most inviting time to explore South Florida’s beaches as well as Miami’s rich Cuban heritage. In March, April and May, you can bask in 80F temperatures and only need an umbrella every once in a while.

You can apply this same thinking to planning off-season visits to many other popular beaches on the other coast. Take Cannon Beach, Oregon, for artisans, live music and wine tasting. Or Long Beach Peninsula, Washington, where the best surfing happens in the fall. We’ve compiled a list of beach towns that are ripe for off-season travel.⁵

Don’t Underestimate Overtourism

Sometimes pursuing off-season travel isn’t just about saving money or avoiding peak season. Nowadays off-peak trips are sometimes necessary to simply be able to see a destination’s go-to landmarks.

Here are some tips for planning off-season travel for some of the countries and cities most associated with overtourism.

• Paris: When it comes to visiting the City of Light for off-season travel, you’ll want to scratch off all of summer and Fashion Week, which is held from the end of September through the beginning of October. We recommend spring, which pairs blooming flowers all around the city’s copious parks with slightly discounted hotel rates. You might even catch a French Open match at Roland-Garros. Just pack an umbrella and a light jacket.⁶ 

• Amsterdam: Similar to many cities dealing with overtourism, the idea of an “off season” is relative. This is the case with the popular Dutch city, which you may find to be overrun with visitors in July and August, and still fairly dense in the broader period of April through October. That leaves winter for those who want to take their time exploring the Van Gogh Museum or explore the vast canal system unencumbered by packs of tourists. And with temperatures that never spike much in either direction, the moderate climate is inviting all year long.⁷

• Iceland: When you think of overtourism, you may likely think of Iceland, which for the past few years was the poster child for the phenomenon. The country experienced five straight years of a tourism boom, but the high costs and big crowds of overtourism eventually caught up with the Land of Fire and Ice. If it’s still on your bucket list, we recommend fall for off-season travel, when the Northern Lights are shining bright, the chill isn’t too bitter, and the crowds thin out some.

One last note: don’t forget travel insurance from Allianz Travel Insurance for your off-season travels.

Related Articles

• 8 Cheap (and Beautiful) Places to Travel
• 7 Insider Tips for Visiting National Parks
• Compare Travel Insurance: How to Pick the Perfect Plan