THE JOY OF OFF-SEASON TRAVEL

 

I am a big proponent of off season travel. I love the monsoons just as much as the summers and winters. There is no such thing as bad weather, only a bad choice of clothing and bad attitude. If you love walking in the rain monsoon is a great time for travelling. Otherwise why would you gleefully accept the notoriously unpredictable London rains but frown when it pours in Kolkata?  Cold rains and heavy winds in Vancouver, Melbourne, Chicago and Wellington send chills right down to the bones of my tropically tuned body. Mumbai, Shillong, Chennai, Nainital and Mount Abu are any day more friendly. It’s all about setting the right expectations and making the best of the situation. I have written a blog about Monsoon Travel Plans which I invite you to read: https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2018/07/monsoon-travel-plans-love-them.html

 

Travelling when it is not peak season has many advantages. Choosing a weekday rather than a weekend is a very smart travel plan and avoiding school holidays is an excellent and intelligent option. My travel motto is ‘avoid the rush’. When I find a comfortable and nice seat in the departure lounge, when there are no lines at the gates or immigration and only a few people ahead of me going through security, I pat myself for choosing a good flight. When I ask a security official which was the Fast Track line and he says "They're all fast track today", I love it!

 

I'm lucky I don't have to build my life around school holidays anymore as many families do. The school year severely limits opportunities for travel, reducing it to a few narrow windows when the whole world seems to be travelling too, judging by lines and delays and frazzled tempers. It can be a whole different experience when you're not travelling with the pack.

 

Travellers out of season are a welcome presence in many communities, which appreciate the boost to their economy at a time when there's no other source of income. So whether it is the Alaskan ports in summer or Caribbean beaches in the winter you will see many jewellery shops that pop up like mushrooms only to disappear in the off-season! The tropics in wet season can be beautiful. "Wet" often means rain only at certain times of the day and there are plenty of periods of sunshine. The rain is welcome in the humidity, and you're wet anyway if you're swimming, so you can embrace and enjoy it. And the colour of leaves and flowers really pop after rain. Winter is not bad either no matter how bitter the cold is because, firstly, you dress for it and, secondly, everyone is living their normal lives and there's plenty happening indoors to keep the locals entertained, from theatre seasons to gallery openings and winter sports, if you're a sport fan.

 

What is off-season?

Off season is the time of year that the least amount of tourist activity takes place in a destination, usually due to weather conditions. Summer is almost always high season, while winter is almost always low season. Of course, there are always exceptions and things to consider, like what hemisphere the destination is in or what kind of activities you want to partake in. Winter in the Austrian Alps, for example, is considered high season due to the enormous influx of skiers and snowboarders. Oftentimes low season can start as early as October, and end as late as April for many European destinations. In Southeast Asia, off season runs from March to October, and in Mexico low-season is from May/June to mid-December.

Melbourne in rainy season is no less beautiful!

 

 

Advantages of off-season travel

Last minute bookings: Not only are fewer people travelling and therefore more opportunities for you to save money but it is possible to book flights and hotels in the last minute without paying premium price. Since hotels, rental cars and day trips aren't likely to sell out in the off-season, you can often wait until the last minute to make your bookings. This also means you can allow more flexibility in your itinerary plenty of room to be spontaneous and swap out one destination for another at the last minute.

More value for money: Travelling outside of high-season usually means being able to book things like accommodation and day tours at a reduced rate. Many popular locations across the world raise their prices during the high season as demand increases. Traveling in the shoulder- or off-season can often be a lot easier on your wallet. You can also sometimes find great package deals in the off-season at hotels that are trying to fill their rooms. All in all you can explore more destinations within your budget!

Fewer Tourists: Off-season always means smaller crowds. And yes, while this sometimes translates to fewer attractions/restaurants that are open, it also almost always means you will avoid long lines, crowded squares and sold-out tours, travel in the off-season. Places like Paris, Venice, Dubrovnik, Santorini suffer from a deluge of tourists during the tourist season and you can hardly experience the charm of these places jostling with the crowd.

 

This is St. Dominic Street in Dubrovnik in off season and in peak season

Off season uniqueness: We can all picture what the Colosseum looks like during the summer all: crowded and cacaphonic and what New England looks like in the autumn – again crowded with lots of colorful leaves. But do you know what Paris looks like under a soft blanket of snow, or how quiet the Trevi Fountain is at night in November? If you want to make your traveling friends jealous with really unique photos of their favorite places, don't go during high season when everyone else is there, too. You will never get the attraction all for yourself. But you and your partner can be the only two admiring the Sydney Opera House in a windy winter evening if you are there in June! 

Paris, in off season, covered with snow!

 

Easy befriending locals: Because there are fewer tourists and less frazzled service workers in the off-season, you can often take the time to slow down and get to know the locals. When there aren't hordes of people descending on a city or attraction, you'll find the locals tend to be much more relaxed and probably friendlier and open to having a chat or giving you some tips on their city. Can you imagine how harassed the locals in Santorini feel when tourists trespass into their private properties to make their Instagram video?

Off season is in no way bad season: It is just different to experience the off season. Some of the best off season vacation spots to enjoy a bounty of fall foliage include New England, USA, Edinburgh and the highlands Scotland, and Switzerland’s alpine valleys. From the alpine meadows of Switzerland to the rugged mountains of New England, USA, fall foliage is one of the best reasons to travel in the autumn. As the seasons turn, landscapes turn a magical crimson, offering up an unforgettable sea of color and warmth.

Piazza Novana, Rome in winter

 

Culinary delight: With different climates experience different seasonal foods, the off season is a great time to travel for foodies, with ever changing menus. If you are seeking a tantalizing culinary adventure, then travelling in the off season provides endless delights. Autumn offers up a harvest bounty, with grapes bursting from the vines and harvest festivals taking place all around. Travelling in winter gives you the chance to discover festive treats and traditional delicacies specific to your destination, along with heart-warming dishes and glühwein in colder climes. And with spring comes a burst of fresh, flavorsome produce to make your heart sing.

Rain or shine, summer or winter street food is always tasty!

 

 

So, except the FIFA World Cup semi finals and finals I am allergic to crowds and I love travelling off-season. With good protective clothing and plenty of me time in the tourist attractions, National Parks and art galleries you are bound to see something most tourists never will. The locals have more time for you to share their stories and off-season has its own culinary delights that await you! You have the freedom to change your schedule on a whim and not suffer the consequence of paying more for a bus ticket or a hotel room. I will sincerely urge you to give it a try. You will love it!!