Shoulder season can be a great time for a vacation. Usually defined as the travel period between the peak summer and low winter seasons, shoulder season typically brings with it thinner crowds and lower prices for flights and accommodations compared with the most in-demand times in popular locations.
Shoulder season travel has grown in popularity in recent years, especially as vacationers try to avoid increasingly hot summers. Seventy-eight percent of travel advisers say clients are opting for shoulder season or off-peak travel, while 76% say they now favor destinations with more moderate weather, according to a report from travel advising network Virtuoso. So if you’re an experienced shoulder season traveler, you might see more crowds than you’re used to. Still, airfares, hotels and car rentals are reliably less costly than they are during peak periods in most destinations.
