The best time to travel is in the holidays, right? Not if you want to make big savings on your traveling costs it’s not. If you travel in off peak (or low season) periods, or even in the shoulder season, you’ll find traveling costs a lot less.
Where are you traveling? Do you know the peak travel times for this destination? Summer and spring, no matter where you are, are generally considered the peak seasons to travel, unless you are a winter sports enthusiast. In that case, ski resorts will be having their peak season in winter. And what hemisphere are you thinking of visiting? The seasons differ depending on whether you are north or south. For example, the North America summer months are June, July, August but in Australia the summer months are December, January and February. You will need to research your destination to find out the low season times to visit.
First of all, what type of savings can you expect to make if you travel in the off-peak season?
1. Air fares are much cheaper. There are less people wanting to fly so air carriers drop their prices to attract customers. Take advantage of these great savings. If you are traveling in the high season, see if you can book a flight mid-week. These flights are generally cheaper too.
2. Accommodation is cheaper and more readily available. In high season it can be difficult to find a place to stay in popular tourist destinations and when you do find somewhere it can be up to twice as much as when traveling in the off peak.
3. Eating in restaurants can be cheaper too. Owners will be trying to attract patrons so see what sort of deals you can find when eating out.
There are some other positives to traveling in the off peak season, other than saving money. There are fewer tourists for one, so visiting any cultural sight will be much more enjoyable. You can get more of an idea of what a destination is really like without the thousands of extra people. Experiencing the true culture is a real bonus. Did you know that opera season is in full swing in Europe in winter? Or that winter in Australia is often the best time to visit places in the north when the humidity and heat are bearable. Or how about visiting the best holiday markets in Germany in December? Do some research to find out what your chosen destination can offer in off peak, ones that you won’t experience in high season travel times.
So what are the negatives of traveling in the off peak? Well there are a few, but if you plan well you can overcome most drawbacks. Off peak usually means traveling in colder weather and that also means less daylight hours. Pack wisely and remember to dress in layers for the cold weather. Some tourist places close earlier or do not open at all in the off peak, so check up before you go so you are not disappointed. You will also find that in some areas the public transport system does not run as often as in peak tourist season. Find out what options you have to get to places and don’t be caught out missing the last bus home in the middle of winter, in the middle of nowhere! Some hotels and museums close down for the winter to re-furbish and get ready for the next high season influx of tourists. You can gamble and bargain your way to a great accommodation deal once you get to your destination, but all your bartering skills will be of no use if the hotels are all closed. It’s best to check what’s open before you go.
If traveling in the off-peak doesn’t sound attractive to you, then you might like to try the shoulder season and still get some travel price reductions. The shoulder season is considered the period leading up to and away from the high season. Usually in this time you’ll get decent weather, less crowds and lower travel costs – not the great bargains you’ll get in off peak, but lower costs nonetheless.
This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru
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What travel companies are good during study abroad?I'm studying abroad in Italy this fall. I want to go to other countries while I am there, but a lot of the groups I've been finding for "cheap student travel" seem questionable. Anyone have any good travel companies that were reliable, safe, and affordable? By safe and reliable, I mean I won't be scammed.
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Sherry Hardesty has been a professional flight attendant for over 15 years. Her experience is extensive and she provides professional travel consulting and booking services at http://www.stuartstravel.com
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What it will cost varies alot based on what you like to do during your travels. if you like to hike/sightsee, it will cost alot less than if you want to shop everywhere and go to theme parks and such. I have done alot of traveling and a van is definatly the way to go. Cars are too cramped for long trips and SUV's are nothing more than big cars with crappy mileage. With a van, you can live out of it while you travel. Spend some time and fix up the interior nice so it is comfortable and you dont look like some homeless drifter. You will save thousands on hotel bills. also if you outfit it with a little kitchenette you can shop at the grocery stores and farmers markets along your route and prepare your own meals for way less than you would spend eating out every night. A regular van gives you the convinience of an RV, but costs way less to buy/operate, dosent have the height/weight issues, can park in a regular spot, and gives you the flexablility to design it to suit your tastes. For my money nothing is better. Here are a couple vanning links you may enjoy. the first one is my favorite.
http://www.geocities.com/goatfolksvan...
http://www.vandweller.org
http://www.vanning.com
also i STRONGLY suggest reading "Blue Highways" by William Least-heat Moon. its a great book about a cross country van trip.
Expense wise, When i travel by van I usually figure out how many miles i will be covering and divide that by the fuel mileage of what i am driving. That will tell you how many gallons you will use on your trip. Multiply that by the average fuel cost and you will get a rough idea of how much you will spend on gas for your trip. always overestimate what you will need. Aside from gas and groceries, I dont need much so only you can decide how much other things will end up costing. Whatever course you take, do it, you wont regret it.