While there are plenty of cheap travel optionsout there, including cheap airplane tickets, cheap fares, cheapdeals, discounthotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages,travelers can find the very best deals if they are willing to take advantage ofoff season travel bargains.
Places to avoid certain times of the year include:
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DisneyWork which is at the height of its peak season with hotel and airline ticketspriced accordingly during holidays and summer months.
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AvoidChicago which is poised to host 300,000 screaming Lollapalooza fans.
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Cape Codand other northern U.S. beach towns during the summer.
The good news is that there is always an off seasonsomewhere. For example, Arizona is agreat summer destination except for the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and a fewother high elevation (thereby cooler) spots. With average highs in the triple digits, Arizona hotels and touristattractions drop their prices.
Travelers who must put up with crowds during peak seasons,such as Munich during Oktoberfest, Indianapolis during the 500, or a DisneyWorld during Spring Break, can find lowball prices at off season destinationsand benefit from rare uncrowded experiences.
Admittedly Rio de Janeiro is rocking during Carnival. However now that the World Cup is over Brazilsfamed beaches are practically deserted. Rios beach hotels are dramatically discounting their rates now. It is winter time in Brazil and beachtemperatures tend to run around 75 degrees, way too cold for the locals butgreat for tourists. Many hotel pricesare half what they would be during the hotter and much more humid summerseason. An additional plus is that itrarely rains this time of year and the ocean waves are bigger and better forsurfing.
The Caribbean is another destination where you can find greatdeals during its hurricane season, which runs from June 1st toNovember 30th. Resorts in theCaribbean, Mexico, and the Bahamas respond to this time of year by slashingtheir prices by 40 to 70 percent.
The odds of visitors enjoying a hurricane free vacation arequite good even during the regions 183 day hurricane season. The average number of named hurricanes in theNorthern Atlantic is only 10 per year, with less than half of them becomingactual hurricanes. Of those, an averageof only two and a half hurricanes become Category 3 or greater. Although hotel discounts vary widely, this isyour chance to stay at a luxury hotel for the price of a Super 8. Another plus is that because of the influx ofEuropeans this time of year, the atmosphere is more continental andcosmopolitan.
Weather considerations are important for campers, hikers,bikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. However, it should not be a key consideration for vacations focused ontheater, museums, art galleries, and dance performances where, depending on thetime of year, these indoor venues are air conditioned or heated.
Montreals hotel prices drop precipitously from Septemberthrough April which mirrors a drop in its temperatures. However, even at its coldest, this citysfamous joie de vivre is alive and kicking.
In the square kilometer known as the Quartier des Spectaclesalone there are over 80 cultural venues, including the Place des Arts, home ofthe Montreal Symphony Orchestra; Les Grands Ballets Canadiens; and Opera deMontreal.
It is possible to enjoy Montreal without heavy winter garbduring the coldest months of the year because its Metro system doubles as anart museum, with over 100 works of public art, and is linked to 10 majorhotels, shopping malls, and plenty of fine dining.
While gray skies and chilly temperatures deter travelers fromvisiting London, Paris, Prague, and other European cities between November andMarch, tourists who love nightclubs would be well advised to visit during thesemonths.
One of the advantages of winter nightlife is that there isconsiderably more night to enjoy that time of the year. The sun sets around 5 p.m. so night startsfour hours earlier than it does in June or July. Airfares and hotel prices plummet, often by40 percent or more, during Europes low season. Also, if you are into fashion, you should consider visiting Londonduring its Fashion Week February 14th through the 18th.
Winter is a great time to visit Yellowstone National Parkwhich gets fewer visitors any winter month than in a single day in August. Winter guests are far more likely to have achance to commune with elk, bison, bighorn sheep, and the resident wolfpacks. Hotels outside the park offersavings ranging from 30 to 50 percent. Cross country skiing is available for as little as $15.
Best times of the year to visit Disney World are betweenJanuary and mid-March and between late August through November. Not only are the crowds much less, but hotelrates drop significantly. Plus gettingtickets to Hoop-Dee-Doo, a popular hootenanny and chicken feast during peakseason often requires calling six months ahead, while during off season it isoften possible to get tickets the same day.
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