Not only can traveling during shoulder season significantly cut costs but can be used to stretch your travel budget. Strategic travel dates such as during the shoulder season can drastically cut travel costs.

Travel During Shoulder Season Can Cut Travel Costs

The travel industry divides the year into three distinct seasons.  High or peak season where the weather and temperatures are at their best although crowds are at their peak.  During low or off-season, the weather is poorer either very hot or very cold.  The third is the shoulder season.

Shoulder season is the window between high/peak season and low/offseason. During this period travel is cheaper and crowds smaller.  Shoulder season generally falls in early Spring or late Fall depending on the location. Thrillist.com has a great web page that shows all three seasons throughout the world.

Using Travel Seasons to Your Advantage

High and low season look different depending on the location and are usually determined by hot, cool and wet seasons.

Winter is low season in Iceland, and that might be exactly what you are looking for in anticipation of snow and seeing the Northern Lights. However, you can also save on costs and avoid crowds during the shoulder season (March-May or September-October).  For example, the Fall can be a great time to view the Northern Lights and April begins nesting season for the Puffins.  Depending on what you want to see the shoulder season might provide you the cost advantages and lower crowds of low season but better weather.

Cruising in Shoulder Season

One year we went on a Southern Caribbean cruise out of Puerto Rico in mid-November during shoulder season.  We found a low fare on Vacationstogo.com under their 90 Day Ticker deals.

The itinerary included stops in Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Dominica, and St. Thomas, which made great use of the seven-day cruise.  Despite the fact that it rained a lot, it ended up being one of our favorite cruises.

Although one of our planned excursions was canceled due to the weather, we instead walked around and explored the town. This gave us the opportunity to explore an outdoor market and meet some of the locals. Had the weather been nicer, we would have missed that opportunity.

We chose that cruise, knowing it was shoulder season and because the likelihood of rain was higher, we came prepared. When it rained, we spent time relaxing, reading, and enjoying the ship. When in port, we had several outside excursions planned that offered us opportunities off the beaten path that most would not see.

Disney World During Peak Travel Season

High/peak season or low/off-season are important to consider depending on what you want to do.  One year we planned a later summer trip to Disney World. I had read that the last two weeks of August was a good time to go as crowds are smaller.

The lines were shorter, but it was humid with temperatures in the high 90’s.  Being from the Pacific Northwest we weren’t used to the heat nor the humidity, which limited our desire to be in parks in the afternoon.

We made the best of the situation by going to the parks when the gates opened and stayed until lunch when temperatures were beginning to warm up. We then went back to the park in the evening when temperatures were cooler. 

The highlights of the trip were our days at the Disney water parks where we could stay cool. This trip was a good example of a time when the season was not optimal considering the variety of activities we had wanted to do.

Greece During Shoulder Season

Santorini, Greece ~ Photo by Eric Barrera[/caption]

One year we traveled to Greece in May, which is also shoulder season. We considered both the Spring and early Fall but had heard the temperatures could be much higher in the Fall.

In May, the weather was mild and the crowds were few, which we were thankful for especially in Santorini. 

Although the narrow cobblestone streets of Santorini seemed packed to us, we were told the crowds increase exponentially during high season. 

The one thing we did find, was that in the less touristy areas, many of the restaurants and shops were not open yet.  This did not dampen our trip but can be a reality of traveling during low or shoulder seasons.

I personally find shoulder season to be a great time to travel.  Costs are cheaper and the crowds are smaller. Although you may end up with a couple of hours of rain in the afternoon or slightly cooler or hotter temperatures, I find the cost savings to be worth it. In the end, you must consider what you want to do during your trip and if the weather conditions will impact your enjoyment of the trip.

Thanks for reading this post. I’d love to hear from you about what you liked about this post, and if you have other tips or tricks that save money traveler during shoulder season.

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