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Fifteen dollar round trip tickets, last-minute deals, nobody else on the streets… count us in!!! Traveling in the offseason is hands down the way to go! In fact, we’d even argue that our best travels are when we visit places outside of that destination’s high season. But is traveling in the offseason right for you?
Traveling in the offseason isn’t just about the saving money. There are so many more great things about traveling outside the high season that even outweigh the savings, however, that doesn’t mean it’s great for everyone. Check out these reasons why we love to travel in the low season and decide if you’re an offseason traveler!
1. Lower Prices
Traveling in the offseason allows you to travel for longer
Yeah, yeah.. lower prices, big deal. No really, it is a big deal! We’re not talking about lower prices here and there; we’re talking about hundreds of dollars saved per person! Not only will flights be cheaper, but you’ll find cheaper accommodation, cheaper food on the street and at restaurants, and way, way discounted prices at rental car agencies and tour companies.
AND…. don’t even get us started on entrance fees – even those are discounted too!
There are honestly so many examples of just how much you can save in the offseason. To give you a teaser on what savings could be had, when we went to Croatia in the “shoulder season” (the time between offseason and high season), we found our rental car at under 10 USD per day! Whereas, while we were helping a few people plan trips to Croatia in the high season, their rental cars were over 60 USD per day. Talk about a huge price difference!
That alone is a savings of 50 USD per day!! 50 bucks a day equals 350 dollars per week… that’s enough for an entire second trip with our kind of travel!!
2. Fewer Crowds
Freedom to explore as you please
This is a huge one for us! The worst thing about traveling is going to places that have massive tourist crowds. Heading somewhere in the high season guarantees people to people traffic when walking down the more well-known streets or visiting some of the historic sites.
There’s nothing worse than being bombarded with loads of other people not even speaking the local language!
We’ve even been to a couple of places and talked to locals about those “tourist destinations” during high season, and have heard of people literally being let in and out of places like Old Town in Dubrovnik, or on and off of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, only when someone else leaves!!
That’s absolutely insane and a big FAT no thank you!
3. More Flexibility
If you like then you should’ve stayed longer (sing that, we dare you!)
Last-minute flights, accommodation, rental cars.. you name it! While some places are completely shut down during the offseason, the availability of the places opened leaves you with more freedom to plan your trip day by day without worrying about a hotel or bus tickets being completely booked out.
There’s nothing better than getting to a place that you really love and being able to extend your stay at that place or spend more time there with the flexibility of travel in the offseason.
4. Less Stress
Exactly what out of season holidays will bring
Fewer people to deal with, an easier time finding accommodation, transportation and the like, and cheaper prices all mean less stress!
And it’s not just for the traveler.
You’ll find that the people you meet that live in those destinations year-round are less stressed too because they aren’t dealing with so many crazy tourists!
5. Real Travelers Less Tourist
See just what this difference in travel is
One major thing we notice when traveling to places in the offseason is the amount of “real travelers” we meet. There’s a major difference between travelers and tourist, and in our opinion, we’d choose the traveler over tourist any day.
They’re the people that don’t just go from major site to major site pushing and shoving to get a photo before making the way to the next. Travelers are the people who want to learn about a culture and truly engage in the way of life in the destination they’re in. And they’re the people that are the best to be around while traveling.
If you think we’re crazy, or that sounds rude, just wait till you travel in the offseason, and we’re sure you’ll see the difference!
6. Genuine Local Experiences
Get to know what real life is like outside of tourism
Okay, this may be our favorite bit about traveling in the offseason. When traveling without all the tourists and people around, you get to really interact with the locals, spend time with your hosts, and take in so much more of the culture than possible while traveling in the busy season.
You can sit and talk with your servers, people in the shops, hotel workers, AirBnB hosts, even your bus driver! It really is amazing how much more of a local feel comes with traveling outside of the high season!
Just think, the locals that you meet when traveling in the high season are working long, hard hours. On top of that, not only are they stressed, but they’re dealing with stressed tourists too, who are spending more than expected and overwhelmed that their holiday is filled with more people that the Instagram pictures they saw had. All making the locals at times seem a bit less inviting.
In the offseason or shoulder season, you don’t have to worry about that. Business owners and workers aren’t consumed with meeting everyone’s basic needs, but instead, are more concerned with making your holiday an unforgettable experience.
7. More Relaxed Atmosphere
What holidays and vacations are for
As if this one couldn’t be implied by all the above reasons, but shoot, traveling in the offseason is SO much more relaxed than traveling in the high season. Literally every bit of your trip will be much more relaxed and we feel more enjoyable too!
Give it a try, we’re sure you’re going to love it!
As with all things, there are downsides to traveling in the offseason as well. You may experience some of the “tourist’s attractions” being closed or less frequent public transportation between places, and that’s certainly something you’ll have to consider when planning a trip in the offseason.
But honestly, in our eyes, weighing that with the reasons above of why traveling in the offseason is a good thing, is seriously a no brainer!
Trust us when we say building relationships and truly learning about a culture from the locals is a thousand times over more memorable than getting to see some ticketed entrance to a “historic sight”.
What To Pack For Traveling
Backpack | This backpack is our go-to travel bag. It’s carry-on approved, super spacious with loads of compartments, waterproof, and has a lifetime warranty. What more could you ask for!? Oh, and it has amazing security features to make it difficult for someone to snag something from your back!
Camera | We always recommend carrying a camera that you’re going to use. If you’re not keen on lugging around the newer version of our personal camera we use for everything, look into a smaller handheld camera to capture all your memories with!
Solar Light |If you plan on doing some camping while you’re traveling, you’ve got to get this solar light. It’s lightweight, inflatable, and rechargeable from the sun! Holla!!!
Water Bottle | We always, always, always, travel with this water bottle. They’re great for both hot and cold climates, keeping drinks cold for up to 24 hours, and hot for 6! They’re absolute lifesavers when traveling on a budget, but still wanting a refreshing drink while out and about!
More On Travel
We’ve got loads more travel tips to share with you other than just why you should travel in the offseason. After four years of traveling full time, we’ve come up with some great travel hacks, money-saving tips, and just all around info on travel that you may need!! Check out these travel posts below!
READ MORE | What to Pack for a Trip Abroad
In this post, you’ll learn what kind of clothing is best for travel, what sorts of goods you need to keep your electronics safe and working in other countries, and even an exact list of what we recommend for traveling abroad!
READ MORE | 11 Things NOT to do While Traveling
This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Learn from our mistakes and don’t do these 11 things while traveling abroad!
READ MORE | Travel Apps to Download Before Your Vacation
Gone are the days of lugging around Lonely Planet books and maps for each location, and in are the days of travel apps. The best part of all, most of these apps are free, and they don’t even use data!! Trust us here, these apps are key to easier travel!
READ MORE | Where to Find the Cheapest Flights for Any Destination
We’ve had our fair share of searching for flights, and we may even say this is the worst part of travel when you actually have a particular destination you want to reach or time frame you’ve got to stick to. But this post was created so you stop overpaying for flights, and learn the best flight search practices!
