What is shoulder season?
Shoulder season is the period of time (a few weeks or a month) between a destination’s low and high seasons of tourism, says Victoria Zindell, a luxury travel advisor for Protravel. Planning your vacation during shoulder season comes with plenty of benefits: more desirable pricing, fewer people, better access to attractions, and beyond. “Traveling during this ‘in-between’ period typically affords a greater value, so it really does provide for a more optimal travel experience,” Zindell says. So how can you make your hard-earned dollars go further once you’ve figured out how to save for a vacation? Try adopting these strategies for jet-setting during the shoulder season—your wallet and aversion to crowds will thank you. “Shoulder season is becoming more and more attractive, especially for empty nesters, so don’t procrastinate,” she says. “Most of the time, you can always cancel if you decide to do something else. Plan ahead and pull the trigger early.” If you decide to take a weather risk and test out a shoulder season vacation, Tiffany Bowne, a luxury travel advisor and owner of Lounge Couture, says to make sure you are prepared for less than ideal weather. “There are no guarantees, even if you travel in peak season, that there aren’t weather issues, so you could end up with perfect weather during shoulder season. Go anyway!” she says. “Don’t be like the Griswold Family and drive across the country to find out that the amusement park is closed for the season,” Hrubant says. “Do your research to make sure that the places you want to see and the experiences you want to have will be open or available.” If something isn’t available or you can’t see every last item on your list during the shoulder season, don’t give up. Instead, figure out what plan B might be or research how you can fill your time in other ways. As travel blogger Inma Gregorio says, sometimes you’ll find a hidden gem that you otherwise would have skipped or discounted. “If you are looking to go to St. Tropez or Mykonos in March or April, it will be a different tourist crowd than it would be in July,” she says. “The energy and nightlife is much different, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have a fabulous trip. Choose shoulder season not because of who else will be there but the destination itself.” If you’re worried about becoming bored or disengaged on your trip, Booth encourages travelers to take the shoulder season as an opportunity to practice something few of us ever do: slowing down. “Take advantage of the fact that you might actually be the only person on the trail in the morning. Slow down, listen, notice, drink in the sounds of nature absent the ever-present noise from humans,” she says. “You’re traveling shoulder season for a reason. Make the most of it.” Your next staycation can wait.
