Timing your Europe vacation doesn’t have to cause stress – it’s basically always a good time to visit Europe! If sticking to a budget is a concern, there are more cost-effective times to visit. This means you won’t have to sacrifice the quality of your trip. It’s important to note that the popular destinations will always have some form of a crowd, but you can steer clear of large crowds if you avoid peak season. You can maximise your Europe vacation and your travel budget by avoiding peak season, and here are a few reasons why.
Peak Season, Shoulder Season and Off-Season Explained
Before we get into the reasons why you should avoid peak season, I wanted to take a few seconds to explain the different seasons of travel in Europe. These do vary by country, but roughly you can leverage this explanation to help you in your planning.
Peak Season refers to the most popular travel months which are typically the summer months mid-June to the end of August. Since these are the more popular months to travel usually accommodations and flights cost more and there are generally larger crowds. If you don’t mind the crowds and expensive prices then peak season might be right for you.
Shoulder Season refers to the months surrounding peak season and typically runs from April to mid-June and September to October. Though, it’s important to note that depending on where you’re travelling, the shoulder seasons may vary by location and can also be influenced by local attractions versus weather.
Off-Season refers to the months of travel from November to March that are typically less popular travel times. Keep in mind that cities or countries known for their Christmas/holiday markets or skiing conditions may be more popular during this time. Generally though, these times are often one of the most cost effective times to travel.
8 Reasons to Avoid Peak Season Travel in Europe
Like I said, you don’t have to sacrifice quality or your travel budget to experience the wonderful sights of Europe. Here are 8 reasons to avoid peak travel season in Europe.
Cheaper Flights
By avoiding peak travel season you can save a lot of money on flights. Flying from Canada or the US to Europe can eat up a lot of your travel budget. If you travel in shoulder season or off-season you can often get more cost effective flights and even upgrade for a fraction of the cost of a peak season flight.
Cheaper Accommodation
Hotels and vacation rentals often fluctuate their prices based on seasons. If you plan to avoid peak season travel in Europe you can also avoid peak season accommodation costs. On the flip side, if you have a larger budget for your accommodations you could even upgrade to a nicer accommodation during shoulder of off-season travel months.
More Options for Accommodations
In addition to saving some money on your accommodations, you also tend to have more options when booking your hotel, or vacation rental. During peak travel season the best locations are often booked months in advance. If you’re planning your trip early, this might not be a problem for you, but if not, you may not find the greatest locations. in peak season.
Less Crowded Attractions
In general when you visit off-season or during shoulder season there are smaller crowds to contend with. Will there still be crowds? Of course! But you probably won’t have to wade through hundreds of tourists at the more popular spots. Visiting when attractions are less busy means you can just enjoy the attraction and experience, rather than focusing on how busy or crowded it it. Less crowds means less line-ups as well! So, you’ll also save time avoiding all the long queues.
Transportation is Easier
If you avoid peak season, you can also avoid crowded public transit and traffic. It’s easier to hail cabs, order a ride-share and book rental cars during off-season and shoulder season. Tickets are easier to come by for prime travel times on trains and buses, and you usually don’t end up sitting in stopped traffic. Taking public transit can also be less of a hassle because you’re mostly travelling with locals during their commutes. So keep that in mind when booking your next Europe trip!
Weather Conditions
With the changing weather conditions and warmer temperatures you can often visit Europe and have beautiful weather in shoulder season. During off-season travel you may experience more precipitation and cooler temperatures, but that’ also keeps big crowds of tourists at bay. Additionally, Europe can get extremely hot during peak season and not all hotels are created equal – as in, not all hotels have air conditioning. You can avoid the sweltering heat and visit when temperatures are more comfortable for exploring a new city.
Holidays & Cultural Events
During shoulder season and off-season travel months you can still experience holidays and cultural events in Europe. Since peak travel season is typically during the summer months, locals are also taking holidays.
8 Reasons to Avoid Peak Season Summary
As I said earlier in the post, I don’t actually believe there’s a bad time to travel to Europe. It’s such a magical place full of history, architecture and delicious food. So, if you’re looking to save money and avoid the large crowd I’ve provided XX reasons to avoid peak season. Give shoulder season and off-season travel a try! Check out some of my itineraries for shoulder-season travel to Amsterdam, Belgium, France, and Italy.
7 comments
most of the time I travel outside of Europe, but it is nice to know that the same rules apply for Europe as well. Besides, all seasons are nice in Europe so it is easy to travel in off-season or in shoulder season.
It’s true! There’s no bad time to visit Europe.
You have definitely pointed out the advantages of avoiding traveling to Europe during the peak season. Saving money on accommodations is a huge one for me. I also think the weather is much nicer in Europe during the fall and spring. Many countries get really hot in the summer and I know I have stayed at some places without AC.
Yes, I would definitely not want to be in some of the warmer countries in summer without AC!
I read with this with great interest and couldn’t agree with you more! We live half the year in Italy (Veneto) and when it’s peak season, it’s a nightmare! Cheaper flights and less busy attractions are a big plus!
Yeah I absolutely agree with you here. It makes such a difference when you’re in Europe and you can find ways to avoid the crowds, it’s just a considerably more intimate experience.
[…] peak season this is the more expensive time to travel, no matter where you are going. Flights, accommodation, and even on-arrival activities are more expensive at certain times of the year. Peak hours usually include school holidays, midsummer and Christmas. Traveling outside of these periods can be significantly cheaper, and even moving your trip forward or back a week can make a huge difference in price. […]