Shoulder season is generally considered to be the period of travel between the peak summer and low winter seasons—and it is rapidly becoming the most attractive time to travel. That is due in part to the surging crowds and increasing weather woes making summer and winter travel, well, kind of miserable. Add to the allure the typically lower airfares and hotel rates, not to mention better availability during the fall, and this in-between travel period is now more enticing than it’s ever been.
During shoulder season, “obviously, there will be a decrease [in demand] compared to peak travel season as children go back to school and summer vacations come to a close, but all of our information points toward popular destinations and suppliers continuing to be very busy right through what used to be considered a ‘slow time’ of the year,” says Michael Schottey, spokesperson for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA).
In 2024, bookings for fall travel are up 23 percent compared to fall 2023, according to a recent survey conducted by Virtuoso, a global travel adviser network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. And three-quarters of Virtuoso advisers reported that their clients are opting to travel off-season more frequently this year, primarily to avoid crowds.
While a growing number of travelers may be picking up on the perks of traveling during the off season, the good news is that an increase in interest and demand has yet to translate into higher prices. Shoulder season still remains a very good deal. Round-trip flights from the United States to Europe during September or early October 2024 are on average 23 percent cheaper—or about $195 less—than the same flights in June, July, and August, according to travel booking site Hopper’s 2024 Summer Travel to Europe report.
“Not only will travelers be paying higher airfare [when they travel to Europe during the summer], they will be traveling at peak tourist season and are likely to face crowds, lines, and even sold-out experiences,” the Hopper report states.
Hot but not too hot: Tour operator Intrepid Travel touts Türkiye as a wonderful destination to explore in the fall.
Photo by Shutterstock
The number of Americans traveling to Europe surged this summer, and the demand pushed some European destinations to a breaking point, with anti-tourist protests taking place in cities such as Barcelona. Meanwhile, in Japan, municipalities felt compelled to implement new measures to combat overtourism. Destinations in southern Europe, including Italy and Greece, experienced record-breaking heat waves this past summer as climate change brings the humbling realities of a summer season now defined by stifling temperatures and increasingly unpredictable—and sometimes dangerous—weather patterns, a growing number of wildfires and storms among them. Suddenly, travelers are cooling off on summer escapes.
When it comes to travelers looking at options outside of summer, “Sadly, weather will soon be [even more of] a deciding factor. Just look at Europe these past two summers with record heat,” says Tania Swasbrook, vice president of Travelworld International Group, a luxury Virtuoso travel agency.
Swasbrook notes that for the high-end, discerning travelers she works with, the crowds have become one of the biggest deterrents of peak-season travel, with more attractive pricing and greater availability of accommodations and services motivating clients to “think more ‘outside the box’” in terms of where they go and when.
Enter shoulder season: “Shoulder season has always been my favorite time to travel or have clients traveling. You get the change of seasons and often can take great advantage of things like wine or agricultural harvest periods when local areas, in my opinion, really shine,” says William Kiburz, vice president of Coronet Travel Ltd. and a member of the Afar Travel Advisory Council.
Here’s everything you need to know about shoulder season, including some of the best shoulder season destinations.
What is shoulder season and when is it?
Also known as off season, shoulder season is the period of travel that lands squarely between the high season of travel, also known as the traditional summer months of June through August (for the Northern Hemisphere), and the low season, which is usually the dead of winter (January through early March, in the Northern Hemisphere). The exact dates and time frames for shoulder season vary by destination, but more generally shoulder season falls into autumn and spring, excluding popular holiday weekends like Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends and school vacations like Thanksgiving week and spring break.
“To put it simply, shoulder season is the time of year less people travel due to kids and school, holidays, or weather preferences,” says Swasbrook. “This of course depends on the destination. As a rule of thumb though, usually spring and fall.”
These are the approximate shoulder season windows for travel, according to Swasbrook:
- April (or just after Easter) to the beginning of June
- September (once school starts) to the beginning of November
- Slower periods in between, such as February, November, or December just before Thanksgiving or the festive season
“Shoulder seasons have become shorter, more so because ‘peak seasons’ have become longer due to weather,” she says, noting that climate change is prolonging traditional warmer periods.
Head to Alaska during the fall, when the summer crowds have dissipated, but before the cold and dark settle in for the winter.
Chansak Joe/Shutterstock
The benefits of traveling during shoulder season
There are numerous benefits to traveling during shoulder season, but the main ones include fewer crowds, more affordable airfares, better hotel deals, greater availability (as in more airplane seats and hotel rooms to choose from), and more moderate weather.
“Fall is a fantastic time to travel, and there’s still time to plan a getaway,” states Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations in a Fall Travel Forecast released by Expedia last month.
According to Expedia, during fall, airfare traditionally drops about 10 percent compared to summer. Expedia reports that late October offers some of the biggest savings for fall shoulder season travel, with average international airfares about $260 lower than what they were during summer.
There are more accommodation options and better pricing for stays, too. Vacation rental platform Vrbo reports that travelers will pay on average 25 percent below what they would in summer for early fall shoulder season rentals in popular destinations, such as the Outer Banks in North Carolina, the Gulf Shores of Alabama, Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, Seattle, and San Diego.
The best shoulder season destinations
The fall and spring shoulder seasons are growing in popularity, according to tour operator Intrepid Travel, which reported a 56 percent increase in fall shoulder season bookings to Europe in 2023 compared to 2018, and a 70 percent increase in spring shoulder season travel to Europe compared to five years prior.
So, where are the best places to travel during shoulder season? Here’s what travel experts recommend.
Alaska
Once the hordes of cruise ships that descend on the largest U.S. state throughout the summer start to wind down in numbers and frequency, shoulder season can be a prime time to explore Alaska with fewer crowds, before the dark and cold winter months take hold. Whether you’re hiking through Denali National Park or exploring Anchorage, visiting the Chugach National Forest or venturing north to Fairbanks, if you head to Alaska during shoulder season, you’ll benefit from flights to Juneau that are on average about 35 percent lower than what they are in summer, according to Expedia.
China
China is a destination to watch this fall, with Virtuoso reporting a 146 percent increase in demand for fall travel to the Asian country this year. For those looking for an easier way to explore the country of 1.4 billion citizens, Viking this month marked its return to China with the launch of the 930-passenger Viking Yi Dun, which is sailing itineraries along China’s coast through November, visiting blockbuster destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, as well as lesser-known ports along the way.
Greece
After residents and visitors in Greece suffered through another sweltering summer this year, Afar’s cruise writer Fran Golden recommends sailing the Greek islands during the fall, when temperatures and crowds finally begin to subside.
“The Aegean Sea stays warm through October, so swimming remains an option, as does taking advantage of outdoor dining and sightseeing with light breezes,” she wrote in a recent story about the best season and ships for sailing the Greek islands.
“There are other advantages to Greece in fall. From mid-August to October you can catch the grape harvest on islands such as Santorini, Rhodes, and Crete,” she writes. Highland areas of the islands and mainland can experience some fall colors, and fall festivals are also common throughout Greece.
Head to Iceland in November, when you have a wonderful chance of spotting those dancing Northern Lights.
Photo by Balazs Busznyak/Unsplash
Iceland
Summer is a very popular time to embrace otherwise-frigid Nordic destinations, such as Iceland, which has been a travel hot spot for years now. But travelers can avoid the masses and embrace lower prices by visiting Iceland during shoulder season. Added bonus: Journey to Iceland in November, when you’ll have a greater chance of viewing those beautiful swirling northern lights.
Italy
Kiburz of Coronet Travel highly recommends Italy during the shoulder season. “Take the Chianti Wine Festival in Greve in Chianti as an example,” he says, referring to an event held annually in mid-September in Italy. “One would think that [it would be] crowded with tourists, but it never is. It’s held in a charming, small Tuscan village . . . and you can really be present for the experience as compared with what many people do during the peak [summer season], which is check off a list of places that they must see—never really experiencing anything or anyone—because they are always off to the next place.”
Japan
After Japan fully reopened toward the end of 2022 following strict COVID-19 pandemic border closures, travelers can’t get enough and have been flocking back to the Asian island nation in droves. Spring, when the country’s beautiful cherry blossoms court travelers from around the world, is not a shoulder season in Japan. Fall, however, which can be just as colorful and scenic, is less popular. Travelers eager to roam the busy streets of Tokyo or get off the beaten path on Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, relax in a ryokan, or marvel at shrines will be happy to know that, according to Expedia, airfares to Tokyo are 20 percent cheaper in the fall compared to summer.
Portugal
The advantage of traveling to Portugal in the fall is that it tends to stay a bit warmer for longer when compared to European destinations farther north. That means you can still expect ample sunshine in autumn while riding the trams in Lisbon, wine tasting in and around Porto, and even at beaches during shoulder season.
It’s (almost) always sunny in San Diego, California.
Photo by Andres Garcia/Unsplash
San Diego
Swasbrook highly recommends heading to the Southern California oasis of San Diego in October when “theme parks, beaches, and hotels are not nearly as full.” And the weather in sunny SoCal often remains, well, sunny and warm well into fall.
Türkiye
According to Intrepid, fall is a wonderful time to explore Türkiye, with the magenta bougainvillea in full bloom and coastal cities like Fethiye and their surrounding waters still warm. And the more moderate temperatures make for ideal hiking conditions through the country’s mountain landscapes.
This story was originally published in August 2023, and was updated on September 24, 2024, to include current information.
