5 Reasons to Travel Off-Season

One of the biggest travel tips I can give you is to travel in the off-season. When that is will depend on where you're going.

Think about the major tourist activities for your destination:
Are they season- or weather-based?
Are they based around an annual festival?

Think:
* The Rockies from late December through February (snow season)
* New England from October through November (fall foliage)
* The Netherlands from late March through May (tulip festivals)

To be an off-season traveler, it's best not to set your heart on the same travel experiences as seasonal travelers. The good news is: there are plenty of reasons to go anyway. Here are five off the top of my head...

1. Lower Prices
This is a biggie. Flights, hotels, car rentals, ferries -- even admissions and restaurant prices -- will be lower in the off-season. Some air carriers offer good deals to keep business going when most folks aren't traveling. Take advantage. You'll save money. You can brag to that annoying guy in your office.

2. Relaxed Locals
When a shopkeeper hasn't had to deal with 30 other clueless tourists already today, she's more likely to help you with a smile and an open heart. (Your own smile and open heart will help the process along, always.) How many times have you heard that Parisians are rude? They're not, for the record, but go in November anyway. Smiles abound when you're not one of a horde.

3. Fewer Tourists
Let's say you do want to take in some of the normal tourist attractions. After all, they attract people for a reason, right? In 2006, We went to Poland in December. Not only was it gorgeous, there were no lines or crowds for anything. Our tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine had maybe 15 people total. At Auschwitz-Birkenau, we requested an English guide and ended up with a private 3-hour tour because we were the only ones who needed such a guide. Even our hostel was empty. Fewer waits, more experiences!

4. Fewer American Tourists
Ah, Americans. We love our country. We love a free-market system. We love freedom. Unfortunately, for many Americans abroad, those loves morph into obnoxious patriotism, greedy consumption, and an attitude of entitlement. The worst offenders will never change -- why would they? America's the best! Confession: Dave and I avoid Americans when we travel.

Guy at next table over: "Dude...who's a bro gotta **** to get a beer around here?" (turns to us) "Am I right?"

Us: "Kein Englisch."

No, not all Americans are stinky tourists, and, yes, we'll be friendly if a fellow American needs help. But we're more likely to jump into local culture if we don't have a safety bubble of other Americans surrounding us. Which brings us to...

5. Windows Onto Real Life
Nothing is more authentic than a place in the off-season. Locals stop to chat with each other. They do business at a realistic pace. Children go to school. Old men play chess in the park. Bakers close shop when the bread sells out. Not everything is an event. But it's more real, and far more rewarding.

Are you an off-season traveler? What places do you like to experience in the off-season?

Conversely, do you live in a tourist destination? As a local, what's your perspective on the people who come at different times of year?

[image via Amazon]
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