Travel In Season

[Gigs]

This is a general guide as to when is the best time to travel (taken from USAA Cruise Travel brochure)...

Caribbean - great weather Dec. through May - May most popular

Hawaii - Oct./Nov. and March to July - Dec./Jan. coolest - Aug. and Sept. hottest. Nov. through March biggest chance of rain.

Mexico - Oct. to May get the most visitors. Summer months are hottest.

Panama Canal - May is busiest. Summer is hot and humid, but prices are lowest then. Spring and fall are popular for tourists.

Tahiti - May through October is the best! Dec. to Feb. will be hot, humid and rainy.

Antarctica - mid-Oct. through early March is the only time to go.

Alaska - early May to mid-Sept for best cruises. 15-20 hours of sunlight and temps from 65 to 75 degrees.

Does anyone have other recommendations? What about Europe, Africa, South America, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Asia, Canada?

[180 degrees out]

I have an opposite view of the best "when to go".

If your guide says the best time to go is when the weather is nicest and the crowds of tourists are largest, to me this is the worst time to go.

I will not go in the busy season if I can avoid it.

I go in the so called off season. Plane tickets are half price, hotels are cheap and plentiful, and lines are shortest.

The best season for me is when the rest of you are at home. :)

To each their own.

[Kairho]

Agree with Unregistered. There is no generalized best time to go ... it depends on the individual. Windy season is terrific for sailers but terrible for snorklers and golfers. The Holidays are great for comraderie but not if you want to be a hermit or hate hot/cold weather. And birdwatchers don't care about the weather.

Me? I love the Caribbean in September and October. Uncrowded and easy. I love Europe the week before Christmas, hang the weather. And I love the tropics anytime, no such thing as a best time to go.

[Gigs]

I think this was more focused on the weather scene. I agree that I would prefer to be in the shoulder or low season anywhere I go. However, there are some instances where you have to bite the bullet and be among the masses. For instance, I love Montreal in July and August, but they have so many world-class festivals going on that I dread the crowds, but love the weather.

[SemiFreqFlyer]

Kairho wrote: I love Europe the week before Christmas


Please, hush, shut up, do not tell these masses of that secret fact. ;)

Certain small towns in ______ have a Christmas carnival that runs a whole month. A little cold and snow just adds to the outright magic of the experience. This is unlike anything I have ever seen in the States. Worth going to Europe for. I try to go every year.

90+% of the crowd is locals. There are so very few tourists it is unreal. After Thanksgiving weekend and before Dec. 15 the airlines give away their tickets at bargain prices, as of course no one but us smart fools plans a trip then.

Look for me Dec 10 if you are in (name withheld to keep the place all to myself). :P

[Kairho]

Don't forget twinkling fairy lights all over the place at 4 in the afternoon!

[Wanna go to Oz someday]

Quantas is having a great sale. From LAX to East Australia including three domestic flights starting at $999 in the Low Season. Tempting.

Their dates show that they have a Low Season, a High Season, and not one but two shoulder seasons. I figure Quantas is the expert on when The Seasons are for Oz travel.

Seasonality
• Low Season: June 15-June 17, 2005; July 19 - August 26, 2005; April 26 - June 17, 2006.
• Shoulder Season 1: April 01 - April 25, 2006
• Shoulder Season 2: June 18 - July 18 2005; August 27 - December 04 2005; February 1 - March 31 2006; June 18 - June 30, 2006.
• High Season: January 17 - January 31, 2006

[azagt]

• Low Season: June 15-June 17, 2005; July 19 - August 26, 2005; April 26 - June 17, 2006.
• Shoulder Season 1: April 01 - April 25, 2006
• Shoulder Season 2: June 18 - July 18 2005; August 27 - December 04 2005; February 1 - March 31 2006; June 18 - June 30, 2006.
• High Season: January 17 - January 31, 2006


I travel to Australia at least once a year (the family thing, you know) and I figure the best times are April-May and September -October. High season is not 1/2 of the month of January but December to April. Qantas' fares go down when there are too many unsold seats. June and July are big big travel periods for US travelers to OZ even if the weather can be a little chilly in the South. But when all is said and done, Australia is great any time of the year. So find a good fare, hop on the plane and GO!

[airish]

Originally posted by Wanna go to Oz someday@Jul 20 2005, 08:40 AM
Quantas is having a great sale.* From LAX to East Australia including three domestic flights starting at $999 in the Low Season.* Tempting.

Their dates show that they have a Low Season, a High Season, and not one but two shoulder seasons.* I figure Quantas is the expert on when The Seasons are for Oz travel.

Seasonality
• Low Season: June 15-June 17, 2005; July 19 - August 26, 2005; April 26 - June 17, 2006.
• Shoulder Season 1: April 01 - April 25, 2006
• Shoulder Season 2: June 18 - July 18 2005; August 27 - December 04 2005; February 1 - March 31 2006; June 18 - June 30, 2006.
• High Season: January 17 - January 31, 2006
4905


I went in mid-April this year to Sydney. Near perfect weather and relatively few tourists. Great time to go.

[NW CTC]

Agree with earlier posts about Europe in Dec. but please do not refer to those traditional Advent markets as "Christmas Carnivals"! To me that summons up images of a cross between Carnivale in Rio and overpriced rides perfumed with cotton candy :D

They're sometimes referred to as Christmas Markets ("Kristkindlmarkt" in German, although they're not limited to German-speaking countries) and are very special. Definitely worth putting up with the weather. (Which I tend to like anyway-it lends atmosphere.)

[rampo]

For Thailand and southeast Asia in general, October and November are my favorite months. The high tourist season usually runs from December thru February, and hotels reflect that in their pricing. Some hotels have introduced mid-season rates - not as high as high season and not as low as low season. The cheapest hotel rates are usually during the rain season months from July thru September. (Many Hong Kong hotels drop their prices heavily during the summer months as well.) The weather is hotter in May and June, but the rains haven't really started and the hotels are least expensive.

In October and November the temperatures are cooler, although not as much as during the winter months. The chance of rain has dropped quite a bit, but the vegetation is lush and Thailand's many waterfalls are at their most spectacular. For anyone interested in visiting Cambodia's Angkhor Wat (and why aren't you?), I would recommend November (about a 45-minute flight from Bangkok).

As for South America, I visited Rio and environs one July and the weather was perfect. Lots of sunshine and daytime temps in the low 80s, evenings in the upper 60s, and a manageable number of tourists. In the popular tourist months of December thru February, the temps can reach over 100 degrees.

[SueC]

Europe off-season is the best. England and Ireland between November and March can be either unseasonably warm (for someone from New England) or absolutely horrid. It's a matter of dressing for the weather, not going somewhere for the weather! :)

[unclegus]

Travel agents best time to go is when they can make most money out of you (Am I being too sinical)I prefer to go whan the weather is cooler and kids are at school,I prefer a holiday where i can relax and enjoy things without having to share it with the rest of the world and his kids.Yes i hate kids on holiday!!!!!!

[jfrenaye]

Yes, I think you are being a bit cynical here. A DECENT travel agent will obviously want to make some money off the deal (that is why they are in business) but that money typically will come from the supplier and maybe to a smaller degree you in the form of a fee.

But to be honest, you have a lot more value to an agent as a long term client than a one shot deal for the big bucks.

I suggest you find a DECENT agent and work with them. Let them know what you expect in terms of price, number of kids, temperature, amenities, etc. and I think you will be very surprised at what they can come up with for you.

There have been many studies, both formal and informal, pitting agents against consumers armed with a mouse and most of the times the agents win.

Look at most of the ombudsman pieces in any publication handling travel problems. Most of them begin with "I booked this trip on whatever.com" and then goes on to explain how screwed up the trip became. Again, a DECENT agent usually should not have those problems simply because of the experience of years which most posess.

[unclegus]

Unfortunatly in Britain the majority of travel agencies are owned by the large tour companies,independant travel agents are very few and far between.

[mtp51]

Iagree w/ John - don't EVER book anything on whatever.com - just ask Joel or read his book - The Penny Pinchers Guide to Luxury Travel.
On another note, we travel to New Orleans twice a year - usually Nov. or Mar. I planned a wedding for a friend there the weekend of July 16. I thought "oh my gosh, it will be hot as hell" but we were pleasantly surprised. The hotel rates were considerably lower, the weather was no warmer than home (100+ it's been a HOT summer in the midwest) and the french quarter was just plain pleasant. Fewer people, no wait at most restaurants and no puke odors on Bourbon St. So low season in the Big Easy was a comfortable surprise!

[tdew]

Originally posted by jfrenaye@Jul 27 2005, 09:08 AM
I suggest you find a DECENT agent and work with them. Let them know what you expect in terms of price, number of kids, temperature, amenities, etc. and I think you will be very surprised at what they can come up with for you.

John, I agree that there are many times when a travel agent is the best choice, but that is not usually the case for me. I very much enjoy planning the itinerary and figuring out how to get where I want to go and where to stay. The planning is almost as good as the trip itself. I've been doing this since the days when you had to write letters to small hotels in little towns to find out whether they had rooms available for you. These days, our big trips usually involve a large number of family members with different schedules and a lot of creative use of frequent flyer and hotel points. The time required for an agent to plan these trips would not be worth it to them.

Terry

[Jason's Storm]

What is the Seasonality of the Caribbean, including Bermuda and Mexico. Also what is the best time of the week to travel there?

~JS

[Swtgypsy]

My husband and I travel during the "off" seasons...lower rates, less people better service and upgrades much easier to get. We do a lot local travel here in California and we like to go to San Diego in March, we hit Cambria area after Thanksgiving etc. We don't mind if the weather is a little off. We make our own fun :P

[silver cloud]

When is a good time of year to go to Brazil? 70's & 80's would be perfect weather for me.

[rampo]

Originally posted by silver cloud@Aug 17 2005, 02:06 PM
When is a good time of year to go to Brazil?* 70's & 80's would be perfect weather for me.
7328


For Rio and northward, I think July and August are great months to visit. Cool nights, temperate days, not much rain.

[Guest]

Japan isn't a popular destination because it has a reputation for being insanely expensive, but I have found it can be cheaper in low season than many popular US destinations like San Diego. Low season is hard to find in Japan, though. You must avoid their three big travel seasons (New Year's, 'Golden Week' in May and Obon in August) and all national holidays because even ONE national holiday will drive airfares through the roof. June, early July and early December are great times to visit Japan because the Japanese have little time off and are saving money for travel marathons a few weeks later. In some cases round trip tickets between the US and Japan can drop as low as $600 on All Nippon Airways, an excellent airline that usually provides service far beyond that of US carriers. Tokyo is always an interesting place to go, and Kyoto is even better, but if you go to Japan's smaller cities during low season you will have even the most popular tourist attractions to yourself. I guess I'm writing this because Japan does not have the 'exotic' allure of many other Asian countries, but it can be a fantastic place if you get out and explore.