Budget travelers that we are, Dan and I usually travel in a destination’s off season as that’s generally when we can find the best deals. Ireland in April, Argentina in August (their winter), Spain in December, Iceland in March. Traveling in the off-season has its rewards, but you generally have to give up a little too.
The Pros
Traveling in the off-season = deals. Our tickets to Ireland (granted this was 6 years ago) were $300 each. Our tickets to Spain last month were $600 each. And at almost every hotel we’ve stayed at in the last 2 years (with the exception of our honeymoon) we’ve received off-season discounts. In addition to getting a cheaper flight and hotel, the experience may be better. On a partially empty flight your chance of being upgraded (or just being able to move to an empty row where you can sprawl out) increases. In a hotel that is not at capacity you may get a better room and it may be quieter. And if it’s a shared bathroom situation, there will never be a line for the facilities.
Fewer crowds mean shorter lines at attractions. In Spain, we walked right into Sagrada Familia and only waited about 10 minutes in line for the lift. Guell Park and La Ramblas were really crowded so I cannot even imagine what they are like in high season! In Buenos Aires we didn’t see another person for a good 30 minutes as we wandered Recoleta cemetery; we were in our own little labyrinthine world. And in Rioja we were the only people on our two wine tours – one tour guide told us during the harvest they have as many as 70 people on one tour. Standing there in the quiet of the ancient wine cellar is an experience I would not trade just for some warmer weather!
The Pros
Traveling in the off-season = deals. Our tickets to Ireland (granted this was 6 years ago) were $300 each. Our tickets to Spain last month were $600 each. And at almost every hotel we’ve stayed at in the last 2 years (with the exception of our honeymoon) we’ve received off-season discounts. In addition to getting a cheaper flight and hotel, the experience may be better. On a partially empty flight your chance of being upgraded (or just being able to move to an empty row where you can sprawl out) increases. In a hotel that is not at capacity you may get a better room and it may be quieter. And if it’s a shared bathroom situation, there will never be a line for the facilities.
Fewer crowds mean shorter lines at attractions. In Spain, we walked right into Sagrada Familia and only waited about 10 minutes in line for the lift. Guell Park and La Ramblas were really crowded so I cannot even imagine what they are like in high season! In Buenos Aires we didn’t see another person for a good 30 minutes as we wandered Recoleta cemetery; we were in our own little labyrinthine world. And in Rioja we were the only people on our two wine tours – one tour guide told us during the harvest they have as many as 70 people on one tour. Standing there in the quiet of the ancient wine cellar is an experience I would not trade just for some warmer weather!
This is crowded enough.
Alone in Recoleta.
Imagine this room filled with tourists. No thanks. I have no scientific evidence to back this up whatsoever, but I feel like traveling in the off-season provides a less touristy experience and is a little safer. The city isn’t overwhelmed with tourists so you get a chance to see what it would be like to live there. Walking down the street is just easier as your aren’t constantly being stuck behind the family who insists on walking 5 across at a snails pace. Also, if there are generally fewer tourists around and you dress like a local, you won’t immediately be pegged as a tourist, which mean you might not be so easily targeted for pick-pocketing. When we went to Buenos Aires, everyone cautioned me to not carry a purse, wear my money on my body, etc. I carried a purse, I dressed like a local, I tried not to be conspicuously tourist-like and I never once felt the slightest threatened. It’s easier to pickpocket someone in a crowd. With fewer crowds around, that becomes more difficult. Maybe the reason we never felt unsafe is because no one ever got too close – it would have been odd had someone bumped into us when we were the only few people on the street and that would have alerted us to something fishy.
The Cons
Traveling in the off-season also has its downside, one that most comes in the form of bad weather and missed experiences.
In Ireland it rained quite a bit, in Argentina it was only around 55 degrees most days and San Sebastian the 55-60 degree weather, though sunny, wasn’t warm enough to allow us to take advantage of the beautiful beach. Of course, we also go to experience the walled town of Laguardia covered in fog and while we couldn’t white water raft in the Andes near Mendoza, we did get to see the mountains covered in snow. For our trip to Iceland in March, the snowy conditions means we won’t be able to drive up to the north of the country, but I’m hoping the dog-sledding excursion we’re going to will make up for it. 
The beautiful beach in San Sebastian.
Laguardia - we'd never have seen this in summer.
The beautiful beach in San Sebastian.Laguardia - we'd never have seen this in summer. In off-season, you also run the risk of some attractions being closed. We found out too late that many of the wineries we wanted to visit in Rioja would not be open over the holidays and that all of the places to taste Cava south of Barcelona were closed until well after we would be gone. In San Sebastian we wanted to take the train up to the amusement park but it was closed as well. Some attractions just aren’t available at certain times of year. For our upcoming trip to South Africa in December, I would have loved to have gone whale watching but it just won’t be the right season.
We give up a little when we chose to travel in the off season. But with the deals we find and the great experiences we have, I never feel like I’m missing out.
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