People look out for the holidays for opportunities to travel. However, this can be quite challenging because since everybody’s on a break, prices can go up, hotels can be difficult to book and some services may take longer to avail due to the sheer volume of people present. Travelers are becoming smarter as some of them prefer to visit during off-seasons–and it pays off. Here are some of the benefits of traveling off-season:
Benefits of traveling off-season
1. Cheaper prices on flights and hotels
According to Rusty Tweed, owner of Tweed Financial Services: “During peak season, you can notice prices go up as much as 50-60% percent in flights and hotels. This is because the demand is high, and bookings are frequent. These establishments can afford to ramp up their price ranges because people are willing to pay for it. In order to save, you must either book in advance or find an off-season schedule for travel”.
2. Lesser crowd accumulation
During the holidays, you can also notice that lines get longer, and some services take a while too. Some enjoyable things done in solitude can be difficult because people are everywhere. This can be said for popular destinations such as beaches, resorts, historical landmarks and theme parks. If you are fussy about skin-to-skin contact, catching viruses in the crowd, or just easily annoyed when there are too many people, traveling off-season is a good option for you.
3. Better Service
Believe it or not, in many instances service is better in travel during the off-season. This is because workers can maintain the area more efficiently, can clean up faster, and can give more attention to their clients because there’s not too much of them. A good service can be expected when there are fewer people to attend to, hence you will have a better experience.
Given the benefits of traveling off-season, what are those specific days and dates we can make use to plan our travel for this year? According to Rusty Tweed, here are some recommended days for traveling on a week’s basis and on certain days of the year:
The Cheapest Days To Travel in 2018
1. Middle days: Tuesday and Wednesday
The working population would tend to book on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday in order hit a weekend and save a leave. Airline companies and hotel establishments know this, that is why some of them will increase the prices on the weekends because some people have no choice but to choose these dates. If you have a more flexible schedule for travel, booking on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are advisable for cheaper flights and hotels.
2. The week after the holiday
We all know the major holidays: Labor Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If we were to think of it in a different perspective, it’s like coming when the party is over. The week after the holiday is also a strategic way to get cheaper traveling opportunities because it is when people least expect your presence. The week after the holiday is the least crowded time, plus you get to enjoy some amenities all to yourself.
3. 2nd to 4th week of January
When the festivities of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year are over, people are broke and traveling will be the last thing on their minds. So if you prepared early on, another perfect time in the calendar to travel would be in the 2nd until the 4th week of January. At this time, people (and their respective wallets) are still recovering from the series of spending from the holidays. The prices are cheap to travel during this time.
4. The whole month of February
If you are planning to go to a cold place such as Europe or Alaska, the peak of winter is also a bargain deal. At this time, people will be reluctant to go because some may find it difficult to adjust to the cold. However, if you are an adventurer and if the cold doesn’t bother you that much, the whole month of February is yours to take. You can save as much as 42% in flights during this time.
5. Before or after summer break
Summer break is also a peak season, though not a holiday. For most students, this is the time to travel back to their homes coming from respective universities. Take advantage of this season by timing your travel plans before or after the summer break to avoid jumping into the waves of students coming home or making plans for the season.
Companies like Tweed Financial Services believe that budgeting your travel plans is also essential if you want to meet your financial goals. Although it is a form of leisure, one must still learn to spend wisely in order to enjoy a debt-free and stress-free life.