Some of the world’s most popular cities are a mess in summer. In destinations like Venice and Barcelona, sidewalks are crammed full of tourists with selfie sticks, and the most popular restaurants are jammed with folks who just read the latest review on Yelp and are firing up their Instagram accounts before they even walk in the door.
That’s why you should consider an off-season trip to your favourite city or country.
Ireland. European cities like Dublin can be chock-a-block with tourists in summer, but in winter, you’ll find the crowds are way down. Hotels are often cheaper, and flights are easier to find, too.
The weather may not be great in the winter, but it’s not always reliable in July, either. And, let’s face it, you’re not heading to Dublin or Belfast to work on your tan, even if you go mid-summer.
Hawaii. We know it can be very expensive in summer, but everything from hotel prices to car rental rates tend to drop in the shoulder seasons, which are April to May and September to October.
Southeast Asia. Some folks avoid going from June to October, as it’s the rainy season. But storms often don’t roll in until late afternoon, and most of them are short lived. You can always duck into a café for a cup of coffee and wait it out.
It’s a long way to go, but it’s inexpensive once you’re there. You can regularly find five-star hotels in cities like Bangkok for less than $200 CAD. The same quality hotel in New York City would probably set you back six or seven times that amount.
Portugal. This is another great budget destination. A good meal costs a fraction of what you’d pay in Paris or London. The average daytime high in Lisbon in March is 18C. That’s shorts or a summer dress weather for most of us.
Use a credit card like the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card to make booking a piece of cake.