Everyone dreams of travelling like a local. Oh, how it must feel to wisp down the small corridors of Paris like you know where you’re going and what little cafes are the best for a morning croissant. That’s why it’s essential to know when to travel, not just where to travel.
Especially during the summer, most major cities are taken over by tourists; even smaller cities are crowded if it has a port for cruise ships. You should expect these types of cities to be more global rather than immersive in local culture, as they will be packed with non-locals during the peak season of June to August. Palma de Mallorca, Dubrovnik, Venice, Bruges, and many other popular European cities have implemented, or consider implementing, restrictions on cruise ships due to the immense influx of tourists (these cities can receive up to 2 million visitors annually from cruise ships alone). So, if your ideal travel experience is consumed by images of you being surrounded by locals, do your research in order to avoid being engulfed by 3,000 tourists who are all trying to get the same photo in front of the Eiffel Tower.
If your schedule allows for it, the months directly before and after peak season (AKA April to May and September to November) are the most optimal for travelling without the crowds.
The weather is still nice and most people are at work or home rather than trying to travel abroad. Without all the tourists, lines to museums and attractions will be shorter, which lets you maximize your amount of time. You will also feel like you’ve had a more authentic experience; you’ll hear the native tongue more often than English and the friends you make will more likely be locals rather than foreigners. Like I’ve mentioned in another blog post, aside from the lack of tourists, prices during the off-season will also be cheaper. Car rentals, hotel and airplane prices… benefits during the off-season are boundless.
Choosing between going before peak season or after peak season should really rely on your availability, but if you have the flexibility, also consider some nuances of your trip: the cities you plan to visit, the events you want to see, the adventures you wish to have… you can only have particular experiences during particular seasons. For example, take the Tulip Festival in Amsterdam- this event only takes place during the spring, so if it’s a must see for you, be conscious of the timing.
Basically, if you can, try to avoid the summer. The weather sounds great and it’s the easiest to fit into a schedule, but the weather in the spring is also pretty and your photos and interactions with locals will be so much better.
Your tip about traveling before or after peak season is one that I never really thought of when traveling but makes so much sense. Whenever my mom had planned trips to China or Israel, we always went in either September or March; now I know why. One of the best parts about traveling is being able to immerse yourself in the native culture and see the differences in how life is lived in a different place. Every time I had been on a trip, there have been tourists here and there, but I am just glad that my memory of the trips have not been just that I was surrounded by tourists 24/7.
I love to travel when its not too hot out because I can’t stand the heat. But it is hard to find the time, especially with school, to be able to travel in the spring or fall. Hopefully, everything goes back to normal soon so we can begin to travel again because I’m getting tired of rural PA.
My family has always traveled to Disney world in February, which is the least popular months for visitors of the year. Applying this to international travel is a great idea! I would feel like I stood out as a tourist a bit more if not many others were there, but I think it would give me the opportunity to learn a lot more about where I am.