Why I Don't Like to Travel in the Summer (And Why I Think Shoulder Season Is the Best Time to Vacation)
I know what you’re thinking - Summer is the best time to travel! But let me tell you why I think that’s not true. There’s so much to do at home, things are more crowded in the summer, and more expensive too! Summer is the best time to be home to do all the Summer things! Fall/Spring is the best time to get out and explore. You get to see cities/locations in a different light other than summer! You can see leaves falling in their transition to winter or flowers blooming as they come to live in the spring.
Summer Is My Favorite Time to Be Home
Why do we all love Summer so much? Well, for starters, we all loved having summer break in school (still dreaming that my job will let us have summers off!). But as adults why do we love it so much? I think its because there’s so much to do! In the winter, things are dreary and it gets dark so early that it feels like there’s nothing you can do but putter about your house and wait for warmer weather.
In the Summer though? In the summer, there are endless possibilities of things to do! Fill your weekend with farmers markets and outdoor festivals or shopping markets. You can go out and have dinner on a patio or find a local food truck. There are so many events to get out and explore when the weather is nice -it’s almost endless! Not only are there more things to do in general, but the nights are so much longer, making me feel like I have more time to be productive or hang out with friends before the night “ends”. And don’t get me started on the pool! I could spend hours there every night in the summer and not tire of it. There’s nothing better to me that putting on my swimsuit, grabbing a drink, and hanging out at the pool after work.
Long story short, I feel like there’s so much going on where I live, I don’t feel like I need to get out and travel to explore and have a good time!
II. Peak Season Means Bigger Crowds
Typically, favorite destinations for summer include amusement parks, national parks, museums, etc. With all the kids being out for the summer, most people are looking for things to do and places to go. This can lead to longer wait times, trouble finding parking, more people in the background of all your family photos.
Have you ever been at an amusement park only to realize all the ride lines oer 2+ hours? Or tried to go to a popular restaurant and the wait time is ridiculously long or that the reservations booked weeks ago? That is one of the main reasons I prefer to travel in shoulder season! When you travel during peak season (typically the summer months!), you have to fight with everyone else who wants to visit - hence the name peak season!
I’m someone who gets easily overwhelmed by large crowds and can quickly lose enjoyment of something if I feel like I’m fighting everyone else there to enjoy the ride, exhibit, restaurant, etc. And don’t get me started on parking. If I can’t easily find parking, forget about it, I’d rather go home than fight for a parking space.
III. Everything Costs More
And to go along with summer/peak season meaning more crowds, it also means higher prices. I think we’ve all heard of dynamic pricing. The more popular something is, the more expensive something is. Kind of a similar idea here! During the summer, everyone wants to go and is willing to pay the price, so companies will make the price higher because they know you’re willing to pay for it! This goes for everything: hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars, tickets, flights. You name it, it’s probably more expensive during peak season.
The biggest way to stretch your budget when traveling is to go during shoulder season (or even off season). Because there are less people visiting, places will often price activities lower (or give you more access for the same price)! The best example for this is the Biltmore Estate we visited when we were in Asheville, NC. When we went in March, we got a 2 day ticket for essentially the same price (or cheaper depending on the season!) as a single day ticket you would get in Summer/Fall/Holiday Season. The first day included the estate and audio tour and the second day included the grounds!
Not only are activities cheaper but so are accommodations! Hotels have much lower demand during shoulder/off season and will price rooms cheaper to get the hotel filled up. So, you can typically afford nicer/better accommodations! And not only are things typically cheaper, but you can also be more flexible with your planning! Restaurants and even activities will have more open availability for you to be able to book reservations! That makes it easier to plan - you can visit when you want and not be beholden to open time slots or reservations.
IV. Cooler Weather
Alright, now the best part of not traveling in summer is the weather. There’s almost nothing worse to me than walking around in wet denim because I’m sweating bullets (or as we in the midwest call it: swamp ass). It makes it hard to enjoy the vacation when all I can think about is where the next bit of air conditioning is or where I can get a cold glass of water. Peak season for most places is in Summer, so not only is the city you’re visiting crowded, but everyone is sweating and exhausted. So you’re walking around being assaulted by the scent of people that need more deodorant! And if you travel with cooler temperatures, you can get the best outdoor/patio dining! “Patio Season” is my favorite time to go out. Having a crisp Coke on a patio with a nice breeze after spending all day exploring is one of my favorite parts of travel!
Traveling in Spring or Fall means temperatures are much cooler, so you’re able to walk around and explore much longer without feeling exhausted by the heat! I think this is especially valuable if you are someone who likes hiking! Being able to hike with a breeze/cooler weather is always going to be better to me than hiking with nature wafting you with warm air (or worse, still humid air!) - even if the tress are a little less full!
V. Traveling After Summer Gives Me Something to Look Forward To
And if I haven’t convinced you yet, let me introduce you to the cure to the winter blues: travel. After summer, we’re all feeling the post summer blues when the sun sets before we’re home from work and there aren’t any pools or summer markets to haunt. And I’m here to tell you, that you just need something to look forward to! In the summer, we’re so busy going to parties, cookouts, pools, markets - there’s endless things for us to do! In the winter, we all slow down a lot and there isn’t as much vitamin D, leaving us feeling a little depressed. I’ve found that booking, even a little, trip helps! Having a trip in September/October gives you something to look to between summer and the holidays! And booking a trip in April/March helps break up the endless winter before summer gets in to full swing. Planning a trip is almost as fun as the actual trip for me, so I get double joy out of even a weekend trip in fall/spring!
Is Summer Travel Ever Worth It?
Now that I’ve spent this whole post bemoaning summer travel, I’m going to say of course summer travel is worth it - there’s an exception to every rule (or opinion)! If you have kids, summer is the prime time to travel because you don’t have to take them out of school (even if there are larger crowds!). Our mom has a job at a school, so we often do travel with our parents in the summer so she will already be out of work!
And the biggest reason I’ll travel is the beach. The beach is the epitome of summer and I love going and spending the day playing in the waves and spending time reading with the waves crashing in the background. Of course, the beach is still wonderful to me in shoulder or off season, but there’s just something extra special about beach in the summer. So, that is one exception I will make every time! And in fact, I’m already dreaming of when I can get back to a beach!
There’s also some destinations that are just better to explore in summer. In Alaska, the temperatures are better for visiting and its salmon season! There’s also less snow which makes navigation easier and means wildlife will be more active. Places with higher elevation might be better for visiting during summer when temperatures will be warmer (vs in winter when they might have lots of snow or colder temperature).
Favorite Reasons to Travel in Each Season
I. Fall
I think fall has some of the best weather. I love the crisp feel to the air and the cool temperatures. Not only is the weather great, but so are the views! The leaves are changing color and add such a beautiful splash of color to everything. I think fall is the most scenic time to travel!
II. Spring
Spring offers new life after winter and its nice just to bust out of the house without the wind nipping at your nose! But it’s also wonderful to see nature coming to life again with beautiful new blooms! And the temperatures of spring always feel so balmy after the harsh cold of winter. I’ve also found that spring seems to be the least traveled season, so you can find the best deals and lowest crowds traveling in spring.
III. Winter
The best thing about winter travel is Christmas, especially Christmas markets! If you can’t get to a Christmas market, just being out to explore a city that’s covered in Christmas lights is magical. Not only is winter good for Christmas travel, but it’s great for quiet cabins and fireplaces. And it’s great if you’re into winter sports like skiiing or snowboarding!
IV. Summer
I think Summer is best for local markets/events and evenings at the pool. If I do travel in the summer, I mostly go on weekend trips close to home! Again, my exception to this is the beach! I do love a weeklong beach trip in the summer!
Tips for Shoulder Season Travel
While I love traveling in shoulder season, my biggest tip is to check seasonal schedules! Some places will only offer excursions during certain time frames (Lake Erie operaters typically operate their boats from Memorial Day to Labor Day). There’s still a window between the start of the season and when it gets really busy that you can typically book in and avoid large crowds!
You’ll also want to pack layers. Shoulder seasons can typically be chilly in the morning and warmer in the summer, so make sure you’re prepared!
You can also sometimes find midweek deals at hotels! So, when booking, make sure to look at any and all deals hotels (and even airlines) are having!
While summer has the most markets/festival/fairs, you’ll want to still look if you travel in shoulder season! Sometimes, you can find harvest festivals in fall, bloom fairs in spring, or holiday markets in winter! Getting to local markets is a great way to find small business or local restaurants!
Conclusion
Summer will always be one of my favorite seasons—but not because I'm traveling. It's the time of year when I love soaking up everything happening close to home. Then, once the crowds thin out and the temperatures cool down, that's when I pack my bags. Traveling in the spring and fall has given me quieter attractions, lower prices, and some of my favorite memories. If you've only ever planned vacations during peak summer season, consider giving shoulder-season travel a try—you might find yourself looking forward to it just as much as I do.