Marcus Webb
When saving money by taking a trip in the off-season is and isn’t a good idea. While some former off-season bargains have seen their prices increase as the rest of the world returns to travel, others remain travel values — particularly when considered against the crowds of peak travel. We detail where you can find off-season deals in 2026, and why others have lost their price appeal.
Mediterranean: November-March
I said earlier that there are still places where off-season travel is a good idea. I must qualify this. The countries of the Mediterranean are one such place, but the weather in winter varies dramatically from south to north. So, while Spain and Portugal can be quite pleasant in winter, with warm days and pleasant nights (lows in the 50s and 60s), Greece and many of the islands are rather cold and shut up for the season. In practice, this means that the days are short, some of the sights will be open on reduced hours, but there will be almost no other tourists and the prices will have dropped by 40% to 60% from the summer peak. As always, there is a trade-off. For the Mediterranean countries, the off-season is winter. And, no, most guidebooks do not detail the pros and cons of visiting in the off-season.
Caribbean: late April through early June
Late April through early June, before hurricane season, are great times to find good prices in the Caribbean before the peak summer months. Destinations in the Caribbean including Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and other islands will have prices reduced by 30% to 45% in late April through early June compared to peak winter season months. Weather during the late spring months is typically pleasant with sunny skies and warm temperatures. While hurricane season officially begins June 1, activity is typically minimal in the first two months of the season and in most years does not require a change in travel plans. Of course, as the month progresses, so does the chance for a hurricane and purchasing a trip insurance policy with hurricane coverage can be a small added cost to your total trip cost but can be well worth it as it can provide reimbursement for cancelled trips due to hurricanes.
Southeast Asia: May-October
As for prices during the rainy season, for countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia I see prices of airlines, hotels and tour operators fall by 25 to 40 percent during the rainy months. While in most countries short, intense afternoon downpours are the norm during the rainy season, in the destinations listed above the rain usually clears up by nightfall. Of course, there are exceptions, like popular destinations for trekkers and nature lovers and seaside resorts on the wrong side of the country, which can be affected by monsoon rains. Additionally, unsealed roads can become impassable during periods of heavy rain. If you are traveling during the rainy season, I would recommend arriving a day early as twice in the past this has allowed me to catch connecting flights that would have otherwise been missed. Be sure to book early to get the best prices.
Alaska, Iceland, Norway: shoulder months
Off-season pricing in Northern destinations provides travelers with significant savings, particularly during shoulder season. While in-season pricing for a hotel room in destinations such as Alaska, Iceland, or Norway can cost as much as $600 for a single night, travelers can often find rooms for less than $200 per night during off-season, a savings of approximately 67% to 75% percent. The catch for many travelers is the weather and the limited hours of most tourist attractions during the off-season. However, for travelers willing to brave less-than-ideal weather and limited hours, a host of destinations in these regions can be experienced at a lower cost. In the fjords of Norway, for example, travelers can find good prices on hotel rooms from late April through early May, as well as from mid-September through early October. In these locations, the only time of year with good weather and affordable hotel rates is during the shoulder season. Furthermore, in places such as Alaska, which has a number of destinations that can be experienced during the month of May as well as in late September, travelers can save money on hotel rooms while still enjoying good weather and open tourist attractions. With daylight hours in these destinations typically lasting only 10 to 14 hours during off-season, some travelers may find the reduced daylight to be less than ideal. Similarly, a number of businesses and tourist attractions are closed during off-season, forcing travelers to choose between exploring locations that are open and those that are not. As a rule, I try to plan my travels in such a way that I am already in a destination by the time a given attraction or business closes, thereby avoiding the need to arrive at a late hour in order to check into a hotel. And while prices for flights, hotels, and other travel-related expenses can fluctuate significantly, the prices of various travel-related items can also drop rapidly in the days leading up to a given departure, allowing travelers to score deals by booking flights and hotels well in advance of their scheduled departure. In the end, travel during the off-season can provide numerous cost savings for travelers willing to brave less-than-ideal weather, limited hours at various tourist attractions, and a host of closed businesses. And with a little bit of planning, the potential for affordable travel during off-season is immense.
Where off-season is no longer a savings
There are however destinations in which off-season no longer translates to cheap travel. Japan, especially in Tokyo and Kyoto is a perfect example. The Higher Peak Season (cherry blossom and autumn foliage) prices are higher than they were 10 years ago, but the discounts found in the Off-Season are in the order of 10-20%. This is not to say don’t go to Japan in the Off-Season because you can still get some great deals on flights and hotels, but be aware of the pricing and how it works. Likewise in South Korea and Taiwan. The increase in Tourism in the last 10-15 years has created a travel industry that operates on a year round basis and so prices fluctuate much less than they did in the past. This doesn’t mean that prices don’t fall in the Low-Season, just that the fall is not as dramatic as it once was. In destinations such as these it is far better to look to travel on a midweek as opposed to a Monday to Friday or a Saturday to Sunday.
How to think about the real cost
And another truism: there’s a difference between very cheap travel and very good travel. Yes, every trip contains some blips that you never anticipated, and some unexpectedly brilliant moments. But in general the longest remembered parts of any journey, good or bad, are (a) the best bits, i.e. the highlights; (b) the best seats on planes, the best gear, the most clever travel accessories, etc. For every dollar that you save by traveling slowly in the cheapest places possible (all the time), it is generally true that you can spend that same amount of money on the ‘good bits’ of any journey, and end up with something rather better. In other words: within the limits of what’s feasible, it’s always better to spend a lot on a few excellent travel ‘experiences’ rather than spread your cash thinly over months or years of very cheap travel to see and do very little. When saving on transport, accommodation and food in various countries is easy enough (e.g. in cheap cities, on street food), save on those things. But on travel generally, save on the bits where the return is highest, i.e. where your money will do most good.
