5 pitfalls to avoid in off-season travel
Before you book a low-cost ticket to your favourite destination, make sure the weather—the main reason for off-season rates—is not set to play spoilsport. For instance, a trip to Dubai in July-August will fetch you rock bottom prices, but you will not be able to venture out due to the searing 50 degree Celsius heat. Similarly, visiting Bahamas in June-November may ruin your vacation because it is peak hurricane season.
The best way to get around this problem is to consider a trip during the 'shoulder season'. This is the period just before or after the low season, which means that you can avail of the discounted rates without being affected by inclement weather. Hence, travelling to Bahamas in May or December can get you up to 60% discount on hotel rooms without running into a tropical storm.
Similarly, you can visit Dubai in May or September with lesser heat and discounts still in place. For weather information in various parts of the world, check http://www.climate-zone.com/.
Hot spots may be closed
If you don't check in advance, you could be in for another disappointment. During off season, some tourist attractions or venues may be closed, or open only on fixed days, or have reduced visiting hours. For instance, if you are touring Europe during the off-season winter months (November to March), the fewer daylight hours will mean that the visiting period for museums or other attractions will be fewer, say, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., instead of 9 a.m.-7 p.m. So, you will need to customise your itinerary accordingly.
To calculate the daylight hours in various cities across the world, check the site http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunrise.html. Another option is to check the tourism offices of various countries at tourism http://www.towd.com/ to find out the relevant information about popular attractions.
Rule out hotel renovations
Many hotels and resorts undertake renovation or expansion work during the off-peak season. This means that you may be able to avoid the crowds and pay a fraction of the lodging cost, but will have to suffer the noise and chaos of the construction activity. So, make sure to check with the hotel before booking and, if you are intent on a particular hotel, try to get a room as far away from the disturbance as possible. More importantly, you can negotiate a lower room rate in lieu of the inconvenience.
Language & food barrier
If you are travelling to non-English speaking countries, say, Latin America or Europe, it could pose an unexpected problem as most English language tours are off during the low season and interpretors or translators are difficult to find. Hence, it will do you good to carry a pocket translator or dictionary.
As for food, you may not be able to sample the local, cheaper fare during the off-peak periods and may have to stick to the bigger restaurants, which may increase your food cost. For instance, at beach destinations, most of the shacks could be shut down and you may not be able to enjoy the local sea food.
Local festivals, events may increase the cost
Go through the tourism website of your chosen destination to check for any local events or major festivals coinciding with your visit. If these are scheduled during the given period, it may lead to an influx of people from around the region and you may end up spending more on your stay, food and visits to tourist attractions.
You will, of course, have to deal with the crowds that you may have tried to avoid in the first place. So, if you are planning to visit any of the major European cities during Christmas, be prepared for an expensive, noisy stay since it will be as good as peak season travel.
The best way to get around this problem is to consider a trip during the 'shoulder season'. This is the period just before or after the low season, which means that you can avail of the discounted rates without being affected by inclement weather. Hence, travelling to Bahamas in May or December can get you up to 60% discount on hotel rooms without running into a tropical storm.
Similarly, you can visit Dubai in May or September with lesser heat and discounts still in place. For weather information in various parts of the world, check http://www.climate-zone.com/.
Hot spots may be closed
If you don't check in advance, you could be in for another disappointment. During off season, some tourist attractions or venues may be closed, or open only on fixed days, or have reduced visiting hours. For instance, if you are touring Europe during the off-season winter months (November to March), the fewer daylight hours will mean that the visiting period for museums or other attractions will be fewer, say, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., instead of 9 a.m.-7 p.m. So, you will need to customise your itinerary accordingly.
To calculate the daylight hours in various cities across the world, check the site http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunrise.html. Another option is to check the tourism offices of various countries at tourism http://www.towd.com/ to find out the relevant information about popular attractions.
Rule out hotel renovations
Many hotels and resorts undertake renovation or expansion work during the off-peak season. This means that you may be able to avoid the crowds and pay a fraction of the lodging cost, but will have to suffer the noise and chaos of the construction activity. So, make sure to check with the hotel before booking and, if you are intent on a particular hotel, try to get a room as far away from the disturbance as possible. More importantly, you can negotiate a lower room rate in lieu of the inconvenience.
Language & food barrier
If you are travelling to non-English speaking countries, say, Latin America or Europe, it could pose an unexpected problem as most English language tours are off during the low season and interpretors or translators are difficult to find. Hence, it will do you good to carry a pocket translator or dictionary.
As for food, you may not be able to sample the local, cheaper fare during the off-peak periods and may have to stick to the bigger restaurants, which may increase your food cost. For instance, at beach destinations, most of the shacks could be shut down and you may not be able to enjoy the local sea food.
Local festivals, events may increase the cost
Go through the tourism website of your chosen destination to check for any local events or major festivals coinciding with your visit. If these are scheduled during the given period, it may lead to an influx of people from around the region and you may end up spending more on your stay, food and visits to tourist attractions.
You will, of course, have to deal with the crowds that you may have tried to avoid in the first place. So, if you are planning to visit any of the major European cities during Christmas, be prepared for an expensive, noisy stay since it will be as good as peak season travel.
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| While off-peak foreign trips are the best way to save money, go through these spoilers that can ruin your holiday and make you spend more. Sourcehttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/travel/5-pitfalls-to-avoid-in-off-season-travel/articleshow/40770203.cms |
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