I've done it a lot, particularly going to Ireland with or to visit Gerry. Ireland is one of those places that Americans want to see (for good reason! it's gorgeous! and historic, ancient!), so it definitely has a "tourist season" (April through August). But, you know, it's gorgeous and historic all year long, and I personally love Ireland in September and October in particular.
That said, I've been there more than once during prime tourist season (family weddings), and I know what I'm missing: tons of Americans who don't understand how to behave in sacred places, crowded restaurants, tour buses pulling up and disgorging so many people you can no longer see the thing you came to see, and, sometimes, something is closed. After about the first week of September, some smaller, lesser-known venues might be closed until spring. Other places that need maintenance will wait until the off-season to do it. But otherwise, I'm a fan of off-season traveling.
The AARP (formerly: formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) published an article last month ("Count the Benefits of Off-Season Travel") that was subtitled "You can skip the peak-season crowds and prices" that caught my eye. As did that gorgeous photo of the Grand Canyon in winter. It highlighted five destinations:
Kennebunkport, Maine
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Washington DC
Sonoma Valley, California
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
And for each one, it offered five answers:
Peak season (months)
Instead go (months)
What you gain
What you give up
Price comparison of a luxury hotel
That last factor can be a doozy. For example, we spent a week in Paris in February one year, and the apartment we rented was about half what we would have paid for it during the late spring and summer months. The owner had laughed when I called him to reserve, worried that it was a little last-minute. Because it was sitting empty.
We've had a lot of great experiences traveling in the off-season. For example, those historic millionaire mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, have fantastic Christmas-season showings, with live music and spectacular holiday decorations. So consider it!
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