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The traditional summer travel season is nearing an end but if you are not confined by school schedules, travel could be just heating up. For those who can travel, the shoulder season may be their perfect season. 
“With interest in travel high, more travelers are looking for bargains, and “shoulder” season offers a variety of benefits, including more options for cost-conscious adventurers,” said Kara Hitchens, public affairs manager, AAA. “Many families must travel during the summer when the kids are out of school, but other travelers purposefully choose the fall and even winter for less expensive trips to popular destinations when they are less overrun by tourists.”
AAA reports an upward trend of members booking travel within the next one to two months.
What is “shoulder” season?
Shoulder season is the time of year between a destination’s peak season and its off-season. It can vary by destination, climate, and the main attraction, but it’s usually early spring and early fall in the Northern Hemisphere, which is roughly March, April, and May for spring, and September and October for fall. In the southern hemisphere, the seasons are swapped, so autumn is shoulder season in one hemisphere and spring is in the other. Also, while holidays may be peak travel times for destinations, a week before or after can also be lower demand, lower cost shoulder times to book.
Benefits of shoulder season travel
Shoulder season travel provides a variety of advantages that make trips less hectic, more comfortable, and in many cases, less impactful on consumers’ bank accounts. Those benefits include:
- Smaller crowds, allowing you to explore at your own pace without feeling rushed
- Shorter lines and less demand for tickets at popular attractions and destinations and tables at favorite restaurants
- The worst of the summer heat has subsided in the Northern Hemisphere, making for a more comfortable travel experience
- Airline seats and flight times may be more available to choose from
- Better prices than peak season, not only for airfare and tour packages, but also for hotels, rental cars and train tickets. Travelers can find better prices for ocean and river cruises. River cruises continue to be incredibly popular and there are substantial savings in the shoulder seasons for European river cruising.
- With fewer tourists, there are more opportunities to interact with the locals and have more authentic experiences in the country or destination
- Many theme parks, cities and regions host cultural or food festivals in the Fall and Spring, providing a glimpse of local cuisines and traditions.
To learn more about traveling during the shoulder season or to book travel, go to AAA.com/travel or visit a retail location and speak with a travel advisor.
