Choose your season carefully
In the travel-industry we discuss the year being divided into three seasons: peak season which is approximately mid-June through August, shoulder season - approximately April through mid-June and September through October, and off-season - typically November through March. HOWEVER - it's important to note that these are rough estimates, each season has its pros and cons, and these seasons DO change depending on your specific destination. My personal recommendations to my clients for travel times will depend on a variety of individual factors.
When choosing the best time of year to travel you need to consider your specific destination - and what you personally would like to do there. Make sure you think about where you’re going in each destination. Take your initial general idea and start to break it down into regions. Don’t assume, for example, that all of Vietnam is the same. Vietnam is long and narrow, and it has three distinct regions. The climate in North Vietnam is distinctly different from South Vietnam. You need to know precisely where you’re going (which may be determined by what you want to see and do) in order to choose the best season for your travel.
Consider what your goals are in visiting the country. Knowing what you want to do will help inform your decision of when to travel. You can consider the sites you'd like to see, and the best time of year to see them. If Giverny, France, is at the top of your must-see's you may want to keep it's huge popularity in mind. If you have the freedom to choose your month of travel, I think your best bet is to go during France's shoulder season (my best recommendation is April or October with my preference being April for Giverny specifically). Or - if you're traveling to Japan - are you going to take advantage of their amazing conditions for skiing? Or have you always wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms? For some people great weather outweighs crowds, and for others they'd rather sacrifice potentially perfect weather to avoid throngs of tourists. Think about and discuss your absolute have-to's and preferences, and then research the best time of year to make that happen.
Three very different ways to see Japan!
Build Your Itinerary With Care
Avoid high traffic attractions on their busiest day.
This one is the next step in your planning process. Once you've determined your season - you need to determine your dates. There are attractions we know are busier on specific days. For example - the Louvre tends to be busiest on Mondays because they’re one of the only museums opened that day. Monday is actually perfect for a no-specific-plan, wander around Paris kind of day.
If you’re traveling to Walt Disney World we know that Magic Kingdom tends to be busiest on Mondays as well - because families often want to start by seeing the castle - and the park that is the closest to Walt Disney's original theme park - Disneyland. Do your research (or ask me if I’m booking your trip!) and make sure you have a plan to maximize your time and enjoyment when visiting tourist attractions.
Buy advance tickets to popular attractions!
There are lots of popular attractions you can purchase advance and skip-the-line tickets for before your trip. They may or may not save you money (you typically won’t pay less, but you shouldn’t pay more either). BUT - there is a good chance doing this will save you time. Most attractions have two lines - those who need to purchase tickets and those who already have them. Purchasing in advance means you won’t have to wait in two separate lines - the one to purchase and *then* the second line to get in once you have your tickets in hand. This is a simple tip, but when you’re anxious to start your day - you’ll be happy to save the half hour. You can spend it later lingering in an outdoor cafe (or if you’re me - in a bookstore. With coffee. Always with coffee).
And, because that led me to books - I leave you with this gorgeous bookstore built in an old church. 😍 (The smaller sites are also worth looking into - we'll get into that soon)....
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