Want luxury? Travel in the off season
Do you wish you could enjoy a stay in a luxurious hotel, tuck into some top cuisine or relax in a quality spa resort?
Do you relegate those wishes to the ‘if only’ category? Well, it might be time to start thinking a little more seriously about your dream destinations and longed for holidays because by booking during the off season, you could clinch a fantastic, luxury holiday for less.
Picking the perfect time to holiday
For many people, holiday times are dictated by some hard and fast rules. Parents of young children are restricted to school holidays – some schools will even fine families if they take their little ones out of the class to travel – while people who work in offices often have to cram their breaks into set periods. If you work for yourself, have the power to choose your own holiday times or have chosen retirement, it’s time to start taking advantage of your flexibility.
Choose unusual dates
By deciding to travel during unconventional periods, you can drastically lower the price tag on your trip – making some seriously specialty locations accessible even on a budget. Start by thinking about the kind of places you’d love to stay and then do a little research about your destination.
While there are some times of the year that are always on peak (Christmas, Easter breaks, the summer holidays), different destinations and countries also tend to have their own high and low seasons. These are typically driven by the weather and if you’re not fussy when it comes to sun or you prefer to travel when it’s a little cooler, you could find some excellent holidays for a lot less.
Be a last minute winner
Be brave and you could save a bundle on your accommodation. As most hotels would prefer to fill a room rather than leave it empty, they will typically drop the prices when time starts to run out. So by buying flights or transport first and then waiting until the last minute to snag your accommodation, you could upgrade your hotel stay without bumping the price.
For those flights, be sure to have a look at comparison sites like Kayak and Skyscanner to find the dates that offer the best deals. Another great way to maximise on savings during the off season is to see if you can gather a group of friends to travel with you. Many tour operators and hotels will offer their best discounts when you can guarantee a certain number of guests and it’s a really fun way to travel. Don’t forget to check out our Silvercard offers – there’s great discounts on everything from cruises to hotels to help get you there cheaper.
Fodors has put together a great list of 10 of the world’s best luxury hotels for finding a bargain in the off season – be inspired by some of the amazing deals you can find just by flying against the flock. For some excellent tips for making sure you’re a smart traveller, no matter when you set off, check out these luxury travel tips from LiveShareTravel and don’t forget to sort out your holiday insurance before you go – head along to Holiday Extras for some great options.
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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