The Best Times and Seasons to Fly

It is important when contemplating a trip somewhere to consider the season you are planning to depart in and how busy your destination is likely to be. These factors play a significant role in the overall price you could pay for your airline ticket.

Choosing a destination

There are times when certain destinations in the world have their ‘Peak Seasons'. These are times when travel to these regions can be expensive. This is due to the demand associated with such destinations for that particular time of year.

It is best when looking for cheap tickets to particular destinations that you research what are considered ‘Off-Peak Seasons' or 'Shoulder Seasons' to travel and plan your trip accordingly.

If wanting to travel to a snow resort, the peak seasons are generally during the winter months. Ski resorts can cut up to half the price off their fares to lure travellers to their destinations during their ‘Low Seasons'. Generally speaking, however, summertime is the busiest period to travel and it is wise to book travel a bit later, such as late September, to catch discount prices.

Here we list the top ten travel destinations in the world according to the UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation) and state the ‘shoulder season' i.e. the best season to visit a destination when the prices are low and the weather is still pleasant.

1.) France –

Example City - Paris,

• Peak Season is between Easter and Mid-September
• The best time to visit is between late September and early spring (The later you go after summer the colder and damper it becomes).

2.) Spain -

Example City - Barcelona,

• Peak season is between June and September.
• May and October are good months to travel to Spain.

3.) United States -

Example City – New York

• Peak shopping season is between September and December
• The low Season is between January and August. Prices in the spring can be higher if the weather is nice.

4.) China -

Example City – Hong Kong

• Peak Season is from October through to late December
• May is the best time to visit. The weather is comfortable and it is not too busy.

5.) Italy –

Example City – Rome

• Peak Season is from April to Mid-October
• Outside peak season travel is cheaper but the weather is colder and susceptible to rainy periods.

6.) the United Kingdom -

Example City – London

• The peak season is between Mid-April and Mid-October. Another peak occurs during the Christmas period.
• All other times are relatively cheaper; however, the weather is unpredictable and damp.

7.) Mexico –

Example City – Mexico City

• Peak season runs from December through to the second week of Easter. Also from July to August. This is particular to resorts which a large percentage of tourists visit.
• October, November, April and May are the best months to visit Mexico. Prices are down and the weather is pleasant.

8.) Turkey –

Example City – Istanbul

• Peak Season is between July and August
• Prices can drop between April and June and September to October. We recommend these months to travel as the weather is still pleasant. Winter in Turkey can be rather cold.

9.) Germany –

Example City – Frankfurt

• May to late October is the peak season.
• All other times are low seasons except when major trade fairs take place.

10.) Russia

Example City – Moscow

• Summertime is the peak season to travel to Russia
• A good time to visit is late spring or early autumn. Late November to early February is also off-peak but one should be prepared for short days and bitterly cold weather.

More information about particular destinations can be found using our flexible everywhere search found on our homepage.

Important Considerations

There are a number of advantages and disadvantages of travelling off-peak that you should be aware of.

The number one reason which influences the desirability of a particular location is the weather conditions.

Always make sure you research this factor before settling on a particular destination. Dubai, for example, is off-peak during the summer months; however, temperatures can reach a blistering 50 degrees Celsius! Visit a destinations official website to discover countries weather conditions lest your cheap holiday becomes a proverbial nightmare.

Another factor to consider is the tendency for some establishments to take advantage of the off-peak travel season to carry out refurbishments on their premises. This can make staying in a hotel less than desirable whilst hearing pneumatic drills going off and seeing scaffolding everywhere. Always phone the hotel you are planning to stay at and ask whether they or their neighbours are planning to carry out any refurbishments during your desired period of stay. These are some factors to take into consideration when travelling during the low season.

On the upside, destinations are relatively quieter and more peaceful and allow travellers to avoid large crowds and peruse the local sites at a leisurely and unhurried pace. Also, prices on hotels, museums and restaurants are usually reduced in order to lure more people in.

A good place to discover more information is the Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory. You can find links for tourism bureaus all around the globe which offer great advice on the best times and places to visit.

Time of departure

Another factor to consider when searching for the cheapest airline tickets is the time of day you plan to depart.

Very early morning flights and late evening flights tend to be cheaper than those during busy periods of the day. This is due to fewer flights being available at those times and the general dislike of passengers to fly at those hours.

The airlines want to fill as many of their seats as possible so they sometimes drop the price of tickets departing at those times. Our advice would be to experiment with departures at different times of the day and see if any discounts can be acquired.

Day of departure

Another factor to consider when looking for cheap flights is the actual day of the flight departure. Particular days of the week are considered busy periods and flights tend to be more expensive during these times.

Weekends are generally more expensive than weekdays. The best time to look for departure flights would be either on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. No guarantees can be made for finding a cheaper flight but is definitely worth a look.

Many online search functions have the ability to check for flights on ‘flexible dates', this will allow you to check flights departing for your destination a few days earlier or later.

We highly recommend our flexible date flight search to discover the cheapest times to fly. It allows you to see the best fares found online over the entire month and year. Try it now!