Off-season travel - Travel Deals

If you are a sports fan you know all about the off-season. It is those dreaded months when there are no games and you are left wondering how you will fill the hours in your life. In the travel industry there is also an off-season, but unlike in the sporting world it can be a very good thing, especially for travelers looking to save some cash.

April, May, and the beginning of June are often considered the off-season in the travel world. This is the time that falls after Spring Break/Easter and before the beginning of the high travel period in summer. The kids are in school, people are tied to their desks at work and the weather is still not ideal in many parts of the world. All of this adds up to empty airplane seats and hotel beds, which means big savings for those who can swing a trip during the off-season.

CheapTickets has a whole report out that examines about the off-season this year and it is full of information that is useful to the bargain hunting traveler. Their focus is on warm weather spots like Mexico and Florida, but there are nuggets to be found for those looking to escape this year and for those planning a trip for the next off-season.

This time of year is sometimes referred to as the “off-season” in the travel industry because the number of people who travel this time of year is far less than the numbers seen in the summer and during holiday periods. Because of the nature of economics, you know that whole supply/demand thing you slept through in Econ 101 in college, the prices for flights and hotels are greatly reduced during the off-season. The number crunchers over at Cheap Tickets have calculated the biggest price reductions in Europe and have compiled a list (PDF) of the ten places where you can save the most money if you travel during the off season this year.

1 Austria 53%
2 Ireland 38%
3 Germany 35%
4 Greece 29%
5 Iceland 28%
6 Great Britain (UK) 24%
7 France 20%
8 Italy 19%
9 Portugal 15%
10 Spain 14%