Once we spent Thanksgiving week and the following in the UK. The weather was brisk but comfortable with a coat, and there were no crowds! London Theatre had many options. We toured the countryside, Wales and Scotland where there was no waiting to see all the main attractions.
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Those of us with school-age children are stuck traveling at peak times so bargains are rare. Crowds can be avoided to a degree, however. Paris in August is somewhat quiet because the locals leave the city. The beaches in Miami during February break are empty because the locals think it’s too cold to swim (it isn’t, but it is windy).
Still, I do look forward to the day that the kids are done with school and we can once again travel when crowds are less dense.
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We will travel to Iceland in Late April just after the Easter holiday and before summer season begins. Very affordable, especially car rentals. Temps should be in 40s and 50s.
Any suggestions on India or Sri Lanka? Many thanks in advance.
This is advice from “the frugal traveler”? These hotel prices are not frugal by any stretch of the imagination.
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This is Frugal Traveling for those who have a lot of money and don't want to spend it unnecessarily.
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I recommend Niagara Falls in October, just after the peak season. The crowds are gone, it's not too cold, and there's plenty to do in the area.
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@Joe
Interestingly, we visited Niagara Falls (Canadian side) in October this year and it was fabulous. Then we hopped down to Manhattan and saw all of the to Tony plays and musicals.
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I also highly recommend Jordan in November. The weather is warm enough to swim in the Dead Sea and Red Sea, it feels very safe, and people are very welcoming to Americans.
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Great article. Thank you. Our best trip to Venice was a week in April. No crowds, cooler but not cold, wonderful. No flooding. We also love London in the early spring, also colder but no crowds. Paris, too. There is a reason there is a song about it.
I also recommend coming to Park City, Utah for skiing in March. No crowds and still good skiing. Or come during the summer when the weather is perfect, no humidity, no bugs. The trails are great. Main Street has Silly Market every Sunday. Very fun. The resorts are all open for summer activities. Much to do here in the summer, the locals live here because of summer, not just skiing.
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Wife and I traveled to Bali in August in late 1990’s. We avoided name brand hotels for the local variety. Used frequent flyer miles for airlines. Rented a jeep. Stayed for a month. Budgeted $100/day for food, room and jeep but only spent 60% of that. Great trip.
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Good tip on San Diego in October. The ocean temperature is more pleasant than most of the year and the coastal marine cloud layer (May gray/June gloom) is greatly reduced. It can get hot if there is a santa ana (wind off the desert), but, in general, it is a great time to be in America's Finest City.
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Journeyed to Iceland the last week in September. It was chilly; in the 40's but warm enough to tour the waterfalls and glaciers
and comfortably bathe in the Blue Lagoon during the day and in the evening caught the most spectacular view of the Northern Lights. Even our tour guide was amazed. We could see them in downtown Reykjavik and our tour took us out of the city into the countryside. It lasted 2-3 nights and the city turned off its street lights the night after we left so its residents could view them. Most people go during the Summer when the sun doesn't set and miss out on this phenomenon.
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Currently spending February in Southern Portugal and Morocco. The weather has been perfect. A nice change from the deep winter being experienced in the Great Lakes region of the USA and Southern Ontario.
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Great information, thanks for the article
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