You don’t have to wait anymore for a specific time or season to travel. The time to enjoy your life anytime of the year, is here, now. Traveling off-season might be the best thing you can do. Here’s why I think so.
As an experienced off-season solo traveler, I came to realize through my own observations, that is actually better to travel off-season than high season. There are pros and cons on both sides, but please hear me out on this one. Might be that the pros for off-season outweigh the cons. So before you think you need to wait for the right season to travel, think again. Take off work when nobody is and enjoy the best holiday of your life. No exaggeration.
1. Cheaper
We all know how much cheaper it is when we travel off-season. And if you’re a budget traveler, like me, then you might want to do just that. And is not only the accommodation cheaper, but the food too. It’s like living among the locals. And this is a special treat. Besides, what are you traveling for, to see new places or to see the hundreds of people that are waiting to take pictures in the same spot that you want. I personally travel for the place, the culture, the traditions, which I can still experience off-season.
2. Quieter
One aspect that I love a lot is the quietness that you get to experience and enjoy. For everyone that appreciates a Zen like state, then I highly recommend you to travel off-season. You are going to enjoy it to the fullest. It’s something like an energetical recharge. For example, I love to visit small cities even villages. The best ambience you can get is here far away from the noisy crowded big cities. During high season even the smallest village can become extremely noisy. Imagine, Santorini, an island that receives millions of tourists each year. It gets very crowded and noisy. And there are no cities on the island, but villages that have become world famous for their cliff houses and blue dome churches. I stayed 2 days in Oia in the heart of the village in a very circulated area. During high season you are not able to sleep as you can hear every single step. It feels as if someone is about to enter the house, that’s how thin the walls are. So, booking a room in such an area would be terrible. However, off-season I had the best sleep and time. Felt special to be almost the only soul walking around.
3. Better experience
You get to have the place to yourself. Maybe not every shop or restaurant will be open, but that’s not necessarily the main aim for when you visit some place. Although, for some people it might be. Nevertheless, there will always be some supermarkets and shops open. And for those that love natural products, you can find food markets where locals sell their own products. It can’t get better than that. This for me is an amazing experience. Also, if you are into photography, you have all the time in the world to take pictures of locations which otherwise would be flooded with people. I enjoyed Santorini every bit while traveling off-season. Was a truly magical time. Now imagine the crowds, the chaos, the expensive accommodations, the heat. Oh my.
4. Become a local
Immerse yourself in the local culture, get to know the history, traditions and culture from locals. Making friends among the locals you might save yourself some money and not get sold the touristy agenda. Talking with locals can offer you different perspectives of things that you should be careful of, maybe get recommendations or help when you are in need. Being nice, smiling and making friends will always be helpful.
5. Connect
Have you ever felt connected to a place? Feeling like you belong there, feeling comfortable and like at home. I don’t know if it’s just me, but as a solo traveler, I enjoy the quietness and beauty of every place that I visit. So, I don’t connect only to people, but to places too. As a matter of fact, I can be all alone and I am happy as it is flowing from within. So do not think that it is necessary to travel with people or to be surrounded by people to have the feeling of happiness, completeness and connectedness. You are complete.
The benefits of traveling off-season are not only beneficial for you, but for the locals too. They get to be supported all year round and all the craziness during high-season gets to be a bit easier to bear.
Let me know in the comments why you enjoy traveling off-season and how your experience has been. Have a look at my experience travelling off-season in Santorini. You will love it and would want to go too.
