Guest Author - Leyla Garofalo

Trips to European cities are always pretty pricey no matter when or how you plan to go. It is a long plane flight away and the euro is as high as it’s ever been. But take heart, one way to cut costs a little bit is to travel during the off-season.

The off-season in Europe roughly runs from October though March. With the shoulder season being April, May and September, you have a variety of months to pick from without having to pay peak season prices. Be sure to check the national holidays for your specific destination before making definite plans because that could spike the prices even in an off-season month.

There are many reasons why winter is the least crowded (and usually less pricey) season for visiting Europe. The first obvious factor is the weather. It can be very cold, wet and dark in Europe, especially during the winter months. A lot of people prefer a more pleasant temperature when they are vacationing. School and work schedules also tend to make winter a less traveled season. Europe is a popular family destination, which makes summer the season of choice for an extended stay.

Because fewer tourists come to visit during the winter months, some smaller European towns that are sustained solely on the tourist industry close down for the season. Tourist bureaus may have reduced hours, and the same may be true for some restaurants, museums, galleries and other attractions.

While these may seem like reasons to steer clear from Europe during the colder months, there are also several advantages to the off-season visit. First and foremost, you may save quite a bit on price. Because there are fewer travelers, airlines compete more fiercely, and airfares tend to drop. If you are flexible on your dates, you can stand to save substantially. Some airlines run winter/early spring specials which can have rigid travel restrictions, but are also usually good deals. Hotel deals flourish during the off-season too. Even if nothing is advertised, there may be more room to bargain. Hotels still have the same number of rooms to fill even in the slow season, they may be more willing to cut you a deal.
With fewer crowds, there will be fewer lines to go through to visit museums and other major must-sees. Cutting down your waiting and crowd-weaving time is just a happy by-product of traveling in the off-season. Your fellow tourists will likely be local people on their day off, which gives you a fun opportunity to mingle with the natives.

It comes down to weighing the advantages against the disadvantages. If colder darker days don’t faze you; if you look forward to a less crowded, quieter city vacation and you don’t mind facing shorter hours or early closings for some attractions, then off-season Europe is something to think about the next time you plan your vacation.