Introduction

You have spend weeks or even months planning your dream holiday in Europe, the last thing you want, is a frustrated holiday ruined by excessive tourists. Holidays are often ruined if you have to queue for hours to get into a museum, can't find a spot on the beach, or can't move for tourists, when exploring a beautiful city. Many people find the hot weather in high season too much but this is unlikely to be a problem when you choose to travel off season.

The advantages of off-season traveling are many. Airfares are often hundreds of dollars less. With fewer crowds in Europe, you'll sleep cheaper. Many hotels drop their prices, and budget hotels have plenty of vacancies. Once I travelled in a group of 10 and never had any problem getting accommodation during off season.

Shoulder Season

For many, "shoulder season"- April, May, early June and September and early October-offers the best mix of peak-season and off-season pros and cons. In shoulder season you'll enjoy decent weather, long days, fewer crowds, and a local tourist industry that is still eager to please and entertain.

Without the crowds, you can enjoy step-right-up service at banks and tourist offices and experience a more European Europe. Although many popular tourist-oriented parks, shows, and tours will be closed, off-season is in-season for the high culture: plays and operas are in their crowd-pleasing glory, particularly in Vienna.

Dealing with the Drawbacks

For Mediterranean countries, Fall starts the rainy season. Over the ages, many cities have found ways to deal with the inconvenience of a daylight rain. The Italian city of Bologna features a huge network of arcaded streets. You can walk from one side of town to the other without getting wet. Medieval Europe featured houses with overhangs, it's one of the ways you can tell the older parts of a city. Old towns also offer seductive cafes. Pop in and nurse a coffee, soda, or warming snifter of brandy while waiting for the rain to taper off. Or use your railpass to take a scenic train ride.

Winter travel has its drawbacks. Because much of Europe is in Canadian latitudes, the days are short. It's dark by 5 p.m. The weather can be miserable-cold, windy, and drizzly-and then turn worse.

To thrive in the winter you'll need to get the most out of your limited daylight hours. Off-season hours are usually limited. Tourist information offices normally stay open year-round but have shorter hours in the winter. If you plan to visit any attraction or museum, visit an area's local tourist bureau online, or give the folks there a call to find the opening hours or days. You can find links to the websites of tourism bureaus for countries around the world, countless cities and regions on the Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory.

While Europe's wonderful outdoor evening ambience survives year-round in the south, winter time streets are often empty in the north after dark. Sometimes the crowds can be so sparse a destination can feel downright lonely. Empty restaurants, shops, and streets may make getting around easy, but the quiet can feel unnatural. Also, you may find that the off season is used as a time for construction and renovation: Imagine staying in hotel when the roof is being repaired, or traveling to see a monument, only to find it covered in scaffolding. Yet, while low-season travel has its risks, you might find the benefits outweigh them

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