What Should I Know about Travel Seasons? Low vs. High?

by Royal Holiday

Can I really have just as much vacation in the off-season?

Travel Seasons are determined at the location and vary based on region.

One more advantage to Royal Holiday is that we can always advise you on the particular season you’re traveling too and help you to make the best decision for you.

Royal Holiday breaks things down into Prime, High and Mild seasons based on locally determined demand at the location.

High and Low Seasons are also affected by the local culture, the climate, and by who wants to go, and when they want to be there. 

May/June and September/October are low season in Cancun and Cozumel but these months are high season in other parts of the world.

Aruba’s high season is all year except for a prime season from mid-December to Mid-April. There really is no low season in Aruba.

  • Prime travel seasons are generally designated during holidays like Christmas and New Years and a week before and after Easter. Normally, other state holidays and 3-day weekends in the USA, Canada or Mexico are also considered Prime Season.
  • High Seasons, though not absolutely peak, are longer and designate a portion of the calendar year when more tourists are likely to visit the region. Winter is High Season at ski locations, but also in tropical areas, and Summer is High Season at beaches in temperate climates. Many city locations and some beach locations are in High Season year-round.
  • Mild Seasons offer some of the best opportunities for savings, for longer holidays, and for shorter advance booking. High seasons may require advance booking of three, four or six months – or even longer. But Mild seasons can also incur a greater risk of inclement weather or local businesses or services closing for the season.

You can find lower credit prices during any of the mild seasons. Crowds are smaller and you get all the same stuff but more. But…

Low Season is not for everyone. You can get a lot more time to yourself, and a lot more beach to yourself too. You have to decide if that’s good or bad.

Some tourist destinations will really board up the windows and wait for the high season to kick in again and while our most popular destinations go into low season simply because people stop coming, in areas that receive a lot of rain things can get down right creepy and travelers can even turn on each other! (Just Kidding.) Don’t let that sway you from saving a bundle and traveling the off-season.

[Updated October 14, 2013]

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