Shoulder season is the time of the year in between the high travel season and low travel season for any particular destination. For many destinations, shoulder season takes place in April and May and again in September and October.
The idea is that you will be traveling after the kids have all gone back to school, the summer crowds have died down, but the weather is still nice and hotels and attractions are still open. Sounds perfect, right?
There are a few things to know about traveling in shoulder season.
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Why is it called Shoulder Season?
What I have always understood is that, metaphorically, the shoulders lie on either side of the “head,” the head being the high season.
The website Lodgify offers another possible explanation, “that the spring and fall climates, usually labeled as shoulder seasons, are not warm enough to wear t-shirts but not cool enough to wear coats. A light shawl or scarf wrapped around the shoulders during these seasons is [an] explanation for the term.”
When is Shoulder Season?
Shoulder season is specific to each destination. It depends on when the high season takes place in the destination you plan to visit. However, for the vast majority of tourist destinations it occurs in Spring and Fall. Generally, the months of April and May, and September and October.
What are the advantages of traveling during shoulder season?
The traditional advantages of traveling during shoulder season are lighter crowds and better pricing on hotels and airfare. Combine this with cooler October and April weather and it makes shoulder season travel seem like a no brainer, especially if you don’t have kids that need to be in school.
Does Shoulder Season Really Still Exist?
This is something that has been discussed a lot in travel industry circles, especially in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic where travel came to a complete standstill and then came roaring back a couple of years later. TravelAge West says that in recent years, the line between high season and shoulder season has become blurry. Parents who would have been reluctant to take kids out of school for travel prior to the pandemic take more of a “life is too short” attitude these days.
Additionally, the rise of online travel culture and the sharing of information means that shoulder season is less of a secret these days. More people are traveling during shoulder season than ever before.
However, shoulder season does still exist and there are still benefits to planning your travel in spring and fall, or the shoulder season for your particular destination.
Other Considerations
Hurricane season overlaps shoulder season in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific oceans, If you are planning a tropical vacation in the fall, keep hurricane season in mind.
Other locales are at their busiest in September and October. For example, California’s wine season peaks with crush, or harvest, in September and October. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place in October.
And anywhere that fall foliage is a draw will have their high season in the Autumn months.
How can you take advantage of Shoulder Season?
The best way to take advantage of shoulder season is to schedule a planned trip to occur during the shoulder season months. Take a look at airfare pricing in April or October, if you are going to somewhere like Hawaii or Italy and schedule accordingly.
If you are planning a trip to specifically take advantage of shoulder season, first make sure you research when shoulder season takes place in the place you are visiting.
While September and October are a true shoulder for somewhere like Hawaii, in Vermont these are some of the busiest tourism months of the year.
If you are planning to travel during the spring shoulder, make sure that hotels will be open where you are going. In locales where the tourism industry shuts down in the winter time, you might not find a lot of lodging available in March.
While traveling during shoulder season may not be as advantageous as it was before the COVID 19 pandemic and the widespread online sharing of travel advice, it is still a really good idea to schedule your planned vacation during the shoulder season at your destination.
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