The Making And Life Of A World Traveler: Well Almost–Chapter Five–Fourth Decision–When to Go

When to travel is also a very important decision that you will have to make. Besides the obvious reasons for choosing certain times to travel , there are less obvious reasons as well. It almost seems silly to mention these reasons, but in an effort to be as complete as possible I will mention them anyways. First of all, you need to ask yourself what do you want to do on your trip? Do you like to water ski or snow ski for instance? If you want to water ski, you, of course, will go when it is warmer. Dodging icebergs and wearing a dry suit doesn’t seem like much fun when you’re being pulled behind a speeding boat. The same thing goes for snow skiing. You wouldn’t want to do that in the summer, for one…the slopes are closed. Now, there are those out there that say you could put wheels on your skis and you would be right. But let’s face it, the only people that do that are Olympic athletes who need to train year round. So you obviously want to ski in the winter. There are also less obvious and less silly reasons for winter travel besides enjoying other winter sports, like cross country skiing and snowshoeing and ice fishing and that is viewing the northern and southern lights. You need to view them in the winter months as well. Viewing polar bears while they are hunting on ice flows is also better in the colder months.

Of course, swimming, spear fishing, and scuba diving are all enjoyed mainly in the warmer seasons of the year. Some hardy souls can enjoy them in the cooler months as well. So are you getting the idea that there is a lot of flexibility here? That is what makes the subject of travel so interesting. Literally thousands of blogs, websites and books are devoted to the subject. So you are asking me again why am I writing yet another travel book? Because I am going to fill it full of personal experiences, once I deem you worthy that is. LOL!

Now that we have the weather determinant activities covered, let’s discuss other reasons for seasonal travel. As you get closer to the equator the weather changes are minimal and so travel times are more flexible. There really is no off season. As you get a little further away from the border you have issues like the annual rainy seasons in tropical and subtropical regions. While travel may be cheaper during the rainy season, who wants to slog through ten inches of rain and wear rain gear all the time? So, seasonal issues is one reason for choosing certain seasons. More northern regions that have extreme winters are only open for the spring and summer seasons and so you are limited to these times as well.

However, the vast regions that have four active seasons still have peak tourist times. During these times the prices are usually higher and the hotels and attractions are usually filled to capacity. If your itinerary and travel times are more flexible, you can take advantage of off-season price discounts. Though be forewarned some of the more popular exhibits may be offline for repair. This happened to us when we went to visit Paris in January of 2020. All the major hotspots were being worked on to prepare them for their busy summer season. This was a minor inconvenience for us which was easily offset by the huge cost savings we enjoyed. The weather was also a little more inclement, so we had to dress accordingly. As long as you are prepared for these issues, you can enjoy cheap luxury travel on a budget.

Case in point, I lost track of the holiday schedule and made a trip to Monterey, California to do some scuba diving. I usually go off season and get hotels for less than $50.00 a night, this time the hotel rate was $250.00 for the same room. What a shock to my wallet! We finally found one a little cheaper. So take my advice, when you travel don’t do it on a holiday.

Which weather is best for travelling?

Best Time to Travel North & South

Temperatures in the most popular places – Delhi, Rajasthan, Agra, and Mumbai – are comfortable, and the rain is minimal. Low season in most places is April-June, when temperatures soar. July-November are busy months in the Himalayas, but less so elsewhere throughout India.

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