Shoulder season travel tips from a full-time traveller

Travelling in peak season is tough. It isn’t only the price; it’s the weather and the crowds too. Which is why I’ve always favoured travelling in the shoulder seasons instead.

You may be wondering what the shoulder season even is. Well, to put it simply, it is the period either side of a destination’s high peak season – typically, their summer.

One of my recent shoulder season trips took me to Italy, visiting both Verona and Lake Garda (where I stayed at the beautiful Il Mansio hotel). The weather was gorgeous, and there was barely a tourist in sight. Peak-season Italy is a completely different story.

The appeal is simple. You get lower prices and enough room to actually enjoy a place, whilst almost everything is still open.

In this guide, I’ll run through the shoulder season travel tips I swear by, then six destinations where going off-peak makes a HUGE difference, from European city breaks to a long-haul trip to Peru.

Thanks to Saily, my go-to eSIM provider, for supporting the creation of this content!

What counts as shoulder season?

Shoulder season is the stretch either side of a destination’s peak, when it’s neither at its busiest nor closed up for the off-season.

Across most of the northern hemisphere, that means roughly April to May in spring, and September to October in autumn. South of the equator, the seasons flip, but the months stay pretty similar.

However, the dates can move about somewhat depending on where you’re headed. A beach town’s shoulder is not the same as a ski resort’s, and in tropical spots the quiet window often sits between the wet and dry seasons rather than between hot and cold.

So it is worth checking when it falls for your particular destination, because a place that’s lovely in May can be grim in November. I’ve noted the best window for each of the six spots below for that reason.

My shoulder season travel tips

After years of building trips around the quieter months, these are the things I’ve learnt about travelling during the shoulder seasons!

Get your timing just right

The edges of shoulder season are narrow, so timing matters a lot. A few weeks either side of the shoulder season dates could land you with either peak crowds and peak prices, or horrific weather and ghost towns with no bars or restaurants open.

Therefore, when I look up a destination’s shoulder season, I tend to pick right smack bang in the middle. And will try to avoid going too far either way, just in case.

Pack for two seasons in one bag

If you are travelling somewhere for a warm holiday, you may be used to packing just swimming clothes and light coverups. But when visiting during the shoulder seasons, you may need to consider packing some warmer clothing for the evenings, and for those potentially cooler days.

When I was in Lake Garda recently, in May, I was able to wear summer clothes in the daytime, but then needed to change into trousers and a jumper/jacket at night.

Moreover, if you are travelling to a tropical country, you may want to consider waterproof jackets, since shoulder seasons can bring about more rain.

However, packing differently is less of an issue if you are visiting a place that is typically quite cold anyway (e.g. on a ski holiday), as you’ll probably already be packing a mixture of layers.

Stay connected so you can change course

Sometimes travelling in the shoulder seasons can require you to be somewhat more flexible with your plans. If there is a bad weather day, you may not want to go out for that long day on the beach. Instead, you may want to research other rainy/cold day options.

Which is why it is so important to stay connected throughout. I use an eSIM for this, so my phone is working the second I land in a destination.

Having phone connection allows me to research on the fly, which is great when plans fall through. Here is the eSIM I pick, Saily:

Shoulder season travel destinations

Here are some of my favourite shoulder season travel destinations that I’ve been travelling to recently! Make sure to check these out for inspiration.

Lisbon, Portugal

I went to Lisbon in May, just before the heat of the summer really started to hit. The evenings were lively, the squares filling up in the afternoons, but mostly with locals rather than tour groups.

Getting around was easy, no queuing for the trams, and the bars with outdoor seating were spoilt for choice without every one of them being heaving.

Best times to go:

• April to May
• September to early October

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Paris, France

I went to Paris in late March, and whilst the big sights were still busy, there was still a huge difference. I walked into Notre Dame within a few minutes one morning, the Louvre queues were noticeably shorter, and the boat buses along the Seine were easy and half empty.

Mostly, though, I spent my time in cafés and bars full of locals, which is the version of Paris I actually come for.

Best times to go:

• April to May
• September to October

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Lake Garda, Italy

Around the start of May, the lakeside towns in Lake Garda were quite chilled out, and the ferries and promenades were easygoing. The weather was also lovely and fresh. Warm enough in the day for shorts and a top. And just a jumper or jacket needed in the evenings.

I took the bus to Verona to stay there for a few days also, wandering the old streets and the amphitheatre without heaps of tourists. Only just a few crowds outside the major attractions, like Juliet’s balcony.

Best times to go:

• May to early June
• September

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Barcelona, Spain

I went in late March, and it was the perfect time. In the sun, it was lovely and warm, though I needed layers at night and in the shade. But sitting in a sun-drenched square in March with a drink in hand is hard to beat.

I won’t go as far as to say that the streets are empty; it’s Barcelona, so there are still plenty of tourists about, but nowhere near the summer levels, and it was still nice enough to chill on the beach.

Best times to go:

• April to May
• September to October

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Lima, Peru

I went to Lima, Peru at the end of their summer season. That said, the weather was great, I wasn’t too hot, and the streets weren’t full of tourists, though Lima was never the most touristy city to begin with.

I could walk into places that would be tricky elsewhere, like Merito, a superb fine dining spot (check out my favourite food in Lima).

The same April-to-May and September-to-November windows are also perfect for heading up to Machu Picchu, with clear trail conditions and none of the peak-season crush.

Best times to go (particularly for the Andes and Machu Picchu):

• April to May
• September to November

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