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“Shoulder season” is among the hottest topics in travel right now for many reasons, including the potential for better weather than peak travel times of the year.
Shoulder season refers to the time immediately before and after peak travel seasons.
A destination famous for summer, such as a beach or national park, would have its shoulder seasons in spring or fall. A ski resort’s shoulder season would be later in fall, after first opening, and later in spring, after the majority of natural snow has already fallen.
(MORE: The Best Time To Visit New York City In 2025)
Haven’t we all had one of “those trips?” It’s sweltering, the lines are long, the kids are tired and you’re wondering whether this is really a vacation at all.
If you have the flexibility, you don’t have to travel in the peak of summer’s heat even if many others are filling up social media with perfect photos.
You may experience fewer crowds, even at the most popular destinations, if you pick a different time of year.
It may also save you money.
“You’ll pay less for flights and hotels; especially if you travel on off-days like Tuesday or Wednesday,” said Brekke Fletcher, senior editorial director at Lonely Planet, in an email to weather.com.
“In July I decided to go to Hawaii after Labor Day, and the flights were shockingly lower than I’m used to seeing in summer or during the holidays,” Fletcher said.
You may find some attractions closed in shoulder season, however.
“We went to Zermatt, Switzerland, the first week of May. Ski season technically ends May 3 so we thought we were still close enough. We got there the following day and basically all of the restaurants and hotels were closed for the season,” said weather.com lead editor Jenn Jordan.
“Everywhere else in Switzerland was perfect that time of year with fewer crowds, great prices and weather,” Jordan said.
That’s one other benefit to shoulder season: better weather.
Meteorologists can’t predict a day’s weather beyond about two weeks, so we can’t tell you it will be rainy for your fall getaway to Paris a month from now.
But we can look at averages to give you an idea of what you might expect if you avoid the hottest summer months and try shoulder season travel.
Let’s compare and contrast summer and fall shoulder season weather in some popular places.
With one large caveat, fall can be a great time to opt out of Florida’s peak summer heat and humidity, while avoiding the legions of “snowbirds” migrating to the Sunshine State to avoid winter weather.
“Because it’s still hot in the South into September (and even October), if you can swing a beach vacation along the Gulf Coast or up into the Carolinas, you can get ideal weather conditions and even more ideally reduced crowds,” said Sean Breslin, managing editor at weather.com.
“Just be sure to take those savings on rentals and apply them to buying insurance in case a hurricane crashes your beach party and forces you to cut your trip short.”
Ah yes, that hurricane disclaimer. If you’re concerned about that, how about November?
As you can see below, Orlando’s average high dips into the upper 70s by November. Florida’s dry season usually arrives in November, erasing the nagging thunderstorms that can flare up most summer days. And the state’s hurricane threat is typically much lower in November.
Other than the Grand Canyon’s rims, Arizona’s stifling heat and thunderstorms may not sound appetizing for summer travel.
But unless you prefer Cactus League baseball in March, late fall is a great time to visit, weatherwise.
In Phoenix, average highs drop into the mid-80s by late October, and 70s to low 80s in November. October highs at the Grand Canyon rim are typically still in the 60s.
Residents have protested overtourism the past few years, including squirting tourists with water pistols.
So, if you’d like to see the city made famous by Antoni Gaudi, how about doing it in October?
While fall is generally wetter than summer, average October highs are in the low 70s. So, you’re less likely to sweat waiting outside in fall than in July.
Italy can be brutally hot in summer, especially the farther south you go. But October is generally more pleasant, with average highs in Rome in the low 70s.
Yes, the chance of rain is higher in the fall, but only about seven to 11 October days with rain are typical in the Eternal City.
Personally, I can’t imagine trying to enjoy a trip to Greece in the summer. Average highs in Athens are in the upper 80s or 90s from June through August.
I’d rather go later in October, when daytime temperatures in the 70s are the norm there.
Furthermore, October is not all that wet. The Grecian capital only picks up about 1.5 inches of rain each October.
Your Japan travel dreams may include the cherry blossoms in spring.
But the brilliant fall foliage season — known locally as kōyō — can be spectacular later in October and November, as Lonely Planet’s David McElhinney described.
October highs in Japan’s capital drop to the 70s, much more comfortable than the steamy summer months and still a bit warmer than when the cherry blossoms bloom in spring.
And if you’d like drier weather and don’t mind cooler breezes, November can also be quite nice in Tokyo with peak autumn colors.
In Australia, spring can offer delightful weather outside the peak summer months.
September is probably the best spring weather month in Sydney (remember, the seasons are flipped in the Southern Hemisphere), with highs in the 80s and less rainfall than summer, fall and early winter.
While 90-degree heat can build quickly by October, November tends to be the city’s sunniest month.
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter), Threads and Facebook.
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