It might not be when your friends have
booked their vacation but we'll see who
ultimately has the better trip
welcome to MojoTravels, and today we're
discussing why you should travel
offseason in Europe are you a fan of our
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we're looking at some of the best perks
and surprising advantages that come with
visiting the old continent during less
popular months of the year it's cheaper
regardless of how good a Christmas bonus
you got this year or the surprise
inheritance you received from your great
Aunt Mildred budget is always a factor
when planning a trip even if you're
working with a comfortable chunk of
money the smarter you are with how you
spend your money the longer you can
travel and the more you can experience
and when you're traveling in Europe
during the offseason regardless of
destination your dollar always goes
further hotels and Airbnb --zz drop
their prices due to lower demand as do
local tour companies and attractions
airfare also tends to be substantially
cheaper during the offseason and because
flights are less likely to fill up
during this time of the year who knows
you may even find yourself getting a
free upgrade you can book last-minute
the early bird catches the worm is an
idiom that very much applies to travel
however if there's one time of year when
it loses some of its power it's in the
offseason this goes hand-in-hand with
the cheaper argument because things
booked up less quickly including flights
even those who wait until the very last
minute can find themselves spoiled for
choice at every part of the trip
planning process if you want to plan a
summer trip to Italy one month out
you're likely to find 90% of the options
on air and be already booked in the off
season however you can decide to book a
trip with as little as a weeks notice
and still be able to get your ducks in a
row without having to break the bank
smaller crowds shorter lines are you
beginning to notice the pattern both of
our previous two points come back to
this one simple fact the offseason is
deemed to be just that because travelers
have collectively decided that these are
the months when it's less worthwhile to
visit and this relatively low number of
tourists translates into
competition but the diminished crowds is
also something that you will feel all
throughout your trip when traveling
during the off-season whether you're
trying to get into the Louvre the roman
forum or the Sagrada família or just
booked a table at that hot little
restaurant in Parma or Tbilisi you're
likely to find the weights significantly
shorter and the options available to you
far more flexible when you're visiting
Europe's hottest destinations personal
space is a rare pleasure no sunburns
this might hold true for all types of
travelers if you're the sort of person
who stands by the philosophy the hotter
the better then know you're not likely
to be pleased with the average
temperatures one encounters in Europe
during the off-season northern
destinations like Stockholm are going to
be cold same goes with Amsterdam but if
you dress appropriately you'll find much
to appreciate about the uncrowded
streets and sites not to mention a
certain fairytale atmosphere in southern
Europe however winter temperatures are
delightfully mild making destinations
like Seville Spain Palermo Italy Athens
Greece and Faro Portugal the perfect
place to escape the cold back home
without risking heatstroke don't get us
wrong we love the Sun but when you're
trying to appreciate a city's culture
and natural beauty it's nice to not have
to take hourly breaks from the heat or
be continuously trudging water a less
tourist oriented experience in the
modern age it's dangerous to romanticize
a destination especially one that's long
been a must visit like Paris Rome Athens
or Barcelona while the photos you've
seen online portray them as idyllic hubs
of culture / tourism is a major issue
it's all well and good to say you've
come to have an authentic experience but
with such an overbearing tourist
industry it can be hard to appreciate
anything from an attraction or a dining
experience to a simple stroll through
the streets without feeling like someone
is trying to take advantage of you or
sell you on some cookie cutter tourist
experience in the offseason however the
tourism industry dies down and suddenly
one can find themselves having a far
more genuine and honest interaction with
a merchant one that doesn't make you
feel like a walking dollar sign
to see a different side of a destination
on a different but related note to our
previous point traveling during the off
season isn't just an opportunity for you
to liberate yourself from the tourism
industry but for locals to be freer as
well when the throngs of tourists go
home you can almost hear the residents
let out a collective sigh of relief the
offseason might be less desirable to
outsiders but especially in popular
destinations it's actually far more
representative of everyday life as you
stroll through the streets you'll see
people going about their business and
just living their lives you can become a
fly on the wall and really come to
better understand what makes a city or
town tick best of all when you do reveal
yourself as an outsider you're likely to
receive a far warmer welcome than usual
who knows you may even find one of the
newly relaxed residents introducing you
to the sort of local experience that few
travelers even know about photo-ops few
other travelers get if you follow many
travel photographers and bloggers on
Instagram you know all too well the
challenge of getting an original photo
sometimes traveling to a popular
destination feels more like a treasure
hunt focused around iconic photo spots
to check off your list rather than a
creative endeavor when you travel during
the off-season however be it during the
winter or fall you'll find the
atmosphere of such places to be
completely different that iconic
graveyard is utterly transformed by the
light dusting of snow it's received and
the eerie leafless trees overcrowded
attractions are suddenly devoid of
tourists after sundown allowing you to
both experience and capture them in ways
that few others have even something as
simple as the locals breaking out their
winter wardrobes can fundamentally
change the texture and tone of your
photos unique festivals and cultural
experiences Christmas markets aren't
exactly a secret but they nonetheless
provide a great opportunity to
experience a city at its most fairytale
like even if prices jump back up during
the holiday season throughout the
offseason however life continues as
usual for local people and that means
even without tourists present they
continue to observe traditions and
partake in various cultural celebrations
explore the ice tunnels of Iceland
witness the chestnut festivals of
Portugal visit a Finnish sauna stay at a
nice hotel in Sweden or stare in wonder
at the Northern Lights in Norway though
the iconic Venice Carnival might get
crowded those occurring in the Dolomites
of northern Italy like the old one in
sapota make for a unique and intimate
celebration do you agree with our pics
check out this other recent clip from
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