The beginning of autumn does not have to mean the end of holidays and trips. It is also a good time for a vacation, far from the gray autumn and the depressing atmosphere. Leisure at this time of year has its advantages, because not everyone likes to travel during the peak holiday season, when there are the most tourists.
Autumn also brings slightly lower temperatures, which in some latitudes are a real salvation from the heat, so more and more tourists are starting to appreciate this time of the year. In recent years, the number of people going on holiday in the fall has increased by around 20%. Many childless people choose fall when it comes to vacation.
It is quieter, less crowded and you can rest freely. September, October and November, even in some parts of Europe, are still warm and sunny. Thus, autumn holidays can sometimes be preferred over summer holidays.
Advantages of holidays in the fall
Contrary to appearances, there are quite a few advantages of autumn trips. First of all, as we have already mentioned, there are definitely fewer people traveling. Families on holidays with children choose typical holiday dates.
So it is a bit calmer and quieter, for example at the hotel swimming pool. There is no crowds when serving meals and it gets looser on the beaches. All major tourist attractions are not so crowded and, importantly, most of the facilities offer a full range of accommodation.
What is the weather like during fall holidays?
Another important advantage of autumn trips may be a better weather aura. Not everyone can withstand temperatures sometimes reaching 40 degrees in the shade that prevail in summer. Autumn brings a slow cooling down, which does not mean that we will be immediately forced to pack warm jackets into a travel suitcase.
During the day it will still be fun, and there will certainly even be a chance to get some tan. However, in the evenings, when it is a bit cooler, a light sweater will be useful. This, of course, applies to European regions, because summer is about to begin in the other hemisphere and we will only pack a bikini and sunbathing oil in a tourist bag or backpack.
By the way, check what to take on vacation!
The third and probably the biggest advantage of autumn holidays is simply lower prices. According to the statistics, we will pay even 20-30% less for autumn holidays. You can actually feel the difference in prices from the first days of September.
The interest in holiday offers is decreasing, which affects their price attractiveness. Not only are flights to individual destinations cheaper, but also the accommodation itself, prices in restaurants, and even tickets to tourist attractions. Prices for holidays in mid-August can be a hundred euros higher (per person) than, for example, those starting in early September. So check the prices in the world.
Visiting attractions on autumn holidays
Autumn trips are definitely conducive to getting to know the area and sightseeing. Still warm days are the perfect time to visit larger cities such as Milan, Dubrovnik, Seville, Cannes, Venice and Porto. There are fewer tourists then and you can see all the attractions in peace. The heat doesn’t pour from the sky and the cafes aren’t that crowded. It is also a good time for short weekend trips to the capitals of Central Europe: Vienna, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Berlin, Lviv, Warsaw and Vilnius.
To all this, we must add the fact that we can extend the holiday period and escape from ever colder days, rainy aura and depressive climate. In the southern part of Europe, you can still sunbathe and enjoy the sea.
There is still time to recharge the batteries with the sun, just before winter.
Disadvantages of autumn vacation trips
When it comes to rest in the fall, it must be honestly admitted that evenings and nights can be cold, at least in Europe. Yes, the days are pleasant and warm, but a bit warmer clothes may be useful for night returns.
The second downside is that it just gets dark much faster in the fall. The days are getting shorter and less time for sightseeing. The number of sunny hours per day is also reduced. If you are not a night party lover, then you need to arrange something to do for longer evenings at such a trip.
The third aspect of autumn trips is the fact that we have a much smaller number of flights to choose from in the cheap flight search engines. Over time, charter flights are no longer available, and the network of scheduled flights does not increase. In addition, some accommodation facilities may end their activities in a given season. Just like selected dining and entertainment venues. Their return will come again with the arrival of spring and the first warm days.
Autumn trip – organized or on your own?
In the fall, prices for accommodation and everything else related to mass tourism fall. This is certainly a good time for a vacation for people who do not like to overpay for holidays. It is definitely worth looking for accommodation offers on the web, because their prices are then reduced by the owners. Direct contact with the host sometimes reduces the cost to ridiculous amounts. Especially that at this time of the year there is no crowd.
Autumn is also a great time for a car trip. The heat doesn’t bother so much anymore and the car doesn’t heat up so quickly, so you can drive it all over Europe. The roads are less congested and there are no traffic jams at the borders (e.g. with Croatia). A road trip around is much less tiring in autumn than in summer. This is a great time for a trip to the Balkans.
You can also try to get some good promotions from a travel agency. In order to fill the chartered plane, the organizers often sell off their holidays at heavily discounted prices. After all, the interest in holidays in September or October is much lower than in high summer. Autumn is a moment of break between the high summer season and Christmas trips, New Year’s Eve and skiing.
Hence, such attractive prices for autumn excursions.
Where and when to go on holiday in the fall?
We come to the answer where and when to go on vacation in the fall. When it comes to trips abroad, it can be assumed that September and mid-October are a good time for holidays in southern Europe. The days are still warm enough to catch some sun and relax in a pleasant atmosphere. From mid-October, however, it is better to target slightly further directions: African, Asian or Caribbean. In other latitudes we can find everything we are fleeing Europe from at this time of the year: great weather, white beaches and warm sea.
September
September is definitely a good time to go to all European countries around the Mediterranean, where the temperatures are unbearable in the height of summer. These are mainly Greece, Italy, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Spain and Portugal. In September it is already a bit cooler and you can be outside, without fear that you’ll burn alive. The weather is good enough that we will definitely come back with a tan, take a bath in the sea, or visit all the facilities that interest us.
They will certainly be less crowded than in the high season.
You can also go on a trip to Budapest, for example, because September is the driest month here in the whole year. The famous Oktoberfest in Munich also begins in September. The time of grape harvest in Georgia is coming, which can be a real treat for lovers of this drink. September is also a good time for a cruise on the Norwegian fjords. When choosing a destination for autumn holidays, however, you must remember that September is the beginning of the hurricane season in the Caribbean.
October
Around mid-October it is still warm and pleasant on the Greek islands. You can go to Crete, Rhodes, Corfu or Zakynthos. It is also worth paying attention to other European islands, such as Malta, where temperatures still oscillate around 24-25 degrees, and there are plenty of attractions and sights there. Cyprus may also be an excellent autumn holiday destination, where the thermometer bars show even higher mean values (27 degrees).
The Canary Islands are also a real hit of the October journeys. Here the temperatures do not drop below 20 degrees all year round. Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Fuerteventura are full of attractions and extensive catering and accommodation facilities, especially geared towards families with children. Turkey is the second such destination, where it is still warm and you can laze on the beaches.
October is a good time to visit Rome with the Vatican, when there are really fewer tourists, and the temperatures are already bearable. By the same route, you can visit Lisbon, Porto or Barcelona. In October Tuscany sparkles with autumn colors and it is time to harvest the grapes. You can go to such distant Iceland to see the northern lights. However, it’s better to give up on the Scandinavian countries, because in October it gets dark and wet there, although there is no snow yet.
In October, however, it is worth looking for slightly further directions. This is a good time to fly to Mauritius as spring is starting there. It is neither rainy nor damp then, but everything around it blooms and comes to life. October is the perfect time to visit Indonesia as the dry season is about to end. In Japan, the fields begin to turn red (summer cypress blooms), and in Nepal, a weather window is created, ideal for trekking (monsoons are passing and winter has not yet taken control of the weather).
November
In Europe, November is rather a month when the weather breaks down almost everywhere. If this does not bother someone, they can still catch the last rays of the sun on the Spanish coasts (Malaga, Marabella), or, for example, in the capital of Greece – Athens. At least there is a chance that he will see the famous Acropolis (in high season there are crowds of tourists here).
November is the time for further travel destinations, such as Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Temperatures there are around 20 degrees (in Egypt around 27 degrees), so it’s quite warm. If someone is looking for even warmer spots, Oman will certainly be a good proposition here. An exotic and unusual destination that is taking the tourist market in Europe by storm, just like Israel (Tel Aviv, Eilat).
The November time is also the perfect time to go to Thailand (then the spectacular Yi Peng Light Festival takes place), northern Vietnam or Cambodia. Then the weather becomes rainless and the days are warm, sometimes even hot. However, it is worth realizing that this is the peak season in Southeast Asia and you have to reckon with more tourists. November is a good time for a trip to Taiwan, because in summer it is very hot and rainy, but in winter it is rainy and cold.
Where would you like to go on holiday in autumn? Share your experiences in the comments!