Travel Notes: Off-season vacations bring perks, lower costs

Linda Strait is owner of House of Travel Inc., a full-service travel agency in Springfield.

Most of us have been conditioned to take trips during time-honored vacation periods Christmas, spring break or summer, for instance.

While it is certainly fun to spend a holiday abroad, the law of supply and demand often dictates that travelers pay top price for the popular destinations.

For those travelers with the flexibility and freedom to choose a vacation time, consider the off-peak season.

Travelers may discover the only things they missed were the big crowds and higher prices.

From package tours to cruises, chances are vacationers can save as much as 50 percent by traveling after the crowds have gone home.

Different places have different off-seasons, so choose carefully.

In the Caribbean and Mexico, for instance, the off-season runs from April 15 to Dec. 15, with May, September and October generally being the least expensive.

Airlines, resorts and cruise lines all offer good values during that spring and fall period.

Off-season comes to Europe each winter and spring, an ideal time to wander through Europe's many landmarks without bumping into a fellow tourist at every turn.

Travelers can museum-hop without standing in long lines, shop for bargains in Florence, Italy, take a train to the snowcapped mountains of Switzerland, or settle into an Irish castle.

The weather is fair in the spring and the prices even better. With prepaid tours, travelers are protected against the fluctuation of the dollar.

Low season in Australia and New Zealand runs from April through September, with good values also found in October and November.

If travelers only have time for a "mini" or "extended weekend" vacation, they'll find themselves with a lot of company. There are several valid reasons for this very real trend in vacationing. Among them are:

the economy people may not have as much money to spend, or are more cautious about spending it;

businesses restructuring Companies are keeping core people who are doing more work and can't get away for a long period of time;

dual-income families are now the norm, making longer vacations more difficult;

airline discounts for staying over Saturday night, which are turning business travelers into leisure travelers; and

inexpensive weekend rates for car rentals and hotel stays.

Tour companies are adding weekend getaways to more destinations in the United States. These combine escorted and hosted tours, and usually include a sightseeing tour and some meals, but mostly free time.

The idea is to appeal to people who don't want to travel in a group, or be scheduled, yet want access to someone local for information. An example might be a three-night package to New York, which includes a hotel, theatre tickets and a city tour.

Hotels have become family friendly, adding special children's events and meals to their room service.

Spa packages are popular because of their "all-inclusive" and pampering features, which get travelers ready to face Monday morning.

The prepaid features eliminate hassles, and lets travelers know the costs before traveling.