Best time to travel

I live in Chicago, at this time of the year it supposes to be in the 30s, however last week we were hit with a "heat wave" in the middle of March! For two days it was running high 60s to mid 80s. Tourist were in T-shirt, tanks, shorts, and flip flops. I feel happy for them, they must have gotten great deals in airfare and hotels visiting a destination that supposes to be winter at this time and enjoying the summer weather. 

That was a little ordinary, right? Sure, we could have gotten hit with a blizzard too.

Most people travel in the summer time, with their children on summer break and warm weather, who isn't in the mood to get out there and visit a new city/country?  Since there are more tourists in the summer and the day time is longer, museums generally have longer hours.  You will see more animals in the zoo, or see some seasonal shows or events, such as NYC Central Park summer concerts, Tanglewood Boston Symphony Orchestra summer, Chicago street fairs, to name a few. 
Unfortunately the trade off is that the prices you'll end up paying could be double or even triple the off peak season price.  Whether you're visiting museums, going up the tallest building/tower for sightseeing, or eating in local favorite restaurants, lines are much longer for sure.  For example, there's a great burger joint in New York City called Shake Shack Burger, the main one located inside the Madison Square park.  When I was living in NYC, I went there during winter and there were 8-10 people in front of me on the line; but when I went there again during the summer, the line was literally circling half of the park's walking path! Many tourists will either wait for hours or end up eating in less popular restaurants.  

If any time other than summer is not possible, I will have some other tips in my future posts, but if you're traveling with friends, significant others or parents on a vacation, then the best way is to find time that works for everyone's schedule and avoid holiday/major event (I'll explain more later) time.  While traveling on a holiday together means everyone doesn't need to take extra days off, prices will pick up accordingly and that means everyone pays a premium and gets less out of it.  How do $100 more for airfare and $50/night more for hotel sound? Not to mention 20%-30% longer wait time for attractions and restaurants, a 5-day vacation during holiday might turn out to be what you could do in 4-days non-holiday time. (Unless you're lying on the beach or not doing much)


So that sums up the pros and cons of seasonal/holiday travel.  Safe travels everyone!