What is 'shoulder season' and why do some travelers swear by it?
(NEXSTAR) – Summer is winding down but there's still plenty of time to take advantage of the so-called "shoulder season," a vacation strategy that comes with major perks, travel experts say.
If you've never heard the term before, it refers to the period before and after a destination's peak travel season that are like the "shoulders" on either side, according to AAA. Prices tend to be a little lower and the crowds more sparse, but the weather is still comfortable.
U.S. national parks, for instance, have shoulder seasons in the spring and fall when children are in school and demand dips, offering "less crowds, but also cooler weather and fewer services," the Park Service notes.
"Shoulder season differs for destinations but for the most part, for most of the popular places you are trying to visit, shoulder season is between April and early June and again in September and October," Sonia Bhagwan, owner of Dreaming of Sun-Dream Vacations, said in a TikTok. "Destinations that see savings in shoulder season are as follows: Western Europe, the Caribbean, parts of Mexico, Southeast Asia and all of the coastal cities of the United States."
When it comes to late-August and September travel, experts with booking site Expedia recommend the following five shoulder season destinations:
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Sedona, Arizona
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada
A poll by travel search engine Skyscanner for its 2025 Smarter Summer Summer Report found that one third of Americans were looking to travel during the off-peak season this year to save money and dodge the crowds. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, that number was 42%.
Some of the cheapest destinations for travel in late August and September were, according to the report:
Domestic
- Buffalo, New York
- Portland, Oregon
- Orlando, Florida
- Chicago, Illinois
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Miami, Florida
- Denver, Colorado
- San Francisco, California
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
International
- Tokyo, Japan
- London, England
- Rome, Italy
- Buffalo, New York
- Tirana, Albania
Along with cheaper flights, shoulder season also means discounted trips to theme parks. September had the cheapest average admission to Disney parks, according to a Nerdwallet analysis that ran through October 2026.
Peak seasons vary by destination, so it's always good to do a little research before booking.
As for when to book, Bhagwan advises against procrastinating.
"Just because you're going to be saving money because you're traveling during the shoulder season does not mean that you should be planning these trips at the last minute," Bhagwan said, adding that booking four to six months in advance is ideal.