If you’re able to be flexible and are open to seeing yourdestination at times that may not be exactly optimal, the smaller crowds andthe fewer dollars or euros or yen you’ll be spending could make it more thanworthwhile.Precisely when a specific destination has its shoulderseason varies a bit, so some research is necessary.
I have recently been doing research into Iceland and learnedthat its shoulder seasons are September-October, and March-April. Bycomparison, the spring shoulder season in Europe runs a bit longer, throughmid-June.
For any destination, you’ll have to consider your personaltravel style, as well as your likes and dislikes.
My wife and I don’t mind the cold or wet weather – one ofour fondest memories is a January trip to London – so a trip to Iceland inOctober would fit well with our travel style while others, including travelwriter Rick Steves, recommend only traveling to Scandinavia during the heightof summer.
Bundling up can bring bargains
Travelers willing to visit the U.K. in the spring, forexample, can realize a significant savings on airfare over those who opt tovisit during the summer. They’re also likely to find more preferential hotelrates.
When making your shoulder season travel plans, it’s also agood idea to determine the date your airlines changes its fare structure. WhenI traveled to Amsterdam in 2009, the helpful agent at American Airlines, whichI was using my accumulated AAdvantage®miles to fly, recommended waiting until after Oct. 15 when the “price” dropped.Whether you’re paying with dollars or miles, it can literally pay to considerseveral different travel dates.
As of this writing, a round trip on British Airways fromSeattle (SEA) to London’s Heathrow airport (LHR) in March would costapproximately $1,061, while delaying the trip until July would bump that priceto $1,836 for a round-trip coach ticket.
Rates at London’s iconic Savoy hotel are commensuratelylower during the shoulder season as well. For the March trip, a room could be had for £345 per night, while rooms during the July time frame were £535 per night. Because I’ve been investigating Iceland, I decided to compareround trip fares for the same dates and final destination on IcelandAir.
Why IcelandAir, of all carriers?
IcelandAir offers a unique feature: travelers bound from theU.S. or Canada to Europe can stop over in Reykjavik (KEF) for up to seven daysfor no additional airfare. Of course,there will be the cost of lodging, but at least three advantages leapimmediately to mind.
If you’re traveling from the west coast, a stopover inReykjavik will break a lengthy flight into more manageable chunks. IcelandAir’snon-stop SEA-KEF flight is seven hours, 15 minutes, compared to BritishAirways’ SEA-LHR non-stop, which takes nine hours, 5 minutes. Granted, it onlytrims a couple of hours off total flight time but it will afford you theopportunity to visit another country and get another scar on your passport.
Round-trip fares with a three-night stopover in Reykjavik inMarch was $1,025, but the increase for July travel was much more modest.Summertime passage cost just $1,261.
Certainly shoulder season travel is the better bargain oneither carrier, but with a $600 savings by taking IcelandAir, one could spend$200 per night on a hotel room in Iceland in the summer, still spend about thesame total amount, and see another country during its peak.
In addition, the airline is offering a new class of serviceit calls “economy comfort special” which offers what the airline’s web sitecalls “Business class service, two-by-two seating, increased legroom,international electrical socket, business class check-in and lounge access,complimentary meals with wine and beer service.”
If, like me, you’re interested in Iceland, the Reykjavikvisitors’ bureau, VisitReykjavik, has a list ofthings to see and do in Iceland during both the summer and winter monthsand has a list ofplaces to stay, as do your favorite social networking travel web sites.
Wherever you’re going, travel safely and enjoy theexperience!
London Vacations
Reykjavik Vacations
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder