Shoulder season is the period between peak and off-peak: good weather, fewer crowds, lower flight and hotel prices.
Typical examples
- Southern Europe: April–May and late September–October.
- Northern Europe: May and September.
- Caribbean: late April to early June, before hurricane season peaks.
- Japan: late May–June (outside rainy season peaks) and November.
- Southeast Asia: the edges of the dry season, which differs by country.
Remember the hemispheres
Seasons are reversed south of the equator: July is winter in Buenos Aires, Cape Town and Sydney. Our route pages flag destinations in the southern hemisphere and the tropics.