Off Season Travel - Benefits and Drawbacks

Many vacation destinations are overcrowded during the peak seasons. It can be tempting - and economical - to visit during the times when no one else is there. How does visiting during the off season impact your vacation?

Many vacations can be less enjoyable during peak travel times. Dealing with crowds is seldom fun. They can also be much more expensive. On the other hand, off season trips can be more economical, but they can also limit your choice of activities. So, how much sense does it make to try to visit during the off season?

Here are some of our observations from a trip to Costa Rica during August and September, the rainy season.

For many destinations, the off season is dictated by the weather. Hot or cold, wet or dry, all of these conditions can impact vacation plans. Planning a beach vacation during the rainy season may mean no sunshine to enjoy. A late spring ski trip may find that the snow has all melted or turned slushy. It's always a good idea to have an idea of the normal weather patterns, and to have a contingency plan.

During our Costa Rica trip, we knew we were going during the rainy season. And it did, in fact, rain nearly every day. But just for a few hours in the afternoon, or some wonderful thunderstorms at night. (If you've never enjoyed a tropical thunderstorm under a metal roof, you've missed out on some real excitement!) For the most part, it didn't impact an entire day's plans.

An exception was the few days we spent in Drake Bay, which was to be our gateway to scuba diving and Corcovado National Park. Since we were on the Pacific side of the country, we didn't think that the hurricane activity in the Caribbean would affect us. What we didn't realize is that this part of Central America isn't very wide, and that the hurricanes draw a lot of their energy from the Pacific, straight across the country. Hence, the rainy season.

As mentioned, it didn't mean constant rain, but the seas were rough the entire time we were there. By the time we arrived, all of the scuba operators had closed shop for the season, a possibility that the resort brochures and booking agents neglected to mention. Also, since the access from our hotel to the National Park was by boat, we never got to Corcovado, either. Another frustration was that no one would commit to whether the day's activities were cancelled or not until 8 or 9 a.m., while the only boat out of the area left at 7:30. So if we waited to see what the day would bring, we were stuck.

Bottom line: Don't schedule a weather dependent vacation during times when the outlook is dicey.

There are benefits

That isn't to say that there aren't some real benefits to visiting during the off season. At the end of our trip, we visited the Arenal volcano area, and on an off chance decided to stop in to the Tabacón Spa and Resort. There, we received a very pleasant surprise.

There were four of us and we needed two rooms for the night. Tabacón is one of the premier spas in all of Central America and we didn't expect to find rooms, let alone be able to afford them. However, because they weren't full, they offered us the rooms at about half price. But it gets better! Included in the rooms was access to the hot springs and thermal baths - the reason that Tabacón is famous.

To illustrate our savings, the normal admission fee to the hot springs at the time was about $70 per person. Since we showed up in the afternoon and might have wanted to visit again in the morning, the four of us would have paid 8 entrance fees, a whopping $560. Additionally, the rooms were normally about $275 per night each, way out of our price range. To stay overnight would have cost us over $1100. Because we visited during off season, we only paid $150 per room and had access to the thermal waters at no additional charge, saving us over $800. It is one of our fondest memories, so it was $300 well spent.

Bottom line: Be flexible and look for deals.

Off season - Stay or go?

The key to this decision is what you expect out of your vacation. If you have specific destinations and goals in mind, going off season may ruin your entire vacation. If you are more laid back and flexible, you can have some unexpected experiences and save money to boot.