What is the best time to visit most destinations?

For most of Europe, the US and North Africa the best time is the shoulder seasons — spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) — with mild weather, thinner crowds and lower prices than the summer peak.

What is the cheapest time to travel?

Usually the shoulder weeks just before or after peak season: most of the good weather at a fraction of the crowds and cost. Avoid school holidays, major festivals and the summer and winter holiday peaks for the lowest fares.

Which destinations are best to visit in winter?

Winter (December–February) suits warm-weather escapes like Thailand, Bali, Costa Rica, Mexico and Egypt, plus Southern-Hemisphere destinations in their summer — New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

Do tropical destinations have a best season?

Yes, but it is dry vs wet rather than hot vs cold. Aim for the dry season — for example November to February in Thailand, April to October in Bali, and mid-December to April in Costa Rica — to avoid the monsoon.

Best Time to Visit: When to Go, Destination by Destination

Quick answer

The best time to visit most places is the shoulder season — spring or autumn — when the weather is pleasant, crowds thin out and prices drop below the summer peak. But it varies by destination and by what you want to do: below is the ideal window for 28 popular destinations, plus quick picks by season. Southern-Hemisphere and tropical destinations flip the usual rules.

Key takeaways

Shoulder seasons (spring & autumn) are the sweet spot for most of Europe, the US and North Africa.
Tropical destinations (Thailand, Bali, Costa Rica, Mexico) go by dry vs wet season, not temperature.
Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) has reversed seasons — their summer is December–February.
Match the month to the activity: safari and wildlife favour the dry season; skiing and northern lights favour winter.

Best time to visit, destination by destination

At-a-glance ideal windows for 28 top destinations. Tap any row for the full month-by-month guide with weather, crowds, prices and what to pack.

Destination	Best time to visit	Full guide
Alaska	summer, from mid-May to mid-September	Alaska guide
Australia	during the shoulder seasons of spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May)	Australia guide
Bali	the dry season, April to October	Bali guide
Costa Rica	the dry season, mid-December to April	Costa Rica guide
Croatia	late spring (May to June) and early autumn (September to early October)	Croatia guide
Egypt	the cool, dry season from October to April	Egypt guide
France	late spring, from May to June, and early autumn, from September to October	France guide
Germany	the shoulder seasons of May to early June and September to early October	Germany guide
Greece	late spring (May to mid-June) and early autumn (September to early October)	Greece guide
Hawaii	the shoulder months of April–May and September–October	Hawaii guide
Iceland	open roads and accessible highlands, go in summer (June–August)	Iceland guide
India	October to March	India guide
Ireland	from late spring to early autumn, especially May, June, and September	Ireland guide
Italy	spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October)	Italy guide
Japan	spring (late March to April) for cherry blossom and autumn (October to November) for cool,…	Japan guide
Mexico	the dry season, November to April	Mexico guide
Morocco	spring, from March to May, and autumn, from September to November	Morocco guide
New Zealand	its summer and early autumn, December to April	New Zealand guide
Peru	the dry season, from May to September	Peru guide
Portugal	spring (April to June) and early autumn (September to October)	Portugal guide
Scotland	from late spring to early autumn	Scotland guide
South Africa	choose the dry winter months of May to September	South Africa guide
Spain	spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October)	Spain guide
Switzerland	summer (June–September) for hiking, lakes and mountain scenery with all the cable cars and…	Switzerland guide
Thailand	the cool, dry season from November to February	Thailand guide
Turkey	spring (April to early June) and autumn (September to October)	Turkey guide
Vietnam	spring (March–April) and autumn (September–November)	Vietnam guide
Yellowstone	late spring (May–June) and early autumn (September–October)	Yellowstone guide

Best places to visit by season

Spring (March–May)

Ideal for Japan, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Greece — mild weather and blossom or wildflowers before the summer crowds.

Summer (June–August)

Best for Iceland, Alaska, Scotland, Switzerland — the far north and high mountains are only fully open and mild in summer.

Autumn (September–November)

A superb, quieter window for Portugal, France, Croatia, Turkey, Vietnam — warm seas, harvest season and far fewer tourists.

Winter (December–February)

Peak season for warm-weather escapes and reversed seasons: Thailand, Bali, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia, Egypt.

How to choose the best time to visit anywhere

Three questions settle it almost every time. What’s the weather doing? Aim for the dry, mild months and avoid monsoon, hurricane season or extreme heat. How busy and expensive is it? The shoulder weeks either side of peak give you most of the good weather at a fraction of the crowds and cost. What do you actually want to do? Safari, skiing, diving, cherry blossom and northern lights each have their own narrow window — pick the month around the experience, not the other way round.