Off-season travel and why it's the best way to go
By Kaki Olsen
Thirteen years ago, I was feeling my usual wanderlust and began searching for plane tickets. Within twenty minutes, I'd posted on Facebook that I wished I had an excuse to go to Ireland because tickets were surprisingly cheap. By the end of that night, I had plane tickets purchased and a friend to accompany me. Four months later, we had one of my favorite trips ever, but not for the reasons you might think. Here is what I've learned about traveling at unexpected times.
Alone en masse
On March 17, people find themselves compelled to act as Irish as they can. I'm from Boston, which is a very Irish-American town, so I've seen this first-hand. And the Emerald Isle gets flooded by tourists who want to proclaim Erin go bragh (Ireland forever) in the land of Padraig.
I arrived eight days later and enjoyed the Irish experience just as much as I would have on St. Patrick's Day. In fact, I suspect that it wouldn't have been as enjoyable if I'd been there for the holiday, as I don't love large crowds and big spectacles. In our small tours of Dublin Castle and Trinity College, I befriended people who needed a Spanish interpreter and found it was fun to have a small group trekking through County Wicklow.
Similarly, I remember going to the Vatican in August 1999. There was enough room for me to stand at one wall and admire the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in a room crammed with hundreds of other tourists. In November 2013, I returned to the Sistine Chapel on a chilly Thursday morning and other than a couple of priests, my friend, and one other tourist, I had the chapel to myself. I took my time and was able to feel the peace of the place.
Off-season advantages
It's not just an ambience thing to travel when other people tend to stay home. There are often off-season prices, seasonal discounts, etc. Research a destination and see if there's something that the locals hold dear.
I chose to go to Palm Sunday services at one place, both because I'm religious and because their boys' choir is famous throughout the country in question. I planned a week-long hike because of locals' habit of walking between concerts on summer nights and enjoyed the musical culture as a result.
You may thrive on the crowd and that's valid, but consider giving yourself some space and time to do the unusual. And pack a sweater.