The term off-season usually conjures up images of tropical thunderstorms crashing over small coastal resorts in the Southern hemisphere. But off-seasons happen all over the world—even here in Canada. Most tourists prefer to only visit during the summer and winter months, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do year-round.

Regardless where you intend to travel, the off-season promises various benefits. We’re going to focus on two: crowdedness and cost.

Smaller Crowds

Popular tourist destinations get flooded with people during peak seasons. This means more lines and fuller occupancy rates at hotels and restaurants. Travelling the off-season helps you avoid the crowds, which translates into time saved and more authentic local interactions. As an article on the World Pursuit points out, when a city isn’t overrun with tourists, the locals are typically friendlier and more welcome to conversation.

Lower Costs

Travelling in periods of less demand often secures you a better price. This applies to all things—hotels, events, shops, etc. That said, there is a caveat: depending on the destination, off-seasons may also include increased closures and fewer travel options. For instance, some tourist-based attractions may close for periods of the year. Likewise, other places may run events less frequently and at smaller scales to conserve resources for busier times.

Always research the places on your travel itinerary for the period you wish to travel and then compare the results to a postdated search. If the differences are staggering, then the cost savings may not be justified.