Unless a particular event runs over a weekend, there are few reasons to travel on Saturday and Sunday. Although weekday travel means booking time off work, the following advantages make it worthwhile.

Different Demographic in the Hotel

Some hotels experience slow periods between weekends. Travelling from Monday to Thursday could guarantee fewer people, which benefits you in various ways:

• Better staff-to-customer ratios;
• Smaller risk of noisy neighbours;
• Greater accessibility to amenities like pools and gyms;
• Lower booking rates.

Generally, hotels accommodate more business than leisure travellers during the workweek. Consequently, the dynamic of the hotel changes; the clientele becomes more professional and respectful. Everyone has business to attend to that will not interfere with your own plans.

Less Congestion around Tourist Spots

Aside from rush hour, congestion in the city dwindles during the workweek. So long as you avoid morning and mid-evening commutes, you will have no issues navigating the city. Same goes for highways and borders: early weekday afternoons ensure smooth sailing.

Interestingly, parking is more expensive on weekdays in many cities. To encourage tourism, municipalities often flat-rate weekend parking. That said, public transit is sometimes more reliable Monday to Friday—especially in smaller cities, where more routes run later into the night.

Retail stores stay open longer, too. If you plan on shopping a lot, you might find the extra three or so hours advantageous. The stores will be less busy on weekdays anyway, just like other hot-spots in the city.

Better Airfare, Ride Share and Car Rental Fees

Tuesdays and Wednesdays promise cheaper airfares, with Thursday and Saturday close behind. Car rental agencies also maintain different weekday and weekend rates. Some may even show more leniency for late drop-offs when another customer is not left waiting.

If you intend to take ride share programs, note that weekend evenings typically “surge.” In other words, the standard rate goes up—sometimes by a few hundred percent. Surge depends on supply and demand, so weekday pricing goes down when fewer people call the service. In some cities, cabs are adopting this pricing model too.