Lock in Deals on a Fall Vacation

The number of people traveling this summer is the highest since before the pandemic, and airlines and hotels are raising prices to match the demand. But at the end of August and heading into the fall, you can find deals on a fall vacation, including deals on flights and lodging, especially if you travel domestically.

Editor’s note: While prices may have changed since initial publication in August 2023, the benefits of traveling in the shoulder season to these idyllic venues remains unchanged!

Potential deals on a fall vacation

Here are four sites to consider.

Nantucket

Flights to the island off Cape Cod drop by 60%, on average, beginning in August, according to travel site Kayak. Lodging can be pricey, but in the fall months, accommodations are more affordable. Even the renowned White Elephant Hotel — Nantucket’s iconic harbor-side hotel and cottages — drops its rates from $2,200 for a five-day stay in the summer to around $1,395 for five days in early October.
September and October are prime months to avoid crowds and enjoy the peace and quiet of the idyllic natural surroundings.

Amelia Island

Just off Florida’s northeastern coast lies Amelia Island, which is home to 13 miles of beautiful beach. Summertime is peak season, as inland travelers flock to the coast for a breezy beach getaway. But the shoulder season — the period between peak and off seasons — is calm and uncrowded, and average high temperatures are around 80 degrees in October. Round-trip flights to Jacksonville International Airport from major U.S. cities hover around $250 in October and, thanks to abundant routes by budget airlines such as Spirit, you can often find fares for less.

For a luxurious experience with award-winning golf courses just outside your door, stay at the Omni Amelia Island Resort (starting at about $357 per night for two people in the fall) or the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island ($4,995 for five nights in October). Even if you’re not a guest at the Ritz, consider checking out its signature restaurant, Salt, a AAA 5-Diamond restaurant that sources its seafood from the ocean and marshes surrounding the hotel.

When the best is even better: visiting the Outer Banks in the shoulder season

Antigua

Airlines have increased the number of routes from the United States to the Antilles, so fares aren’t as steep as they are for other international routes. The rainy season can endure well past summer, so consider visiting in late October or early November, when the weather might be more agreeable, and you’ll arrive ahead of the holiday traffic.

Antigua is a standout for all-inclusive resorts. Consider the romantic over-water bungalows, complete with infinity plunge pools, at the Royalton Antigua. All-inclusive rates at the Royalton start at about $460 in October and early November.

Mediterranean cruise

Royal Caribbean International recently offered a seven-night mid-October Mediterranean cruise departing from Ravenna, Porto Corsini, Italy, traveling through Naples, Rome, Florence and Pisa, to Marseille in France and ending in Barcelona, Spain, for $577 per person. Cheap flights from major U.S. cities to Italy were recently available for $458 round-trip in October 2023.

An Idyllic Cruise in the Greek Islands

Emma Patch is a senior writer at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. For more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com.

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