September, a month where better bargains are
available in places with manageable crowds, budget travellers skip
the summer months to take advantage of better weather and lower prices in
September.
Europe in particular has some great deals in
cities that actually witness their best weather of the year at the end of the
summer. Airfares get lower and hotels and hostels get cheaper and easier to
find, so this is really perfect if you've got the time-off.
Where should you be going this September? We have compiled a short-list of some of our favourite September get-away destinations:
The Americas
While more cheap destinations have better weather
in September on a global scale, America is still in an in-between phase, with
chilly temperatures in most of South America, and the rainy season in full
effect in Central America. We have selected a few of our favourite destinations
which make the most of the weather:
Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro still has a few months before the
rainy season kicks in. Every day in September should be pleasantly warm and
every night should be cool enough to be enjoyable as well.
Also another key detail here is that it is the low season for hotels, so you should be able to get some of the nicer
places overlooking Copacabana or Ipanema beaches for surprisingly good rates.
Overall Brazil has gotten to be a bit on the expensive side due to its rising
currency, but it’s still a great place to visit!
New
Orleans, USA
Especially
during the second half of September, New Orleans starts getting over the muggy
summer sizzle, with temperatures becoming quite nice most of the time. There’s
always the threat of a bit of rainfall, but that’s actually true in every month
of the year in New Orleans.
Compared
to nearly every other major American tourist city, New Orleans remains a
bargain. Hotels usually have lower prices through summer, and that includes
September at many places, so this is an ideal month to take advantage of lower
prices and some rather nice weather at the same time.
The Caribbean
Not many will consider the Caribbean in September - as it’s the heart of the tropical storm season in the region, but many savvy
travellers go anyway, taking advantage of rock-bottom prices and the lovely
weather. The truth is the area never really gets any storm coverage, and is dry most of the time. The risks are extremely low and the prices are
too; so those who plan trips this month can get much more luxury than at any
other time of year.
The coast along Mexico is the cheapest part of the
Caribbean, but other resort cities such as - the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are a bit more expensive. If you are interested in culture you might want to
book a normal hotel, however, the all-inclusive resorts tend to be much cheaper, and you get to eat and drink for no extra charge.
Europe
For the budget traveler, September might be the best month of the year to
visit Europe. Most of the cheaper cities in the south
have great weather, and crowds have already thinned out from the August peaks.
A few places we recommend are:
Krakow,
Poland
It might be a bit of a stretch to say that Krakow
has ‘great weather’ in September, especially in the second half of the month,
but we’ll keep it on the list because it’s still very pleasant
this time of year, and crowds are much more reasonable after the August rush as
well.
This continues to be one of the cheapest and most
charming cities in Europe, becoming popular with stag parties, and such as well. So if you are in the area it would be wise to plan at least a short stay.
Antalya,
Turkey
The beginning of September can still be scorching in Antalya, but by the middle of the month it’s usually wonderful and
perfectly sunny. The beach resorts outside of the city are much cheaper and
less crowded after the August crush, so those looking for an all-inclusive
package holiday will find excellent value this month.
This city is an excellent bargain for those
looking for sunny weather on the Mediterranean, and cheap flights are usually
easy to find as well.
Asia
September is not an ideal in most of Asia, with
the peak of the rainy season in Southeast Asia and India, making visiting most
of the cheaper cities not recommended. There are a few good ones that have nice
weather.
Pokhara,
Nepal
The first part of September can still be rainy and
steamy in Pokhara; the last half of the month might be one of the best times of
the year to come to this trekking paradise.
There are so many hotels in this city that finding
one even during peak season isn’t difficult, so if you come in the shoulder
season like this you’ll have your pick of places at low prices. Food and drinks
are quite cheap year round, so this is a nice place to just hang around if
you’ve got time in your schedule.
Beijing,
China
Beijing gets very hot, very rainy, and much
polluted during the heart of summer, so September is an ideal time to visit to
keep away from all of those things. Days are warm, nights are pleasant, and
there’s very little rainfall to deal with.
Beijing is very affordable, even though it’s among
the more expensive large cities in this part of Asia. Hotels are of a better standard than those in South-east Asia, and street food is available
at extremely reasonable prices.
Africa
Fez,
Morocco
While neighbouring Marrakech remains quite hot
through the whole month. Temperatures in Fez are just right during September. If you are coming from
any great distance you’ll want to visit both anyway, or you could spend some
time on one of Morocco’s newer beach resort areas instead.
September is still part of the low season for
hotels as well, so you’ll often find very good value at some of the
normal-price places in the New City area.
We hope this guide has made picking your September-destination a little bit easier. For more information and advice on your holiday, drop us an e-mail on: info@discountinsurance.co.uk
Once you have booked your holiday - be sure to contact Discount Insurance regarding
a competitive quote on your travel insurance.
Gaurav
Ahluwalia