Have you heard of the travel term “shoulder season?” It refers to the spring and fall months, between the peak and off-peak travel seasons.

In my opinion, unless your occupation is in education or you have children in school, there is little reason to travel in the peak season. Often it’s worth taking the risk of having good weather to save some money.

It seems that as soon as schools break for summer, rates for airlines, hotels and cruises all go up. But that’s not the only thing that increases. So does the temperature! For us Oregonians who have become accustomed to a cooler climate, those higher temperatures can be brutal.

Since Italy is the most traveled to destination for our clients, let’s compare its monthly temperatures. The temperature in April in Rome is 68 and in October it’s 73. The average temperature in July and August is 88 and 89. I don’t know about you, but when our temperature reaches 70 here in Oregon, I think it’s perfect. Temperatures in the high 80’s send me inside to air conditioning. Now throw in a little humidity, as Italy has been known to do, and you might as well go to Disney World in Florida in July and August. The temperatures are similar.