IT seems unfair that there are some uncommonly beautiful places – say, The Hamptons, for instance – that enjoy such a short, glorious “in” season, and spend the rest of the year being treated like they didn’t exist. (Who, you ask, would go to The Hamptons in November? People who like quiet, that’s who.)
And what goes for The Hamptons also goes for so many other gorgeous places on this planet. A turn in the weather, and poof, voila, the crowds dissipate, as if the place suddenly ceased to exist, leaving hotels all but begging, and bringing airfares back down to earth (see, for instance, Las Vegas in early December).
Sounds good, no? We think so, and in that spirit, NYP Travel presents four excellent off-season trips for the coming year.
SUMMER
St. Barthelemy
You’re never far from a beach in the heat of summer on this treasure of a Caribbean island. And that’s a good thing come August, when temperatures run slightly higher (upper 80s instead of lower 80s).
Because the French vacation en masse in late summer, however, this means the island isn’t half as dead as you’d expect, even if many of the locals have headed back to the motherland for a break. Many shops remain open, often throwing huge sales to get rid of last season’s fashions in anticipation of the coming winter (local ladies don’t ever miss the 50-percent-off sale at lingerie peddlers Iléna in St. Jean parish).
Even more than sale scouting, it’s the tranquility that’s the most compelling reason to come down here for a summer break. Those who’ve fought their way through the yachtees in winter time can certainly appreciate that.
Nice price: Stay like Meryl Streep at the quirky Hostellerie des 3 Forces (near Saline Beach) for as little as $120 a night – down from a Christmas high
of $360 – over the summer months, courtesy of host Hubert (3forces.net)
Best value: Don’t pass up the 3-night “Pick Me Up” package at the exclusive Eden Rock hotel – $1,545 for a cottage, car rental and daily breakfast (edenrockhotel.com). This is a savings of nearly $400 from the already lower
off-season rate of $635/night.
Get there: You can’t do anything about the last leg into Gustavia – it’s either an overpriced plane ride (about $200 RT on WinAir for 15 minutes in the air) or a potentially choppy boat trip (cheaper, but longer), usually at similar prices year-round. But you can save on airfare to St. Maarten, the jump-off point for most visitors without a yacht or private jet. Summer fares are clocking in at $496 on Continental, down from winter fares that break $800 (continental.com).
Info: st-barths.com
FALL
Jackson Hole
It is surprising that winter isn’t the busiest season in this most spectacular of resort regions known for the skiing. That is until you try to get there in winter. Subsequently, many people who might prefer Jackson’s slopes end up going to Colorado in the end.
That means that this gorgeous resort area, so close to Yellowstone National Park, calls summer the busy season.
In the fall, kids are returning to school, so the town and surroundings have plenty of breathing room to prepare for winter.
The leaves turn (yellow, by and large – this is Aspen country), you can still drive into Yellowstone, and sourdough pancakes are available mornings at Jebediah’s Original House of Sourdough, downtown.
Nice price: It isn’t the super-high-end Amangani, but the family-oriented Spring Creek Ranch shares a privileged ridge-top location with America’s only Amanresort.
Of course, Spring Creek is much more affordable – $160/night with breakfast for two in the autumn months – down from a summer high of $320 (springcreekranch.com)
Best value: A late autumn/pre-Thanksgiving stay at the top-rated
Four Seasons resort over by the slopes runs from $195 a night (rate good Oct. 21-Nov. 20), down from a summer high of $600 (fourseasons.com).
Getting there: You can fly in with one stop for around $420 on Delta (down from $640 in summer), but why not drive up from Salt Lake City, the nearest major gateway? It is a five-hour drive north through some spectacular country.
Salt Lake is easily reached from New York via multiple carriers. Generally speaking, fares run under $300 round-trip in the fall.
Info: jacksonhole.com
WINTER
Czech Republic
It can get chilly in Prague, but there’s nothing quite as hair-raising as the polar opposite – sweltering summers that aren’t only miserable just to sit around in, but also boast thousands upon thousands of other people as miserable as you are.
Winters, however, are a joy in these parts – Prague is one of those towns that can glow in any weather (the best bits, of course.)
Nice price: Pay just $180 a night for an apartment in the heart of Old Town (on a good street) at the Residence Retezova,
down from $240 (residenceretezova.com).
Best value: Book in at the luxurious new Mandarin Oriental for just $278 (Internet rate, based on availability) versus their rack rate of $470. As a larger operation, it doesn’t have high and low seasons officially, and the rates tend to change with demand.
Still, it’s rare you can’t get a low rate in the winter at this intimate-feeling (but quite large) redo of a historic compound on a quiet Mala Strana backstreet, steps from everything.
Also have a look at their Seasonal Choices package, which, for about $80 more per night, includes breakfast for two, late checkout and more (mandarinoriental.com).
Getting there: Trying to get to Prague without major hassles should remind that this is a city truly larger than life – there’s just one non-stop flight, on CSA (a Delta codeshare), with fares running around $700 in early December versus $1,500 (or worse, no availability at all) in August (delta.com). That’s more than 50 percent off. Cold comfort in this day and age, but in the end, comfort all the same, at any temp.
Info: czechtourism.com
SPRING
Amalfi Coast
If you tried to get a room in Positano this summer, you were likely out of luck, but in the weeks leading up to Easter, the air’s fresh, the flowers are coming out, and there’s a feeling of peace on this sainted, heavily-trafficked strip of the Italian Med.
Don’t wait, though.
Pounce on the first day of spring and make tracks, because on April 1, the rates start climbing.
The good news? Many smaller hotels don’t charge that much more in April over, say, July.
Nice price: $107 in March, down from $160 in August at the Locanda Costa Diva in the village of Praiano – a value all year round, but try getting a booking in summer (locandacostadiva.it).
Best value: Your own private terrace and a charming little pool perched above the Mediterranean for just $147 a night? Why not at the 7-room La Rosa dei Venti, a pretty bed and breakfast located a short distance from the action in Positano? That’s $30 saved per night off the summer rates (larosadeiventi.net).
Getting there: While it is now possible to get to the closest gateway city in high season (Eurofly serves Naples from JFK June-November) flights often cost over $1,000 round-trip (euroflyusa.com).
The rest of the year, you’re faced with a layover, and it hardly matters where you do it – Naples is a major city, and can easily be accessed, for example, via connecting flight from London (March fares on British Airways are running as low as $160 RT, britishairways.com).
Far more interesting would be flying into Rome and taking the train to frenetic Naples – a journey of less than 2 hours (raileurope.com).
Info: amalficoastweb.com