Here are the cheapest times of year to travel to Europe

trip

by david randoseru

Come summer, a trip to Europe will be top of mind for many Americans with vacations on their minds.

But can you afford it? It can get crowded, hot, and expensive with tourists, especially in the summer as locals flee to the countryside and beaches, but it's actually not the best time to visit.

Further expenses will be added this year as the 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris in July and August.

And it will not only affect Paris, but all destinations such as France's wine region, the Côte d'Azur, and even London, Brussels and Amsterdam. Both are easily accessible by rail and have the potential to host many additional visitors.

So you might still go — but this time around the summer. And according to new research, that's totally fine.

For example, did you know that Paris can be a great deal as long as you don't stick to peak travel periods?

Radical Storage's grim numbers encourage travelers who don't want to take on a lot of debt to choose shoulder season. This season is one of the biggest budget itineraries in Paris, with travelers saving an average of 60.3% on hotel stays, and takes place every night during peak season. Prices averaged $866.

If you wait until shoulder season, the same rate plummets to $344, the study found. That's a discount of $522.

Shoulder season varies by destination, but by definition it is the period between peak and off-peak. And most importantly, the weather is not terrible, unlike the low season. (If you've ever spent a winter in Paris, you know that's a problem.)

“Shoulder season is around the peak season, but not yet off season. For example, many destinations in Europe are very busy in the summer (July or August), but in May, June, September and October are considered shoulder seasons (depending on destination) and January is considered off-season or low season,” the study said.

“Visiting a destination during the shoulder season is usually cheaper and less crowded, while still having good weather for sightseeing.”

To find the best time to travel to Europe, this study combed through Google Flights data and thousands of hotel prices. In addition to the Paris Beaucougain bolthole, Thrillist also found that off-season flights to Budapest dropped to 56.6% of their peak season highs.

And while Budapest has seen the lowest prices, it's far from the best deal overall. According to the study, prices in U.S. cities like Stockholm averaged about $778 during peak hours, and $537 during shoulder season. That's a 30.9% decline.

As part of their research findings, the authors have compiled a list of the best shoulder season months to visit several cities around the world. Here are their picks for many of Europe's most popular destinations.

Cheapest time to visit these European cities

• Athens – April
• Barcelona – April
• Brussels – April
• Copenhagen – April
• Florence – April
• Frankfurt – April
• Milan – April
• Munich – April
• Prague – April
• Venice – April
• Vienna – April
• Berlin – May
• Edinburgh – May
• Madrid – September
• Nice – September
• Amsterdam – October
• Budapest – October
• DUBLIN – OCTOBER
• Lisbon – October
• London – October
• Paris – October
• Stockholm – October
• Zurich – October
• Rome – November