What to Pack for Shoulder Season Travel
By Nicole Evans
This fall marks the perfect time to take a trip somewhere exotic. Shoulder-season travel means fewer crowds, lower prices, and all while the weather is still relatively good. The advantages of fall travel far outweigh the disadvantages, which can include shorter opening hours at attractions and restaurants and sometimes unpredictable weather.
But when planning for your shoulder season trip, what should you pack? With unpredictable weather and other factors, shoulder season packing can be trickier than planning for high-season travel. These are three must-have things to bring along that will make sure your fall travel plans go off without a hitch.
Rain weather gear
No matter where you’re planning on going, shoulder season travel can mean unpredictable changes in the weather. Make sure you pack rain gear and have a backup plan for your sightseeing if things get too wet. Instead of spending the day at the beach, spend a few hours in a museum and then curl up in a local cafe with a book about the history of the area. There are always fun alternatives to outdoor adventures if you look around. And remember to layer up! Weather can change suddenly.
Advance planning
This is not really a thing to pack, but an essential of shoulder-season travel. If you’re going to a small or less-touristed destination at a quiet time of year, consider that restaurants and attractions may be closed or have limited hours, so if you have your heart set on seeing a certain thing, do some research and make sure it will be open before you buy tickets.
A good guidebook or mobile internet access
During the off-peak season, English tours may dwindle and die. So unless you speak the native language, you may want to bring along a good guidebook to keep you informed. A great up-to-date alternative is to have mobile internet access, on a smartphone or tablet. In Europe, pay-as-you-go cell phone carriers like Vodaphone and Orange make it easy to have inexpensive phone and mobile data. Simply buy a SIM card and top up at ATMs, convenience stores and supermarkets. Make sure you check your smartphone first to see if it will work on Europe’s GSM bands (900 and 1800 MHz.) Your phone must also be unlocked.
