--- description: You can count on getting good hotel values by picking the right domestic or international destination for the right time of year. title: These Are the Cheapest Places to Travel Each Month of the Year image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Living](/tag/time-section-living/) ## Living Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # These Are the Cheapest Places to Travel Each Month of the Year by [Nikki Ekstein / Travel + Leisure](/author/travel-leisure/) ## Nikki Ekstein / Travel + Leisure Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 5, 2017 8:18 PM CUT by [Nikki Ekstein / Travel + Leisure](/author/travel-leisure/) ## Nikki Ekstein / Travel + Leisure Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 5, 2017 8:18 PM CUT You’ve heard the myths: Tuesday is the best day to book airfare. Wednesday is the best day to fly. [January is the cheapest month to travel.](http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/best-places-travel-january "undefined") All of them are up for debate, to a certain extent. But according to new data from [Booking.com](http://www.booking.com/ "undefined"), you can count on getting good hotel values by picking the right destination for the right time of year. \[compare\_card\] If a [cheap vacation](http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/budget-travel "undefined") is what you’re after, plan your trips based on when hotel rates are proven to be low; then use a service like Hopper or Kayak to find the best-priced plane tickets to round out your plans. You’ll end up with a powerful, money-saving one-two punch—which can save you hundreds for even a quick family getaway. According to Booking.com, that could mean anything from Honolulu in February (hello, warm weather!) to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in May (smack between the spring break crowd and the region’s famously humid summers). Plan it right and you’ll even find significant price dips—up to 56 percent—at hotels in major overseas capitals like London and Rome (you’ll have to read ahead to find out which months are best for each). So what causes prices to dip so low in certain months? The reasons vary. In some places, you’ll see hotel deals following a big national holiday—often times, one that doesn’t register here in the United States. You can also bet on serious shoulder season values, when the weather in a destination is still great but crowds have gotten a bit thinner. Even bouncing back from major tourism events, like the tennis opens and big-ticket conferences, can create pockets of deep savings during particular months—or even weeks—of the year, if you know to look for them. Here, your month-by-month guide for great vacation deals. ### January: Los Angeles  Aerial view of the downtown Los Angeles skyline and the Griffith Park Observatory just after sunrise during the golden hour Getty Images Domestic: [Los Angeles](http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/los-angeles "undefined") You can save 33 percent on hotels in the city of angels this month, when the nightly average rate for four-star properties dips down to $212—the lowest all year. Spend the leftover cash on hot restaurants, like [Trois Familia](http://www.troisfamilia.com/ "undefined") (by Ludo Lefebvre and the guys from Animal) or Otium, an ambitious new spot attached to the just-opened [Broad Museum](http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/broad-museum-los-angeles-opens "undefined"). ### January: Melbourne  The CBD zone of Melbourne city, Australia. Getty Images International: Melbourne Visiting Melbourne in January means you can take advantage of low rates between the Christmas rush and the Australian Open, both of which draw tons of travelers. The average room goes for $150 in peak season—already a good deal—but going now means you can book a great place to stay for roughly $112 per night. ### February: Honolulu  Resort travel vacation destination, Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head Crater. hotels and resorts around beach in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. Getty Images Domestic: Honolulu Hawaii is at its most expensive over New Years, but come Valentine’s Day, this ultra-romantic spot offers surprisingly good prices (we’re talking a 40 percent dip in hotel rates). Maximize your savings by heading to the island in the first week of the month, when values are at their very best. ### February: Hong Kong  Getty Images International: Hong Kong It’s not just hotels that are cheaper in Hong Kong in February, though they drop as low as $125 for a four-star spot this month. It’s also peak season for shoppers (who can benefit from excellent sales) and culture lovers (who can check out the Spring Lantern Festival or celebrate Chinese New Years in style). ### March: Flagstaff, Arizona  Hiking the Grand Canyons Kaibab Trail, South Rim. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Getty Images/Aurora Open Domestic: Flagstaff, Arizona Think of it as the gateway to the Grand Canyon—and an affordable one, at that. Cooler temperatures in March mean you get the sights to yourself, and if you travel in the first week of March, you can pay well under $100 for a comfortable hotel. ### March: Buenos Aires  Argentina, Buenos Aires, Avenida 9 de Julio and Obelisk monument. Getty Images International: Buenos Aires It’s not _quite_ a warm weather getaway, but springtime in the U.S. translates to temperate autumn in Buenos Aires—a perfect time to explore on your own two feet. You can find four-star accommodations for as little as $55 (really!), which more than justifies the long-haul flight. ### April: Chicago  Getty Images/RooM RF Domestic: [Chicago](http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/chicago "undefined") The Second City should be first on your list come spring, when hotel rates dip to 54 percent cheaper than peak season prices, says [Booking.com](http://www.booking.com/ "undefined"). The blustery cold of winter has passed (and so too, the crowds from this year’s Architecture Biennial), so you can choose whether to check out the splashy new concessions along Lake Michigan or hit the city’s fabulous museums and restaurants. ### April: Copenhagen  Nyhavn is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen, Denmark. Stretching from Kongens Nytorv to the harbour front just south of the Royal Playhouse, it is lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbour", the canal has many historical wooden ships. Getty Images International: Copenhagen May through October is Copenhagen’s busy tourist season, and in this small but delightful city, you can really feel the crush. Visit in April and you’ll save 38 percent on your room, without dealing with Scandinavia’s super-short days and frighteningly cold winter temperatures. ### May: Fort Lauderdale, Florida  Palm beach along Las Olas Boulevard, Atlantic ocean, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, USA Getty Images Domestic: Fort Lauderdale, Florida You’ll miss the spring breakers _and_ the hundred-percent humidity by planning a South Florida trip in May. Bonus: Fort Lauderdale offers a quieter escape, and better prices (averaging $162 per night) that Miami does. ### May: London  Getty Images International: [London](http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/london "undefined") Sure, it’s a global capital—and never a cheap ticket—but London offers surprising value if you go after May Day (the bank holiday falls on May 2 this year). The average nightly rate for the week that follows: $216. ### June: San Antonio, Texas  Exterior view of the historic Alamo shortly before sunrise. Getty Images Domestic: San Antonio, Texas It’s stealing all the attention away from Austin, its neighbor to the north, and with good reason: San Antonio is now home to a buzzy restaurant scene and the beautiful new Emma hotel, designed by Roman & Williams and set in the former Pearl Brewery. It’s also 49 percent cheaper to stay here than it is to stay in Austin (average rates at this time of year hover at $164 for a four star spot) and you’re still just an hour’s drive away. ### June: Beijing  China World Trade Center. Getty Images International: Beijing June is shoulder season in Beijing; the weather is mild but there aren’t any domestic holidays, which means a dip in local travelers. Go now and expect to pay under $80 a night for your four-star hotel. ### July: Boston  Boston skyline from waterfront. Getty Images Domestic: Boston You can save about $120 per night on your hotel in Boston if you come for Fourth of July instead of Columbus Day—and the weather will be far better, too. The city is in the midst of a tremendous culinary reawakening, so be sure to plan your reservations in advance (we recommend [Ribelle](http://www.ribellebkline.com/ "undefined"), [Branch Line](http://www.branchlinearsenal.com/ "undefined"), and [Flour](http://flourbakery.com/ "undefined") for breakfast pastries and sticky buns). ### July: Sydney  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Getty Images/RooM RF International: Sydney Heading to Sydney during the middle of our summer means a reprieve from ultra-hot days—and savings of 44 percent on peak season hotel prices according to Booking.com’s data. But don’t let the idea of winter in July scare you away—the temperatures stay in the oh-so-pleasant upper 60s. ### August: New York City  High angle view of Chinatown from Manhattan bridge, New York City, USA. Getty Images Domestic: [New York City](http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/new-york-city "undefined") Double check that your hotel is well air-conditioned—New York City summers can be stifling. But they’re a great excuse to hit trendy juice bars (we love [Joe and the Juice](https://www.joejuice.com/ "undefined") in Soho) and take advantage of summer events, like outdoor New York Philharmonic concerts and Shakespeare in the Park, which are totally free to attend. Stay in the last week of the month for the deepest discounts on accommodations. ### August: Berlin  Berlin Skyline Panorama with Traffic and Fernsehturm Getty Images International: [Berlin](http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/berlin "undefined") The scenester capital of Europe offers good hotel deals year-round (we love the Hotel Zoo, a design hotel with spacious and affordable suites next door to—you guessed it—the Berlin Zoological Garden). August is when you’ll save the most cash on hotels, with rates that hover around the $100 mark. ### September: Orlando  Cinderalla's Castle Getty Images Domestic: Orlando Once school’s in session, [Disney](http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/family-perks-disney "undefined") prices hit their rock bottom lows—no surprise. Plan a long weekend away and you’ll save 40 percent on high season hotel prices (think $130 a night for decent rooms). The shorter lines at the parks are icing on the cake. ### September: Rome  Sunrise, Roman Forum, Rome, Italy Getty Images International: Rome There’s no bad time of the year to visit perennially dreamy Rome, but September is the best. Since many Europeans take off for the month of August, the city is back to its normal bustle—sans local travelers. That translates to great values, along the lines of $131 per night for four-star hotels. ### October: New Orleans  Getty Images/EyeEm Domestic: New Orleans How does NoLa for Halloween sound? Pretty good, when you consider that the last week of the month is the cheapest time of year to visit. Hotel rates plummet to $202 on average per night—a whopping 34 percent less than the week of Mardi Gras, Booking.com’s study found. ### October: Cape Town  South Africa, aerial view of Cape Town Getty Images/Westend61 International: Cape Town If whale-watching is up your alley, try doing it from Table Mountain. A trip in October makes for perfect timing—and hotels will cost you no more than $80 on average. ### November: San Francisco  The Golden Gate Bridge from Baker's Beach in San Francisco, California, USA Getty Images Domestic: [San Francisco](http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/san-francisco "undefined") The week before Thanksgiving is the cheapest for hotels in the Golden Gate City, says Booking.com—the average rates are $202 per night, representing a massive savings of more than 50 percent. Plus, you might catch the tail end of crush season if you head up to wine country for a day. ### November: Rio de Janeiro  Sunset in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Taken from the Sugar Loaf or Pao de Azucar. Getty Images International: Rio de Janeiro If you’re in Rio, chances are you want to lay out on Copacabana Beach—and in November, the temperatures are just right, with highs in the low 80s. The most expensive season here is late December, when prices are 37 percent higher. ### December: Las Vegas  Scan from an old Kodachrome slide,showing nice vintage welcome sign to Las Vegas, whilst another sign in background proclaims that Over 30% of Las Vegans are 45+. Getty Images/Fototrove Domestic: Las Vegas There’s no bigger, bolder way to celebrate the holidays than with a trip to Vegas, and if you’re lucky, you might even win it big at the tables and subsidize your shopping list. Do it all while enjoying the year’s lowest hotel rates—with an average of $84, they’re up to 60 percent off—which you’ll find on the third week of the month. ### December: Frankfurt  Main station in city center of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Getty Images International: Frankfurt The first two weeks of December are a magical time to be in Frankfurt, what with the beautiful Christmas markets and festive displays. 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