Travelling in low season: all the perks (beyond the prices)

When people talk about the perks of travelling in low season, the conversation almost always ends up on price: cheaper flights, discounted hotels, ferries at half fare. It's true, and it's no small thing. But anyone who shifts their holidays to April, October or January soon discovers that the savings are only the most obvious benefit. The others weigh far more heavily on the experience, and they linger in the memory long after the credit-card bill is paid. We've gathered them together in our guide Low season: why it pays off (for you and for the places); here we'll try to line them up one by one.

Time regained

The first is the time that stays at your disposal. In high season a day is eaten up by queues: the museum ticket, the restaurant table, the parking space, the line for the photo. In November or February those same hours become yours again. You step into a cathedral and enjoy it in silence instead of snapping over other people's heads. A fish market, a workshop, a viewpoint become places where you can actually pause. The same goes for natural spectacles on a timetable: the Cascata del Mulino at Saturnia at dawn, before the coaches arrive, is a different thing altogether from a mid-August afternoon.

The light and the seasons

The second perk is the light. Photographers and hikers know it: the low sun of October and March gives long shadows and warm colours that the summer midday flattens out. Low season also coincides with the genuine seasonal spectacles, the ones that simply don't exist at the height of summer: the autumn foliage of the woods, the first snow on the ridges, the thermal springs steaming in the cold air. We tell that story in the guides to the All Saints' long weekend among villages, foliage and thermal baths and to where to go in October, between foliage and a still-warm sea. Even the most sought-after destinations change outside the peak: at Castelluccio di Norcia, beyond the bloom, the plateau offers a sonic emptiness impossible on the weekends of late June, when traffic is even regulated with shuttle buses.

The authenticity of places

The third, perhaps the most underrated, is the authenticity of the place. In high season many towns play a part for the tourists; in low season they go back to living for themselves. It's the time of festivals that nobody organises with foreigners in mind: the autumn food fairs of chestnuts, mushrooms and truffles, the little-known Christmas markets of the North-East, the living nativity scenes in the villages. These are events on a fixed calendar, tied to the harvest or the religious rite, and almost all of them fall outside summer. Taking part means talking to the people who live in that place, not those who work there three months a year.

Then there's a benefit that concerns the places even before it concerns you. Overtourism is no abstraction: Venice has introduced a daily access fee (5 or 10 euros) precisely to discourage hit-and-run visits on peak days. Choosing the right period is the simplest way not to add to that pressure. We've turned it into a little handbook in How to avoid overtourism: 7 rules for travelling against the grain: spreading the flows out over time is the first and most effective.

When to go

The practical question remains: when, exactly? The "pure" low season is the cold, damp months; the shoulder seasons often offer the best compromise between weather and calm. In January the art cities can breathe, as where to go in January, between art cities and off-season villages shows. The spring long weekends are perfect for getting a head start on summer: at Easter in Italy's lesser corners or in the villages of the 25 April and 1 May holidays, before high season. And the sea? July isn't a must: in September the South empties out while the water is still warm. For those who love harsh weather, even the Immacolata holiday among villages and Christmas markets is an ideal window.

The risk of low season does exist: museums on reduced hours, the odd restaurant closed, changeable weather. It's managed with an extra phone call and a plan B. That's a minimal price against everything else. If you want a considered starting point region by region, our map is Off-season destinations in Italy: where to go far from the crowds (and when). Travelling in low season, in the end, is not a sacrifice: it's choosing to see places when they are truly themselves.

Practical guides for Alba

• Where to stay in Alba
• What to see in Alba
• Where to eat in Alba
• How to get to Alba