Cheapflights.com Welcomes Travel Season Sweet Spot

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Aug 26, 2015) - The end of August is upon us, meaning peak summer travel season is about to come to an end. And that is great news for the flexible traveler. We are entering shoulder season, the wonderful time of year that ushers in lower prices and more availability on everything from airfares to hotels to green fees paired with the joys of fewer lines and crowds. And the after-summer shoulder season boasts the bonus of warm weather in many places. To help you get the most from this fabulous time of year, the travel experts at Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, are serving up a guide titled: Shoulder season: When, where and how to make the most of this travel sweet spot.

Traveling during the shoulder season has many benefits. However, oftentimes the big question is: where to go? Here are Cheapflights.com's top five destinations for Americans during this year's after-summer shoulder season:

• Banff, Alberta, Canada - The U.S. dollar is going very far right now in Canada, making this the year to get an early taste of fall in the Great White North. Nestled in the Canadian Rockies, Banff is an outdoor vacationer's dream and draws crowds in the height of both summer and winter. However, September is the quiet pause between the rushes. The air is starting to cool, especially at night, but it's rarely freezing unless you get further up into the mountains. And, the deeper you get into September, the more colorful the scenery is likely to get as foliage season tends to come early in Banff and the surrounding mountains.
  
  
• The Algarve, Portugal - The scenery of this coastal stretch of Portugal is the stuff of dreams. However, the summer crowds can be something of a nightmare. Fortunately, the weather generally stays warm and sunny throughout September. Opt for a visit then and you'll have your chance to linger over dinner at a nice table at a beachside restaurant or decide on a whim to take a boat or kayak tour of the caves and caverns carved into the dramatic cliffside. And, with the Euro currently struggling, you will win on the exchange rate as well as the seasonal discounts.
  
  
• Cancun, Mexico - Weather experts are calling the El Nino in effect this year one of the strongest on record. While it is hard to predict the exact havoc this weather pattern will cause, El Nino is warming up the Pacific and seemingly stirring up the storm season. It's also keeping the Caribbean and Atlantic relatively cool and calm, with a forecast for fewer hurricanes than normal. So, here's your chance to cavort in Cancun minus both the crowds and, hopefully, the threat of severe weather. Built for spring-break-sized crowds, Cancun is filled with resort options to fit every taste and budget as well as food and fun aplenty. And, with the Mexican Peso down some 20 percent versus last year, this may be just the time to test the waters for yourself. By late September, the ocean water should be hovering around 82 degrees with the air temperature just a few degrees warmer.
  
  
• Florida Keys, Florida, United States - You can also take advantage of the relative calm of this year's hurricane season and stretch your summer at the southernmost tip of the U.S. -- the Florida Keys. This laid-back stretch of islands is far from the resort lifestyle of Cancun. However, a number of new large hotels are just opening, boosting room capacity throughout the Keys. Will these hotels change the culture of the Keys? Only time will tell. But think of this fall as a bit of calm before any future storms.
  
  
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Want to get away a little later in the fall? Why not ride the currently very favorable exchange rate and set your sights on Rio de Janeiro. October is classic shoulder season for this southern hemisphere hot spot. The temperatures are rising, making for pleasant beach days without the full-on sizzle of the summer sun. You will, of course, miss the chaos of Carnival and the rest of festival season, but that means more hotel options and better prices.
  
  

Knowing where to go is only half the battle. Taking advantage of shoulder season requires a bit of research and flexibility. In this guide, Cheapflights.com also offers some advice on navigating this time of year with tips including: knowing when the school year starts where you live and where you are headed; watching the news and weather; and staying on top of last-minute deals. To read more on these tips and Cheapflights.com's complete Shoulder season: When, where and how to make the most of this travel sweet spot, visit www.cheapflights.com/news/shoulder-season-when-where-and-how-to-make-the-most-of-this-travel-sweet-spot.

About Cheapflights.com, part of the Momondo Group
Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 17.5 million visitors a month - plus 8 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.com) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands. Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006. The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen and Boston with a consumer base across more than 30 core international markets but users all over the world.

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