Time Tips for Best Peak Season Travel Values

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Finding significant travel discounts during peak seasons—best beach weather, best ski conditions, etc.--can be frustrating and not very productive.

Nevertheless, two-peak season "loopholes" allow you to avoid high prices but still enjoy peak season weather and activities.

How? Know what most other travelers do and then do the exact opposite.

January Loophole

All those planes that come back full from places like Hawaii right after New Years Day do not fly full to Hawaii to put it mildly.

That’s your opportunity. Go then. Save possibly hundreds of dollars.

How does Hawaii December weather compare to January?

Wailea (so popular now on Maui):

• DEC: 81F – 2.32 inches rain
• JAN:  80F – 2.55 inches

Cancun's:

• DEC: 82F - 3.43 inches rain
• JAN: 82F - 1.69 inches

Note: Hawaii weather varies significantly by what side of island and elevation.

Pleasure travel everywhere declines steeply in January. Most people mellow out and settle into the New Year without traveling.

You can “mellow out” at home during February and March when prices are much higher.

Save up to $500 with a Vacation Package at priceline.com

Early December Loophole

I like discount travel in early December less because it far more restricts your length of stay, unless of course you stay into January.

Otherwise, December works just as the January option does. You just have to pick an optimum period between Thanksgiving and December school holidays and a suitable destination.

What Destinations Work Best?

You want a destination that does NOT have lots of people traveling in both directions at the same time.

As an example, both London and New York City are extremely popular at Christmas and New Years. Expect planes to have few, if any, deeply discounted fares in either direction.

In contrast, Puerto Vallarta with its very small population sends few residents to the United States. Some of my best travel discoungts have come from traveling to Mexico in early December and January.

Enjoy your savings using these two peak season travel discount "loopholes."

Additional savings tips:

All about Priceline's new last-minute airfare discount option.

How to book a "smart" vacation package for maximum value.