Best destinations to visit during shoulder season

Say it with us: fewer crowds.

So long as you avoid hot spots known for fall foliage (Japan, New Hampshire) or popular fall festivities (Día de los Muertos across Mexico), running into fewer people is one of the best selling points for a vacation during “shoulder season,” the time between summer crush and the holiday rush.

Did we mention prices are lower? And the abundance of cool weather? You’ll find both in Italy and Greece. Want to see Hawaii? A break in crowds and costs makes autumn the perfect alternative to summer.

For your brainstorming pleasure, here are eight more ideas to consider for a last-minute trip this year, or get ahead of planning for next.

Nantucket, Mass.

The Massachusetts island, 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, is notorious for its snarled traffic, stratospheric lodging rates and thronged beaches. But come fall, those summertime nuisances are packed away with the rosé glasses and croquet mallets.

Sunil Metcalfe, sales director at the luxury travel company Black Tomato, recommends Nantucket for its “mild weather, fewer crowds and offseason deals including more affordable rates on flights and ferries.”

Though some of the beachier spots might close for the season, most businesses and attractions are open through the Christmas Stroll in early December. Travel experts recommend the walking trails on Nantucket Conservation and Land Bank parcels. Miles of bike paths are dappled in fall colors.

Head into town to shop for sales; to the bays for scalloping (permit required); and to the beaches for fishing or surfing. Shantaw Bloise-Murphy, the Town of Nantucket’s director of culture and tourism, suggests grabbing a table at such high-demand restaurants as the Nautilus or Straight Wharf, which are typically booked weeks in advance during the busy months.

Banff, Alberta

This wonderland in the Canadian Rockies shines during early autumn’s larch season, when the leaves on these trees turn to gold. Later, the mountain peaks may be covered in snow.

No matter when in fall you visit, you’ll enjoy a little more elbow room without summer crowds. Take advantage of it to explore the gorgeous turquoise Lake Louise, go hiking in the Rockies and get cozy in the town’s shops and restaurants.

Travel Brilliant founder Denise Ambrusko-Maida hails the “charming architecture” and “lively atmosphere” of the town inside Banff National Park. On one of our reporters’ own October visit years ago, a heated pool on cool afternoons at the Fairmont Banff Springs was a highlight - as were the elk who congregated regularly outside the sprawling hotel.

Seoul

It’s the end of the rainy season in Thailand and parts of Vietnam. Tokyo is flooded with fall foliage seekers.

If you’re determined to get to East Asia, Intrepid Travel executive Matt Berna recommends South Korea for a shoulder season trip. He notes that autumn is particularly stunning in the country, famous for its gold glowing ginkgo trees, whether you’re walking through Seoul or hiking in nearby national parks. Here are the best times for leaf peeping.

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

During summer, the island’s water can feel as warm as microwaved soup. In October, however, the ocean temperature simmers down to a more pleasant 70s.

Accommodation prices also plummet. The average daily rate for rental properties drops from about $180 to $125, according to Beyond, a revenue management system for rentals. Hotels and resorts offer enticements, as well, including more than 30 fall deals on the tourism office’s website.

For attractions, the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade is still hopping, and the SkyWheel continues to spin. Many of the courses in the “mini golf capital” are open, as are the ones not populated by dinosaurs and pirates. Mosey down to Boardwalk Fright Nights, where the zombies serve as a reminder that summer is not endless.

Mexico City

In autumn, the air clears in Mexico’s capital and largest city.

“Afternoon rains tamp down the pollution, which helps, especially if you have respiratory issues,” said Pauline Frommer, editorial director for the Frommer guidebooks and Frommers.com.

More lung capacity means more stamina to explore the city’s diversions, such as Parque Urbano Aztlán, an amusement park that recently reopened in Chapultepec Park, and LAGO/ALGO, a cultural arts center and restaurant in the Chapultepec Forest.

The culinary scene, which Frommer calls “extraordinary,” has gained international attention. Visitors can mix street food with refined dishes at such vaunted establishments as Pujol and Quintonil, both of which appeared in Michelin’s inaugural guide to Mexico restaurants. Taquería El Califa de León, in the San Rafael neighborhood, boasts a Michelin star, too.

Two major celebrations - Día de los Muertos and Día de la Revolución - take place in November. But that still leaves many weeks to claim North America’s most populous city to yourself, relatively speaking.

Patagonia

Monika Sundem, chief executive of the travel company Adventure Life, says spring in the southern hemisphere is a spectacular time for trekking. Though the weather can still be unpredictable, adventurous types can take advantage of lower prices - lodging and flights can be up to 40 percent cheaper, she said - and uncrowded national parks, such as Chile’s Torres del Paine and Argentina’s Los Glaciares.

As part of the region’s reawakening from winter, hiking trails reopen, and accommodations and services welcome back visitors to the Lake District and the Carretera Austral, the 770-mile Chilean route from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins.

Wildflowers bloom in the steppes, grasslands and mountains, and Southern right whales splash off the Valdes Peninsula. Several penguin species, such as the Magellanic and rockhopper, also return to the Patagonia coast to nest in their second home.

Tanzania safaris

Because of climate change, the rains are arriving later and dry season is stretching past October and into November, Adventure Life trip planner Kassandra Magruder said.

Without the extra precipitation, the wildlife gather at established watering holes, so safari guides can more easily track the animals. During Tanzania’s spring below the equator, millions of wildebeest and zebra participating in the Great Migration arrive in the southern Serengeti.

“It makes exploring the northern circuit of Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park much more streamlined and efficient,” Magruder said, “yielding more time for game drives and fantastic wildlife viewing.”

James Haigh, head of sales and marketing at Lemala Camps & Lodges, is also a fan of shoulder season. He recommends this period for the lower international airfares and the increased likelihood of seeing such A-list animals as rhinos “without competing for the view.”

Kitzbühel, Austria

The region in the Kitzbühel Alps is known as a world-class ski destination that attracts a rarefied clientele. But that’s weeks away. These days, hikers and mountain bikers are soaking up the peak foliage and warm weather that Sammy Salm, chief executive of Best of the Alps, credits to the low altitude.

Trekkers can fan out on more than 600 miles of trails, including routes accessible via the Hahnenkamm cable car. In the valley, visitors can meander around the medieval town, dining on hearty Tyrolean specialties and updating their wardrobes with traditional attire (lederhosen, dirndls) or contemporary designs by Frauenschuh.

Swimming season is over at Lake Schwarzsee, a moorland lake between Kitzbühel and Reith, but the Alpenhotel Kitzbühel has a year-round lakeside sauna and autumn specials.