New York is cold in December. Image by S Wilson.

PLAN FOR THE WEATHER

If you travel to Florida in December, you are likely to be greeted with Hurricane’s.  Likewise Thailand in March will give you Monsoons and traveling to Canada in January will probably get you snow.  Most guidebooks have a general summary of the seasons, but you could always do your own research using weather.com. In general, it’s hotter in the southern hemisphere from November-March, when the northern hemisphere is colder, and vice versa.  The closer you get to the equator the more hot and humid it gets.  Year round rainfall is common in tropical environments.  If you are tired of your weather, just hop across the equator and you’ll (most likely) get the complete reverse.

It’s also a good idea to know how long the days are and what time the sun rises and sets.  For that, go to the appropriately titled website sunrisenset.com. If you want to get the most out of the daylight hours, travel when the days are longer.  The further you go from the equator the more extreme the hour changes will be.  Iceland is known for it’s extremely long and extremely short day cycles.  This is partially where their reputation as a 24 hour party destination comes from, as some days during the winter never actually see any sunlight.

For further tips on when to visit your preferred destination, check When To Travel.

KNOW THE PEAK SEASON FOR CROWDS

When the weather is perfect and the days are longer, a place becomes infinity more desirable.  If you don’t mind crowds, you can also take advantage of the great weather, but if you are looking for a more intimate experience with your destination, consider traveling the “Off Season” or “Shoulder Season.”   The Off Season is typically when the crowds are lightest, but, as covered in the previous section, weather can be a nuisance or even dangerous, depending on your location.  Many attractions might also be closed during the  Off Season, leading to long boring rainy days spent in your hotel room, if you were lucky enough to find one that was open.

If you want the best of both worlds, try the Shoulder Season.  This is usually the month or two surrounding the peak season.  The weather is usually good, but not perfect.  Prices are not cheap, not expensive, just somewhere in the middle.  And the crowds are only just starting to trickle through (you might be the first or last guest at a hostel in remote areas during the Shoulder Season).  This season typically falls in the fall or spring on either side of the equator, but thoroughly research your destination to check when their specific Shoulder Season is.