It’s been a travel industry phrase for decades, but now most holidaymakers are aware of the ‘shoulder season’. The expression refers to the months on either side of the peak summer travel season, when holiday hotspots are quieter than usual.
October is quintessential shoulder season, close to Christmas but not long after summer vacations have come and gone.
Crowds are thinning. Summer flight schedules are still operating until the end of the month, when winter schedules begin and flights to many summer holiday spots such as the Greek islands and the Balearics are put on hold until late March.
Airline fares can be half peak summer prices. Meanwhile, tour operators are desperate to fill spots on charter flights, and average high temperatures in Greece are a warm enough 23C, with 26C in Seville, 22C in Dubrovnik and 23C in Naples.
For those who enjoy a tipple or two, it’s especially good news. Harvests in vineyards in Tuscany and Provence are in full swing, with vintners holding events to mark the occasion, with special tastings complete with latest full-bodies reds and overflowing charcuterie boards.
As a travel writer of 21 years standing, I’ve often timed trips to coincide with my favourite month for going abroad.
So whether you’re after long haul luxury or a short half-term hop, here’s my pick of 18 great places to go in October…
SEVILLE, SPAIN
Average October temperature: 26C
Seville’s famous Plaza de Espana, which has featured as the backdrop for several films including Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
October brings balmy days to Andalusia’s sun-kissed capital, ideal for wandering around the flower-decked alleys of the Santa Cruz quarter without the summer scorch. It’s an ideal month to spend your days strolling through the Real Alcázar’s Moorish influenced gardens, or joining locals for an evening paseo along the banks of the river Guadalquivir.
Budget hotel: With a Don Juan theme, the Casual Sevilla is a suitably seductive bolthole, located down a tiny alleyway, with marble-floored rooms overlooking a pretty patio. The location is superb, just five minutes’ walk from the Royal Palace; doubles from £84 (casualhoteles.com).
Blow the budget: Housed in a 19th-century palace near the cathedral, the Mercer Sevilla comes with appropriately regal looking wrought iron balconies, marble staircases and a rooftop plunge pool. The dimly lit, black-walled Maria Luisa restaurant is a captivating, chic venue for outstanding takes on Andalusian classics such as the revered ‘retinto’ beef; doubles from £406 (mercersevilla.com).
DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
Average October temperature: 18C
Hop into a kayak to paddle around the coastline’s hidden coves
By October the cruise-ship hordes have thinned out, yet the Adriatic is still warm enough for a swim. Back on terra firma, the city walls are bathed in golden light in the late afternoons. Explore them after you’ve hopped into a kayak to paddle around the coastline’s numerous hidden coves.
Budget hotel: The building’s 1970s look may not be to everyone’s taste but you can’t argue with the view from the Valamar Argosy, overlooking the Adriatic on Babin Kuk. This resort-style hotel has two pools and a retro feel with the gardens planted with palm and oleander trees, doing much to soften the Yugoslav-era harshness of the buildings; doubles from £157 (valamar.com).
Blow the budget: A sedate and handsome townhouse, the Hotel Stari Grad has just 14 individually styled rooms, all with wooden floors and quality fabrics in greys and beiges. A superb (and enormous) buffet breakfast is served on the rooftop terrace with sweeping city views over the rooftops; doubles from £325 (hotelstarigrad.com).
ROME, ITALY
Average October temperature: 23C
Exploring the Colosseum under autumn’s honeyed light is a temperate pleasure
The Eternal City cools down significantly in October, making a day exploring the Forum and Colosseum beneath autumn’s honeyed light a temperate pleasure with few coach parties. The al fresco weekend antique market on Via dei Coronari is much less crowded too at this time of year while there are few finer ways to spend an autumnal day here than wandering around the Galleria Borghese gardens.
Budget hotel: Suites Trastevere is a boutique hotel featuring rooms with hand-painted trompe l’oeil scenes, a ten-minute walk from the centre of the Trastevere district. Breakfast baskets are delivered to rooms; doubles from £58 (suitestrastevere.com).
Blow the budget: An imposing landmark atop the Spanish Steps, the Hassler Roma radiates Belle Époque glamour with marble interiors and a Michelin-starred restaurant. The lavish rooms range in style from art deco to traditional Roman décor while the staff, many of whom have been here for decades, are the very definition of unimposing attentiveness; doubles from £1,215 (hotelhasslerroma.com).
CRETE, GREECE
Average October temperature: 22C
Take a walk along Elafonissi’s pink-tinged sands
October is still beach-bathing season in Crete, but even if you don’t fancy a dip, the weather is temperate enough to make the hike up to dramatic Samaria Gorge bearable. An easier excursion is to walk along Elafonissi’s pink-tinged sands before feasting on a typical taverna dinner of Chochlioi Boubouristi (snails cooked with herbs) in the centre of historic Rethymno. With world-class family hotels, the island is perfect for a half term break with children.
Budget hotel: A whitewashed, stone built and minimalist styled, charmer, the Files Art Hotel in Chania’s Old Town has paintings by local artists in each of the half dozen rooms, along with eccentric décor touches such as African camp chairs and zebra skin rugs. Its waterfront location near Heraklion means it’s easy to stroll the harbour at dusk while breakfasts here include graviera cheese and bougatsa custard tarts; doubles from 81 (filesarthotel.com).
Blow the budget: Overlooking Mirabello Bay, the family-friendly Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa offers infinity pools, spa treatments and private terraces. The rooms are reached by a funicular, such is the steepness of the cliffs, while a complimentary transfer bus shuttles to and from nearby Plaka’s pebble cove, where sunbeds and towels await; doubles from £280 (cayoexclusive.com).
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
Average October temperature: 17C
You’ll need to haggle hard for a bargain in the Grand Bazaar
The Bosporus sparkles beneath mild autumn skies, making October the best month for ferry rides between the European and Asian sides of the city. You’ll still need to haggle hard for a bargain in the Grand Bazaar, but you’ll have a bit more energy to do it than in the scorching summer furnace. For respite from the mercantile hustle, ascend to one of the myriad rooftop terrace bars in hip Karaköy for a sunset panorama of domes and minarets.
Budget hotel: The Buyuk Londra Hotel is a fin-de-siècle landmark brim full of Ottoman charm and vintage birdcages. Dating back to 1882, the bar is one of the most atmospheric in the city, while rooms are old-fashioned with heavy patterned carpets, varnished woods and drapes galore; doubles from £52 (londrahotel.net).
Blow the budget: Vakka is one of Turkey’s most prestigious fashion houses and their hotel, in the glitzy Nisantasi neighbourhood, would sooth the brow of any tantrum throwing diva with its black marble lobby and modern, stylish suites replete with fluted wall panels, huge rugs and framed prints of retro French movie stars; doubles from £669 (vakkohotel.com).
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Average October temperature: 22C
If you are in relatively good shape, the Platteklip Gorge route up Table Mountain shouldn’t take you more than an hour
Spring arrives in the Cape in October, making it the ideal month for vineyard tours just beyond the city in the likes of Darling or Stellenbosch. It might look like a tricky climb, but the Platteklip Gorge route up Table Mountain shouldn’t take you more than an hour if you’re in relatively good shape. Reward yourself after the ascent by taking the cable car down then heading off to nearby Hermanus to watch offshore whales.
Budget hotel: In the midst of the vibrant Greenpoint neighbourhood, Hotel Lola wows with its art deco curves, colourful murals, and playful touches galore. It’s just a 15-minute walk to the V&A Waterfront, though you’ll want to have breakfast at Lola’s. The owners’ decades of experience as local café owners shines through in dishes such as ‘sweet potato Shakshuka’, alongside more conventional fresh avocados and toast; doubles from £90 (hotellola.africa).
Blow the budget: A six-suite boutique on Church Square, Labotessa blends 17th-century Dutch charm with movie-star glamour in its seven suites; the elevator opens up straight into each of them. The, soothing colour tones of each room, the peaceful, flower-studded terrace and the easy walking distance to the National Gallery and the Castle of Good Hope make this perhaps the finest boutique hotel in the city; doubles from £453 (labotessa.com).
KYOTO, JAPAN
Average October temperature: 18C
See dragonflies skit and scurry above the water as you cycle along the Kamo River
October offers pleasantly cool walking weather as Japan’s temple gardens glow with early autumn colour. The weather’s cool enough for cycling along the Kamo River as dragonflies skit and scurry above the water, then strolling through the bamboo groves of Arashiyama without the peak-season crowds.
Budget hotel: The Reign Hotel’s cool industrial interiors and rooftop bar overlooking Kyoto Tower is hugely popular with domestic visitors to Kyoto. The abstract photography in the lobby signposts the hotel’s creative vibe, while rooms have a Stockholm meets Japan feel, with light woods, woven flooring and warm, soothing colour schemes; doubles from £153 (reignhotel.jp).
Blow the budget: The Shinmonzen is a sumptuous riverside boutique that looks its best on lantern-lit evenings, with its peaceful views over the ritzy, antique shop heavy Gion district. The rooms are akin to a seriously up-scaled version of a traditional ryokan inn, featuring highly desirable artworks, tatami mat flooring and pastel coloured marble in the bathrooms; doubles from £1,410 (theshinmonzen.com).
BALI, INDONESIA
Average October temperature: 25C
Mount Batur at dawn offers spectacular volcanic views
With the dry season still hanging on, Bali’s October days are warm and bright, though not nearly as enervating, as long as you have a break in the middle of the day. Trek up Mount Batur at dawn for spectacular volcanic views, then laze on Seminyak’s beaches where surf breaks roll in beneath usually blazing blue skies.
Budget hotel: The laid back Bali Bohemia Huts in Ubud are a true bargain during October. These thatched cottages all have bamboo verandas and murals galore by local artists adorn the public areas. It’s a hub of local life too with regular live music and poetry sessions in the upstairs bar in the evenings; doubles from £38 (balibohemia.com).
Blow the budget: Gargantuan villas with private pools, sunrise yoga pavilions, and sweeping views of Jimbaran Bay define the sybaritic Raffles Bali resort on the Bukit Peninsula. There’s a clear sea view from almost anywhere you stand, sit or lie here while the Writers’ Bar offers the best Bali Sling cocktail on the island; doubles from £954 (raffles.com).
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
Average October temperature: 21C
Chapultepec Park, the second largest city park in Latin America
October’s crisp, dry air makes Mexico’s capital a much more pleasant place to explore than in peak summer months. Wander leafy Chapultepec Park, or join locals on a walking tour of the street murals that start buzzing with colour ahead of Day of the Dead festivities in November.
Budget hotel: Hotel Carlota may be a 1960s concrete block but it’s been given a sleek makeover that’s softened its edges. There’s a leafy courtyard pool, a great collection of local art pieces in each room and a generous breakfast that includes outstanding spicy enchiladas; doubles from £87 (hotelcarlota.mx).
Blow the budget: Las Alcobas excels at understated luxury, with its subtle colour schemes, sleek spiral staircase and rooms containing rosewood furniture and marble bathrooms with rainforest showers. The Museo Nacional de Antropologia in nearby Chapultepec Park is just a 25-minute walk away; doubles from £381 (lasalcobas.com)
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Average October temperature: 18C
Take a tango lesson in San Telmo, as the milder evenings make dancing outside irresistible
With the jacarandas bursting into purple bloom along grand boulevards and glasses of Malbec being poured outside pavement cafés, October is a gorgeous month to visit the Argentinian capital; particularly if you schedule a stroll through Palermo’s parks, before taking a tango lesson in San Telmo; the milder evenings make dancing outdoors irresistible.
Budget hotel: In a neighbourhood chock full of film and TV studios, Hotel Clasico, with its parquet flooring and prints of Latin screen idols, exudes a raffish feel taking you back to the days of crackly, analogue TV. There are retro office reading lamps in the rooms as well as chandeliers galore and delicious buffet breakfasts featuring bagels and waffles; doubles from £82 (hotelclasico.com).
Blow the budget: Alvear Palace’s gilded interiors ooze early 20th-century glamour. Think white gloved butlers, oil paintings and antique porcelain. Opened in 1932, this is the oldest luxury hotel in Buenos Aires and, although the atmosphere may seem stuffy to some, there’s huge period charm to the plush bedrooms, immense breakfast buffets and distinctly English afternoon tea experience served up in the marble and gold splendour of L’Orangerie; doubles from £267 (alvearpalace.com).
HAVANA, CUBA
Average October temperature: 27C
Take a classic car ride along the Malecon promenade
Cuba’s sultry capital is steamy but manageable in October, with the afternoon rains usually being short-lived and not too torrential. Take a classic car ride along the Malecon as the waves crash against the crumbling seawall, then join the locals in salsa dancing on open-air squares after dark.
Budget hotel: It’s seen better days for sure, but there’s still a whiff of the glamour that attracted Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole to stay in the hulking Hotel Nactional de Cuba. In a prime location overlooking the Malecon esplanade, the rooms are tired but comfortable enough while the garden terrace is a soothing retreat from the bustle of downtown Havana; doubles from £99 (hotelnacionaldecuba.com).
Blow the budget: It’s only £50 more a night than the Nacional to stay in the gorgeous Iberostar Grand Packard. So you might as well pay the extra for this modernist landmark to soak up the sea views, chic whitewashed rooms and probably the best breakfast buffet in the city; doubles from £220 (iberostar.com).
TENERIFE, SPAIN
Average October temperature: 23C
Relaxing on Playa de las Teresitas at this time of year doesn’t come with such a risk of sunstroke
The Canary Islands delivers plenty of hours of sunshine in October, though without the fierce heat to match. It makes hiking the lava fields of Mount Teide or simply sprawling on Playa de las Teresitas experiences that don’t come with the risk of sunstroke. This is a great time of year to explore Santa Cruz on foot too, the island’s handsome capital. And it’s brilliant for families after some October sunshine.
Budget hotel: The La Laguna Gran Hotel is a real bargain in October; well under £100 a night gives you access to this sumptuous boutique hotel that occupies an 18th-century manor house and an adjacent former tobacco warehouse. The rooftop pool, extremely spacious rooms and a breakfast buffet heaving with local cheeses and chorizo only add to the superb value; doubles from £86 (lalagunagranhotel.com).
Blow the budget: With its swim-up terraces and palatial villas, the Royal River, located around the Costa Adeje golf course, is a graceful retreat that feels more like a country house than a Med resort. Don’t miss taking a sunset dip in the infinity pool with its fine views across the southern mountains and coastline; doubles from £664 (royalriver.co).
PAPHOS, CYPRUS
Average October temperature: 21C
Unwind with a boat trip along the Akamas Peninsula, where turtles bask in the shallows
Cyprus in October means warm seas and moderate temperatures will be your backdrop as you explore the ancient mosaics and Roman villas in the Paphos archaeological park, home to the house of Theseus. Unwind afterwards with a boat trip along the Akamas Peninsula, where turtles still bask in the shallows.
Budget hotel: The two-tiered pools are the main draw to the Capital Coast Resort and Spa, a design hotel with terracotta tiles glinting in the autumn sun and gently swaying palm trees in the garden. The caramel, grey and silver hues of the rooms are captivating, while the restaurant has outstanding cinematic views across the azure sea; doubles from £96 (capitalcoastresort.com).
Blow the budget: The staff at Cap St George Resort are famously adept at anticipating your every wish; though you may find you’re more than content with their private beaches, cliff side views, and saltwater spa. The Cleopatra Spa is a must visit with its hydrotherapy pools, cold plunge pool and green-tiled hammam; doubles from £416 (capstgeorges.com).
COLORADO, USA
Average October temperature: 24C
An elk herd gather in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
October brings crisp air and blazing foliage to Colorado’s Rockies. Take a morning hike along the golden aspen groves around Aspen and Vail, before a late afternoon drive through Rocky Mountain National Park where you’ll spot elks sauntering amid the meadows during the height of their mating season.
Budget hotel: Colorado is one of the most expensive parts of the US to visit and there are few budget options beyond the usual chains. The Hotel Teatro in downtown Denver is one of the best independent options where, for well under £200 a night, you’ll get a boutique experience in the city’s former tramway HQ. Rooms come with floor to ceiling windows, offering views out over the mountains from the upper floors; doubles from £170 (hotelteatro.com).
Blow the budget: Set on the shoreline below Cheyenne Mountain, the Broadmoor is a pink stucco old timer which is self-consciously grand – and proud of it. You can’t move for crystal chandeliers and marble floors, while artefacts from the owners’ collection of Old West memorabilia line the walls. A free shuttle takes guests into the mountains for activities including fly fishing, falconry and horse rides; doubles from £546 (broadmoor.com).
NAPLES, ITALY
Average October temperature: 18C
View of the Gulf of Naples from the Posillipo hill, with Mount Vesuvius in the background
Southern Italy retains its heat in October but has shed the uncomfortable extremes. It’s a great month for nibbling on Neapolitan pizzas on the piazzas and also less hot and bothersome to ascend Vesuvius to take in those jaw-dropping Bay of Naples views or to explore Pompeii’s ruins.
Budget hotel: A minimalist townhouse hotel with gallery-style rooms and sea views, Micalo Art Rooms is a quirky venture within easy walking distance of Posillipo beach. There’s dark hardwood floors and slabs of travertine marble to the eye-catching rooms while the linen sheets are all custom made locally; doubles from £93 (micaloartrooms.it).
Blow the budget: The bold design of Romeo Napoli makes for a sharply modern counterpoint to the atavistic vibe of many of Naples’ grander hotels. Bedrooms look out over the port and Mount Vesuvius while the public areas are scattered with items from the owners’ private art and memorabilia collection including original art works by Chagall and even a Wurlitzer jukebox; doubles from £708 (theromeocollection.com).
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Average October temperature: 29C
The Buddhist temple of Wat Arun in Bangkok, which is easily accessible by boat
The rains have eased by October, leaving Thailand’s capital steamy but bearable. Be in no doubt, Bangkok is still hot in October but it’s cool enough (just) to cruise the Chao Phraya River to see the gilded temples gleam in softer light, particularly if you sail at dusk. Once darkness falls, head to Pratnnam night market to shop for silk scarfs and street food.
Budget hotel: The Arun Residence sits right on the banks of the Chao Phraya River and is a bijou charmer with antique furnishings and rooftop sunset views. Rooms are bedecked in gorgeous Thai tiles, the Deck restaurant serves excellent Thai and French cuisine and the staff can organise long tail boat cruises that set sail right outside the front door; doubles from £84 (arunresidence.com).
Blow the budget: The Siam’s Art Deco design and wealth of private pools and tropical gardens is a Bangkok one off; replete with astounding wooden Buddha statues in some of the rooms that date back 400 years. Staff can arrange private dinner cruises for up to six people and you can even have a ‘sak yant’ if you wish; that’s a sacred Thai tattoo; doubles from £414 (thesiamhotel.com).
CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA
Average October temperature: 27C
Walk the cobbled streets of the walled Old Town in Cartagena
Colombia’s prettiest city is still hot in October but the sea breezes keep it feeling pleasant. Walk the cobbled streets of the walled Old Town under bougainvillaea blooms before taking a boat to the Rosario Islands where the reefs are at their clearest at this time of year.
Budget hotel: Less than a minute’s walk from lively Plaza Fernandez de Madrid, the Townhouse Cartagena has a low-key but hugely appealing feel. The rooftop bar is bathed in foliage while the murals in each of the eight rooms are all inspired by a different Columbian bird. A breakfast of huevos pericos (scrambled eggs and tomatoes) on the roof here is pretty much unbeatable as a way to start another day in this most Caribbean feeling place in all of South America; doubles from £85 (townhousecartagena.com).
Blow the budget: Casa San Agustin’s colonial boutique vibe in the heart of the old town feels truly palatial. Built around a 300-year-old aqueduct, the beamed ceilings, wicker furniture and rustic desks make you feel you’re a foreign correspondent on assignment in the days of Telex’s and typewriters. There’s also a solarium on the roof and a gorgeous library filled with tomes and antiques; doubles from £375 (hotelcasasanagustin.com).
PALM SPRINGS, USA
Average October temperature: 24C
California’s desert resort cools down in October. Enjoy crisp, clear air at dusk
California’s desert resort finally cools in October, settling in the low to mid-twenties. Even if the thermometer rises higher in the afternoons, it’s easy to make an early morning start walking among the Indian Canyons beneath the fan palms fed by natural springs. Ride the aerial tramway for panoramic desert views and wonderfully crisp, clear air at dusk.
Budget hotel: It’s slightly pricey, but it’s worth spending a little extra to stay at the unique Monkey Tree Hotel. Designed by the revered modernist architect Albert Frey, this is a showpiece for mid-20th century Californian retro glamour with slanted windows, and manicured lawns. It all feels perfect for an alleged secret tryst which might just have occurred here between Marilyn Monroe and JFK. No doubt they would have admired the boomerang-shaped coffee tables and marble lamps, all still present and correct today; doubles from £122 (monkeytree.avantstay.com).
Blow the budget: The Rowan, owned by the Kimpton group of luxury hotels, is awash with downtown mid-century chic. It’s got the only rooftop pool in town, though you’ll want to indulge in the bedrooms with their floor to ceiling windows, woven rugs and Atelier Bloem toiletries. You can now have a try at the sport of pickleball too; the hotel opened six courts last year next to the nearby Art Museum; doubles from £318 (rowanpalmsprings.com).
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