Peak travel seasons

Traditionally, there are certain times of the year that are more popular for traveling than others. Summer vacations, spring break, and seasonal holidays usually mean more people traveling and busier airports. And with this increased demand, higher ticket prices.

Whether you are on a budget and want lower airfares or just trying to avoid the crowds, the information in this article will let you work with peak travel seasons and help you plan your trip a little smarter.

Escaping winter

Those who reside in places where cold and snow reign months out of the year often travel to warmer places to escape at least some of the grey days of February and March. Spring is also the perfect travel season for college kids who want to blow off school steam during their class break while catching some rays on the beach.

Southern Florida, the Caribbean Islands, Southern California and Mexico are prime destinations in the winter with tons of sun, sand and surf for everyone, and that means that rates for spring break in February and March will normally be higher than they are in January and April.

School is out

Summer is the ideal time to explore North America, from National Parks to Theme Parks. Since most U.S. states and Canadian provinces have great weather, it goes without saying that outdoor adventures and activities rank high on the list, and it is busy just about anywhere you go.

The summer peak travel season begins early to mid June, around the time school finals are finishing up. It wraps around the last week of August, just before the next school year kicks in. More people travel in the summer than other times of year, which means fares can be high during this season.

Home for the holidays

Seasonal holidays are a hectic travel time. Of course, when we think of holiday travel Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's automatically pop into our heads. Families rushing to be together for these hallmark celebrations can lead to interesting travel tales.

Pretty much anywhere in North America is a top destination during the holidays, although Florida and California top the list as the most popular, with New York City, Chicago, and Nashville ranking high on the list for those that want to get away for the holidays.

The weekend preceding U.S. Thanksgiving through to the following Monday, then again mid-December to the Monday following New Year's are peak travel times heading into winter.