It’s the first full week of fall and for Iowans who didn’t take a vacation over the summer, now may be the perfect time to make plans and go. Travel agent Chris McGinnis says we’re in the middle of two peak travel seasons and there are plenty of good deals to be found.
“We’re in a valley right now, right after Labor Day to mid-October when people start getting ready to go home for Thanksgiving,” McGinnis says. “It’s a great time to travel. It’s actually my favorite time of year to travel because the weather is great, demand is way down so there are fewer crowds and prices really do tumble.” McGinnis says there are many perks to taking a fall vacation.
“The crowds are fewer,” he says. “The people that work in the big resorts that are packed with people all summer and they’re tired and grumpy are all of a sudden in great moods because they’re dealing with fewer people and it makes the whole travel experience that much better. Everybody’s in a great mood.”
McGinnis says the deals during this in-between season are unbelievable. “Coastal places that are very popular during the summer, Florida amusement parks offer very good deals,” he says. “You can get package deals at hotels near Disney that you normally can’t get. The Rocky Mountain region at this time of year is a very good deal. You have beautiful weather. You’ve got beautiful accommodations at ski resorts that are in their low season so they offer very low rates.”
While you will save money on hotels and resort packages, getting to your destination remains costly. He says gasoline prices remain high, averaging $3.49 a gallon on average in Iowa, the same as the national average.