Top Five Off-Peak Destinations for Winter 2011/2012
— -- Don't hibernate this winter—instead, use this traditionally slower travel season to avoid the crowds while traveling more affordably. We've found five destinations that deliver both appeal and major discounts in winter.
Bermuda
Enjoy a slice of island life without paying the high-season prices of the Caribbean. Bermuda, which lies north of the Caribbean and east of the Carolinas in the Atlantic, offers mild winter weather and plenty of leisure activities, including sightseeing and golf. However, since the water gets too cool for swimming, travelers looking for a winter beach escape tend to overlook the island. And that translates to off-peak savings.
Lower-season prices on accommodations become an even better deal with the island-wide " Compliments of Bermuda" promotion, which offers the third, fourth, or fifth night free at participating resorts. For instance, at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort, winter rates start at $195 per night for an ocean-view room, compared to $359 per night during the summer. Add a third night free to the equation and the price drops even more. Compliments of Bermuda also includes the Traveler's Price Card, which offers discounted rates and special deals at more than 50 shops, restaurants, and activity providers. You'll find everything from $50 off a charter sailing to a free rum swizzle.
Events throughout winter offer even more reasons to visit. The Bermuda Marathon weekend runs from January 13 to 15, the six-week Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts begins on January 17, and whale-watching tours start in March.
Napa Valley
A slower pace of life settles over Napa Valley after the grapes have been harvested and the new wines are safely tucked away to age in cellars and caves. Winter is dubbed "Cabernet Season" because chillier temperatures inspire a turn to heartier cuisine and Napa's red wines. A visit during the cooler months still yields the many charms of the valley, from wine tasting to soaking in thermal pools. But not only will you find a more intimate experience—one with fewer tour buses to battle and more room to linger over a tasting flight at a local winery—you'll also be able to enjoy it all for less.
How much less? At the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, average nightly rates during winter are $142, a sharp contrast from high-season rates of around $309 per night. Through the end of January at the Napa Valley Lodge in Yountville, weekday winter rates start at $195, including a complimentary bottle of wine at arrival, wine-tasting passes, and a Champagne breakfast buffet. Compare that to the $280 nightly price tag of a room alone in June and the value becomes clear. LegendaryNapaValley.com lists this and many other winter specials on its website.
Winter is yellow-mustard grass season in Napa, when the valley is blanketed in a vivid golden bloom. And January is Restaurant Month throughout the valley—a time to sample some of the valley's world-renowned restaurants for a fraction of the usual price.
Olympic Peninsula, Wash.
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