When your feed is a blur of summer-vacation pics, it can be tough to remember why you booked a shoulder-season holiday in the first place. But holding off until after Labor Day has its rewards, not least of which are financial.
True, you’ll have to deal with FOMO for a few months, but traveling off-peak offers cheaper flights, smaller crowds, and deep discounts on accommodation, especially if you’re looking for a homeshare in a summery setting. According to data recently released by Vrbo, prices on vacation rentals in beachy destinations could drop as much as 29% from August to September—while the weather likely remains the same.
“Owners of Vrbo vacation homes tend to set their nightly rental rates to drop right after Labor Day,” Vrbo travel expert Melanie Fish said in a press release. “We looked at the data so vacationers can take full advantage.”
To determine its top US destinations for shoulder-season savings, the home-share platform analyzed average nightly rates in high-demand locations during the months of August and September and ranked them accordingly. Three sunny locales saw costs go down by 29% per night: Ocean City, New Jersey, from $417 to $292; Sunriver, Oregon, from $401 to $285; and Ocean City, Maryland, from $359 to 254.
A classic East Coast retreat and a central coast outdoor paradise—Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Lincoln City, Oregon—both saw 25% decreases in nightly rates, followed closely by spring break stalwarts South Padre Island, Texas, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with 23% and 24%, respectively. In Whitefish, Montana, rates historically dropped from $321 to $250, while home shares in Bar Harbor, Maine, went from $334 to $261. And rounding out the top 10 is Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, at 19% less per night.
To browse available listings, visit vrbo.com.
