Why Weather Matters: How Seasonal Conditions Can Make or Break Your Trip

The weather is a small detail of traveling, but it has the power to make a huge impact on your trip. It can affect what you pack, the activities that you do, and your overall travel experience.

Something to note is that the entire Northern Hemisphere experiences the same seasons. So, if it’s winter in the United States, it will also be winter in any country above the equator. Here are a few popular destinations and what their weather is typically like:

• Costa Rica: Has a distinct rainy season from May through October with an increased chance of tropical storms and hurricanes. It’s best to visit during the dry months to swim, hike, and enjoy the country’s natural beauty.

• Greece (Santorini, Mykonos): Has a cold, wet, and windy winter. Most of the tourist attractions are closed for the season, limiting your outdoor activities. 

• Amalfi Coast (Italy): In the winter, the weather is cold and rainy. Many hotels and shops will be shut down, making it very empty and much less colorful as it would be in the summer or spring.

• Ireland: In the winter, it gets very cold and rainy. The sun also sets as early as 4:15 PM, making sightseeing more difficult.

• Iceland: Blizzards cause frequent road closures during Iceland’s winters. They also only get 4-5 hours of daylight every day, making those tourist locations and greenery less visible. 

• Northern Italy’s Lake Region (Lake Como, Lake Garda): These areas are covered in fog and cold weather during winter, leading to many attractions being closed.

• Egypt: In July and August, the summertime heat gets over 100 degrees F with an intense sun every single day.

• Puerto Rico: Along with all the other tropical locations, Puerto Rico has a hurricane season from June through November, which can lead to dangerous weather and trip cancellations. 

Aside from these winter seasons, if you prefer to avoid extreme heat, it’s important to plan your trip around the time of year with the most comfortable temperatures. If you’re unsure of when that is, a travel advisor can help by checking weather patterns for your destinations so you don’t run into any unexpected conditions.

Unexpected weather can also have an impact on your finances. Having to cancel or reschedule a trip due to bad weather is never ideal and often leads to added expenses and the hassle of rearranging your itinerary. First, simply getting there can be easily disrupted. Departing and connecting flights can get cancelled or delayed. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, attractions and excursions may be closed, and you may even end up having to change your entire itinerary at the last minute based on the weather.

In Closing

The weather can make or break your trip. By researching seasonal patterns ahead of time and consulting a travel advisor to guide you through them, you can avoid unpleasant surprises and make the most of your vacation. From what you pack to what you’re able to see and do, the climate plays a bigger role than most travelers realize.