Why go on holiday in September is so cheap ?

Traveling in the late season when everyone makes their return has many advantages: the weather is still lenient, places less crowded and the price of flights sometimes halved compared to July and August.

At a time when children are going back to school and their parents in the office, smart is the "septembrist" who goes against the grain. The last month of summer is indeed a sort of trifecta: the tourist sites are less frequented, the weather remains summer and the price of transport and accommodation becomes more affordable. Air tickets and overnight stays can be up to two times cheaper than in July and August. An evolution that can be explained simply by a drop in demand.

With the month of June, that of September is thus the most advantageous of the year in the air transport and, to a lesser extent, in the rail transport. The companies set their prices according to the demand (yield management). July and August being the period of great departures throughout Europe, places are more rare and therefore worth more. In September, once travelers have deserted stations and airports, prices decline. "Families, who easily occupy between three to six seats, no longer ensure the quick and optimal filling of devices. Companies must therefore offer attractive prices to leave the least vacant places, until the end of their summer flights program which runs until October ", analyzes Michel-Yves Labbé, founder of Départ tomorrow, site specializing in last minute stays. And to joke: "In a way, those who leave in September travel at the expense of those leaving in July-August."

Airplane, hotel: a bill often divided by two

"The differences between July-August and September are more important on the medium-haul routes because of strong competition, adds Guillaume Rostand, Liligo spokesperson. Each airline is looking to be the most attractive and therefore pulls its fares down. "According to the flight comparator, round trips to Barcelona, ​​Ibiza and Rome are currently available at less than 50 euros for a departure from Paris in the first half of September. A drop in prices that we also observe in more distant destinations. Thus, a non-stop Paris-New York round trip costs on average 366 euros in September, against 588 in July, 646 in August, according to the Algofly website, which tracks real-time price changes for airline tickets.

In terms of accommodation and all-inclusive stays, prices will decrescendo as we move away from the heart of summer. Hoteliers apply the same principles as air carriers: they lower their rates as attendance decreases. But everything depends on the destination. "In Italy and Greece, prices are generally high because hoteliers are guaranteed to fill their rooms all the month of September," says Rostand. On the site Departure tomorrow, the same stay of 7 days / 6 nights in Andalusia is sold 812 euros for a departure on August 24, against 455 euros for a departure on September 15. That is a gap of 44% for completely identical services.

"The Septembrist is also often a Julyist or an Augustite. The trend is for short stays. The French do not hesitate to break up their holidays by leaving two weeks in July and again one week in September ", observes Michel-Yves Labbé. One way, he said, to spread the attendance of some destinations over a longer period and thus limit the effects of overtourism. Or at least to be quieter. Still, this little luxury is not offered to all. Only couples without children, singles, retirees and self-employed can afford to go back to school. At the risk of being cowardly to colleagues ...

Source : Jean Marc de Jaeger for Le Figaro.