Some people have just returned from vacation, some are switching from sadness to moodiness to despair as they reminisce their travels… and some are euphoric, because they’re finally about to board that plane! September is the perfect month for vacations: just the right amount of tourists and prices up to 30% lower than in August. Summer’s not over yet – in fact it still has to begin for some: so here’s 5 great destinations in Europe for the shoulder season!
Formentera, Spain
Together with Ibiza, Formentera is the island of wonders that everybody wants to see at least once in their lifetime. Prices usually are the issue (together with the crowds), but if you just wait it out, Formentera is a true paradise in September, and flights are a lot more affordable.
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- Formentera (Flickr Nacho Pintos)
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- Formentera (Flickr Nacho Pintos)
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- Formentera (Flickr travelbusy.com)
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- Formentera (Flickr pablopinturas)
Favignana, Sicily, Italy
The island of Favignana has been recently crowned the best loved destinations by Italians and foreigners. Unfortunately, in the second half of August it is pretty much off limits and it’s almost impossible to find a hotel room, unless you have been wise enough to book your spot in February… but in September, once everybody’s left, Favignana performs its magic and becomes even more beautiful.
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- Favignana (Flickr Gabriele Fontana)
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- Favignana (Flickr roberta)
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- Favignana (Flickr simonetta viterbi)
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- Favignana (Flickr Starlit Beaches)
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Guys, Croatia has undiscovered beauty as you cannot even dream of. (Unless you’ve been there, of course). Dubrovnik is the absolute queen of the country, with its blue waters and the superb and cheap food, especially outside of the high season. If you visit, you can also go to the small island of Lokrum, right off Dubrovnik: it’ll be just you and peacocks roaming free.
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- Dubrovnik (Flickr Ivan Ivankovic)
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- Dubrovnik (Flickr Tambako)
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- Dubrovnik (Flcikr Jose Maria Cuellar)
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- Dubrovnik
Istanbul, Turkey
One of the most mysterious cities on the planet, bridging Europe and Asia, Istanbul is at its very best in September. The weather is mild (no more sticky heat), beaches are not as crowded (we recommend the small island of Kizil Adalar) and exploring the many wonders of this city is surely going to be a real treat.
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- Istanbul (Flickr Pedro Szekely)
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- Istanbul
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- Istanbul
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- Istanbul (Flcikr T@R)
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- Istanbul (Flcikr Pedro Szekely)
Rhodes, Greece
Same story: tourists from all over the world flock to Greece, and you can be thankful that the country has as many as 100 islands, otherwise where would they fit? To prevent people invading your personal space, September is the ideal time to visit. We chose Rhodes because it’s one of the largest Greek islands, with record numbers in the tourism sector in August. The beaches (universally recognized as some of the most beautiful on the planet) will be all yours in September, and flights will be considerably cheaper!
