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The best time for a summer vacation is actually in September

Aug 21, 2019

1 MIN READ
Sea Pine Forest in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, License Type: media, Download Time: 2025-12-05T21:19:29.000Z, User: rhylton_redventures, Editorial: false, purchase_order: 65050 - Digital Destinations and Articles, job: Lonely Planet, client: social, other: Rhianydd Hylton
Maya Stanton

Writer

I’m a sucker for a last-minute airfare deal and ready to hit the road at all times. (And even though I’m a chronic overpacker, I prefer to travel light, so it’s all gotta fit in the overhead bin.) On the ground, I love exploring connections between food, culture, and community, then getting outside for a hike, swim, or walk in the park. I grew up in Virginia, went to school in Ohio, made a brief pitstop in Bucharest, and have been based in Brooklyn ever since. Memorable trips include Greece…

Lonely Planet may earn a commission from affiliate links on our site. All recommendations and reviews reflect our own independent opinions.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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