Summer travel has a way of promising magic and delivering chaos. Packed streets. Full hotels. Restaurants that will not seat you. And prices that make you wince.
There is a better way. Duncan Greenfield-Turk, a luxury travel designer at Global Travel Moments, told Parade the smartest travelers skip summer entirely and head out in the fall shoulder season instead.
“The suite that was impossible in August reappears, rates soften noticeably from mid-September, and the restaurant that would not take you suddenly can,” he says. “For anyone who wants the best of a place, October is the insider’s month, better value and better access at once.”
Here are the four destinations he recommends most for autumn travel.
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport may be the most dramatically different town once summer fades. Greenfield-Turk calls it “the one that transforms the most.”
“Once the summer squeeze lifts, you can finally get a table, park without a battle, and walk the Cliff Walk with the mansions almost to yourself,” he says.
October brings softer light and a sea still warm from summer. He notes the water is pleasant enough to swim in if you are so inclined. “It goes from pretty and packed to genuinely elegant,” he says.
The Amalfi Coast, Italy
Italy’s Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful stretches of shoreline in the world. It is also one of the most overwhelming in August. September and early October change that completely.
“The sea is at its warmest, having banked all summer’s heat, and the crowds and the cruise crush have thinned,” Greenfield-Turk explains. He adds that locals seem to come out of their shells after a punishing peak season, bringing their charm back with them.
“Same light, same swimming, none of the scrum, and more importantly, the hotels finally have room to look after you properly at a price that need not break the bank.”
Norway, Iceland, and Swedish Lapland
If the heat of Southern Europe has ever made you miserable, this one is worth serious consideration. The Nordic countries (Norway, Iceland, and Swedish Lapland) have become one of the fastest-growing destinations for fall travel, a trend Greenfield-Turk says has held for three years running.
“As Southern Europe swelters, the Nordics come into their own in early autumn,” he says. “They turn crisp and golden, the summer coaches have gone, and from late August the Northern Lights begin.”
He calls it “the rare trip that feels both restorative and quietly thrilling” and a clear sign that travelers are now chasing cool and calm over heat.
Puglia, Italy
If you want one under-the-radar pick, this is it. Puglia sits at the heel of Italy’s boot, and Greenfield-Turk calls it his personal first choice for October.
“The heel of Italy holds its warmth long and the crowds have mostly gone home,” he says. “This is also the start of olive harvest season, the masserie are at their most generous, and you can have a whitewashed hill town or a long empty beach largely to yourself. All the soul of the Mediterranean without the usual circus.”
When Exactly Should You Go?
Timing matters. Greenfield-Turk is specific about the windows that work best.
- Mediterranean destinations: Mid-September to mid-October, before coastal hotels begin closing for winter at month’s end
- Nordic destinations: Early to mid-September for autumn color and the first Northern Lights of the season
“The trick everywhere is to go just after peak, when the weather holds, but the crowds have gone,” he says.
For anyone who has dreamed of the Amalfi Coast or a Scandinavian adventure, fall might be exactly the right time to finally make it happen.
