How to have the best holiday by going at the ‘WRONG’ time of year: Popular vacation spots are just as beautiful in spring, fall or winter but can be HALF the price and you avoid the crowds

Americans who want to travel but are on a tight budget should consider getting smart about when and where they vacation.

Choosing to travel outside a destination’s busy peak season can offer affordability without major compromises, experts say.

It can even bring benefits such as smaller crowds, shorter lines, and sometimes even more pleasant weather.

“There is definitely a price difference,” says Anne Lischwe, travel sales manager at AAA Travel.

‘For Europe I would say that during off-peak hours you probably pay half as much as during peak hours.’

A trip for a family of four from New York City to Italy’s Amalfi Coast would cost nearly $11,000 in August, according to Expedia’s package booking service, including the cost of flights and lodging.

But that same vacation — a stay at the Hotel Cetus in Cetera — would cost less than $5,000 in April, when “shoulder season” is widely considered to begin.

Shoulder season is a term that describes the period between peak and off-peak hours.

“It’s a nice place because you can still have really nice weather, but you won’t have as many crowds and the prices will be more reasonable,” Lischwe said.

Pamela Garza, founder of travel agency Tory Ellers, told the Wall Street Journal that while she wouldn’t go so far as to send people to Italy’s Amalfi Coast in the middle of winter, she suggests avoiding the middle of summer.

“I will tell people to absolutely avoid July and August on the Amalfi Coast, even if it means dealing with a few cloudy days,” she said.

A recent survey of 200 travel specialists by Zicasso found that the shoulder season was becoming increasingly popular, with 41 percent of respondents seeing a more consistent flow of travelers throughout the year.

“Over the past year, the peak and shoulder seasons have really expanded as many people have found this to be a favorable time to travel,” says Lischwe.

Travel experts suggest that visiting Italy’s Amalfi Coast in low season could save thousands of euros at the cost of just a few cloudy days

Even when visiting the Caribbean, where weather can be more consistent year-round, travelers can take advantage of a shoulder-season visit

Significant savings can still be made, even in places like the Caribbean, where conditions are fair year-round other than hurricane season.

A two-week couple’s vacation to the Windjammer Hotel in St. Lucia, including flights from New York, costs $3,444 per person in June, considered the best time to go. That same October vacation costs $2,183 per person. That’s $2,522 cheaper per couple.

There is a similar trend when it comes to traveling within the US.

“The shoulder season is a great time to visit warm-weather cities in the US like San Diego or Los Angeles, or even go to a National Park,” says Expedia travel expert Christie Hudson.

For example, the cost of a vacation to the Grand Canyon peaks in the sweltering summer months, the most popular time to visit.

Flying from New York to Grand Canyon National Airport for a long weekend vacation at the Grand Hotel in northern Arizona costs $3,767 in late June. That same trip in early December would cost $2,799.

Winter is a surprisingly enjoyable time to visit the gorge, which is less crowded and quieter while offering the same views of the vast landscape, which is sometimes covered in snow.

A vacation to the Caribbean in October can cost thousands of dollars less than a trip in May or June, which is considered the best time to visit

The cost of a vacation to the Grand Canyon peaks in the sweltering summer months. The image is the South Rim of the canyon

Lucy Pabst, a ranger with the National Park Service, told the Wall Street Journal that she advises people to visit in the winter.

“You can hike and travel much further into the canyon than in the summer because heat stroke is not a risk,” she said.

But Lischewe warned that it is not always appropriate to go on holiday outside the peak months.

“People think, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll do a shoulder season in Alaska.’ That just means everything will be closed,” she said.

“Unfortunately, you really won’t have a good experience.”