At the risk of preaching to the converted, taking off-season holidays costs quite a lot less. For the same stay and from every point of view, the budget you’ll need will be much lower, and will often go all the way down to 50 % less.
Transport
If you use another means of transport than the car to go on holiday, like the train or the plane, you will very soon see the difference. We’ll take an example at random, Paris-Bayonne. A return economy ticket in October is just a little over €200. For same trip in July or August, it will cost at least €100 more. For the plane, it’s even more striking, with prices that double, depending on the period, for some destinations.
Let’s continue the calculation for the rest of your stay.
Rentals
Once you’ve arrived at the campsite, the situation is the same. We’ve taken as examples two campsites, a four star and a five star. The first is the Les Saules campsite in Cheverny. For one week, a chalet for four people with two bedrooms costs €350 in April and €700 in July and August. For the same periods, the price of campsite pitch will go from €23.50 to €38 a night. Another, even more striking example, is L’Ardéchois, a 5-star campsite in Vallons Pont d’Arc in Ardèche. For a week in a mobile-home for 2/3 people, the price will be €491 in April. In July, the bill will go up to… €1190. Quite surprising, isn’t it? You can think about this in two ways. First of all, with a low price you can treat yourself to a camping holiday in excellent conditions and for a limited budget. And second, an off-season camping holiday means you can enjoy premium accommodation at a great price, with a chance to treat yourself to a week of luxury.
Restaurants, shops and other little things
Lastly, going away off season is practically a guarantee of avoiding the much higher prices charged in summer and the steep bills that go with them. Not all of the restaurants will still be open off season. But in the ones that are, you will pay less, but get full value for money, both in terms of quantity and (even more so) of quality. Another important fact is that outside the stressful tourist season, you will get a better welcome... and even be pampered. The same will be true of all the shops and services. For example, you can easily enjoy the first experience in windsurfing that you’ve dreamed about, without having to wait your turn for hours, at reasonable prices and probably with even some extra time.
So, are you convinced?