Family vacations are best enjoyed at a slow relaxed pace and can be menacing when you face armies of tourists and locals running in the streets of Hong Kong, or in the middle of Ade Adepitan.
Megacities may exude a hassle-full vacation for families on the go, but, on the brighter note, picking the right time to wander the world's busiest cities is just the right way to go. Knowing how to avoid crowds in the world's busiest city is one of the essential know-how for adventurous families together. Pair it with the best stroller to travel it and you'll be the superstar of family travel. So, go behind the scenes and pick dates when the city is only crowded with happy locals and a laidback ambiance. It's the only way for you and your family to actually get to know the city and its daily mundane.
So pack your bags, book that ticket, read up on the best-ever tips for traveling with babies and why you should travel with your kids, and unleash your family's wanderlust!
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Explore the World's Busiest Cities
Busiest City - Barcelona, Spain
Off-Season: February-April
Best Time To Travel: April
Event of the Month: Dia de Sant Jordi
During the months of August, the austere beaches of Barcelona are heaved with tourists. It is when the streets of Barcelona are cramped with long snake lines just to get in the museum or eat in the restaurants. In Park Güell, La Sagrada Familia, and Casa Milà, fractions of people are swarming doing their own touristy things. It is one of the places under pressure. But, when the temperature drops, the crowds of people also drop. Since April is the first month of summer, your family can plunge into Barcelona's glittering beaches without the hustles and bustles of tourists going about their day and catching up on their tight vacation itineraries. Hence, your family will have a space to lay around the beach and enjoy the moment.
Busiest City - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Off-Season: October-April
Best Time To Travel: Mid-April
Event of the Month: Tulip Festival
Amsterdam has mild weather making it an easy destination pick. During the months of July to August, the avenues around Amsterdam are swamped with young tourists and backpackers. It is not the best time to travel with kids. However, if you book a plane ride to Amsterdam during mid-April, dormant tulip fields are brimming with blooms and the city begins to unfold and showcase one-of-a-kind scenes to reveal to only a few audiences. It is the time when Amsterdam springs to life and displays the magnificent imagery of the canal city.
Busiest City - Paris, France
Off-Season: November-March/July-August
Best Time To Travel: July or August
Event of the Month: Classique Au Vert
France is a beautiful country filled with magnificent art, thriving culture, mouth-watering cuisines, and quaint street-side cafes. It is one place on earth where seven million people go just to have a glimpse at the alluring architectural structure of the Eiffel Tower. If you want to avoid the huge fraction of sightseers, visit Paris in between the months of July to August to witness the city in a new light. The reason why these months the city is less busy it's because locals are trying to escape the scorching heat.
Although most local shops in Paris are run by locals and you might see a lot of temporarily closed shops, Paris will never fail to deliver an experience that will bring you and your family closer together. Imagine looking at the Eiffel Tower without the usual crowds or eating at restaurants without having to fall in line for hours, it's like Paris in the forties where there are only a few visitors and some of the greatest artists and writers in history. What a dream!
Busiest City - London, UK
Off-Season: January-February
Best Time To Travel: Mid-January
Event of the Month: Hogwarts in the Snow
The brief glimmers of London's summer glow will become overrated if you come there with your family during its peak season. Crowds are everywhere, busy streets are dizzying, and hotel rates are perpetually high. It's no good if you have to spend a lot of money on a vacation that won't be able to enjoy. So, booking a flight to London in the mid of January is fairly a good decision if you are planning on bringing your whole family. During this month, you can still feel the cold of winter but it will outweigh the fact that you and your family will be walking around the charming city of London in a nice cozy winter jacket and comfy boots.
Busiest City - Dubai, UAE
Off-Season: July-August
Best Time To Travel: August
Event of the Month: Dubai Summer Surprises
Whenever you decide to travel to Dubai, the humidity will always be oppressive and temperatures are almost always at 50C. So, if you and your kids will embark on the desert city of Dubai, go when the typical mass of tourists is somewhere in Bali or Florida. Visiting Dubai during the month of August means cheaper hotels and indoor activity fun. Dubai is one place where they create their own island just because they can and built the tallest building on the planet to attract tourists. Moreover, the fantastical fireworks displays at the Burj Khalifa are enough to astonish your little ones.
Busiest City - Istanbul, Turkey
Off-Season: November-mid-March
Best Time To Travel: February
Istanbul is not only a beautiful historical country to visit but also a getaway abode where every corner of its city is intricately built with patterns and carvings that tells a story. If you go to Turkey in February, you will witness the captivating image of minarets dusted in the pure white layers of powdery snow. It is the best time to experience sipping on some hot authentic Turkish tea in some Turkish teahouses built many moons ago. Although the cold can be discomforting when the wind blows from Bosphorous, the ambiance is still wildly atmospheric. but, that doesn't mean you will be stuck in your hotel room ordering in. Rather, you and your family will be enticed to drive to the snow-dusted ski fields nearby the city and experience different kinds of skiing sessions.
Busiest City - Prague, Czech Republic
Off-Season: November-February
Best Time To Travel: December
Event of the Month: Prague Castle Christmas Market
In the month of December, the city of Prague exhibits a Christmas ambiance filled with glittering lights and familiar Christmas decorations. The markets light up and locals and visitors rush in to do some last-minute holiday shopping. Although it can still be quite crowded, nothing compares to the incursion of tourists during its summer season. So, if you want to avoid congested crowds when in Prague, pick a date from November to early January and savor the soul of the city in its bold holiday atmosphere.
Busiest City - New York, US
Off-Season: November - March
Best Time To Travel: December
Event of the Month: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
Experience New York in the cold where restaurants transform into cozy dining nooks and expensive hotels are offering friendly prices. Walk around the streets of New York with your family in a warm winter coat and cushy footwear and look at the extravagant Christmas displays adding more warmth to the holiday ambiance of New York. During the winter months, the usual hoards of tourists look for warmer locations in the US to avoid the temperature drop. However, as long as you get warm, there is hot cocoa along the way where you and your family can enjoy an intimate in the city that never sleeps.
Busiest City - Los Angeles, US
Off-Season: December-February
Best Time To Travel: May
Event of the Month: Stagecoach Festival
It's not surprising that LA is visited by tourists during the peak of summer. It's a beach-edged city after all, hence, why travel at different times? To avoid the crowded streets and swamped LA shorelines, May is the best time to plunge into its turquoise waters. When the winter rain subsides in LA, the streets of this cultured city are not hazed with fog and the pleasant temperatures are perfect for galivanting the city. On top of that, cheaper hotel accommodations and fewer tourist bustles will make your LA experience different from the rest.
Busiest City - San Francisco, US
Off-Season: November-March
Best Time To Travel: September
Event of the Month: San Francisco Fringe Festival
The hilly city of San Francisco is scorching with sunlight as the first month of fall enters. It is also the time when the city rests from the busy gatherings of tourists. During this month, San Francisco Fringe Festival swings by into town. Countless theatre shows, performances, and the avant-garde community showcase their voguish talents to their audiences. It's one way to get to know the city of San Francisco from a different perspective. It is surely more than just a place where delicious corndogs are made and eventful trolley rides.
Busiest City - Miami, US
Off-Season: July-September
Best Time To Travel: September
Event of the Month: Miami Spice
Miami, a coastal city is surprisingly quiet during its summer months. Thus, when your family explores the Miami abode, fro-frizzed hair and empty beaches will be waiting for you to indulge. On top of that, ever-packed restaurants will always have a table for your family without the drag of falling in line or cramming for some places to eat. The best part, accommodations will be cheaper but you'll get the same amenities and services.
Busiest City - Sydney, Australia
Off-Season: June-August
Best Time To Travel: August
Event of the Month: Badu Gili
The winter days in Sydney are still sunny. The temperatures are comfortable enough for you and your kids to go whale-watching or head to the North Head promontory. Sydney is one city that you will never run out of activities to do, wine tasting to go to, marketplaces to go shopping, and theatre shows in the Opera House. All sorts of entertainment are offered in the city. Even its nightlife is exuding a night out by the rooftop restaurants or afternoon at the small alleys drinking some artisan freshly brewed coffee.
Busiest City - Mexico City, Mexico
Off-Season: November-February
Best Time To Travel: December
Event of the Month: Nacimientos
When the holiday in Mexico is over and yours is just starting, it will be a family vacation like no other. No crowds, running just to catch a ride and more time to soak up the beautiful sights of the city. December is the best time to go and visit the unique city of Mexico so you need not get stuck in traffic-swarmed streets while you get to eat authentic Mexican food without having to worry about your seats or early reservations.
Busiest City - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Off-Season: October-November
Best Time To Travel: November
Event of the Month: Festival De Rio
Rio de Janeiro, a vividly colored city where birds are free and people are tough but friendly. You need not mingle with the large crowds of tourists to experience the real essence of this lush city. Traveling to Rio de Janeiro during November will give you the chance to have all the landmarks to yourself.
You will not feel the need to rush all the time or get stressed due to the festivals happening in the city during its peak season. Although, of course, yes, it would be nice to visit the city when festivals are ongoing, traveling with your kids during their festival season will be a lot for parents. So, why not save the festival experience in Brazil when the kids are all grown and explore the city during its off months.
Busiest City - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Off-Season: July-August
Best Time To Travel: August
Event of the Month: International Tango Festival
The fall colors of the city in amber and auburn and the quintessential art and culture of Argentina are highlighted. August is the best time to visit Argentina if you want to witness the International Tango Festival where locals or flaunting their inborn talents are dressed in colorful costumes.
Busiest City - Athens, Greece
Off-Season: September
Best Time To Travel: October
Event of the Month: Athens and Epidaurus Festival
Visit the ancient capital during the low season and have it all for yourself while you munch on some delicious hummus and bread. You will get to see the beauty of the Parthenon and Acropolis without the hundreds of tourists snapping a picture here and there. Greece is one place that needs to be explored in a slow-paced manner for you to actually experience its mystical city. So, avoid the congestion and see the sights of Athens with your family without feeling exhausted, stressed, or burn out.
Busiest City - Seoul, Korea
Off-Season: September-November
Best Time To Travel: late September
Event of the Month: Chuseok
By the time September rolls around, tourists go back to their respective countries since the peak season has ended. The temperature in Seoul is pleasant during late December and the streets are enticingly quiet. It is also when the Harvest Moon Festival happens where Koreans show gratitude to the year's crop abundance. It is a three-day festival that involves eating, praying, and celebrating.
Busiest City - Singapore
Off-Season: July-September
Best Time To Travel: August
Event of the Month: Lantern Festival
The Southwest monsoon typically hits Singapore during the months of July to September. Afternoons in Singapore during these months are composed of rain and cafe hangouts. While you enjoy the streets of Singapore in the rain, Mid-Autumn Festival proliferate and delicious mooncakes are made while vibrant lanterns are sent to the sky.
Busiest City - Bangkok, Thailand
Off-Season: June - September
Best Time To Travel: late April-May
Event of the Month: Songkran Festival
Of course, the low season in Bangkok is during the rainy season. It is also the season where nature abounds are verdant while the sunlight is still beaming behind the clouds of an afternoon downpour. The prices are also significantly cheaper in contrast during peak season and there are not many tourists roaming around while you get to enjoy Bangkok's water-throwing Songkran Festival with the locals. During the months of April and May comes Thai New Year's beginning season where a lot of activities and festivities happening around the city.
Busiest City - Tokyo, Japan
Off-Season: November-March
Best Time To Travel: February
Event of the Month: Hibiya Magic Time Illumination
The month of February in Japan is usually dominated by skiers and snowboarders. It is when Mount Fiji reveals a different beauty flaunting a snow-capped towering peak. Plum trees and ume also spring to life during the early days of February while neighboring cities are also enjoying their blossom season.
Busiest City - Rome, Italy
Off-Season: November-March
Best Time To Travel: February
Event of the Month: Festa di Sant'Agata
Over the winter period in Rome, visitors significantly decrease. Although the temperature in the city is not even close to freezing, tourists stray away during these months. While the view of the Colosseum and Roman Forum is already magnificent during the summer, see it blanketed in snow and be beguiled by a kind of beauty that Romans in the past loved, adored, and worshipped.
Explore the World's Busiest Cities
Exploring the world's busiest cities during their off-peak seasons can bring a mix of advantages and disadvantages. Saying that, when you are traveling with kids, fewer crowds means there will be less people to navigate around. With these tips, we encourage you to take the opportunity to witness bustling cities in their quieter moments, allowing for a deeper understanding and connection to the wonderful cities that surrounds world. If you are the adventurous type be sure to read up on 10 of the most adventurous experiences around the world.
Gather the troops, pack your bags and let's go go go!
Happy journeys.
