When planning a trip, it's important to determine the best time to visit your preferred country, which means researching weather patterns (including hurricane and monsoon seasons), seasonal activities (like winter sports, water sports and wildlife-watching), and when significant festivals and events are held.
At the same time, it’s advisable to check when different tourist seasons run, and to weigh up the pros and cons of each.
As a general rule, high season typically means higher costs, bigger crowds, and easier access to tours and activities.
Meanwhile, while low season brings the benefits of lower costs and smaller crowds, but potentially less favourable weather and more limited activities.
To help you decide, dive into our series of articles covering the 20 best places to travel in each month of the year.
For example, take your pick from Palm Springs, Costa Rica or Lake Como in January, or consider heading to Paris, Venice or The Maldives in February.
Come March and April, consider adding Berlin or Maui to your destination list, with May being a top time to visit Prague and Peru, to name just a couple of suggestions.
Meanwhile, Cinque Terre in Italy and Bermuda are among our recommendations for June, while Alaska and Oaxaca feature in our suggestions for July.
Looking for August ideas? Consider making your way to Maine, Memphis or the Mediterranean, with Paraty, Brazil, being one of our suggestions for September.
October destinations include Rome, Kyoto and Zanzibar, with Antigua and Lapland featured in our suggestions for November and December.