Best and Worst Months to Travel

Note: A destination's high -- or busy -- season usually coincides with an area's best weather, but it can also determined solely by demand. High season in Hawaii and the Caribbean, where the weather doesn't change that dramatically, runs from January to April simply because people from colder climes flock to their sunny beaches to flee the winter chill. Conversely, Disney World is packed in the summer despite the searing heat because kids are out of school.
 

Weather by Month

Get more details about a destination's year-round weather from a travel guidebook or by calling its tourism board (find phone numbers and/or websites at www.towd.com).

Note: Remember that this is a guide to when different destinations traditionally experience the most ideal weather of the year. The months immediately preceding and succeeding a destination's prime time are often called "shoulder" seasons, and usually have good weather as well. Other destinations, such as the Caribbean and Hawaii, are temperate year-round, but particularly incredible at the times listed below.

JANUARY & FEBRUARY
Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bali, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Florida Keys, USA (ski destinations)

MARCH
Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, the Florida Keys, USA (ski destinations, Southeast, Southwest)

APRIL
Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Italy, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, the Florida Keys, USA

MAY
Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Moroc co, Seychelles, Spain, Thailand, the Florida Keys, USA

JUNE
Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central & South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Spain, Thailand, USA (Alaska, Northeast)

JULY & AUGUST
Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central & South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Ireland, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Seychelles, Thailand, USA (Alaska, Northeast)

SEPTEMBER
Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central & South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Spain, Thailand, USA

OCTOBER
Australia, Bali, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Central & South Africa, Egypt, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Seychelles, Spain, USA

NOVEMBER
Australia, Bahamas, Bali , Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Central & South Africa, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Seychelles, Spain, USA (ski destinations, Southeast, Southwest)

DECEMBER
Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bali, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Florida Keys, USA (ski destinations)

Weather by Destination

Frost be damned, you want to go to Paris? We'd be the last ones to stop you! But remember that your dream destination may not be so dreamy in the dead of winter, or heat of summer. Below, some of the most popular honeymoon destinations -- some because they enjoy relatively sublime weather year-round -- and their not-so-pretty seasons.

HAWAII

• Best months: March to July, October and November
• Worst months: Far from horrible, December and January are coolest (average afternoon temperature is 75 degrees); August and September are hottest (average 92 degrees). The wettest months are from November to March.
• Note: In general, every island's northern shore gets more rain than the southern, especially on Kauai and the Big Island.

BAHAMAS

• Best months: November to April
• Worst months: It is hottest (up to 89 degrees on average) and rainiest from June to October

BERMUDA

• Best months: May to October
• Worst month: January and February

CARIBBEAN

• Best months: Technically, December to May, when the area is coolest and enjoys the most wind, but average temperatures year-round hover between 78 and 88 degrees
• Worst months: "Official" hurricane season runs from June to November; the worst months are August, September, and October (islands near South America -- Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad, and Tobago -- are outside the hurricane danger zone and rarely are directly hit by a hurricane)
• Note: High-altitude and coastal spots are cooled by trade winds year-round (a good salve during the hotter and more humid summer months)

EUROPE

• Best months: May through September or October
• Worst months: December to February

FLORIDA

• Best months: March, April, October, November
• Worst months: May to September
• Note: The Florida Keys experience temperate, Caribbean-like weather year-round.

LAS VEGAS

• Best months: March, April, October, November
• Worst months: June to September
• Note: July and August are scorchers here, but at least it's a "dry" heat (humidity is very low year-round)

MEXICO

• Best months: October to May
• Worst months: Rainy season runs June through September, but usually only involves a short daily dousing. It is also hotter during the summer months.
• Note: Coastal playgrounds and low-lying sections of the country are hotter than higher-altitude destinations such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, and the heartland "Silver Cities."

SOUTHEAST ASIA

• Best months: November to February
• Worst months: Hottest between April and May; rainy from June to September

SOUTH PACIFIC, FRENCH POLYNESIA

• Best months: May to October
• Worst months: December to February (hot, humid, and rainy); Tahiti lies well outside the Pacific cyclone zone and while Fiji does not, it is rarely hit during the highest-risk months of January and February