When most destinations are at their very best weatherwise, it's usually high season, so you have to pay a hefty sum for flights and accommodation.
But holiday spots often have what are referred to as "shoulder" seasons, just before or after peak travel times, when the weather is just as good or nearly as good, yet prices are much lower.
And sometimes, high season isn't actually when the weather is most comfortable. A classic example is southern Europe, where the weather is far more pleasant in June and September, and prices are cheaper, than in the roasting, peak months of July and August.
The following are four popular medium- and long-haul destinations that, when taking into account the weather and the cost — have optimum visiting periods during the next couple of months.
Unless otherwise stated, prices given are per person for a week sharing the cheapest double room and include direct economy flights from London.
The Caribbean
Best time to visit: After the Easter school holidays through to June.
Peak season in the Caribbean, when it's driest and least humid, runs from mid-December to the end of the Easter school holidays. Come late April, prices tumble. Hotels drop their rates by 25-40 per cent, sometimes in the form of "free" extra nights, while villa rentals costs can halve.
And it's not that the weather in the Caribbean suddenly turns foul — in fact it's normally fantastic in May. It's more to do with the weather improving in places such as Britain and the US, where many Caribbean holidaymakers come from, meaning their tourist industry has to try harder to tempt us.
Another advantage of visiting after Easter, especially on chi-chi islands such as Barbados, is that the atmosphere is far more relaxed than in the celebrity-infested winter months and you don't have to book long ahead to get a table at restaurants. Things start to get a bit stickier in June, when the hurricane season officially starts. But June is still a pretty good month — it's unusual for any big storms to hit until later in the summer.
Sample package: Caribtours (www.caribtours.co.uk) is offering a week in May at Cobblers Cove, a classy hotel on the upmarket West coast of Barbados, for £1,700 (Dh9,340) B&B — 40 per cent cheaper than the same holiday taken between January and April.
Orlando
Best time to visit: Summer half-term
In winter, central Florida can be decidedly nippy. It even had a few flurries of snow in January, though that was a rare event. By contrast, the summer holidays — when many British families hit the theme parks — can be too hot and humid, with thunderstorms in afternoons.
The ideal compromise is May or, more specifically, late May/early June if you have school-age children, to coincide with half-term.
If you take the kids out of school for a few days to extend the half-term break either end from a week to a fortnight, a package will work out cheaper than going over Easter or in August. (By the way, Universal Orlando's new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme-park-within-a-theme-park should open by the end of May).
Sample package: For a two-week holiday from May 25 for a family of four staying in a three-bedroom villa with pool in the Orlando area, with car hire, Travel City Direct (www.travelcitydirect.com) quoted me £3,780 (Dh20,768), including a small online booking discount — the same trip made in early August was 30 per cent more expensive.
The Red Sea
Best time to visit: May
Egyptian seaside resorts such as Sharm Al Sheikh are first and foremost regarded as winter sun destinations. But they can be a bit parky then, particularly after dark. The mercury typically falls to 11C (51F) in February and thick wetsuits are advised for the excellent diving in the winter months. In July and August, it's frankly too hot, with temperatures often passing 40C (104F). In May, the weather is at its very best — usually low 30s Centigrade (80F) in the daytime, and low 20s (68F) at night — yet it's also one of the cheaper times to travel.
Sample package: With Longwood Holidays (www.longwoodholidays.co.uk), a week from May 23 at the Hyatt Regency Sharm Al Sheik, one of the resort's best hotels, costs £609 (Dh3,347) B&B — about 25 per cent less than in late March.
Mauritius
Best time to visit: May
The lush Indian Ocean island is marketed as a year-round destination. But December to March can often be wet, while June to September can be too cool and too breezy for comfort.
October and November are best in terms of the weather but they are also the priciest months. So to keep costs down, go instead in May when prices are lowest, yet the weather is normally pretty good. Daytime temperatures average 27C (80F), and there's not nearly as much rain as in the winter months.
Sample package: With Hayes and Jarvis (www.hayesand jarvis.co.uk), a week from May 5 at Legends costs £1,075 (Dh5,909) half-board — 30 per cent than in November.
