I’m literally stepping off a plane after a somewhat self-indulgent three weeks in Europe. But of course, it was for research purposes, as staying in the most luxurious hotels in the world tends to be. I purposefully picked a time to travel when everyone would be back at work. However I quickly realized – there’s no such thing as off-season for prime destinations nowadays.

A Little Drama

Okay, maybe I’m being dramatic. Obviously, you can find somewhere off-grid in the world where off-season is alive and well. But do you really want to freeze your a** off in the dead of a Mongolian winter when it literally and figuratively shines brighter during the summer months? The answer to that is a hard “no.” And yes, that is speaking from personal experience. So let me clarify my statement: Off-season travel is near-extinct in mainstream destinations, where most of you want to be.

Off-Season is the New In-Season

So with that established, my point is that the fringe months of June and September for prime weather spots like Europe are as in-season as the heart of summer. It’s certainly reflected in rates and availability. Hotels like Belmond Splendido and Castiglion del Bosco, where I thought I could saunter in last-minute, were almost completely booked. What was left was a cool $5k a night, which I know is par for the course in luxury travel. However, I did have to reflect that on my visits 10 years ago to these hotels, they clocked in the $1,500/night range. Times have changed, and you clearly have to pay to play. The reality is that there are so many more people traveling, and many more who have the means to travel today. What that means is: there’s often not a meaningful savings during the traditional off-season months. So, travel when you can, as even paying the premium for three weeks in Italy, it was well worth it. (That’s also from personal experience.)

A Work from Italy Month

We are coming up on 15 years of Galavante this November. I’ll share more of my thoughts on that in my note for our annual Thanksgiving Issue. In this 15 years, I’ve rarely taken a day off, as I know my most productive work day is Saturday. I love what I do, though — so each day has mostly felt like a privilege. Humbly speaking with only gratitude in my heart, I’ve seen the world through the lens of the most extraordinary hotels and luxury experiences. And as you can see, I make tracks when it comes to travel, more than maximizing my limited time on the ground. That’s why we have so much to share with you, and I wouldn’t change a thing in any of these experience.

A Different Trip, for A Different Time

The trip I took to work from Italy for three weeks was so different from anything I’ve done in my 15 years of Galavante. Firstly, during that time, I returned to places like Rome, Florence and Tuscany, which I’ve been to more times than I can count. I also spent more time in each place than my schedule normally allows.

And secondly, I stayed in hotels that were luxury, but not my usual suspects. I originally approached the trip thinking I would re-visit the same hotels I had been to before. Maybe it was Stockholm Syndrome — not sure why I thought that was a good idea. I was in a completely different place and with a completely different person in my life when I did those trips. Luckily, the universe, and my travel +1 had different ideas, and the past month turned out better for it.

I’m back now, and energized with a greater perspective and direction. I’m ready to take on the world. So for the someone who made this one of my top two trips to Italy, thank you, thank you, thank you.

All the Best,

Christine Drinan, Founder

Christine’s Other Musings

We Love New York 
The Beautiful American Dream
Notes From the Field