Editor’s Choice

Top ‘Shoulder Season’ Sojourns for Couples, Young Families, and Solo Travellers

13 August 2024

In travel terms, the ‘shoulder season’ refers to the lull between peak and off-peak travel times for popular holiday destinations.

Usually, this means April to mid-June, and September to October… a ‘shoulder’ on either side of summer!

There is a wealth of benefits to taking a trip during shoulder season. Not only will you escape the tourist hordes – and noisy children on their school holidays! – but prices are usually cheaper, too.

That’s why we’ve lined up some of our favourite shoulder season sojourns, especially for couples, families with young children, and those holidaying alone.

(You’re welcome!)

Author: Nina Jervis
Main image: Breac.House | County Donegal

East Quay Pods

Watchet, Somerset, England

Five ultra-creative, individually-styled retreats that form part of a community-focused arts hub, elevated on the Somerset coast with incredible far-reaching views.

Bedrooms: 1 or 2 per pod

Sleeps: 6

From

£110 - 180 /nt

Arctic Lighthouse Hotel

Hailuoto, Northern Ostrobothnia

A captivating, story-rich retreat, peacefully nestled at the foot of a former lighthouse on Finland's largest sea island, for expansive views across the Gulf of Bothnia.

Bedrooms: Varies per room

Sleeps: Varies per room

From

£85 /nt (room)

Roulotte Retreat

Melrose, Scottish Borders, Scotland

Enrich your senses and live life on artisan wheels with this exquisitely quirky ‘glamvanning' experience in the wildflower-strewn natural setting of the Scottish Borders.

Bedrooms: Varies

Sleeps: Varies

From

£110 / night

The Little Barn

Richmond, North Yorkshire, England

Relax in an enchanting stone cottage for two, blissfully secluded from the world's worries amongst miles of scenic Yorkshire countryside.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£95 / night

Hobbitenango

Antigua, Central Highlands, Guatemala

Experience the fantasy world of storybooks, set high above the Antiguan hills with breathtaking volcano views.

Bedrooms: 1 per casita

Sleeps: 4 or 6 per casita

From

£60 / night

The Bodmin Jail Hotel

Bodmin, Cornwall, England

Lock yourself up in a characterful Cornish landmark that's steeped in history and creative imagination, with elegant design features, dog-friendly rooms, and a gourmet restaurant in the gothic chapel!

Bedrooms: 70 rooms

Sleeps: Varies

From

£197 / night

Breac.House

Dunfanaghy, County Donegal, Ireland

Offering glorious architecture, exquisite hand-crafted furnishings and the rugged wilderness of North West Donegal, a stay at Breac House is sure to delight, indulge and inspire.

Bedrooms:

Sleeps: 2 per room

From

£318 prpn

Westside Woodshed

Near Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Westside Woodshed is an architect-designed oasis of calm, peacefully located at the end of a winding farm track in Scotland's Pentland Hills.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£910 (1 week)

The Enchanted Faraway Tree

Nr Canterbury, Kent, England

Spirit yourself away to The Enchanted Faraway Tree - a storybook-inspired hideaway in the form of a unique treehouse pod, cosily nestled in the Garden of England.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£450 (2nts)

Tor View Shepherd's Huts

Maesbury, Somerset, England

Meet Ted and Len, two luxurious hot tub hideaways perched high on Somerset's soothing Mendip Hills at Tor View Shepherd's Huts.

Bedrooms: 1 per hut

Sleeps: 2

From

£109 / night

Will's Tree House

Upper Tysoe, Warwickshire, England

Architect-designed luxury amongst the leaves, set on a working farm in a Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Bedrooms: Studio

Sleeps: 4

From

£255 / night

Glamping Canonici di San Marco

Mirano, Venice, Italy

A pioneering taste of nature and luxury await, in a glamping paradise set just 20 minutes from Venice.

Bedrooms: Varies

Sleeps: 2-6 per tent

From

£108 / night

Tree House Retreats

Midhurst, West Sussex, England

Escape the everyday in the most beautiful way, in a luxurious, dog-friendly treehouse set amongst ancient estate woodland at the heart of the South Downs National Park.

Bedrooms: 1 per treehouse

Sleeps: 4

From

£250 / night

Lushna Suites at Lee Wick Farm

St Osyth, Essex, England

Eco-friendly glamping on a working potato farm... complete with spectacular sea views.

Bedrooms: Varies

Sleeps: 2 or 2(+2) per Suite

From

£80 / night

Radar

Dungeness, Kent, England

A wildly romantic escape for two, set on the Dungeness Nature Reserve and looking out across miles of wildlife, beach and open sky.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£660 (2 nts)

Lake Inari Mobile Cabins

Inari, Lapland, Finland

Lovingly hand-crafted havens, drawn by evening onto a vast, scenic ice-lake in Finnish Lapland, for the best possible chance of witnessing the captivating Northern Lights.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2 or 4 per cabin

From

£279 / night