12 saker vi gillar med att resa på hösten

Text and photo: Helena Bergström

Summer often gets all the attention when it comes to travel. But does the travel season really have to end just because August does? Not at all, we think. In fact, fall can be a fantastic time to travel.

When this post is published, we are actually in the Greek archipelago, on Naxos and Sifnos, where we are hopefully enjoying the sun and pleasant Mediterranean warmth. At the same time, we like the Swedish autumn just as much, with colorful nature, mushrooms in the forest and dark evenings. Here are 12 things we like a little extra about traveling in the fall!

Table of contents

1. There is less congestion

There's something special that happens when the big holiday month is over. The beaches get a little emptier, the queues get shorter and in many popular destinations the pace slows down a bit.

Places that can feel almost overcrowded in the middle of summer suddenly become much more pleasant. You have more space to stroll, take photos and sit down at a café without feeling like half of Europe had the exact same idea.

On the Greek island of Andros last fall. No crowds on the beaches…

2. Nature explodes in color

Autumn is truly nature's grand finale. The trees change from green to yellow, orange and red, and sometimes it almost feels like the landscape is more beautiful with each passing day.

Of course, this doesn't just apply to Sweden. Traveling through, for example, Germany, Austria or other parts of Central Europe when the autumn colours come can be fantastically beautiful. And if you have a motorhome, the road itself suddenly becomes a big part of the experience.

3. It's the perfect time for a city trip

Discovering a city in 30-degree heat can be wonderful for about half an hour. Then you start looking for shade, ice cream, and air conditioning.

In the fall, the weather can be perfect for walking. You can walk around the sights, old quarters and museums all day, and if it starts to get chilly, you can sneak into a cozy café.

Besöka Atomium — In Brussels, in late autumn many years ago.

4. Motorhome life becomes extra cozy

Sure, we love warm summer evenings outside the camper, but there's also something very cozy about autumn camping. Darkness falls earlier, the lights come on inside the car, and you can cook something delicious while the rain patters against the roof.

In addition, it can be considerably quieter at both campsites and motorhome sites. You just need to remember to keep a closer eye on which ones are still open.

5. Autumn tastes very good

This could possibly be one of our strongest arguments for autumn. We love seafood, and crab is definitely one of our favorites. We recently went to Smögen, where it of course feels extra right to indulge in delicacies from the sea.

And then we have the mushrooms! In early September we were out in the forest where we found both chanterelles and Karl Johan. It's a special feeling to come home with a bag full of mushrooms and maybe fix a chanterelle sandwich. Autumn is simply a very good time for those who like to let food be part of the journey.

6. Autumn is full of fun events

Festivals and events can really be a reason to travel somewhere, and autumn has a lot to offer. We've already had a few early autumn events: Oktoberfest at Elmia Husvagn Husbil and the International Light Art Festival Island of Light on Smögen.

And then there are all the harvest festivals! Just the word sounds nice. Food, local products, markets and people coming together to celebrate what has been grown and produced during the year. It's hard not to get hungry.

At Oktoberfest this year. Sister-in-law Nilla and Peter.

7. It can be cheaper to travel

Of course, this doesn't always apply everywhere, but when the high season is over, it may be possible to find better prices on both accommodation and travel.

And sometimes you get more for your money in other ways too. A hotel in a better location might suddenly fit into your budget, or you can stay an extra night because prices have dropped.

8. You can extend the summer

We are actually testing this right now as this post is being published! While autumn has started to make itself felt back home in Sweden, we are on Naxos and Sifnos in Greece. Hopefully, we are currently sitting somewhere in the Mediterranean heat, contemplating which tavern to choose for the evening.

Traveling south in the fall can be a great way to get a few extra weeks of summer feeling. The sea has warmed up during the summer and the hottest period is over. Not bad at all.

In Greece, during a previous September trip.

9. Or you can do the exact opposite

Of course, you don't have to escape autumn. You can also throw yourself straight into it! Head to the forest, hike among the autumn colors, look for mushrooms, book a cabin, visit a castle or take a trip in your camper. A clear and crisp autumn day can be at least as wonderful as a warm summer day, but in a completely different way.

And if the weather turns bad, you can find a nice museum, a spa, a café or a really good restaurant.

Islandshästar — In Iceland, a chilly September day.

10. The attractions get a little more space

This is of course related to fewer people traveling, but we still think it deserves its own point.

Old city centers, castles, museums and other popular tourist destinations can be a completely different experience outside of the absolute peak season. You have time to look, stop and actually take in the place. And sometimes it's just as nice not to have to queue for ice cream as it is to have to queue for a museum.

Frankrike Michel — Peace and quiet when we visited Mont-Saint-Michel in France in late autumn.

11. There is more room for spontaneity

We might like this especially when we travel by motorhome. During peak season, popular campsites and parking lots can fill up quickly, and sometimes you need to think several steps ahead.

In the fall, there's often a little more leeway. Maybe you stay an extra night because you like it. Maybe you change your route because the sun happens to be shining in a different direction. Or you discover a place you never intended to visit in the first place. We like that kind of traveling.

Siggesta gård på Värmdö med ställplats — With the camper on an autumn adventure.

12. The travel year is far from over

Perhaps this is what we like most about traveling in the fall: the feeling that summer doesn't have to mean the end of adventures.

There is still so much left to experience. A spontaneous campervan weekend in Sweden, a weekend in a European city, an autumn festival, a hike among colorful leaves or a few warm days on a Greek island.

In other words, for us, autumn is far from the end of the travel season. Quite the opposite. It is a time of year that offers completely different experiences than summer, and perhaps it is precisely the variety that we enjoy so much.