Autumn Special: why you should travel in the low-season (+ 5 trip ideas for Autumn 2018)

Travelling in Autumn? It has its advantages. Here are some great ideas for an Autumnal weekend away

1. Tea and Hot Chocolate are back

There is only one thing that makes the arrival of the cold bearable: a huge cup of hot chocolate. Chocolate is usually banished in the hottest months (no-one likes sticky chocolate melting your pocket), but at the first sighting of red leaves falling off branches, this drink (the best in the universe) is reappropriate to its well-deserved title of daily afternoon snack.

Don't miss the most famous chocolate festival in Italy for all you chocoholics: from 19 to 28 October Perugia is filled with the scent of cocoa of Eurochocolate 2018 - between cooking shows, stalls and workshops open to everyone, you can admire the art of chocolate itself. The Querceto B&B is located right in the middle of the event which extends through most of the historic centre ... saved money on your accomodation? More chocolates for snacking!

Afternoon tea is also a true autumnal tradition, so you should already know where to spend an unforgettable Autumn weekend: have you ever seen London filled with yellows and oranges leaves? It's a sight that you just can't miss, especially if you can enjoy the view of Hyde Park from your hostel window; just choose a Smart Hyde Park View room to wake up with the sun rising over the park's fiery red foliage. Remember: Queen Elizabeth is waiting for tea at 17.00, no delays allowed!

2. It's time for sweaters again!

When you think that the uniform of t-shirt + shorts is now unbeatable in terms of comfort, here come the sweaters to compete for supremacy. The advantages are basically endless: they go with any kind of trousers, perfect for a party or a trip to the city and, above all, allow you to eat that slice of cake without worries.

With the right pair of sweaters in the suitcase, no destination is off limit - even the coldest ones. So even if Canada is known to be one of the great frosty nations, Québec is easily visited during Autumn if you have a comfortable wool sweater, as temperatures beginning to touch zero only from mid-November onwards. Why's it worth it? Because the autumn foliage of the huge Candian Red Mapel Tree is a simply breathtaking spectacle. When the evening comes, flee the cold and hide in a hostel (we recommend the Auberge Jeunesse in LouLou) and warm up with a generous amount of sugared maple syrup on steaming pancakes.

3. Nature has never been so beautiful

Autumn is definitely a contradictory season in nature: flowers no longer bloom, the animals are preparing to hibernate, the grass is dying and the plants tremble from the cold ... yet there is no vegetation more fascinating than that in autumn. For every fallen leaf there is a photographer trying to catch the melancholy wonder of the yellows, oranges, reds and browns that mingle between the branches, creating rainbow across the earth.

Central Park is undoubtedly one of the most unique parks in the world, but in autumn it really takes your breath away: the foliage of the trees is a puzzle of colours that contrast with the grey skyscrapers in the background. To not miss the show choose HI NYC Hostel: among all the hostels in New York it is definitely the one closest to Central Park, just 15 minutes walk from the entrance... you can even see some reddish tuft of leaves from the bedroom window!

4. Halloween, or candy at will (without the guilt)

Over the years, Halloween has become a worthy opponent of the well-loved Italian mid-summer holiday (Ferragosto), which has now conquered all of Europe to the sound of trick or treat!?. However, to experience Halloween in all its madness you really need to go to America, home of the scariest night of the year.

New Orleans is undoubtedly the best choice for a dizzying Halloween. The innate sensual and mysterious soul of the city explodes in the streets on the evening of October 31st, with live music and festivities that animate every bar in the French Quarter. If you stay at The Atlas House, you just have to go down to the street to join the Krewe of Boo Halloween, a (to say the least) parade of deathly masks and floats that runs through the entire city.

5. New culinary flavours: pumpkin and roasted chestnuts, the winning combination

Each season brings new products that land in our tables ... finally, it's time for chestnuts! The roast chestnuts are the par excellence autumn street food, the crowning of every country festival and perfect to plug that hole in your stomach in the late afternoon. And what about the pumpkin (when it is not sacrificed as a lantern on October 31) can be used for hundreds of different recipes, not forgetting the famous pumpkin risotto. On the other hand, the autumn cuisine is a riot of warm colors: from orange oranges (of course) and persimmons to reddish figs, to brown shades of mushrooms and walnuts.

To taste the best that autumn has to offer you don't need to travel a lot: Italy does not give up its title as the queen of the table even in the colder months and, thanks to the hundreds of festivals and fairs scattered throughout the country, it remains the gastronomic destination par excellence. Just take a look at the Autumn Delights 2018 program see its success. The Treviso event, which extends throughout all of autumn, doesn't leave out any delicacy: mushrooms, chestnuts, quince, pumpkin ... autumn on a plate!

And how are you going to spend the autumn? Let us know your travel plans and we will help you find the perfect hostel for the low season!