© irene waters 2015
Travelling in Europe in the Off season gives you a different perspective. We travelled in the early spring before the summer holidays. The towns whose multiple car parks alert us that this is a tourist town are deserted of both people and cars. Not only can we park in the closest car park to the town, often we can park in the town.
© irene waters 2015
Camping off-season gave us a whole set of different problems in Europe. Prior to the summer holidays when it becomes open slather for tourists the camping site proprietors often close down their camp grounds and take their own holidays. Luckily this only necessitated staying in one hotel and far from giving us a luxurious night, sleeping in a bed, we longed for our little self-erecting tent.
© irene waters 2015
Being country dwellers in Australia we appreciated our sole occupancy of many of these tourist routes. Had we come in the summer I doubt that we would have seen as many of the towns that we did. We avoided the cities by following our compass, following exits that took us in the direction we were heading for. We had no particular destinations in mind.
© irene waters 2015
Many of the camping grounds we stayed at were like five-star resorts with pools surrounded by lounge chairs. In summer I imagine these would have been filled with happy campers and the sound of children playing would fill the air.
© irene waters 2015
And the Ardeche would be filled with canoes and those enjoying themselves in the river.
© irene waters 2015
And again this terraced camp site would have been dotted with tents.
© irene waters 2015
and people
© irene waters 2015
and even more people
© irene waters 2015
and tents and camper vans.
© irene waters 2015
Picnic tables would also have been filled.
© irene waters 2015
© irene waters 2015
© irene waters 2015
For the locals though, off season meant that their sailing craft remained furled and anchored on the shores of Lake Geneva rather than having their sails filled with the wind sending them flying around the lake as they would in the summer months.
Prepared for Weekly Photo Challenge
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Great time to take your holiday, I think. Really enjoyed your photos of the “Off season”.
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Yes it was good not to have the crowds and all the parking problems and queuing that goes along with them. Glad you enjoyed them and thanks for commenting.
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I Love all that room to relax and enjoy!
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Me too. Preferable to the crowds any day.
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The older I get the less tolerant of crowds I become.
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Me too.
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I don’t travel much so am grateful for my vicarious trek through Europe, and all the other places you visit, via your photos and captions. Thank you, Irene.
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Love having you in my suitcase with me (or is it my camera bag?)
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What a beautiful set of photographs. Of course the advantage is that you don’t have to jostle with others for space, but you don’t have the company of others or the hubbub of the high tourist season either. As long as the weather, which often determines high and low season, stays okay, you’ll probably be all right. 🙂
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Yes I was happy without the crowds although there was the odd thing that didn’t open until the tourist season but I bet if we had been in the high season we wouldn’t have stood in queues waiting so we probably wouldn’t have seen the thing anyway. 🙂
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There are definitely some advantages. Cost can be one in the low season too! 🙂
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I much prefer travelling out of season, this looks blissful, ideal for explorers!
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Yes if you don’t like crowds it is ideal indeed.
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Awesome photos. From where?
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Most of these are in southern France — Provence, the Dordogne. The sixth last one is northern Switzerland virtually on the border with Germany and the last one is in Geneva. At another time of year all these would be filled with people.
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There’s such a different vibe off-season. Great shots!
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Lovely without the crowds.
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