Where to go in May

>- May is the sweet spot for the northern Mediterranean, Japan, the US Southwest and southern Africa. You get warm days, long daylight and, outside holiday weekends, prices below the June-to-August peak. It is the wrong month for the Caribbean, the Gulf, South Asia and most of Southeast Asia, where heat, humidity and the coming monsoon make city days hard work.

>- The rule of thumb: in May, go north of the tropics for a mild spring, or south of the equator for the start of the dry season. Stay away from the belt in between unless you are heading for high altitude or a coast with a sea breeze.

>- This applies to leisure travellers with a one- to three-week window who can choose the month, and to anyone locked into a May school break or a fixed work holiday. It matters most if you are booking flights and accommodation now: the difference between the first and last week of May can be 20–40% on the same hotel.

>- It applies less if you are visiting family, on business, or travelling to a specific event. In those cases use the month as given and plan around the weather rather than choosing a destination for it.

>- Passport and visa rules depend on your nationality, not the month. Check your own government's advice and the destination's immigration site before you book anything non-refundable.

>- Start with the climate band. Draw a line at the tropics: north of it, May is late spring; south of it, May is late autumn. Both are usually good. The tropics themselves are the problem zone, because May sits at the end of the dry season, when heat and humidity peak before the rain breaks.

>- Then check three things for your shortlist: average daytime high, rainfall days and the local holiday calendar. A destination with a 30 °C high and two rain days is a beach trip; the same temperature with twelve rain days is a city trip with a rain jacket.

>- Then price it. Compare the same hotel for the first and last week of May, and again for the first week of June. If the June price is much higher, May is the value window and you should book before it closes.

>- Finally, check the practical layer: visa or entry rules for your passport, travel insurance that covers the activities you plan, and whether the season you are chasing is actually open (mountain passes, safari camps, ferries and island connections often start or stop on fixed dates).

>- May is a shoulder month in most of the northern hemisphere, which means prices sit between the winter low and the summer peak. As a rough 2026 estimate, a mid-range double room in the Mediterranean runs about €90–160 a night in early May and €120–220 in the last week; the same room in July can be double the early-May figure. Flights follow the same curve, with the steepest step-up in the final ten days of the month.

>- Southern Africa and South America are entering high season for wildlife and trekking, so lodge and guide prices are already at peak even though flights may still be reasonable. Book safari camps and Inca Trail permits months ahead; both sell out.

>- Time: one week is enough for a single city plus one region. Two weeks lets you add a second base or a domestic flight. Three weeks is the point at which a multi-country trip in one region starts to make sense. Add a full day at each end for long-haul flights and jet lag.

>- Budget lines to remember: travel insurance, any visa or entry fee, airport transfers, and a buffer of about 10% for weather-driven changes.

>- Golden Week in Japan (late April to early May) is the busiest domestic travel period of the year. Trains, hotels and popular sights fill months ahead and prices spike. If Japan is your plan, aim for the second half of May.

>- US Memorial Day, the last Monday of May, turns a normal weekend into a three-day surge at national parks, beaches and airports. Book campsites and park lodges early, or travel the week before.

>- The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on 1 June, but late-May storms do form. If you are set on the Caribbean, buy insurance that covers weather disruption and check the cancellation terms.

>- In the Himalayas and the Andes, May is a good trekking window but nights are below freezing at altitude and afternoon cloud can build. Acclimatise properly and carry a warm layer.

>- In the southern hemisphere, May is late autumn: Cape Town and Buenos Aires can be wet and windy, while Namibia and Botswana are dry but cold after dark. Pack for two seasons in one day.

>- April is cooler and often wetter in the Mediterranean, with fewer crowds. June is warmer and drier but noticeably busier and more expensive. May sits between them and is usually the best balance for Europe and Japan.

>- For the southern hemisphere, May is the start of the dry season; June and July are drier and colder, with better wildlife viewing but higher prices. If you want the dry season without peak rates, May is the compromise.

>- If your dates are fixed to June, July or August instead, the same logic applies in reverse: move north for summer, or go high or coastal in the tropics.