Fall is the new summer

Brandon here, with money- and sanity-saving travel tips [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hey, friends, it’s [Brandon Presser]( here, getting ready to head back to the US after wrapping up research on my most recent assignment. I spend more than half the year on the road for Pursuits, and I’ll dig into some details of my latest destination research in just a moment. But first, I have a confession to make: I’m so glad summer is over. I’ll just come out and say it: I hate summer. Hate it. The noxious heat, the obnoxious crowds, the obscene prices and the socially acceptable flakiness. One reason I stayed close to home to research [the ultimate guide to Toronto](. Also just in time for the city’s annual film festival. Source: Destination Toronto Before the season began in earnest, I hopped over to Europe to dive deep into [Manchester]( the UK’s criminally overlooked second city, for our [Two-Night Minimum series]( and then audited a handful of hotels in London and Paris. Standouts included the [Broadwick Soho]( won me over with its unabashed maximalist décor, intuitive service and cozy top-floor Champagne bar—and the [SO/ Paris]( which swaps old-timey Parisian style for fresh-faced rooms and views of the Seine. The property gets bonus points for its spa-grade line of skin care you can apply before bed. A suite at the Broadwick Soho. [Taylor Swift slept here]( during her Eras tour. Photographer: Brandon Presser But once the summer solstice struck, I was like Cinderella at the ball at midnight, swiftly turning into a pumpkin and retreating home to Indiana. I am not a complete summer scrooge: Since the pandemic I’ve hosted Summer Club at my house every Wednesday evening, an open door for friends to swing by for wine and snacks between weekends away at their lake houses. But it takes a lot of cajoling to get me on an (overpriced) airplane in July. Custom matchbooks for my annual stay-at-home Summer Club. Photographer: Brandon Presser Fall is the new summer, and it turns out [a lot of other people feel the same]( way as me. What was once a marketing ploy by destinations hoping to extend their tourism season has become the best way to enjoy popular travel destinations when visitor numbers, sweltering temperatures and prices go down. For many, this means nudging what would have been their August trip to Europe into September and October. (Yes, I fully appreciate that many of us are hamstrung by the academic calendar, but for those who can, please do.) I’ve pulled together a handful of fall travel suggestions, bulleted below. No European spot has had faster tourism growth from the US this summer than the Azores. With nonstop flights, great outdoors and cool temperatures, [we can see why.]( Photographer: Getty Images What if summer is your only opportunity for an extended holiday? Here’s a hack: the southern hemisphere. As winter wraps up on the bottom half of the globe, I’m writing this from São Paulo, where the weather has been a steady, summery 80F all week, and restaurant bookings at the city’s top spots such as [Evvai]( and [Tuju]( have been remarkably easy to score because international travelers are still battling it out for tables in the northern hemisphere. Connect with Brandon on [Instagram](. [Branded merchandise is taking off]( as guests and aspiring guests invest in swag from top hotels and resorts. Source: Companies Fall travel planning ideas [Two-Night Minimum: Bogotá]( Colombia’s capital is poised to be the next Mexico City; go now for a long weekend before it’s overrun with digital nomads. [Europe for Less]( Don’t discount these discounted Euro holidays in Denmark, England and Italy. Fall is the perfect time to cross the pond. [The Six Best Hotels in Tokyo for Under $500]( The yen may be down, but Japan’s hotel prices continue to increase. Book one of these more affordable options on your late-autumn leaf-peeping foray. [The Riviera in Greece That Tourists Haven’t Invaded Yet]( A handy tool to help navigate the best of the best Greek Isles. [The Best New Hotels in the French Riviera Are Under $500Â]( I’ll take the quaintness of St-Tropez in the pleasant breeze of the off-season over the broiled, bikini-clad paparazzi and yatchtarazzi any day. [Five Fall Weekend Trips From NYC]( New inns and resorts that beckon beyond a beach break. Barcelona has become a flash point for overtourism. [Here’s where to go and what to do]( to escape the crowds Photographer: Getty Images/iStockphoto Armchair essentials I recently found a pristine copy of Patricia Schultz’s [1,000 Places to See Before You Die]( at a used bookstore. For less than the price of a Starbucks latte, I took home the bestselling tome and had fun time-traveling back 21 years to a very different era of aspirational vacations. Far fewer flight paths and far less hotel infrastructure meant that most people’s travel bucket lists looked significantly different than they do today. The 2003 classic. Photographer: Brandon Presser Granted, Schultz’s compendium reflects her Western bias and a myopia regarding Africa and Asia beyond their colonial trappings, but it’s a great reminder that we needn’t always concern ourselves with the trendiest new hotel; the classics never go out of style. If traveling’s not in the cards for you this fall, here are a few other books—two fiction, two nonfiction—that will help transport you around the world: - [Great Circle]( by Maggie Shipstead - [In the Shadow of the Greenbrier]( Emily Matchar - [Monk: Light and Shadow on the Philosopher’s PathÂ]( Yoshihiro Imai - [The Far Land: 200 Years of Murder, Mania, and Mutiny in the South Pacific]( by Brandon Presser (Yes, that’s me!) Friends you haven’t met yet As I mentioned earlier, I’m wrapping up a two-week stint in São Paulo for the next installment of [Two-Night Minimum]( our obsessively researched city guide series. “Obsessive” being the operative word. What began with the straightforward premise of clearing out travel’s sponsored-content spiderwebs (practically all lifestyle content we find online these days is concocted through freebies or advertorial obligation) has turned into an all-consuming crusade to experience everything a destination has to offer. I also make the time to go undercover on private jets, in Michelin-star restaurants and luxury resorts. Sounds pretty cool, right? [Here’s what it takes to serve the ultrawealthy.]( Source: Bloomberg Originals This intensity means early mornings, late nights, Road Runner-style speed-walking through museums and markets, and at least six restaurant meals a day. (My doctor isn’t thrilled about my cholesterol, but that’s a whole other story.) The only way to truly get to the heart of a destination, however, is through its locals. I’m always looking for people I call “superconnectors” who not only help illuminate the facets of their hometown but sync me with their network so I can play a little game of Six Degrees of Destination. Out on the streets of Pinheiros with one of my São Paulo superconnectors, Larissa. Photographer: Brandon Presser As a tribute to some of my favorite people I’ve met along the way—and to provide a local’s firsthand perspective on the cities we’ve covered—we’ve created a companion series to Two-Night Minimum we call Two Perfect Days. For this we interview two individuals in each destination about all their favorite things, from the route they follow for their sunrise runs to the perfect spot for a postdinner cocktail, and everything in between. [Two Copenhagen Insiders Share Itineraries for a Perfect Day in Town]( [Two Bogotá Insiders Share Itineraries for a Perfect Day in Town]( [Two Singapore Insiders Share Itineraries for a Perfect Day in Town]( [Two Denver Insiders Share Itineraries for a Perfect Day in Town]( Delving into my map of saved points of interest to research in São Paulo. Source: Brandon Presser You had questions … So, here are some answers! Keep them coming for next week via our [Bloomberg Pursuits]( Instagram]( and [e-mail](mailto:askpursuits@bloomberg.net?I%20have%20a%20question). I keep reading news about volcano eruptions in Iceland. What’s the deal with travel safety on the island? The volcanic fissure that keeps bursting is not impacting travel whatsoever. In fact, it’s made for a nice little drive-by photo-op from the car window on the road connecting the international airport with Reykjavik. Access to the area with the geological disturbance is restricted; the eruptions have only mildly affected operations at [Blue Lagoon]( and safety protocols are in place should any sudden action occur. Fall is actually the best time to visit Iceland: The chance of [seeing the northern lights]( increases, traveler numbers go down and daylight doesn’t significantly dwindle until the second half of October. If you have the time (three days should do the trick), check out the new [Highland Base]( a small hotel with comfy, climatized digs and soothing hot pools built deep in the heart of Iceland’s uninhabited interior. [The wrong way to visit Iceland.]( Ignore everything Instagram shows you, and venture instead to the hidden places few travelers have ever seen. Photographer: Arnaldur Halldorsson It seems as if everyone I know is going to Japan right now. Have I missed the boat? Is it totally overrun with tourists? Don’t stress—there’s plenty of Japan to go around. Yes, [American tourism numbers are up]( but Chinese visitor numbers (the lion’s share of Japan’s pre-pandemic tourism) are still down by a staggering 40%. It certainly doesn’t mean you’ll have the vistas from Kyoto’s [Kiyomizu-dera]( temple to yourself, but with the right planning you can swiftly navigate through the crowds. Let’s not forget that Tokyo is a megalopolis of around 40 million people. There are dozens of trendy neighborhoods to explore away from the trodden tourist circuit. If disencumbering yourself from other tourists is your main goal, seek out lesser-known nabes in Setagaya-ku, Meguro-ku or Suginami-ku. (A “ku” is Tokyo’s version of a borough.) Hyatt is doubling down on Japan with [its own brand of luxury ryokans]( adapted for the international traveler. (And, yes, you'll be able to book with points.) Source: Kiraku It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to travel to the far ends of Japan to escape the crowds either. There are plenty of worthy spots situated less than two hours by train from both Tokyo and Kyoto. If you’re looking to tack on a rural stay, skip the ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) of popular Hakone and try [Byaku Narai]( in the old post town of Narai-juku, once a stop on the mountain trail that connected Kyoto and Tokyo by foot. Or check out [Shishi-Iwa House]( in Karuizawa, a favorite weekend destination for the imperial family and well-heeled Tokyoites. Also, [listen to this]( for all of your “Japlanning” needs. Twilight in Narai-juku, home to Byaku Narai, one of Japan’s best rural stays. Photographer: Brandon Presser Like fancy watches and fine drinking? New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. Just look for the "Gift this article" button on stories. (Not a subscriber? 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