How we make money (the honest version).

What those /go links are

When you click a "check price" or product link on Best Times to Travel, it routes through a /goredirect on our own domain. Some of those links are affiliate links: to Amazon and, where a brand runs its own program, direct to the manufacturer. If you buy after clicking, the retailer pays us a commission. The price you pay is identical either way; the commission comes out of the retailer's margin, not your pocket. That commission funds the research, the trips that check it, and the writing.

Verdicts come first. Money comes after.

Verdicts are set on the merits: climate normals, event calendars, closure patterns, real prices, and real use, beforeanyone checks whether a product has an affiliate program. The order doesn't change afterward. If the best pick on a list earns us nothing, it stays at the top, and if a month is the wrong month, the page says so.

• A brand, hotel, or tourism board cannot buy a ranking, a "Best Overall" badge, or a softer verdict. Not for any amount.
• We don't accept sponsored verdicts or paid placements, and we don't run "advertorial" reviews.
• We don't take press trips or hosted stays in exchange for coverage; a comped anything doesn't buy a kinder month.
• If our verdict and our wallet ever disagree, the verdict wins. That's the whole business model: being worth trusting twice.

The methodology behind every verdict is published in full at how we research.

Our gear picks, too

The gear guides in Travel Smarter draw from products we actually travel with, verified against live retailer data. Those picks may include affiliate links, and the same rule applies: the merits pick the gear, not the payout.

The serious notes

• Timing verdicts are guidance, not guarantees. Climate normals are long-run averages, not forecasts; any single week can defy them. Event dates shift year to year, so confirm exact dates, entry requirements, and conditions with official sources before booking.
• Specs are the manufacturer's listed figures. Where a spec is the maker's stated number rather than one we verified ourselves, we say so. Real-world results vary.
• Prices change. We list approximate street prices at the time of writing; the "check price" link always shows the current number.

Questions?

A person reads every email: hello@besttimestotravel.com.