When the Mob Is Gone.(International Edition; WINTER TRAVEL)(Europe's summer hot spots )

Byline: Ginanne Brownell

Europe's summer hot spots have plenty to offer in the off-season--with no traffic.

Ibiza in the summer is party central. European hipsters groove to house music in clubs like Space and Amnesia, rock stars and models sail to nearby Formentera for sangria-fueled lunches, and wealthy families rent Mediterranean villas for sun-soaked weeks of snorkeling and lounging. But just because the days are getting shorter and chillier doesn't mean the Balearic island is shutting down. With more than 300 days of sunshine a year and temperatures rarely dipping below 10 degrees Celsius, Ibiza's tourism industry is marketing the Spanish island as a year-round vacation destination. "Lots of people come back throughout the year to see different sides of the island," says Annabel Adams, who works for the Ibiza-based concierge service Deliciously Sorted. "They go mad [partying] in August, and in December they come back to get away from it all."

For many holidaymakers, summer's hot spots are far more pleasant in the off-season. Popular European destinations like Ibiza, St-Tropez and Dubrovnik suffer from traffic jams, crowded beaches and overbooked restaurants during the hot-weather months. And prices in July and August can be double or triple what they are off-season; the Four Seasons Resort Provence at Terre Blanche, for instance, books superior rooms for [euro]825 in July but [euro]345 from December through March. Such deals--especially in these hard economic times--are making Christmas in Cannes or New Year's in Naples an ever more alluring prospect. "Increasingly, destinations that are seasonal are attempting to stretch their season and get people to come all year," says John Lennon, a professor of tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University. "It's all about selling the benefits like it being less crowded, easier to move around and actually getting to see the architecture."

Tourism boards are busy rebranding their product for the off-season. Ibiza is promoting itself as an adventure holiday destination in the autumn and winter months, offering more than 20 biking trails across the island and trekking options along the stunning cliffs. Companies like D-Lite offer yoga packages, while five-star hotels like the Gran Hotel and Aguas de Ibiza play up their spa facilities. Gourmands ...