With spring break just around the corner, students from all over the country are planning to celebrate the break by going to some of the most beautiful places around. However, the prices of some places such as Hawaii and the all-inclusive cruise packages that empty one’s pockets can seem a little overwhelming for the average college student. Thankfully, there are places that are affordable to go to without breaking the bank.Cancun, Mexico, which tends to be one of the hottest selling spring break locales, can have a large range of prices in tickets. It usually is cheaper to book plane tickets and hotels weeks or months ahead of time, and sometimes the group offers are available to islands and resorts at discount prices per person.
Student Travel Services offers the largest organization of packages, cruises, all-inclusive trips and group discounts. The Web site is www.ststravel.com. Another popular website that is sponsored by MTV is Spring Break Travel; the website is www.springbreaktravel.com.
Springbreak.com is also a site that hosts many inside scoops on fun events that are happening this year for spring break.
For a package from American Airlines, a person can book the flight and hotel for around $1,100 to $1,500 per person to Cancun. All inclusive packages tend to run a bit higher, but factoring in food and drink expenses can always help decide the best way to go.
If a person wants to stay in the United States, the state of Florida is probably one of the most popular vacation destinations for spring break. The weather is beautiful at this time of year, and one can save a lot of money compared to places such as Cancun, Jamaica, Acapulco, Hawaii, Amsterdam and the Bahamas.
Florida has numerous places that offer fun activities for students on spring break. South Beach, Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers and Daytona Beach are very popular areas to vacation in March.
A flight and hotel package to areas in Florida can range anywhere from $700 – $1200 per person. American Airlines is offering deals this week for March 10 through March 16 starting at Philadelphia International Airport to Fort Myer’s, Florida for around $800 with tax for air and hotel per person. Air transportation alone should range around $300- $500 per person for last minute flights.
California is also a popular spring break stop for many students each year. Late booking packages are also available to numerous cities in California for around $800 – $1200. The weather is beautiful and higher in temperatures all-year round in California. If looking for beautiful sites without the major events of spring break, this is an awesome place to visit.
Texas also offers many vacation packages for last minute deals that are sure to provide numerous activities to entertain during spring break. Another spot that not many people consider for vacation is Arizona. The weather is gorgeous, and it is hot in March. Arizona tends to be more affordable than out of the U.S. packages available last minute.
Concerts, clubs, site seeing, pools, parties, people and fun are the most sought after events for the upcoming break from the everyday overload of college and the many courses that take up weekly schedules. Work can also become overwhelming, and when a person is young, there are many more opportunities to enjoy traveling than when s/he has major responsibilities that college prepares for everyday.
Remember to be safe, and have fun on spring break, no matter what you do. Good luck if you have not booked the flight or hotel room yet. The best advice is to book as soon as possible so that hotels and good airtimes are still available. Enjoy the sun and good times that await spring break 2008.
Leanne Sturt is a second-year student majoring in English with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at LS637862@wcupa.edu.