As the Spring Break
season approaches, would-be travelers are gearing up for getaways filled with
sun, fun and savings.
This year, the good news is that traveling for Spring
Break is more affordable compared to last year. According to KAYAKs latest report,
airfare is down three
percent for March getaways and eight percent for April escapes, compared
with 2023.
Whether you're a
college student seeking sun-soaked days of partying hard or a family eager to
find some adventures away from home together, there are ample opportunities out
there for an envy-inducing vacation.
As with planning
any kind of travel, timing can be everything. The optimal booking period for your
Spring Break getaway will vary depending on your destination and travel dates.?
If you're aligning
with the university calendar for a March escape, youll need to look at booking
international travel between 30 and 60 days before your departure date,
according to Google Flightsso, basically, now. For domestic trips within the U.S.,
you can usually book anywhere between 7 and 45 days in advance and still score
a deal.?
Planning an April
vacation instead? It's advisable to book around 70 days ahead for international
flightsagain, essentially, now. But, theres more flexibility when youre
traveling domestically, as you can find decent pricing on bookings as far ahead
as 45 days in advance or as few as seven days before departure.
Friends going on a road trip. (Photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus/simonapilolla)
Budget-Friendly
Destinations
If youre basing
your destination decision on finding the cheapest airfare, KAYAK recommends
that you stick with North, and Central or South America, which, of course, makes
sense if distance equals dollars. Somewhat surprisingly, there are actually minimal
price discrepancies between some U.S. cities and locations, such as Toronto,
Guadalajara and San Salvador.
Based on its propriety
data, the major metasearch engine has come up with a list of the spring break
destinations with the cheapest round-trip airfare pricing, based on whether youll
be traveling in March or April.?
If youre staying
stateside, the most budget-friendly destinations for March, with average airfare
costs ranging from $265 to $304 (listed from cheapest to priciest) are
Baltimore, Nashville, Chicago,
Atlanta,
New
York City, St. Louis, Orlando,
Boston, Denver and Las
Vegas.
If youre yearning to go abroad on the cheap, you can do so for average
prices of anywhere from $303 to $464 by heading to Toronto, Guadalajara,
Montreal, San Salvador, Calgary, Medellin, Guatemala City, Santiago de los
Caballeros (Dominican
Republic), Vancouver or Mexico City.?
Cancun Hotel Zone. (Photo Credit: Quintana Roo Tourism Board)
If youre off in
April, many of the best destination options are the same as those listed for
March. If you prefer to do domestic, for average roundtrip airfare prices
spanning $268 to $329, your best bets will be Denver, Chicago, Tampa, Nashville,
St. Louis, New York City, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Atlanta and Minneapolis. If
you have your heart set on something international, you can find flights priced
at an average of $300 to $496 bound for San Salvador, Toronto, Vancouver,
Montreal, Guatemala City, Medellin, Tulum, Mexico City, Santo Domingo (Dominican
Republic) and Cancun.
While that last selection
may be on the higher end of the spectrum, travel advisor Miki Taylor of Taylor & Co. Travel, says Cancunalready famous as a Spring Break hotspotis always a
solid choice.
I always recommend Cancun area and I always recommend all-inclusive
now, she told us. My spring breakers range from those on a very tight budget
that dont really care what its like to some more luxury high-end spring
breakers that want the high-end accommodations, but no matter what budget range
theyre in, you cant go wrong with the Cancun area.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
