With Spring Break rapidly approaching, the time has come yet again for college students to take a week to blow off some steam, leaving many students wondering how to spend their break and how much it will cost them.
For those students who decide to take advantage of their week off by getting out of town, the worry of being able to afford a week (or even just a few days) away can be stressful. So how can college students get the most bang for their buck over Spring Break?
Here are my top seven tips for having a fun, affordable Spring Break.
Last Minute Deals- If you are willing to wait until the last possible second to make plans for Spring Break, travel websites often have some great last minute deals on hotel accommodations, car rentals, and flights. Check out the deals on Expedia, Hotwire, Travelocity, and Priceline to save some money on hotel and travel costs.
Do Your Research- There are many companies that work specifically with college students to help them create fun, affordable travel plans for Spring Break. Doing a simple Google search can help you find a company who will help you stretch your dollar over Spring Break. Here are a few of my favorite sites:
- StudentCity.com- This is an easy to use site that let’s you create your own Spring Break trip. Check out the Hot Spring Break Deals section for awesome, cheap Spring Break getaways.
- SpringBreakTravel.com- This site boast the best deals on Spring Break trips. They back this statement up with a promise that they will pay you 150% of the difference between their trip and their competitors if their competitor sells the same trip for cheaper.
- STSTravel.com- This is a great site with some fantastic Spring Break resources including planning tips, a blog, and a list of awesome events going on at Spring Break hotspots.
- SunSplashTours.com- This site offers deals for groups of students traveling together. It also has a fantastic “hot deals” section with great package deals.
The More the Merrier- If you insist on going somewhere where you must stay in a hotel, be sure to travel with friends. While many hotels can be sticklers about how many people are allowed in one room, the more people you squeeze into a hotel room, the cheaper it is per person to stay at the hotel. Also, some travel sites offer group discounts for students who travel together. Check out Triporama, Group Travel Directory, and GroupTravel.com for great money saving deals and tips for students traveling in a group.
Don’t Stray Too Far- In California, we are fortunate to have the beach and mountains extremely close to each other. And we are fortunate to have major tourist destinations close to each other as well. Instead of booking a flight somewhere and paying a ton of money, stay close to your college by venturing a couple hours away from wherever your college is located. This may put you in the mountains or at another gorgeous beach town. There is no need to pay an arm and a leg for a trip to Hawaii when there are beaches in California that are beautiful. My picks? San Diego, Newport Beach, and Pismo Beach. If you are a mountain person, check out Lake Tahoe, Mammoth, and Big Bear. Don’t live in California? Check out some tourist destinations in your state to save money.
Amtrak- If you insist on traveling farther than you want to drive, use Amtrak. I can speak from experience when I say that if you hop on the Pacific Surfliner the Friday of finals week to head wherever you are going for Spring Break, it will be one of the highlights of your break. You get to sit back, have a beer or two, enjoy the view of the ocean, and hang out with 400 other college students who are headed out of town for spring break. A roundtrip ticket from Goleta to San Diego costs $68.00, $57.80 if you have a student advantage card. This is WAY better than a flight from Goleta to San Diego, which runs at least $287.00 roundtrip. Also be sure to check out Greyhound or other bus services for cheap travel.
Visit Friends- This is a great way to have a vacation without having to pay for accommodations. If you haven’t seen your friends from high school in awhile, call them up and tell them you want to come visit them over break. Not only will you have a free couch to crash on, but you will have great company and a guaranteed awesome time reconnecting with an old friend.
And Finally, Just Go Home- Most students might disagree with me when I say that heading home for break is a vacation, and that is their prerogative. But where else are you going to know you will have great home cooked meals, a nice bed, and the company of your hometown friends? Pretty much nowhere. The best part of going home for break? Free accommodations AND free meals. Good luck finding that anywhere else.
With all these money saving, cheap vacation options for Spring Break, no student has any excuse to stick around campus.
Have any suggestions for Spring Break travelers not listed here? Share them in the comment section!
