4 Ways to Find the Best Spring Break Deals

If your spring break starts on a Friday, that means not leaving town until Tuesday. Even if that sounds like a bummer, look at how much you’ll save by not flying on the same Friday as everyone else.

You should also compare flying out of your nearest airport with any other options a little further away. For example, if you go to school in Wisconsin, consider driving to Chicago to fly out of O’Hare instead of flying out of Milwaukee.

When booking flights, see if there’s an option to look at flights for airports outside of your city. You may be surprised how much you save by driving to a different airport. If you’re traveling with a few other people, consider getting an apartment or house instead of a hotel room. The rates will often be cheaper, you can cook your own meals and you won’t have to pay extra for amenities like laundry, on-site parking or WiFi.

Pick an Original Destination

Everyone wants to go to Florida or California for spring break. It’s warm, the beaches are plentiful and just about every community is built for tourism.

It’s also the obvious choice, which makes it inherently more expensive. Choosing a less well-known location will be be more affordable, so you’ll spend less on Airbnbs, restaurants, bars, Uber rides and more.

Look at more unique spots that will still fit your student budget. Make a list of any friends who live in cities you’re interested in. You’ll save a lot of money if you can find a free place to stay.

Consider visiting a non-beach town like New York or Washington D.C. These cities will still be a little chilly during spring break season, but you’ll find lower airline and hotel prices than if you go to Miami or Cancun.

If you do still want to go to the typical Panama City Beach locale, consider ways to make it cheaper. Try to cook more meals at your Airbnb instead of going out every night. Go to clubs and bars that have free cover or drink discounts. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than waking up with a hangover -and an overdrawn checking account.

Avoid Travel Scams

If you’re a college student, your parents have probably booked most of your vacations. Booking a trip for spring break sounds fun and simple, but it’s easy to make the wrong move. College students can often get sucked into scams and bad deals. Sometimes they just make honest mistakes, like booking an Airbnb that seems great and not realizing they’ll be sharing the house with the owner and another tenant.

Discount sites and apps can offer cheap travel packages that include flights and hotels, often for much less than what you’d pay when booking on a different site. The problem is, these hotels are often being remodeled, are located far away from the main drag or have some other major problem. Stay away if it seems too good to be true.

I recently tried to book an apartment on a reputable travel site. The place looked amazing and was available for the dates I needed. When I went to confirm the reservation, the landlord said it was no longer available and directed me to another site for a different property.

The link she sent was a phishing scam, made to look like a legitimate travel site. If I wasn’t experienced in recognizing the tell-tale signs, I could have easily fallen for it.

The point is, it never hurts to run your travel plans past a friend or family member before booking. They can ask the right questions and point out any abnormalities you may have missed.

Do you have any tips for getting great spring break deals? Share with us in the comments!