{"id":10264,"date":"2025-03-09T18:15:03","date_gmt":"2025-03-09T22:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10264"},"modified":"2025-03-09T18:15:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-09T22:15:46","slug":"spring-break-2025-tips-for-swell-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=10264","title":{"rendered":"Spring break 2025: Tips for a swell vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Spring break couldn\u2019t come fast enough this year. You know, it has been cold.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Brace yourself, though, for slightly higher prices from airfares to hotels starting as March rolls in and ending mid-April \u2014 a time when many schools take a break and Easter and Passover holidays provide some time off the clock.<\/p>\n

Flying to spring break destinations is more expensive this year compared to 2024. According to AAA booking data, the average round-trip ticket this spring season is $820 for domestic cities, up 7% from last year, and $1,440 for international cities, up 2% from last year.<\/p>\n

Hotel stays in the US are 8% more expensive, averaging $660, while international hotel stays are 4% cheaper this spring break season, averaging $740.<\/p>\n

Read on Yahoo Finance<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Are you one of the 19 million Americans, per AAA, going on ocean cruises this year? (This will be the third straight year of record cruise volume.) Sorry, that cost is up too. Stacey Barber, vice president of\u00a0AAA Travel<\/a>, told Yahoo Finance that domestic cruises this season are 27% more expensive compared to last year, and international cruises are 3% pricier.<\/p>\n

It doesn’t matter, apparently. \u201cAbout 75% of Americans say they’re going to spend the same amount or more on travel this year compared to last,\u201d Hayley Berg, lead economist at\u00a0Hopper<\/a>, a travel booking app, told Yahoo Finance.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTravel demand is high \u2014 flight searches are up year over year, especially for international destinations,\u201d Melanie Fish,\u00a0Expedia Group<\/a>‘s travel expert, told me. \u201cWith a strong US dollar, Americans are taking advantage of the opportunity to stretch their travel budgets in overseas hotspots like Japan and Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n

Truth be told, though, budget-minded vacationers can find low prices.<\/p>\n

I talked to several travel experts about where people are headed this spring and the best ways to save. Here are some tips.<\/p>\n

Where they’re going<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Orlando and Las Vegas are topping the charts for spring travel, Fish said. \u201cAnd Rio de Janeiro is having a moment \u2014 searches are up 85% year over year. (Partly thanks to Lady Gaga\u2019s free Copacabana Beach concert in May and Carnival in March, she added.)<\/p>\n

And European junkets are apparently in too. \u201cWe’re seeing a noticeable shift toward early season travel to destinations traditionally associated with summer,\u201d Claire Herzog, a\u00a0Fora<\/a>\u00a0travel adviser, told me. \u201cSpain and Portugal are emerging as top picks for spring break, with travelers eager to experience the gorgeous beaches and mild weather before peak crowds arrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

And higher prices along with them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The travel agency is also booking trips for \u201ca surge of early visitors to Italy for the\u00a0Jubilee 2025<\/a>\u00a0[a special holy year in Rome and the Vatican City, and across Italy, starting at Christmas 2024 and ending at Epiphany 2026] and to Morocco \u2014 particularly Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains,\u201d Herzog said.<\/p>\n

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Rome never gets old. Photo by Cliff Hackel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

AAA is also seeing a burst of bookings to Europe, especially trips to London, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, and Lisbon, Barber said.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s Asia. \u201cJapan remains a perennial favorite in spring, with cherry blossom season,” Herzog said.<\/p>\n

Specifically, the capital city of Japan, Berg said: \u201cIt’s a surprise to see it among the most-watched destinations, but Tokyo has really been just a powerhouse in the past year or so. It’s demanding a lot of attention from American travelers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, back in the US, Florida is still popular for domestic travelers. It tops AAA\u2019s list of popular destinations \u2014 especially Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Tampa \u2014 this spring because of its theme parks, beaches, and cruise ports.<\/p>\n

It’s all in the timing<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of ways that travelers can get a good deal \u2014 primarily by being flexible,\u201d Berg said. \u201cThat\u2019s going to be the No. 1 way to bring that average price down for individual consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n

For starters, let\u2019s get that trip booked quickly. Nail down those flights three to four weeks in advance, and fly in the last week of April to skip peak fares, Expedia\u2019s Fish said.<\/p>\n

No surprise that experts expect that airfare will be highest for weeklong trips beginning on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the spring break period. Of course, that\u2019s not easy to skate around if you have a set school break.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planning a weeklong trip for your spring break, you can shave almost 40% off, or $172 per domestic ticket, by departing midweek on Tuesday or Wednesday instead of peak weekend days.<\/p>\n

Read more:\u00a0<\/em>Traveling internationally? How to order foreign currency ahead of time.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Hopper\u2019s Berg digs down more: For domestic long-weekend escapes, fly out on Saturday morning and return on Monday to save 19% on a round-trip airfare. If you\u2019re aiming for an extra-long weekend, tacking the extra days onto the end of the trip will save you the most, with Saturday-to-Tuesday trips offering a 25% discount.<\/p>\n

International travelers can save as much as $240 per ticket on trips around the world by departing for weeklong trips midweek instead of on Saturday or Friday, according to Hopper data.<\/p>\n

Looking for the best hotel deals? Book roughly two weeks before check-in to get the best price. If you\u2019re completely flexible on where you stay and hotel amenities, you can usually get the absolute lowest prices by booking within 24 hours of check-in, but may run the risk of hotels selling out. (That would make me antsy.)<\/p>\n

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Where the deals are<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For budget-conscious travelers, the mantra should be to \u201cfollow the deal, not the destination,\u201d according to Berg.<\/p>\n

Travel app\u00a0Kayak\u2019s data has<\/a>\u00a0turned up a few possible beach deals for spring. Here are some of the spots where average flight prices have declined over this time last year.<\/p>\n