PHOTO: It's no surprise that warm destinations such as Cancun are popular this spring. (Courtesy of Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau)
Spring Break is only a few weeks away, and for some-particularly those experiencing brutal weather-it couldn't come soon enough.
American Express Travel recently unveiled the top domestic and international destinations for Spring Break (travel between March 10 and April 20), based on customer traveling trends. On top of that, representatives from the travel service provider, dubbed American Express Travel Counselors, were nice enough to dish out some travel tips.
According to American Express Travel, the top domestic destinations this Spring Break are: Orlando, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, New York, Kahului, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver and Salt Lake City. The destinations that experienced the greatest jump in popularity include: San Juan (up 28.1 percent), Denver (up 24.9 percent), Phoenix (up 21.6 percent), Kauai Island (up 20.1 percent) and Miami (up 19.8 percent).
The top international destinations this Spring Break are: Cancun, St. Thomas, Nassau, Providenciales, San Jose del Cabo, Paris, London, Puerto Vallarta, St. Maarten and Aruba. The destinations that spiked the most in popularity include Tokyo (up 49.2 percent), Providenciales (up 41.8 percent), Puerto Vallarta (up 27.8 percent), Amsterdam (up 24 percent) and St. Thomas (up 21.5 percent).
American Express Travel Counselors noted that travelers should consider booking their flight and hotel through a travel agent. It not only saves you time scouring the Internet for deals, but it's also likely that you'll find a better deal anyway through a travel agent, given the agent's knowledge of the travel industry and potential to unlock nifty rewards.
Counselors also suggest all-inclusive resorts for families, particularly for those who are traveling with older children and/or teenagers that tend to have quite the appetite. For families that aren't traveling to all-inclusive properties, Counselors suggest taking advantage of complimentary breakfasts and asking about any resort credits or bonuses for food, accommodations and even local destination tours/excursions. Shopping at a local grocery store and opting for a family picnic will also be more cost-effective than ordering from the hotel restaurant night in and night out, too.
And if you think there's some magical day to book flights, Counselors indicated that this isn't necessarily the case anymore. Instead, being flexible (possibly shifting the vacation a day or two) may be more effective in cutting costs. Counselors did say that it is still prudent to avoid flying on weekends or holidays, though.
Last but not least, it's never too early to book your winter vacation. Flights for the winter holidays already started popping up three weeks ago, and travelers can save some major bucks by booking now.
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