How To Find Cheap Spring Break Vacation Options

by Laurie Baratti
Last updated: 4:35 PM ET, Fri February 9, 2024

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 KAYAK’s 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, you’ll need to look at booking international travel between 30 and 60 days before your departure date, according to Google Flights—so, 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 flights—again, essentially, now. But, there’s more flexibility when you’re 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.

Budget-Friendly Destinations

If you’re 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 you’ll be traveling in March or April.

If you’re 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 you’re 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.

If you’re 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 Cancun—already famous as a Spring Break hotspot—is 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 don’t really care what it’s like to some more luxury high-end spring breakers that want the high-end accommodations, but no matter what budget range they’re in, you can’t go wrong with the Cancun area.”

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