Travel Agents Give 6 Tips for College Students Traveling for Spring Break

It’s hard to believe that half of the school year is over already, but college students certainly have the upcoming spring breaks on their mind. It’s time to put away the books and the tests and blow off some steam. Here are tips to make sure you have the best time on your break:

Book now: You might not get a great deal, but Samarah Meil of the Amarillo Travel Network advises to book as quickly as possible. “I feel it is almost too late to book for Spring Break 2017 now,” she said. “Prices for most airfare is so high, but if anyone were to ask me how to keep prices lower, I would say they need to be thinking about spring break by October of the year before.”

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Watch your documents: “Be wise with how you travel with money, passports and other important documents,” said Meil. “It is easy to get caught up in the fun with friends and unfortunately there are always people looking to pick-pocket and take advantage of naïve travelers.”

Think international: “Although traveling to international destinations from the U.S. might seem cost prohibitive, there are some great deals to be had,” said Danielle Dougan, public relations manager for StudentUniverse. “In fact, more than 53% of our Spring bookings thus far are international. The average price for Europe is actually down 20% year-over-year. In terms of the Caribbean, while Cancun and San Juan were some of the cheapest, they also some of the busiest, along with Miami. Instead of these more typical sun-and-sand locations, we recommend Fort Lauderdale or Las Vegas - two of our top bargain locations for 2017.”

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Be smart: “A lot of times, spring break is the first time that students are traveling without their families,” said Greg Antonelle, marketing director for MickeyTravels LLC. “Because of that, they sometimes feel as though the can drop their guard a bit. Just because they may be traveling to a foreign country where the drinking age is 18, doesn’t mean they should act like an idiot.

Antonelle has heard countless stories of college students going to Cancun or locations domestically where they lose total control. “They often see large crowds and do things they wouldn’t necessarily do under normal circumstances if they were home alone,” he said. “I always tell college students to pretend their grandmother is on vacation with them and don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want her to see firsthand or to read about the next morning in the newspaper.”

Go all in: Margie Lenau said that spring break travelers want to have fun at an all-inclusive resort so that they know what their budget will be, including food and unlimited drinks. “But most resorts have age requirements,” said Lenau of Wonderland Family Vacations. “Most resorts will not allow Spring Break students to stay without an adult at least 25 years old. So, my advice is that if you want the best value, and you want a great resort choice, try to have someone over 25 years old travel with you, one for every room.”

She advises spring breakers to think about Disney for their trip. “Disney Resorts minimum age for check-in is 18 years old,” she said. “So Disney Resorts are a great choice for spring break.”

Don’t be trashy: Most of all, spring break is about having fun and spending time with your family, but be careful. “Use the buddy system so that if you drink too much, or need help you can stay safe,” advises Lenau. “Be responsible and respectful of the resort and other travelers. Resorts want you to have fun, but not at the expense of other travelers. If you "trash" the property, you will get a bill.”