Now is the perfect time to start planning your Spring Trip. Here’s how to get started!
Spring semester is starting, which means college students are already looking forward to their next break. And if you’re a travel addict like me, you wanted to start thinking about Spring Break yesterday. But it’s overwhelming to remember all that you need to plan—especially as you’re starting your classes. Here’s my guide to make sure you have the best, fully booked, Spring Break trip ever.
Who Are You Traveling With?
Most college students choose to travel with their friends. You can totally do a solo trip too, but I think it’s most fun to experience a trip with other people. That said, don’t invite your whole social circle. Traveling in pairs, a trio, or maybe a quadruple is the best way to make sure you all have the most fulfilling experience possible. Too many people have too many opinions, so make sure you’re all on the same page.
2. What Type Of Vacation Do You Want?
Spring Break is usually seen as a week of non-stop partying. But that’s not everybody’s scene. You and your friends need to talk about what kind of vacation you want. Do you want a whole week of partying? What about exploring a metropolitan city? Or a relaxing beach town? Or a tropical adventure? Then brainstorm destinations that match your vibe. You can check out travel blogs for advice on where to go!
3. Budget
Budgets may not be the most exciting part of trip planning, but they are important—especially as a college student. You and your friends need to be completely candid about how much you want to spend on this trip. Money is never fun to talk about, but it’s better to do it beforehand than get into a sticky situation when you’re already at your destination.
4. Research
Now, this can get overwhelming. Pull up Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel and make a spreadsheet. At the bottom of the screen, create different pages for different aspects of your trip: flights, activities, lodging, restaurants, and transportation. Make lists of all your options and include dates, times, prices, and locations if necessary. Remember to save the links where you found the information. This sounds like a lot, but if you split up the work between your friends, it’ll be so much easier. Here are some resources for where to find this information:
Flights: skyscanner.com
Activities: GetYourGuide.com, TripAdvisor.com, Airbnb experiences
Lodging: Booking.com, AirBnb.com, Hostelworld.com
Transportation: Omio.com, Moovit app, Turo.com
Restaurants: OpenTable.com, Yelp.com
5. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
This is the hardest part, but also the most exciting! Looking at all your options, pick the destination that sounds the most fun, but also fits within your budget. First, pick which flights make the most sense, which activities you’re most excited about. Then map out the airport and the locations of the activities, restaurants, and night life that you already researched. You can use MyMaps.Google.com to save the destinations you need. Then, based on this, narrow down your lodging choices to be close to the majority of your activities. Keep in mind that if your destination has reliable public transportation, you might be able to stay further away from the activities, which is usually cheaper.
6. Create Your Itinerary
Time to open up that spreadsheet again. Create another page and in the first column, type out the dates that you will be traveling. My rule of thumb is, never plan anything for the day you arrive or the day you depart. And I try to book only one or two activities per day, so that I can remain flexible in between scheduled activities. You don’t want to overbook yourself—part of the fun of Spring Break is that you don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. Also, designate which nights you will explore the destination’s nightlife. Sometimes going out every night limits opportunities for rest, and can keep you from enjoying your vacation. So if you plan for it, you will feel rested and fulfilled with your experience.
7. Book Your Trip
Now you’ve made your decisions about what to do and when, where you’re staying, and how you’re going to get there. Make sure you go back through and book your flights, activities, lodging, transportation (if needed) and restaurant reservations (if needed). Double-check your reservations to make sure they align with your itinerary. Now you just have to wait until Spring Break comes. It will be here faster than you think!
2023
