By Emily Gianni
I went on a spring break hunt, searching through Expedia to find the best, but cheapest options of places to go. I had no preference for where I wanted to go, so I did a wide search. I am going to explain what I did to find the best spring break option, so you can plan for next year!
First, I did not care about where I wanted to go, which helped me find the best and cheapest option. I looked at different places in the United States and the Caribbean. If I looked at a specific country or state, it may have made my search harder, as it narrowed down a lot of options I could choose from.
I booked fairly early and continuously checked Expedia for the best price. I found one place in Jamaica for a good price, but two days later, the price went up by about three hundred dollars per person. I knew the next place I found for a good price, I was going to have to take action right away. I checked Expedia every few days to look at different all-inclusive resorts to find the best and cheapest one. I only looked at Expedia because I know this website is really reliable, so I did not look at other travel websites, although I could have. Expedia was also really easy to use because it allowed me to combine an all-inclusive resort and flight, so I knew the best options based on financials.
If you are deciding to leave the country, it is important to have a passport. I have one and mine is not going to expire for a while. My boyfriend, however, did not have one so he went right away to get it. It can take up to nine weeks for your passport to come in, so it is important to order it as soon as you know you are leaving the country. You also typically cannot travel with a passport that will expire within six months, so make sure you check your passport before you go!
I also planned a budget to use. I knew that I did not want to spend over $1,000 per person for six days. I was sticking to anything under that budget, although I knew this could be a challenge. I looked at some islands that were a minimum of $1,200 and I automatically took those places off of my list. This minimized the number of places I was looking at for the vacation. Some cities also are more expensive than others, even in different countries. For example, if you are looking at Mexico, prices for Cancun may be more or less expensive than Cozumel. When budgeting, it is also important to keep in mind the money you spend on transportation, outside food (like at the airport) and “just in case” money. Just in case anything goes wrong, you have cash on you God forbid anything happens.
It is also important to do a lot of research on the country and resort you stay in. When researching the country you go to, you may want to look up what the drinking age is. It may also be important to research the safety of the country, especially if you plan on leaving the resort or taking Taxis or Ubers. When researching the hotel, it is also important to research the minimum age check-in, especially during a spring break trip. For example, year-round, the age limit for resort check-in is 21 years old, but during spring break, you may have to be 25 years old. Different resorts include different accommodations that may make or break a trip, which I took into great consideration. I knew I wanted to stay at an all-inclusive resort, rather than a regular resort, so I could minimize completing transactions in a different country.
Lastly, stay safe and have fun. You may be going to a country or state you have never been to, so it is important to be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you are drinking, drink responsibly, and enjoy your time. Wear sunscreen to protect your skin, and last but not least, enjoy it: you are on spring break!