Spring break is the one week of the spring semester that students have to rest and relax. Unlike the fall semester at Pitt, the Spring has limited days off, all leading up to a culmination of spring break. It’s known as a large payout in fun and relaxation as the burnout from the first 8 or 9 weeks of the semester starts to slowly creep in. It symbolizes the last stretch of the semester before the summer for most, and the last couple weeks seniors will ever be in their undergraduate career. Because of this, some students may have different priorities in terms of experience, location, and budget. The best thing to do first is to find people who you know you will enjoy traveling with and will be accepting of any budgetary requirements you have. Always remember that there are plenty of things to do on a budget when you travel and YOU make the trip, not the money you put into it. Read along to learn about some ways to go on the vacation that you deserve without breaking the bank.
- the earlier the better
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Some of you may look at the title of this piece and say, “A spring break article? It’s October!” And so you have already stumbled across tip number one of this article already – PLAN EARLY. This can range from planning who you want to travel with, where you want to travel, what vibe you want, etc. Even if this only starts with small talk and brainstorming, it is better than nothing. My advice would be to start talking about it as early as the middle of September. This will give you six months until spring break (which typically occurs in March) to iron out details, split up payments and decide where you want to be. 9/10 times planning early will save you money as well, whether that be on hotels, Airbnbs, flights, etc.
- catch (cheap) flights and not feelings with google flights
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If you are going somewhere that is only accessible via airfare, or even if it’s just more convenient to fly, Google flights is the application for you. When you go on their website you just enter your departure city and destination city with dates like any other airline website. But, unlike other airlines’ websites, Google flights canvases multiple airlines allowing you to filter based on prices, baggage, etc., while also allowing you to set an alert for when prices drop or get below a certain threshold. If you are using this, be sure to set your alerts as soon as possible so that you can find the cheapest prices over time. I even use this for destinations that I am looking to go to in the future so that when the price is right I can just hop on a plane and leave the rest behind! Use this awesome website to catch super affordable flights (you can catch feelings too if you want, but it’s more fun if you don’t)!
- Location matters
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A lot of people want to go big or go home and are determined to go to the big-name resorts, islands, or countries that are common for spring breakers. While these places are often really fun and extravagant, they are also very expensive. Similar to how there are so many ‘dupes’ circulating in fashion, there are equally as many ‘dupes’ in the vacation world. One example is, instead of spending an insane amount of money on spots like Mykonos or Athens, you could spend a fraction of the cost if you choose to go to Paros, which shares all the same culture, skylines and experiences. Being flexible and searching for locations that have experiences rather than a name that people will recognize will offer you the same amazing opportunity while protecting your bank account.
- Time is a thief (of your money)
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2 sneaky things that lead to spending more money while traveling are the day you choose to fly out/return and how long you stay. Historically, the best days to fly are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This is reflected in both the prices to fly and the congestion of the airport. If you are looking to save money wherever you can, this is a good place to start and will probably lead to a less stressful travel experience. On the other hand, the amount of time you spend in a location can also help you be more financially smart when vacationing. While the duration of your trip may not always change the value of your plane ticket, it will change the amount of money that you spent on the trip overall. If the place you decide to travel to only has enough sights to fill four days, then don’t book a seven-day trip! Cutting this trip a little shorter will allow you to save some extra money on hotels and food, while still having a great time on the days that you do wind up going!
Regardless of your budget, your vacation is what you make it. So take your time, plan it out, and enjoy the break! Use the hope of this vacation to ground you through the midterm and finals season ahead. The best is yet to come!