 No
two words fire the imagination like it — with excitement
so palpable you can feel in the air everywhere as party
animals from New
York to California
make plans to break out and party down.
Spring
break!
With the Easter holiday arriving on April 8, 2012, you can anticipate many schools scheduling 2012 spring break getaways beginning around March 3 or later.
If
last year was any indication, Fort Lauderdale and South
Beach Florida,
South Padre Island, Texas
and Lake Havasu, and Scottsdale, Arizona
continue to top the list of favorites.
However,
even more popular spring break locations lured students
further south as Acapulco, Cancun,
Cabo San Lucas, and Rosarito
in Mexico
continued to be the overall top exotic getaways for spring
breakers. Students also zeroed in on Negril, Jamaica
for
the ultimate in island fun.
At
least for a week or two ...
In 2012, watch for most high schools, colleges and universities beginning spring break in early March, although the annual spring ritual can begin anywhere from from mid-March to mid-April.
With
students short on time, and money, many travel companies will offer
a variety of affordable spring break package options. Most typically feature week-long
excursions ranging anywhere from $500 to $1500
and include airfare, hotel,
meals and transfers.
For the college crowd, spring break "party packages"
with hosted party nights and open bars are available at
an additional cost.
Spring
break travel tips
•
Do you have a passport?
If you don't apply for one NOW. If you do, make sure
it hasn't expired.
•
With heightened travel precautions, check out the latest
air travel
restrictions on what you can and cannot include
in carry-on baggage.
•
At the airport and on the plane, chill ... and avoid
hassles with travel security or service staff who may
view any type of "spirited" behavior as a
security threat.
•
Because you're an American partying in Mexico doesn't
mean local authorities won't arrest you for drunken
or disorderly conduct. Calling mom from a foreign jail
(or from a hospital following a stomach pump!) just
isn't cool.
Alternative
spring break
For
those who want to opt out of the wild party scene, schools
and travel agencies also offer spring break alternatives.
These usually feature active participation on trips to
aid the disadvantaged or to help clean up the environment.
New
Orleans benefited from these programs when college
students traveled to the devastated city to offer a helping
hand in clean up operations following Hurricane Katrina.
Spring
break around the world
However,
most teens and young adults will almost universally celebrate
a break from school with binge drinking and wild partying.
Down
Under, locals can set their clocks by the arrival of thousands
of students in mid-November participating in Schoolies
Week, drawn to the nightlife of Sydney
or around the spectacular Australian
beaches of the Gold and Sun Coast.
Also
count on seeing UK students in equally large numbers traveling
to the sunny
beaches of Spain to celebrate school's end.
Spring
break travel hot spots
Elsewhere
around the Web, discover helpful guides geared specifically
to first-time travelers with specific information on the
most popular destinations and what to see and do once
you get there.
Also
check out feature articles
offering closer looks at major attractions, beaches &
nightlife - with good insider tips & advice for where
to go, what to do, and how to live to tell about it...
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Swimwear
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