MAIN Travel Spring Break

There's nothing like a game of Twister to break the ice during spring break in at the beach.

Spring break!

No two words fire the imagination quite like it — including excitement so thick you can feel in the air everywhere.

With the Easter holiday arriving anywhere from March to April, this year Easter 2024 lands on March 31, with most US colleges planning their spring break dates ranging mostly from late February through mid-April.

Not sure of your 2024 college spring break dates? Click on the link to find out!

2024 Spring travel destinations

Las Vegas, Nevada, Fort Lauderdale and South Beach Florida, continue to be annual favorites, along with South Padre Island in Texas and San Diego in sunny California continue to top the list of favorites.

However, even more popular spring break locations lured students further south with Acapulco, Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Cabo San Lucas, and Rosarito in Mexico with exotic getaways for spring breakers. Students also zeroed in on Negril, Jamaica for the ultimate in island fun.

Spring break travel deals

With students short on time and money, many travel companies 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 at all-inclusive resorts.

For the ultimate in all-inclusive, also consider spring break cruises that offer live entertainment on board each night along with a new port to explore each day. Better yet, it also saves your the hassle of arranging transportion and hotel reservations at each stop. As always, it pays to shop around for a deal that oiffers the spring break you're looking for that also comfortably fits your budget.

More spring break travel tips

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.

Otherwise, those who aren't into the wild spring break party scene have plenty of alternatives -- like whale watching along the Oregon coast, or camping out in the wild at a national park.

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.