Spring Break Travel Tips...

This time of year we are thinking spring and spring break. There are millions of people from across the country that plan to take a break. Mine is coming up on March 8th – 18th for a road trip to Las Vegas (more details soon!). While most people will consider a trip to Florida, Mexico, or Texas think of heading to Europe or Asia for the break.

During college I spent 2 spring breaks in Europe – Ireland, Spain and Portugal. These trips were great because I had free places to stay (my buddies were studying in Ireland and Spain). Flight prices were also quite inexpensive because it is low travel season to Europe. Plus, since there were no tourists, many places weren’t crowded.

In honor of the North American spring break, I have put a few tips for your trip.

- Plan a trip to Europe. The planes are empty, the prices are low, and the tourists are gone. I once purchased a 3 day advanced ticket from Chicago to London for $325.00.
- Check out airline websites for hotel/air packaged deals. Northwest is currently offering special pricing and flights to Ski and Sun locations. Check out Site 59 for low priced, last minute deals. My favorite, Kayak has great deals as well.
- Watch out for any additional taxes, departure fees, and resort fees when booking with a website or travel agent. They may try to give a low base rate and then make these additional charges later, giving you and the credit card a big surprise.
- If you are traveling abroad watch the exchange rates. This is especially true in places like London where I have overspent many times.
- Don’t think that colorful brochures really give an accurate picture of the place you are going. When I was a kid we went with a brochure to a place in Lake of the Ozark, Missouri and were disappointed and disgusted with the rat infested, dirty place we booked. I know my parents lost money in that deal.
- Make a trip less expensive by booking and staying at a hostel. There are lots of hostel review sites that can help you determine where to stay. Checkout Hostelworld, it has been accurate when I have booked through the website.

Enjoy some time in the sun, on the slopes, or in another country this spring break.