Let’s face it, the only thing more stressful than getting ready to go home for a month in the winter, while cramming for your next final, has to be coming back from break only to realize that you and your pals have yet to make plans for the one and only Spring Break. Yup, that time has come once again ladies and gentleman; maximum attendance at the FAC is in full swing, and the realization of how big of a hole airfare might burn in your pocket will be almost enough to persuade you against that trip everyone is talking about. But with Loyola’s break-dorm policies, what about those who don’t have a “big trip” to empty out their pockets for? Enter the world wide web.
As obvious as it seems, today there are hundreds of travel sites out there just for us college students. Ranging from your all-inclusive tropical getaways to more alternative destinations like snow-covered mountains and vibrant cities, sites like studentcity.com and ststravel.com have your best interests at heart. Not only can sites like these offer great options and packages for you and your travel buddies, but there are also sites geared toward the more dreaded purchase: the plane ticket. Sites like travelosity.com and priceline.com offer great deals and discounts, especially for students. Whenever booking flights, remember to try to book both your departure and return at the same time; not only will that help in case of any delays or cancellations (your spot will be reserved on later flights), but it’ll also aid in maneuvering around the thousands of people traveling around this same time. You also do not need to only use these travel sites for booking trips; you can also use the sites for good ideas about where you and your friends want to go, as well as how much you’re willing to shell out for the occasion.
Certain destinations, for example like those out of the country or all-inclusive resorts, will, without a doubt, be more expensive than say, staying local or within the country. When considering cost, you might also want to consider what is and isn’t included in the initial purchase; all inclusive packages guarantee food and entertainment and sometimes even your flights, whereas if you’re just booking your hotel and flights, you’ll want to consider potential expenses outside of the hotel; i.e. food, shopping and site-seeing. Besides costs, another good trick is to check the weather of your desired travel spot. Weather from previous years will most likely repeat in the same areas, and if you look up the averages during your desired time of travel, it can make the decision of where to go or even what to bring easier.
Going beach-bound sounds nice and all, but what about those of us who don’t mind the winter-like features of spring break? Enter alternative spring break options. More and more, people are opting for the other end of the spectrum; think less beach bum and more site-seeing enthusiast. Not only are we located less than an hour drive away from our nation’s capital, but we’re also less than a quarter-of-a-day’s drive away from the Big Apple and Philadelphia. In these circumstances, finding hotel deals on travel sites such as expedia.com will be a walk in the park, and you could even spend that extra time making itineraries full of reservations for any desired tours and/or entertainment.
Don’t want to spend the big bucks on places to stay? One of the best ways to travel anywhere is to be completely immersed into the culture, and what better way to do that than to call up your buddy from high school who happens to attend the university in the heart of the city. Visiting other schools is not only a perfect way to ensure a great time with people around your own age, but it’s also the prime way to save the bank account while still changing the scenery. Spend two days at one school and decide you want to move on? Use that extra cash for train tickets or more gas, and continue on the road-trip with your friends to the next city and/or university.
Last but not least, interested in saving the cash all-together and staying within the borders, but still wanting to leave campus? Enter home sweet home. Not only can going home help you budget for purchases later on, it can also allow for some necessary catch-up time. Whether it is that conveniently timed book report due the class after break, or applications for grad school or internships, sometimes all you need is a week solely for catching up.
Whatever you decide to do, remember the earlier you plan, the better. And wherever you are, the most important travel necessity will always be good company.
