Spring break is often a time when college students want to kick back, relax, and have fun with friends without having to worry about school work, jobs, and other sources of stress. Some students may head home to spend spring break with their families, while others may decide to take a trip with friends.
Regardless of whether a student is planning a trek to a popular spring break destination with friends or planning an alternative spring break trip to do volunteer work with a campus organization, there are several things college students should keep in mind when planning a trip.
Finalize Plans for Spring Break in Advance
Whether the plan is to head for the beach, the big city, somewhere overseas, or on a community service trip, it is important to finalize plans in advance and have a concrete idea of who is going on the trip and where the group is going.
Once plans are finalized, begin looking for travel necessities such as airfare and hotels immediately. While not all colleges and universities have spring break at the same time, there are thousands of other college students, as well as other people traveling, that are also looking to book hotel rooms and make airline reservations.
Also keep in mind a back up plan for hotels and airlines. Sometimes, popular hotels and airlines fill up quickly, so keep in mind alternatives in case the group's first choice isn't available for your travel dates.
Make Sure Travel Papers and Documents are Current
If traveling overseas or going on a cruise, it is extremely important to make sure that all travel documentation for United States citizens, including passports and visas, are current and in order prior to leaving for the spring break trip. Check expiration dates carefully and make sure that all documentation will be valid for the duration of the trip and for some time afterwards, in case there are problems upon reentering the country.
Travel documentation for cruise passengers vary depending on the cruise company, so be sure to check what is required while making reservations.
Safespringbreak.org also recommends making copies of all travel and financial documents that are being taken on the trip, including driver's licenses or state identification cards, passports, credit cards, and any medical alert cards that a person may have to carry. A copy of these papers and cards should be left at home, while another set of copies can be left in the room's safe just in case credit cards or other identification is lost while on vacation.
Book Spring Break Travel Plans - Hotels, Airlines, Cruises, Etc.
Spring break travel accommodations and cruise reservations should be booked in as far advance as possible. For those who are not comfortable with making their own reservations, booking hotels, airfare, and other accommodations through a travel agent will help make the process easier, as well as allow travelers to talk to an actual person if something goes wrong.
Students making spring break travel plans may also want to consider purchasing travel package deals. Often arranged by a travel agency, these travel packages include hotel reservations, rental cars, tickets to attractions or restaurant reservations, and travel insurance all for one price.
Spring break travelers may also want to consider purchasing travel insurance to cover the cost of the trip just in case they aren't able to keep their plans. Travel insurance usually covers a wide range of incidentals and scenarios that may cancel or postpone a vacation, so check with a travel agent or group such as AAA for more information.
Students planning trips should make plans for destinations, hotels, airfare, and other accommodations as soon as possible in order to have an enjoyable vacation. Careful planning and research will make sure that a spring break vacation, especially for those traveling abroad, will go off without a hitch.
Ashley Anderson - Ashley is an Ohio-based writer and editor with specializations in higher education, writing, and social activism.
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