Spring break couldn’t come fast enough this year. You know, it has been cold.
Brace yourself, though, for slightly higher prices from airfares to hotels starting as March rolls in and ending mid-April — a time when many schools take a break and Easter and Passover holidays provide some time off the clock.
Flying to spring break destinations is more expensive this year compared to 2024. According to AAA booking data, the average round-trip ticket this spring season is $820 for domestic cities, up 7% from last year, and $1,440 for international cities, up 2% from last year.
Hotel stays in the US are 8% more expensive, averaging $660, while international hotel stays are 4% cheaper this spring break season, averaging $740.
Are you one of the 19 million Americans, per AAA, going on ocean cruises this year? (This will be the third straight year of record cruise volume.) Sorry, that cost is up too. Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, told Yahoo Finance that domestic cruises this season are 27% more expensive compared to last year, and international cruises are 3% pricier.
It doesn't matter, apparently. “About 75% of Americans say they're going to spend the same amount or more on travel this year compared to last,” Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper, a travel booking app, told Yahoo Finance.
“Travel demand is high — flight searches are up year over year, especially for international destinations,” Melanie Fish, Expedia Group's travel expert, told me. “With a strong US dollar, Americans are taking advantage of the opportunity to stretch their travel budgets in overseas hotspots like Japan and Mexico.”
Truth be told, though, budget-minded vacationers can find low prices.
I talked to several travel experts about where people are headed this spring and the best ways to save. Here are some tips.
Where they're going
Orlando and Las Vegas are topping the charts for spring travel, Fish said. “And Rio de Janeiro is having a moment — searches are up 85% year over year. (Partly thanks to Lady Gaga’s free Copacabana Beach concert in May and Carnival in March, she added.)
And European junkets are apparently in too. “We're seeing a noticeable shift toward early season travel to destinations traditionally associated with summer,” Claire Herzog, a Fora travel adviser, told me. “Spain and Portugal are emerging as top picks for spring break, with travelers eager to experience the gorgeous beaches and mild weather before peak crowds arrive.”
And higher prices along with them.
Top picks for spring break include Portugal and Spain. View of Camilo Beach (Praia do Camilo) at Algarve, Portugal. (Getty Creative) ·DaLiu via Getty Images
The travel agency is also booking trips for “a surge of early visitors to Italy for the Jubilee 2025 [a special holy year in Rome and the Vatican City, and across Italy, starting at Christmas 2024 and ending at Epiphany 2026] and to Morocco — particularly Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains,” Herzog said.
AAA is also seeing a burst of bookings to Europe, especially trips to London, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, and Lisbon, Barber said.
And then there’s Asia. “Japan remains a perennial favorite in spring, with cherry blossom season," Herzog said.
Specifically, the capital city of Japan, Berg said: “It's a surprise to see it among the most-watched destinations, but Tokyo has really been just a powerhouse in the past year or so. It's demanding a lot of attention from American travelers.”
Meanwhile, back in the US, Florida is still popular for domestic travelers. It tops AAA’s list of popular destinations — especially Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Tampa — this spring because of its theme parks, beaches, and cruise ports.
Tokyo is a big draw once again. (Getty Creative) ·DoctorEgg via Getty Images
It's all in the timing
“There are a lot of ways that travelers can get a good deal — primarily by being flexible,” Berg said. “That’s going to be the No. 1 way to bring that average price down for individual consumers.”
For starters, let’s get that trip booked quickly. Nail down those flights three to four weeks in advance, and fly in the last week of April to skip peak fares, Expedia’s Fish said.
No surprise that experts expect that airfare will be highest for weeklong trips beginning on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the spring break period. Of course, that’s not easy to skate around if you have a set school break.
If you’re planning a weeklong trip for your spring break, you can shave almost 40% off, or $172 per domestic ticket, by departing midweek on Tuesday or Wednesday instead of peak weekend days.
Hopper’s Berg digs down more: For domestic long-weekend escapes, fly out on Saturday morning and return on Monday to save 19% on a round-trip airfare. If you’re aiming for an extra-long weekend, tacking the extra days onto the end of the trip will save you the most, with Saturday-to-Tuesday trips offering a 25% discount.
International travelers can save as much as $240 per ticket on trips around the world by departing for weeklong trips midweek instead of on Saturday or Friday, according to Hopper data.
Looking for the best hotel deals? Book roughly two weeks before check-in to get the best price. If you’re completely flexible on where you stay and hotel amenities, you can usually get the absolute lowest prices by booking within 24 hours of check-in, but may run the risk of hotels selling out. (That would make me antsy.)
Where the deals are
For budget-conscious travelers, the mantra should be to “follow the deal, not the destination,” according to Berg.
Travel app Kayak’s data has turned up a few possible beach deals for spring. Here are some of the spots where average flight prices have declined over this time last year.
St. Kitts, Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles: -12%
Long Beach, Calif.: -12%
St. Lucia, Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles: -11%
San Juan, Puerto Rico: -11%
Bonaire, Lesser Antilles: -10%
Punta Gorda, Fla.: -10%
Antigua, Lesser Antilles: -9%
Valparaiso, Fla.: -7%
Sint Maarten, Dutch Caribbean: -6%
Gregory Town, Bahamas: -5%
Tap a price tracker
Once you’ve landed on a destination — or a couple that you’re considering — set an airfare price tracker. When you see a dip, go for it. Each of the major travel apps— Hopper, Kayak and Skyscanner — offers fare tracking, as does Google Flights.
Ask for help
While there are gobs of travel information online, travel advisers are making a comeback. When my husband and I recently traveled to the Italian Lake District with my sister’s family, we wanted some guidance on what to do for the days we would be solo.
I reached out to an adviser and never looked back. She helped us book a boutique hotel a stroll away from the Arena, a Roman amphitheater in Piazza Bra in Verona. She suggested restaurants we would never have uncovered on our own and arranged a driver to take us to the airport in Venice.
Totting it up, she saved us money, precious time, and stress — especially for a trip to a place we had never been. (Travel agents are typically paid in commission from their bookings, such as a hotel or a cruise, but not by the client.)
Expect a slightly stronger dollar abroad
Some good news: Among countries where the US dollar will give you the best exchange, Japan is a particularly good value. The yen is currently going for 150 yen to the dollar, according to currency conversion specialist Wise. The dollar was worth around 96 euro cents as of Feb. 27, up from 89 euro cents last September.
It’s key to pack a credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees if you’re leaving the US. Always ask for your purchases to be charged in the local currency for the best exchange rate.
When you need foreign cash, withdraw it from a bank-owned ATM for the best exchange rate and lower fees than a private exchange service.
Don’t forget that starting May 7, 2025, adults traveling within the US must have a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID, like a passport, to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities.
