Who else wants a spring break trip this year?

If you’re itching for a spring break getaway, stand in line because so is everyone else! Experts predict that this spring break—typically from late February to late March—will be even busier than 2019 (pre-pandemic).

Essentially, this won’t be a typical spring break travel season. Not by a long shot.

Passport and TSA wait times are down, but there are lots of other uncertainties. The recent system meltdowns with Southwest Airlines and the FAA has cast a shadow of concern. Inflation, a soft economy, and a recent uptick in mass shootings also worry domestic travelers.

Here’s everything you need to know before you book your spring break trip this year.

Where is everyone going this spring break?

When it comes to popular spring break destinations, it’s all about the warm weather this year. Priceline’s top three most popular domestic destinations are:

1. St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
2. Kailua Kona, Hawaii
3. Sacramento, California

Warning: Fodor’s Travel put Maui on the ‘don’t go’ list due to overcrowding and water depletion.

Some new trends in travel focus on outdoor activities like camping and ‘closecations’ (traveling close to home) to stay on budget.

What are prices looking like?

Airline prices are still high and generally outpacing inflation due to the following:

• High demand – travelers are eager to see places again
• High fuel prices – jet fuel hit its highest-ever price in April 2022
• Staff shortages – airlines are still struggling to hire pilots, mechanics, and other staff
• Little wiggle room – some airlines are still trying to recover from the financial losses during the pandemic
• Backordered planes – manufacturers of airplanes have dealt with the same supply chain issues and factory disruptions as everyone else

Pro tip: domestic flights are high, but international flights aren’t as high, so 2023 may become the year of international spring break trips.

According to The Points Guy, here are the most affordable international spring break destinations in 2023 (shown in no particular order below):

1. Mykonos, Greece
2. Thailand (in fact, Travelzoo recently announced a 7-day trip for $1 to Phuket)
3. Stockholm, Sweden
4. Sydney, Australia (the weather is warm now!)
5. Cork, Ireland
6. Auckland, New Zealand (Delta just launched LA – Auckland service)
7. Budapest, Hungary
8. Edinburgh, Scotland
9. Paris, France
10. Lisbon, Portugal (get a one-way ticket and apply for their new digital nomad visa)

And one more list: The Discoverer Blog published a recent list of the 5 most affordable ski resorts in the US.

That’s a long list of cold- and warm-weather locations to excite travelers! But do check out the travel strike news so you can plan ahead.

How can you save money on your spring break trip?

In addition to adding international locations to your destination list, some of the best advice for saving money on a spring break trip this year includes:

1. Don’t wait – when you see a good deal, buy it. Last-minute deals (at least right now) are exceedingly rare. The best time to book your spring break trip is immediately.
2. Allow extra time – the spring break window can be pretty tight, leaving little room for error. If you can, give yourself some extra time on either end to allow for mishaps, cancellations, and delays.
3. Plan for risks – spring break can be a dangerous time to travel. If you’re headed to a beach, thousands of other people are too. If you’re headed to the mountains to ski, so are many other people.

Do you need to insure your spring break trip?

Maybe.

• If you’re traveling domestically and driving, make sure you have enough coverage in case of rental car damage. Not all drivers are good winter weather drivers.
• If you’re flying to a location in the US, make sure your health insurance works there. If you have a bad skiing accident, for example, you don’t want to find out your health insurance won’t cover your trip to the hospital afterward.

Check out our tips for insuring domestic trips versus international travel.

Finally, wherever you decide to go this year, have a great spring break trip!