Trips limited as break approaches

Shelley Wood wants to spend her first spring break enjoying the outdoors in the company of her good friends.

"I probably will just go out with my friends, because everything else is too expensive," said Wood (freshman-division of undergraduate studies).

With a month left until the beginning of spring break, many students are finding few to no affordable vacation packages left, said Amy Smith, travel consultant for Centre for Travel, 114 S. Hiester St.

"At this point there really are no popular destination packages available, such as to Cancun or Panama City," Smith said.

Smith added that finding a flight or a hotel room for one of these popular destinations from March 7 to 14 is nearly impossible at this time.

Lisa Heichel, travel consultant at Accent on Travel, 444 E. College Ave., agreed that most popular destination spots are already closed.

"By next week, students will need to pay an entire payment of between $599 to $630 for the trip, if they plan to go to Cancun, the Bahamas or Jamaica," Heichel said.

Also, some students are going to Europe and California, but these trips are often too costly for the average student, Smith said. The trips are often designed by the travel agent and the student, and they have higher airfare because they are not sold as a package deal, she added.

However, students who still can't decide what they want to do for spring break have another option available, although it doesn't involve the sandy beaches of Panama City, said Dan Callahan, tour director at Ski Travel Unlimited in Springfield, Va.

"A lot of students think that they have all summer to go to the beach, and since the conditions for skiing and snowboarding are best in spring break, students don't mind the cold weather," Callahan said.

Packages for skiing can include lodging at condominiums, ski lift tickets for the week and entertainment and activities, Callahan added.

For a student looking to save money, options other than package deals also are available, Smith said.

Options for students include day trips or weekend trips that are usually cheap and do not require early registration, Smith said.

"Many students take trips into New York City to see a show for the day, or take a day trip skiing," Smith said.

Often these trips can be inexpensive and need less planning for those who are not interested in going to the usual destinations, she said.

Students can also find ways to budget their money and still travel by visiting family or friends away from home.

Erica Schneider (sophomore-landscape architecture) said she found the best way to save her money and travel the country.

"Money is a big issue for me, so I will be visiting my relatives in Richmond, Va.," she said. "It's cheap and it is the best opportunity for me right now."