Spring break doesn’t have to be all about packed frat parties, overrun beaches, or seven straight nights of after-hours club-hopping. And it doesn’t have to cost you the entire year’s worth of food savings you’ve managed to build up by crashing campus banquets and living off free condiment packets.

 

The way we see it, you’ve got at least three different options for a completely affordable — and still totally memorable — spring break.

 

 

1) The Road Trip

 

True, the price of gas is as high as it’s ever been, but a tank costing $3–$4 a gallon, split between four or five people, is still going to come out a lot less expensive than most plane tickets.

 

You’ve got plenty of miles of U.S. interstate to choose from — 46,837, to be exact — whether you’d rather cruise down the California coastline, dodge grizzly bears in Yellowstone, or indulge your inner history nerd with the colonial cities of New England.

 

Pick a destination and plan your route — go old-school with a Rand McNally road map; print out driving directions from Google Maps, MapQuest, or any other online map service; or take it all digital if you’ve got GPS.

 

Then throw your stuff, your friends, and yourself in the car, and off you go.

 

Road-trip essentials include:

 

§         A mix CD or iPod road-trip playlist for your ultimate highway soundtrack

§         Car games to keep you occupied

§         An emergency car safety kit in case you get stranded on the side of the road

§         A complete snack arsenal (Chex Muddy Buddies are on our list of must-haves)

§         Copious amounts of caffeinated beverages

§         If eaily car sick, bring a few packets of Dramamine to help avoid a messy situation

§         A camera to capture random road signs or your friends in compromising sleeping positions

 

Plan every detail of your trip, or make it up as you go along. What makes the true road trip isn’t where you end up but what you do along the way.

 

 

2) The Cheap Flight

 

If you’re in scramble mode to find cheap flights this late in the game, track down your local STA Travel office, or check them out online, where they have a last-minute spring break section.

 

You can also try going directly to the source. Southwest Airlines is currently offering $29 flights to select destinations during the spring. Travel search sites like LowFares, Mobissimo, and BuddyBooking will search multiple airline ticket websites for the best deal.

To save a few bucks, plan to travel during the week, since prices usually go up on the weekends. Consider visiting major hubs (or cities near them) that have plenty of flights to choose from; tickets will usually cost less, and you’ll have more flexible options for flight times.

 

For the ski bunny in you, spring can be the best time to hit the slopes because the runs are less crowded and late-season snow storms make for powdered runs. You can check Craigslist for cheap lift tickets.

 

3) The Local Getaway

 

We know that not everyone can get the time off from work during spring break or have the money to take a typical spring break vacation. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself within city limits or take a couple inexpensive day trips.

 

If you haven’t had the time yet to check out all the quirky places in and around your college town, the spring weather is the perfect time to do it.

 

Take a day to wander downtown or old town, walk into and try a restaurant you’ve never heard of, explore the nearby tourist attractions, hop on a city bus and see where it takes you, or pack a lunch and drive to a scenic destination just outside the city.

 

You can even treat yourself to a bit of concierge pampering by staying at a local resort or hotel for a night or two. You’ll feel like you’re at a far-off destination without ever leaving your area code.