<p>I read in an earlier thread how college students spend an enormous amount of money at places like Cancun. Since GU’s spring break is decent (March 4th-12th… although I can push it to the 13th, thanks to the fact that I have no Monday classes), I was looking to find the best sites to find deals on vacation packages, and if any, suggested destinations? </p>
<p>The reason I ask now (and a bit prematurely, even in my opinion): I need to know an estimate of how much I’d need for my spring break travel plans. Hopefully, I can earn most/all of the cash.</p>
<p>Preferably within the States, although if the price is right, out of country. (I need to re-apply for a passport, since my passport was made before I was 16… haven’t gone out of country since then… lovely)…</p>
<p>Just a caveat about passport renewal-- you MUST bring your certified birth certificate in addition to the expired passport. This rule applies to those who were under 16 when they got their passport.</p>
<p>I can’t advise you on spring break plans. I spent 1-2 days in Cancun on the way back from Merida last March. It happened to be spring break. Even when I was in college I wasn’t a sun worshipper or partier, so it didn’t look very appealing. My S is thinking about taking advantage of cheap airfares to Europe in winter.</p>
<p>Andrew, other parents may be like me and have a kind of knee-jerk aversion to “typical” Spring Break travel. What kind of thing do you have in mind? Do you want the beach experience? Want to try something totally different? Will be you be travelling alone?</p>
<p>I’d prefer exploring over the beach experience; I’d go to Europe if it weren’t for the $1,200 price tag. I’d prefer trying something totally different; as for travelling alone, I don’t know yet, as I don’t know the SB plans of some of my friends.</p>
<p>How about “urban exploration” stateside - some combination of NYC/Phila/Boston? Save the airfare, use Amtrak and splurge on some nice hotels. Do the theatre/museums/ethnic food. This works solo and along with friends. </p>
<p>Or nearly stateside, Montreal/Quebec. English is spoken there (sometimes grudgingly in Quebec), but there is much French/European feel there.</p>
<p>I looked up Amtrak fares for Montreal, and they’re much cheaper than flying! Since I have an outdated passport, and since it IS Canada, I’m presuming a certified copy of my birth certificate and drivers license will suffice? (I’m really not looking forward to going through the passport process; at least, not for a March trip.)</p>
<p>It used to be no passport required, Andrew. But I’m not sure anymore. They barely even looked at our DL’s 6-7 years ago. But now it is post 9/11. Maybe someone will post who knows, or you can go online. I think you can do the passport thing pretty efficiently. We just did it for all 3 of us, as DH and mine were expired and DS never had one. Photos at a nearby quick photo place. You can fill out the form online. Here, we can just take it to a nearby small City Hall - no lines! They arrived in just a few weeks, as promised.</p>
<p>I’d guess you’ll need atleast $500 to go on a spring break. A lot of my buddies drove to florida last year and had a blast for 500. Just remember, after hotel/train/gas money you still have to pay for food and booze and such, so remember that. Alternatively, you could go to an all inclusive hotel, while more expensive (can go as high as 1200) you won’t have to worry about food and such, and therefore you won’t have to bring a lot of cash with you. You don’t want to risk losing it/getting robbed. BTW, Amtrak is almost as expensive as buying a JetBlue ticket - I wouldn’t recommend it, spring the extra $50 and save yourself the hassle. Or you could drive - its the cheapest way.</p>
<p>For travel to Canada, passports are not required now but will be in the future suject to the following timetable. You will be fine for spring break 2006.</p>
<p>December 31, 2006 Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
December 31, 2007 Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.</p>
<p>If you are at all foreign looking though, I’d bring a passport for Canada.</p>
<p>Tlaktan:
You can get some great travel advice on the travel forum at Fodors.com. But be sure to save some money for stuff like, oh I don’t know, books maybe? ;)</p>
<p>tlaktan - check out the Georgetown student newspaper for deals to Europe for spring break - most college newspapers have ads for these trips. I saw one (in another college newspaper) for London and Amsterdam, $799, airfare and hotel.</p>
<p>It will still be a bit chilly in Montreal in early March!</p>
<p>My thoughts exactly…Montreal and Quebec. Gorgeous European experience without crossing the Pacific. French is only a problem in more isolated parts of Quebec and even there most people understand and will speak some English. Montreal is so visitor friendly. Canada has many Asians so expect Indian, sushi and Chinese food influences as well as French cuisine. Food is fabulous and so are museums and just walking the streets. It helps to study up a bit on food words in French and on a few courtesy words.
another good planning website… tripadvisor.com
Let everyone else get sunburned and hung over in Mexico or Myrtle Beach. (sorry…kids from where I live get arrested there every spring.)
yes it is cold but many shops, underground malls and walkways are open beneath the city streets of Montreal and Toronto so that people can get around without dealing with snow when they walk.</p>
<p>I’ll third Quebec and I guess you won’t have a rent car so Montreal would be the choice. I’d start conversing online with some McGill kids that just might want a reciprocal favor someday in D.C. I’ll bet it might get kind of cheap if you’ll bring a bedroll. </p>
<p>
Man. Lots of stuff must have changed in the New Year. I’m going to need an '06 map. ;)</p>
<p>Just chiming in to agree that you will not need French at all. Although it is a wonderful opportunity to pick up a few words, if you like. Yes, it will be winter there, not spring. But so what? You’re not going for the mindless bask in the sun experience anyway. Very walkable city. And there’s subway as well. If you do hook up with McGill students, it is centrally located. Otherwise, get a room in the heart of things and walk to everything - no transportation costs at all, really.</p>
<p>Wonderful multi-story bookstore (I forget the name) there, too, so you can accomplish weenie’s goal while you’re there.</p>
<p>My S spent five days in Montreal at the end of the summer and had a blast. Doesn’t speak French, and it wasn’t a problem. Used his birth certificate, also not a problem.</p>
<p>Ha! I just about choked on my coffee this morning. Ummmmm. re the Pacific that has to be crossed to get to Europe. I guess I am too old to be online after 11 pm…ZZZzzzzzzzz. Edit button please. why must it disappear so soon? We spent our last three vacations in Canada. Last summer on the Pacific Rim in Tofino, British Columbia, three years ago was Montreal and Quebec.
I want to say in my defense that my DS has a lifetime preoccupation with maps and was a high school Geography Champ despite having me for a mother. He won our tickets in a Geography competition.</p>
<p>Andrew, a visit to Canada at that time of year won’t be your typical spring break vacation but if weather doesn’t bother you, you’ll be fine. You’re much more likely to run into bad weather in Montreal than in Toronto. You won’t need to speak French in Montreal but it’s always nice if you make the effort. </p>
<p>I’d recommend Toronto over Montreal, personally. There’s much more to do, a better transit system, less snow, and friendlier people! The other advantage of a Canadian trip is that your U.S. $$ will go further, although not as far as it used to. I have a feeling that a lot of kids like to visit Montreal because the drinking age in Quebec is 18. It’s 19 in Ontario.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the passport thing. Those rules posted earlier in the thread are actually the U.S. rules, not Canadian. It’s the U.S. government who is so intent on forcing everyone to have a passport. The Canadian government has been fighting it tooth and nail. It’s not only the Canadians who will need a passport to get into the U.S., it’s the returning Americans who come to Canada to visit! In any case, it’s not necessary yet and hopefully, will not be if the current plan is altered as many expect it to be.</p>
<p>You may want to check into local clubs at your university/college. There are usually amazing spring break opportunites (both service-based and for fun) through most universities.</p>
<p>For example, when I was a freshman in college I joined the Outdoors Club and was able to do spring break in Key West, Key Largo for approx. $350. We rented a few big vans, drove down for the week and camped on the beach to reduce the cost. Unfortunately it was a bit chilly and I didn’t get a chance to really get in the water, but it was a really fun experience!</p>
<p>Campus organizations will give you great deals and won’t be scams, which you have to be careful with deals ‘too good to be true’.</p>
<p>Btw…if you do have some extra cash…Puerto Rico is an amazing spring break destination (did field work down there during senior year spring break!).</p>
while you’re there.</p>