Looking to take a short trip with my H in March or April. Would love some suggestions for destinations. Here are the parameters:
No more than a 4 or 5 hour flight from NYC-area airports
3 or 4 night stay, max.
Budget conscious options (budget = $2k, all in).
Nice mix of natural and urban/cultural attractions.
I am considering Puerto Rico, but would love to hear some other ideas.
I love planning! My immediate thought was Costa Rica!
How about Charleston SC? It’s gorgeous in April.
Dominican Republic
I have gone to PR with my college friends a frontiers in the last ten years. We stay in San Juan and it’s really fun, the hotels have been beautiful, and Old San Juan is wonderful to walk around, and eat lots of good things. That said in January it’s still pretty chilly and windy. I’m sure by April it would be nicer - but check monthly weather to see if it’s what you had in mind.
DH is a surfer and we did a fun trip to Rincon years ago. He was just there in March, had great weather, surfed, golfed, rode horses.
DR is nice if you just want to chill at a resort. I know it sounds awful to say there is nothing outside of the resorts but…I was happy and occupied at our resort for 4 nights. It was all inclusive so my days were buffet breakfast, coffee on the beach, lunch, afternoon in the pool, drinks, dinner, sunset, sleep. It was what I needed then!
I also like Arizona in the Spring. The Fairmont in Scottsdale is lovely. We did a day trip to Sedona - I’d love to go back and rent a condo and just relax there. Lots of great hiking and wonderful for photography.
Old Quebec? I was there years ago and loved it!
I looked Easter is late next year. I think April 20.
March will be busy with spring break for college and April for primary school. A consideration on planning and price.
I found that Costco travel is a nice tool for comparing packages and prices.
Is the 2k all in? Meaning flights, hotel, food, transportation and activities? Seems a little low for PR IMO.
I missed the budget! Don’t look at the Fairmont in Scottsdale, that would be no good! But there are other good places to stay there that would be sunny, have a good pool, etc.
March and April will capture the spring break crowds (and prices) at any beach location. Although October is high tide for beauty on the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is still gorgeous in the spring and there is lots to see in and around Asheville - art, history, food, hiking. Something different from the beach.
Savannah!
We went to Charleston and Savannah last April and they were both great!
Great food, fun places to walk around and lots of history. From Savannah you can go to Tybee island for the day.
From Savannah you can go to Hilton Head for the day!
Sedona, Santa Fe, Palm Springs – all have free hiking and a choice of hotels.
Charleston is an option.
There are a number of islands that have quite affordable hotel options (Grenada, for example) , but the driver here will be the airfare from where you live. Culture varies. Belize? Mexico?
Nashville would work - both natural and urban attractions.
DC likely not far enough - but it’s awesome - and you have a national park nearby
If you did Florida, I might do Naples…vs other parts that would be run over by Spring Breakers.
New Orleans is interesting but not sure if it has the “natural” component you’d want - depending what type of nature that is.
I also wonder how others think of a 3 day trip where you have to fly to get there?
The first day you get up early, get to the airport. Once you get to your destination, check in is late afternoon. Then there is one full day at the resort. The 3rd day is check out, get to the airport, fly home.
I’m not much of a traveler but this doesn’t sound that fun to me. I love those full days at a resort without the burden of travel.
Maybe a domestic destination works better for a long weekend? I’m musing about how that would work for me.
Seconding. Savannah also lovely.
You can also go north to a city like Toronto.
Old Quebec would be my first choice. Charleston would be #2. (Weather may be better in Charleston at that time of year though ; )).
As someone who lives in the upper Midwest, my least (very least) favorite months are March and April.
I would not recommend Canada because it’s not spring. Probably winter and mostly gray, cold, maybe snow, maybe rain.
Stretching the flight time a little, but my D went to Portugal last March for spring break and had a great time.
I +1 on Savannah or Charleston. Would be (probably) a nice weather and outside environment change from NY. And a quick flight.