According to a 2022 examine from the Family Travel Association, households spent round $4,750 a yr on household journey in 2021, with 22 p.c spending over $10,000. Half of these surveyed anticipate to spend much more on household journey subsequent yr. If you may have carried out any journey analysis lately, you may have in all probability discovered that it’s laborious to seek out locations the place the common household trip price is below $5,000 for seven nights.
I’ve carried out quite a lot of analysis and put collectively a listing of low cost spring break journeys for households, lots of which we now have visited over time. These locations are typically away from the fray of the school spring breakers and occasion vibes. These low cost spring break locations are family-friendly and you may sometimes spend 5 to seven nights with a household of 4 (sharing one room or trip rental) for below $5000.
Of course, costs can fluctuate relying on the place you reside and when you may have your spring break. But one among my first steps to find low cost spring break locations is taking a look at finances airways and the place they fly that would make spring break trip. There are many finances airways which have routes between secondary cities, which may typically be good finances household journey vacation spot. These embody Breeze Airways, Allegiant, Spirit, and Frontier.
If these concepts don’t add up to your dwelling base in the identical means, taking a look at the place finances airways fly from your own home metropolis is one other method to begin brainstorming. Also, if in case you have been amassing airline miles or bank card factors, it’s a good first step to determine the place you should utilize these miles and the place these airways fly from your own home metropolis. Of course, airways are likely to know when native faculties have spring break and lift charges to typical locations like Florida or Southern California. If that is the case, it’s time to take into account a household street journey.
Cheap Spring Break Trips for Families
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Washington DC
Washington DC pops up on quite a lot of spring break lists and that’s with good purpose. First of all — cherry blossom season! It had been my dream to go to Washington DC throughout cherry blossom season and we lastly made it occur with over Easter weekend. We had been capable of e book The Darcy Washington, a Curio Collection Hotel, with a king mattress premiere studio suite with a pull out couch for $182 per night time for a Hilton Honors advance pay as you go price.
While Washington DC is probably driveable and accessible by Amtrak, to avoid wasting time for a shorter journey we determined to fly. If you possibly can’t discover low cost flights into Washington Reagan you may also fly into Baltimore-Washington International, which is a Southwest hub and infrequently a part of their low cost $49 fare gross sales.
Luckily, in Washington DC, so most of the museums are free, which makes it a terrific low cost spring break vacation spot. You may spend time strolling by way of the Mall and across the Washington Monument. If you don’t need to spend per week in Washington DC, you possibly can mix it right into a northeast roadtrip.
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Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia makes a terrific spring break street journey from wherever on the east coast. You may discover low cost flights on Breeze Airways into close by Virginia Beach. It is a good vacation spot for households that get pleasure from early American History, amusement parks, and out of doors actions.
You can discover many inexpensive lodging choices from motels to campgrounds. To save on sights you should purchase the Historic Triangle Ticket that features seven days of limitless admission to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, and Historic Jamestown and Yorktown Battlefield.
When you might be uninterested in historical past, you possibly can have enjoyable at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, go to the Virginia Living Museum, tour the Virginia Air and Space Museum, or discover the Fort Monroe National Monument. My daughter was about 10 after we visited this area, which I feel is a good age for visiting Williamsburg and the encircling space.
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Adventures on the Gorge, West Virginia
Enjoy spring break in one of many latest National Parks, New River Gorge in Lansing, West Virginia. Stay in a comfortable household cabin or deluxe lodging on the Adventures on the Gorge resort. In the spring you possibly can go white water rafting on the Lower New River, take a biplane cover tour, or get pleasure from a guided hike within the park.
While you might be there, you also needs to discover the nationwide park and take a Bridgewalk throughout the New River Gorge Bridge, one of many longest metal arch bridges on the earth, on the catwalk below the bridge (don’t fear, you’ll be harnessed in for this thrilling journey!)
Jekyll Island, Georgia
Jekyll Island is likely one of the many islands simply off the coast of Southern Georgia. This quiet island provides miles of huge, flat sand seashores, together with the well-known Driftwood Beach, dwelling to massive branches which have washed ashore. In addition to the seven public seashores, Jekyll Island can also be dwelling to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which is a well-liked cease for households.
Older children may also get pleasure from biking across the island and staying as much as do some star gazing at night time. For a day journey, take the ferry from St. Mary’s over to Cumberland Island (reservations advisable) the place you possibly can discover wilderness areas, undeveloped seashores, historic websites, cultural ruins, and hopefully spy some wild horses. Jekyll Island can also be not a far drive to Savannah, Georgia or Okefenokee Swamp Park, which is a National Wildlife Refuge. Take a ship tour and search for alligators or get pleasure from among the climbing trails within the park.
I truly visited Jekyll Island in early December and it was good to get pleasure from this seaside neighborhood within the off season, however the climate would definitely be nicer throughout spring break!
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Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach is likely one of the highlights of Florida’s Space Coast, a 72-mile stretch of seaside and family-friendly sights. The marquis attraction is the Kennedy Space Center, which is a good place to spend a day with children. The attractive Cocoa Beach, well-known for its browsing tradition, has a pier with family-friendly eating places and sights.
Nearby, you may also go to Brevard Zoo, the place you possibly can kayak and zip line by way of animal reveals. Families additionally love kayaking with manatees or taking an exciting alligator-seeking airboat experience. Maybe you’ll even be there for a rocket launch! At the very least, there are many inexpensive household sights like mini golf or the Andretti thrill park. While the seaside space can have kitschy vibes, I nonetheless discover this area a terrific, inexpensive, household spring break vacation spot.
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Kissimmee, Florida
If you might be visiting the theme parks, a visit to Kissimmee will be extraordinarily costly, however there are many issues to do within the Orlando space which might be rather more finances pleasant. Did you understand you possibly can kayak only a few miles from Disney? Get your thrills on an journey ropes course? Take an airboat experience?
Of course with so many wonderful trip rental properties on this space, you don’t even want to go away your own home? A number of years in the past we took a multigenerational journey to Kissimmee and rented a home in Encore Resorts that had a pool, sizzling tub, sauna, steam room, recreation room, pool desk, media room, and a lot extra.
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Gulf Shores, Alabama
Gulf Shores Orange Beach Alabama is a really family-friendly seaside vacation spot for spring break and so they work laborious to maintain the partying spring breakers out. I’ve been there on the finish of March/starting of April and the climate was lovely. As with all seaside locations, when you get there and pay for the lodge, it doesn’t price a lot to get pleasure from some seaside time!
Of course, one of many issues that I like about Gulf Shores and Orange Beach is among the enjoyable issues to do like sundown catamaran sails, dolphin cruises, kayaking and extra. Plus, they’ve among the finest meals round with enjoyable venues like The Gulf, The Hangout, or Lulu’s. There are loads of trip rental choices!
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Clearwater Beach, Florida
Clearwater Beach is one among my favourite seashores on the Gulf Coast with sugar tender white sand and calm, heat water. There are many family-friendly exercise choices like pirate cruises, dolphin excursions, sundown festivals with free films, and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
In April, the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival brings in skilled sand sculptors to assemble loopy cool sand creations. The 17-day competition consists of free stay music, fireworks, and sand sculpting courses, together with paid sights on Pier 60.
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Tempe, Arizona
Tempe makes a terrific spring break vacation spot for households on a finances. You can normally discover inexpensive flights into Phoenix Sky Harbor and whereas lodge costs is likely to be a bit increased throughout the Cactus League baseball spring coaching, there are nonetheless offers to be discovered, a few of which embody kitchenettes and household suites.
In addition to taking in some baseball video games at a fraction of the value of in-season video games, you possibly can kayak or lease paddle boats on Tempe Town Lake, e-bike round city, go to the Desert Botanical Gardens, and hike A mountain at dawn or sundown. There are many nice family-friendly eating places on the town and loads of leisure choices at Tempe Marketplace. There are additionally day journeys to climbing trails or stops on the Mesa Fresh Foodie Trail, just like the Queen Creek Olive Mill.
While Tempe is a suburb of Phoenix, it truly is its personal metropolis and, as the house of ASU, it feels very younger and energetic. Visiting Tempe on a finances is way simpler than among the different locations on this space, like Scottsdale.
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Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is a really inexpensive giant metropolis with loads of family-friendly sights. When we visited, we mixed ABQ with visits to the Very Large Array, Spaceport, and White Sands National Park. You may use Albuquerque as a leaping off level to go to Santa Fe or Taos. In Albuquerque, you possibly can go to Petroglyph National Monument Visitor Center, the place you possibly can see a whole lot of petroglyphs carved by Native American and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years in the past.
To be taught extra concerning the native indigenous communities on the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Also discover the 100 specialty outlets and eating places in Old Town Albuquerque, together with the San Felipe de Neri Church, which was in-built 1793. Then get a view of sprawling Albuquerque from above on the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway.
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Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas could not hit you as a household spring break vacation spot, however past the flight offers to Vegas, there are a stunning variety of family-friendly sights in Vegas. You can absorb among the kid-friendly reveals at Treasure Island, the Excalibur, or Cirque de Soleil. Then there are thrills just like the High Roller Observation Wheel, the Sky Jump, X-Scream, and BigShot at The Strat, and the AdventureDome at Circus Circus.
Plus you may have sights like Hershey’s Chocolate World, M&M’s World, and the Shark Reef Aquarium. There are at all times free leisure just like the Bellagio fountains, Mirage Volcano, and the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens on the Bellagio. There are additionally nice day journeys from Las Vegas together with Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, and the Hoover Dam.
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Visalia, California
If you want to get extra off-the-beaten path and expertise among the National Parks with out combating the crowds at among the busier parks, strive Visalia, California. This city serves because the gateway to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and is a good dwelling base as you discover the close by Sequoia National Forest, Sequoia National Monument and public lands.
Nestled within the foothills beneath the Sierra Nevada, Visalia has a cute downtown Main Street the place you possibly can get pleasure from world-class eating places and cafes that make the most of native elements from the fertile agricultural area surrounding the realm. Families may get pleasure from climbing, biking, and rafting.
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Puerto Rico
If you might be craving a Caribbean trip however don’t have a passport, you possibly can nonetheless go to Puerto Rico (for US residents.) Stroll the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, take a look at the Castillo San Felipe del Marco, hike by way of El Yunque, the one tropical rainforest within the US National Forest System, snorkel or kayak in bioluminescent bays, and revel in some enjoyable seaside time.
You will get an ideal mixture of tradition, historical past, and island life. You can discover inexpensive motels simply off the seaside, or strive a trip rental for even higher price financial savings. My husband grew up going to Puerto Rico for household holidays yearly and his household liked it.
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Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
There is a purpose why Punta Cana is such a preferred vacation spot. Its huge stock of all inclusive resorts makes it a terrific finances vacation spot for households. Plus, there are a variety of direct flights from many main cities. There are so many all-inclusives that it might probably get a bit overwhelming as some are actually not nice high quality and others usually are not household pleasant.
The Dreams resorts are pretty dependable for households wanting on this finances vary, you simply could must solely keep 5 nights as a substitute of a full week. There are loads of actions on web site, or you possibly can take excursions to waterfalls, snorkeling, kayaking, zip lining, off roading, and different adventures. If do need to go a bit extra upscale, my husband and I liked the Eden Roc at Cap Cana and located it to be nice for households with younger youngsters.
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Martinique
You can typically discover low cost airfare to Martinique, a French island within the Caribbean. This island is less-visited by American vacationers so that you gained’t discover the identical high-priced all-inclusive resorts that you just discover in different spots within the Caribbean.
This is an efficient spot to chill out and benefit from the seaside and water actions. In addition, you possibly can discover small cities, hike volcanos, and check out native rum. We visited for spring break just a few years in the past and the climate was good. It was good to be basking within the heat (however not too sizzling) solar whereas there was a blizzard happening again at dwelling.
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Looking for extra Ideas?
If you have an interest in leaping over to Europe for spring break, be sure to take a look at these 15 European spring break concepts for households.