March Travel - Where to find the least College Spring Breakers

[mdurette]

DD 11 is changing schools next year. The new school does not follow typical New England Feb and April vacations. She will have two weeks off in March. 2018 is the 10th to the 25th.

At first I thought this would be better because flight cost would be cheaper, but I am now realizing these weeks are also most college spring break weeks.

We spent one night in Fort Lauderdale and a weekend cruise during this time this past year. Not really the atmosphere for family travel.

I know I won't avoid spring breakers - but what areas/resorts would be less impacted by them? Looking in US, Mexico or Caribbean. Climate preferred at least 75 degrees.

 

[tschwa2]

Orlando. Hilton Head (although some days will be in the 60's) , Port Aransas, Tx (although no timeshares), Harborside Atlantis in Bahamas.

 

[vacationhopeful]

If you were in the area around the Marriott Beach Place ... you were in Spring Break CENTRAL. And the businesses LOVE the Spring Break customers. Almost everyone is on vacation ... their way and the businesses are HAPPY to help out. Las Olas is ritzy and prices to prove it .. and 1-3 miles from the beach area ... it runs AWAY from the ocean.

Pompano Beach has way more older folks & families than 21 yo guests. It is like the suburbs verses the city life ... where food and entertainment is a car ride away. Ft Lauderdale's city environment ... lot of places to eat & DRINK ... sitting out on the patios watching the people walk by with a beverage & snack in front of you. And late hour activities.

So look for places where most people fly in and where a rental car is needed. And ASK if the rental car companies requires the person renting/driving to be over 25yo.

I have been on several stays with Spring Breakers at the FLBR...18 floors with 10-14 units per floor. My usual behavior is to engage the college students with chit chat and then to directly bring up my expectations ... QUIET after 10PM as the hallways carry noise. That way they can sleep in late in the mornings as I sleep well at night. Plus the resort staffs 2 security guards for patrol during that time of the year (which I don't mention ... smart kids figure that out fast).

I have also explained the Broward County bus system to the Spring Breakers whose grandparents (Wyndham owners) gave them stays in Pompano... but college kids at not 25yo which is needed to get a rental car. They take a taxi back to Pompano after 6PM when the public bus schedule gets drawn out to 1 hours service and after 10PM, to no service.

I would NOT recommend Daytona Beach area ... other than the beach, dining is not abundant with choices. And it is WAY closer to the college "drive down" crowd. Orlando is flooded with EVERYONE wanting warmer weather ... and the parks are ALL packed. But the pools are heated and the sun can burn you, too. Plus 10 days in the middle of March is BIKE WEEK in that area of the state ... motorcycles, hogs, tri-bikes. They can make college students look like innocent babies on the party scene.

I believe south of Georgia state to Pompano will be mostly quiet beach towns with some old timeshare resorts. The east coast of Florida has a ton MORE timeshare resorts ... but other than Daytona Beach's Wyndham Ocean Walk resort .. almost all were built years ago and are smaller resorts (many are converted motel buildings).

PS I went to college 20 miles west of Daytona Beach .... many years ago. I never considered that area to be pool or beach weather as an 18-22yo (I worked as a lifeguard during the summers in NJ). And I now take winter vacations (when I can) where I can take the Broward County bus to from the Ft Lauderdale Airport.

 

[theo]

I have an alternative solution; cancel all college "Spring Breaks" ("breaks" from college life --- really?). Use that time for more classes. Get smarter.
By all means, enjoy the rewards of "breaks" later --- after actually earning them, graduating and becoming gainfully employed and self-supporting.
Meanwhile, in a competitive global economy, in Japan they have no "spring breaks" and they are studying calculus in junior high school.

Just one very real way to "make America great again" --- and one which is far more substantive and meaningful than just hanging a banner with that catchy phrase at public events and / or printing the catchy phrase onto red baseball caps or bumper stickers.

Just sayin'...

 

[Sunshine10]

DD 11 is changing schools next year. The new school does not follow typical New England Feb and April vacations. She will have two weeks off in March. 2018 is the 10th to the 25th.

 

[Sunshine10]

We were in Orlando this past March, 12-22, and we were pleasantly surprised that the resorts did not feel crowded. We stayed at Sheraton vistana villages and Hilton parc soleil and spent several days relaxing on site.

 

[silentg]

Will your 11 year old be bringing a friend? There is a nice resort called Lehigh Acres. It's set back off the road and close to Ft Myers. We stayed last Labor Day week and there were lot of families there. They have many activities on site for kids and adults, they are referbushing the pool but should be reopen by the time you go. Lot of schools in Florida have spring break in March so there may be lots of kids her age. Also, look into Driftwood in Vero Beach.
Have fun!
Silentg

 

[moonstone]

DD 11 is changing schools next year. The new school does not follow typical New England Feb and April vacations. She will have two weeks off in March. 2018 is the 10th to the 25th.

At first I thought this would be better because flight cost would be cheaper, but I am now realizing these weeks are also most college spring break weeks.

We spent one night in Fort Lauderdale and a weekend cruise during this time this past year. Not really the atmosphere for family travel.

I know I won't avoid spring breakers - but what areas/resorts would be less impacted by them? Looking in US, Mexico or Caribbean. Climate preferred at least 75 degrees.

Those weeks are also very popular with Canadian school breaks (called March break up here). With the winter we have to put up with, anywhere with warm sunny weather is a popular destination!


~Diane

 

[canesfan]

Hawaii. St John, VI
Think of places that are more upscale that college students can't afford. Avoid Mexico & Florida except Orlando.


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[stmartinfan]

We've done Spring breaks in Aruba, St. Maarten and Puerta Vallarta and didn't run into the college partiers. Our breaks were generally in March, tied to the date of Easter.

 

[WinniWoman]

I have an alternative solution; cancel all college "Spring Breaks" ("breaks" from college life --- really?). Use that time for more classes. Get smarter.
By all means, enjoy the rewards of "breaks" later --- after actually earning them, graduating and becoming gainfully employed and self-supporting.
Meanwhile, in a competitive global economy, in Japan they have no "spring breaks" and they are studying calculus in junior high school.

Just one very real way to "make America great again" --- and one which is far more substantive and meaningful than just hanging a banner with that catchy phrase at public events and / or printing the catchy phrase onto red baseball caps or bumper stickers.

Just sayin'...

I thought I was the only one that thought like this.

I was and still am always amazed by the Spring Break Vacation craze. My brother and I always worked full-time during our spring and summer and XMAS breaks all throughout high school and college. We knew from nothing about going away and our parents worked also. No vacations. Sure- some other kids we went to school with went to Florida mainly, but most did not. Before we were of age to work jobs, we were sent to our grandparents house while our parents worked. And in fact, with the exception of one time, our family (my husband, son and I) never went anywhere for a spring break either. We all worked. When our son was under 16 years of age, we scooted him off to the grandparents or elsewhere while we worked. But when he turned 16- working papers and off to work after school and breaks.

We, of course, did take our 2 week timeshare vacations every year, however.

Today all I hear about is kids taking breaks all over the globe instead of working. The daughter (19) of a coworker of mine- she just finished a semester at college- and then she went to Puerto Rico for a week with a friend. Then- when she got home she and her mom and her went to France for 9 days. The day after she got back from France she went to China for a few weeks on a college excursion.

Of course, the OP's daughter is just 11 right now so she can't work a job on her breaks just yet- but- yeah- I do think there is way too much time off from school- all levels. I am surprised the kids learn anything as they are always off between breaks- plus the summer- and all the holidays and other teacher conference days and so forth. And it seems the schools give 2 days off for each one day holiday. I don't get it.

 

[WalnutBaron]

Hawaii. St John, VI
Think of places that are more upscale that college students can't afford. Avoid Mexico & Florida except Orlando.

Good advice. Hawaii has very few spring breakers for several reasons: 1) affordability. Most college kids don't have the $$ to vacation in Hawaii; 2) proximity. It's too far away for college kids from the mainland. 3) availability. Because of its popularity during the month of March, getting reservations at the more desirable locations requires long-term planning. That's something most college kids are in short supply of.

 

[davidvel]

I have an alternative solution; cancel all college "Spring Breaks" ("breaks" from college life --- really?). Use that time for more classes. Get smarter.
By all means, enjoy the rewards of "breaks" later --- after actually earning them, graduating and becoming gainfully employed and self-supporting.
Meanwhile, in a competitive global economy, in Japan they have no "spring breaks" and they are studying calculus in junior high school.

Just one very real way to "make America great again" --- and one which is far more substantive and meaningful than just hanging a banner with that catchy phrase at public events and / or printing the catchy phrase onto red baseball caps or bumper stickers.

Just sayin'...

Bah humbug.

 

[Steve A]

And while your at it: Get off of my lawn.

 

[Jan M.]

We live 15-20 minutes from Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale. RCI has a lot of very nice resorts in Southern Florida, SoFlo, and we've stayed at quite a few of them. Take a look at the resorts in Pompano, Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Stuart, Jensen Beach, Cocoa Beach and New Smyrna Beach.

Sanibel, Captiva and Marco Islands and Naples on the west coast of Florida are family destinations and the weather is excellent. But I would avoid Fort Myers Beach for Spring Break. There are some great resorts in the Sarasota area but I'm not sure if they get a lot of college kids for Spring Break.

You can get very reasonable flights into Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando on a number of airlines.

 

[DebBrown]

My four kids are grown now but we always had spring break toward the end of March. I think you will find if you stay at a timeshare resort, you will not have very many college age spring breakers. I'm sure there are exceptions but I think most college kids are at cheaper hotels, not timeshares. Of course, avoid mixed-use properties. I second Hilton Head as a great place for an 11 year old.