Top 10 spring break destinations 2015, plus best bargains

Spring break travelers fall into two broad categories: crowd lovers and those who seek some peace and quiet. According to the latest Orbitz Insider Index survey, 64 percent of travelers purposefully avoid college student destinations and 75 percent of travelers say they would rather go somewhere less popular and avoid the crowds.

Orbitz identified the top destinations that travelers are booking, and also some great alternatives for sun, fun, skiing and play that are still showing lower occupancy and lower rates.

While the majority of travelers say they want to skip the crowds, plenty of travelers are still making the trek to spring break’s most popular destinations, based on 2015 Orbitz.com booking data. Las Vegas retains its top spot as the number one spring break destination, and offers savings of 4 percent on hotels and 3 percent on airfare. After the extra brutal winter, travelers are flocking to warm weather destinations – eight of the top 10 have higher temperatures. For all of the top spring break destinations, airfares are down 4 percent over 2014 while hotels are up a modest 7 percent.

“Spring break is the unofficial start to the busy 2015 travel season and nearly three-quarters of Americans are looking to take advantage of that with a trip, according to our survey,” said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior editor for Orbitz.com. “Getting away from the crowds doesn’t mean travelers have to sacrifice value. Orbitz.com makes it that much easier to find a great deal thanks to a number of promotion codes that make it easy to save.”

Among the top 10 destinations, Honolulu, Hawaii and San Juan, Puerto Rico are missing from this year’s list, having been replaced by Playa Del Carmen and Riviera Maya, Mexico.

For the majority of travelers looking to avoid the crowds, Orbitz.com senior editors have identified the best bets for destinations where lower occupancy translates into not only fewer crowds but also greater deals for spring break travelers.

To help travelers save even more for spring break, Orbitz.com has promotion codes available for hotel stays and flight packages.
·         For qualifying hotel stays of two or more nights, travelers can save 15 percent with the promo code TAKEABREAK for travel booked by March 29, 2015.
·         For three or more nights and a minimum spend of $500, travelers can save $75 off flight and hotel packages with the promo code 75VACA. Travel must be booked by March 31, 2015 and used by June 30, 2015.
·         For four or more nights and a minimum spend of $1000, travelers can save $150 off flight and hotel packages with the promo code 150VACA. Travel must be booked by March 31, 2015 and used by June 30, 2015.

“Travelers can save big by planning a little in advance and taking advantage of deals,” continued Tornatore. “I always recommend that travelers do a few things to save, like booking a package for savings and looking for value-adds like free breakfast, Wi-Fi, parking and airport shuttle service. Travelers also shouldn’t underestimate the costs for items like checked luggage, overweight baggage fees and attraction tickets purchased on-site.”

Tagged: Florida, Las Vegas, Mexico