Now that the winter holidays have concluded, the next extended time away from MHS is Spring Break, which occurs March 26- April 3; This seems  far away, but vacation rentals and hotels are booking up quickly. Spring break can be a fun week but planning can seem overwhelming. Here are some tips to help ease the spring break planning process!

Tip #1: Do what you actually want to do

This concept seems simple, but don’t be pressured into going to a warm destination just because everyone is doing it. Go where you want to and don’t go to a popular vacation site just because it’s “normal”. This can make spring break seem less fun if you are going on trips that you and your family or friends don’t actually want to do. For example, go to Colorado to ski or Bryce Canyon, Utah to have a more adventurous and nature packed spring break. Senior Chloe Ogurek and her family are excited to spend spring break in Washington D.C to enjoy the nation’s capital and all of the monuments and museums! Senior Danielle Borst is looking forward to enjoying the beautiful beaches on Sanibel Island as well as the beautiful weather. Going on vacation is expensive so don’t waste all of this money on a vacation site you don’t actually want to go to.

Tip #2: Book everything early!

This tip applies more if you are going to a popular spring break vacation hotspot. Hotels, flights and vacation houses are much cheaper if you book them early because more options are available. However, if you wait closer to the spring break dates, options are very limited so you may not be able to secure your ideal flight, hotel or rental house. If you are planning on going to Sanibel Island hotel prices can get pretty expensive especially as March rolls around. The average hotel is about $200/a night and will increase about $50-$60 in March. You might also end up paying a lot more than you would have if everything was booked earlier. If you are going to a popular location that has things to do, get plane tickets early. Senior Sydnie Uphoff agrees, “booking early is one of the most crucial things to do in order to guarantee you get the flights, housing, and activities that you want.” This ensures that you get the date and times that you want and allows you to actually go. If you wait until on-site to get the tickets they may be sold out or once again, more expensive.

Tip #3: Make a budget and stick to it

Making a budget can really help the overspending on a spring break vacation. Flights, finding a place to stay, food, and attractions can really add up on a vacation so trying to limit all of the extra expenses can help stay on budget. This also allows you to make reasonable choices on the trip and assists in controlling spending over these expensive times. If you are planning on going out to eat most of the trip then budget more money towards restaurants then activities, but if you want to participate in more activities while on  vacation then buy groceries once you get there to save money.

Tip #4: Don’t overbook yourself 

Spring break is a time for relaxing and taking a break from the usual busy life. Planning all of your days to the max will be draining and not relaxing whatsoever. You may want to enjoy the vacation spot to its fullest, but overbooking yourself every day won’t be relaxing either. I suggest that you fill certain days with activities while also leaving some days to just relax and be on your own schedule. Maybe choose two or three activities that you and your family really want to do and spend the rest of the break enjoying more leisure activities. Spring break is supposed to be time for fun and relaxation and taking a break for the everyday hustle, not being equally as busy.

Tip #5: Use apps to help book

Using apps like TripAdvisor or Yelp can help find the best things to do on a vacation and get the best deals while doing it. This will help discount activities, flights, lodging as well as finding the best places to shop, eat, or relax. Using apps can also find hidden gems that one may not know about that can be huge family hits!

As many Milford students gear up for spring break, these tips can help save money and plan a fun filled break. When asked where MHS students will be going for spring break, Florida was a very popular answer. Senior Lily Glowzinski agreed, “This year for spring break my family and I will be headed to Destin and then Disney World.” Freshman Elle Dameworth is also headed to Florida as she will be spending break in Delray Beach which is near Fort Lauderdale. However, Senior Danielle Ryan is headed west for spring break where she will spend it in Colorado.

MHS students are very excited to relax and spend some time away from school. Uphoff agreed, “I am very excited to have some much needed time off school.” When asked, most students agreed and said the key to having a fun and successful spring break is by booking everything early as well as not cramming your days full of activities.

Spring break should be a time of fun, stress free, family and friend time. I hope these tips help make spring break enjoyable and allow for a much needed time of recovery.