Spring Holidays Travel Deals

If you managed to make it through the winter without taking a trip (going home to see family over Thanksgiving and Christmas don’t count, because – let’s face it – that’s hardly a vacation), then you might well be itching to travel once spring rolls around. Spring happens to be what’s known as a “shoulder season” – neither high season or low season – and tends to be a great time to find deals, especially if you go in the early part of spring and you don’t mind iffy weather.

For those of you who are planning trips to coincide with any of the spring holidays, however, your trip is less about finding a great deal whenever you can and more about finding the best deal you can that will get you where you want to go for the holiday. Here are the spring holidays you may be planning your next trip around, and links for more information to help you find the best travel deals for each holiday.

March Travel Deals

• Spring Break Travel Deals – The dates of your Spring Break may not be entirely in March, but most tend to start in March. And no matter when you go, if you have your sights set on one of the world’s popular Spring Break destinations then you’ll really need to do your homework in advance to get a good deal.
• St. Patrick’s Day Travel Deals – While many people just find the nearest Irish bar wherever they live to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a holiday that makes an excellent excuse to travel. Low airfares combined with big parties? Who doesn’t love that?

April Travel Deals

• Easter Travel Deals – Whether you’re making an annual trek back home to celebrate Easter or you’ve got more exotic destinations in mind, these tips will help you find a good deal on Easter travel.
• Coachella Music Festival Travel Deals – Coachella is one of the first music festivals of the season, and benefits from its southern California location. The weather is usually great in mid-April, and it’s a nice way to kick off a tour of the many summer music festivals out there.

May Travel Deals

• Kentucky Derby Travel Deals – Whether or not you’re a die-hard horse racing fan, there’s something about the tradition around the Run for the Roses that makes spending a few days at the Kentucky Derby kind of fun. Plus, there’s all the hat watching.
• Cinco de Mayo – Cinco de Mayo is only a minor holiday in Mexico, but elsewhere in the world (especially in the U.S.) it serves as a time to celebrate Mexican heritage. Also, there are plenty of people who will take advantage of any excuse to throw a big party.
• Mother’s Day – Why not surprise Mom with a trip home to see her for Mother’s Day? It won’t get you out of coming home at Thanksgiving, but at least the airfare won’t be as costly.
• Sasquatch Music Festival Travel Deals – Sasquatch is another of the popular music festivals in the U.S., and this one takes place in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington state. It can still be a tad chilly at night in May in Washington, so bring a sweatshirt.
• Memorial Day Travel Deals – The official kick-off weekend for summer usually means higher prices on everything from airfare to hotels to rental cars, so this is definitely a holiday where you’ll need to hunt around for good deals and book in advance if possible.

photo by Robert S. Donovan