Get It On!

You Have Less Than One Month to Plan your Spring Break. GO has the guide to help you maximize your precious vacation time.

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WANT SOME LOCAL IDEAS? CLICK HERE TO READ OUR FEATURE ON ROAD TRIPS FROM OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.

The Party Hearty Break

Spring Break has become a right of passage for many hundreds of thousands of college students, glorified by wild scenes from MTV and Girls Gone Wild. According to those in the travel industry, students are booking their trips earlier every year, so if you’re planning on going somewhere, you better get on it before all the good deals are gone.

For tips on purchasing a package we enlisted the help of Brandon Smith at Dream Vacations (909 E. Republic Rd., 417-890-6764) and Deana Crouch with Great Southern Travel (3424 S. National, 417-888-4488). Their advice: Don’t necessarily go with the cheapest alternative; it’s important to consider whether or not you need an all-inclusive package, meaning for a little extra dough, your food and drink is essentially paid for.

Do some preliminary research and use an agent who specializes in the area you’re interested in. After all, says Brandon, “you wouldn’t call C.U. to ask about your Mediacom service.”

Do book your package ASAP. Spots are running out and the longer you wait, the more expensive it gets.

Do request special bar-hopping passes (usually around $50 to $100) from your travel agent or when you arrive for giveaways, discounts, free drink nights and passage into some of the big-name, corporate-sponsored events.

Do split the cost of a room with friends to save money (duh!)

Don’t get taken by fly-by-night online booking agencies offering insanely cheap packages. Dealing with websites can be a real hassle if complications arise, so make sure they’re reputable. Otherwise, save yourself the trouble and deal with someone local.

Now comes the fun part: Where to go?

Cancun, Mexico

There’s no driving here, so be ready to shell out at least $1,100 for a flight plus a room (per person) for the week. As of last month, you must have a passport to re-enter the U.S. if traveling from a foreign country—this means Mexico, too. Alas, if you haven’t started the process to get a passport yet, you’re probably not going to have it in time for spring break.

In Cancun, the drinking age is 18, so be wary of opportunistic leeches and petty criminals looking to take advantage of inexperienced teenagers and travelers. Our friend Sarah, who visited Cancun three years ago, offered us helpful advice on how to get by without getting taken.

• Don’t take a taxi. The shuttles and buses are cheap (if not free) but keep the ticket in case you get split from your group.
• Tip everyone (including the maid) and put a lock on your suitcase.
• Use the buddy system.
• Use traveler’s checks and limit the amount of cash you carry.
• Watch your alcohol intake. Though the drinking age is 18, not all Mexican cops are tolerant of raucous party kids; It goes without saying (though I’m gonna say it, apparently), you don’t want to spend the night in a foreign jail.

Hot Spots:

• The Coco Bongo features flying trapeze artists, characters out of movies and dancing all night long.
• Mayan Ruins are only 30 minutes away by bus
• Drink, party and eat lobster for $50 on the Captain Hook booze cruise (Google it—great fun!).
• Reportedly, MTV spring break headquarters will be at Fat Tuesday.
  
• For a more authentic experience, follow the locals.
  

 

Panama City, Florida

Rooms run the gamut in price from $200 (for seven nights) for a hole-in-the-wall to more than $1,000 for an all-inclusive, bitchin’ pad right off the beach. Drive the 15 hours or tack on at least $400 (per person) for a flight out of Springfield, which is cheaper than flying out of Kansas City on some search engines. It’s key to shop exhaustively—deals out of Springfield can be found.

Hot Spots: Hang out on the sandy white beaches of the Gulf during the day and head to massive clubs like Harpoon Harry’s, Sharky’s and Pineapple Willy’s to party all night.

 

Daytona Beach, Florida

We found a decent hotel, plus plane tickets, for less than $500 per person out of Springfield from hotels.com. Muscle through the 18-hour drive and save hundreds.

Hot Spots: Daytona International Speedway (pictured), Razzles. Thanks to a crackdown several years ago on the city’s well-earned party image, there’s no drinking in public; all the fun is on the hotel party decks.

South Padre Island, Texas

Again, room rates (for decent hotels) are, at press time, starting at $300. Shell out the extra dough for the all-inclusive package and all you’ll only need to tip. If you don’t mind packing in like sardines, bring your mates and save tons (though the travel agents advise against this as you could get kicked out).

Added Bonus: Mexico’s just a taxi ride away, but don’t end up like our friend Nathan who walked into the bathroom of an old-school Mexican bar and stumbled upon a gun and narcotics exchange scene out of Traffic. (They let him go.)