Saving on Spring Break Trips

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

See recent posts by Christine Sarkis

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This week, we found two lists of ways to help manage costs on a spring break trip.

Travelzoo takes an equal-opportunity look at ways everyone—from families to drunken college kids and the rest of us—can save 10 to 60 percent on spring break trips. Here are our favorite ideas:

Fly on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday (average savings: 40 percent)
Travel to Europe since spring is shoulder season (average savings: 30 percent)
Travel the week after Easter (average savings: additional 15 percent savings on top of 30 to 50 percent discounts)
Take a cruise (50 percent savings)
Book a condo or villa (40 to 60 percent savings)

Livability.com, meanwhile, focuses its top 10 spring break destinations for 2013 on family-friendly spots. The picks are modest, but promise to be places “where families can have a quick, yet enjoyable and memorable spring break vacation without breaking the bank.” Here’s the list:

Santa Cruz, California
Tucson, Arizona
Portland, Oregon
Omaha, Nebraska
Indianapolis, Indiana
Birmingham, Alabama
Charlotte, North Carolina
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Boise, Idaho
Cincinnati, Ohio

Are you planning a spring break vacation? How important is getting a good deal on your trip?

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