Hot Spots

• Warm beaches and watersports are often part of a spring break vacation.southwest florida 16 image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
  
  Anywhere with a warm beach and ample accommodations is likely to attract some visitors during spring break, but there are some hot spots where college students tend to gather. According to Mathimortician.com, Panama City, Florida is one of the biggest party spots, with more than 500,000 people celebrating spring break there. South Padre Island, Texas, is also big, with 150,000 visitors, followed by Cancun, Mexico, with 100,000 revelers. Other hot spots are Las Vegas, South Florida, and Phoenix. Cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas are also popular during spring break.
  
  

Activities

• Spring break has a reputation for being a booze-soaked adventure, and the statistics back that up. According to Mathimortician.com, students report drinking an average of 10 alcoholic drinks a day while on spring break. That's compared to the average six a week that college students report drinking while at home. But in between the trips to the bar, boating, sand volleyball, shopping and dancing at the nightclubs are other activities that tend to be part of the agenda. Television networks, nightclubs and other businesses set up group activities like concerts and contests in the more popular venues, like Panama City and South Padre Island.
  
  

Dates

• Colleges and universities set their own schedules for spring break, but most spring break weeks tend to be sometime around March. According to tripsmarter.com, March 15-19 was the busiest spring break week for 2010, with more than 2.1 million college students out on break. March 8-12 was the second busiest, with more than 1.7 million students out on break during that time.
  
  

When to Book

• If you're headed to one of the hotspots for your spring break, book as early as you can. Since so many people head to places like south Florida and Cancun, hotel rooms can book up fast. Some travel experts recommend you buy your tickets as early as September to get the best rates and availability. If you're going with a group, consider checking with a travel agency before booking your flight and hotel accommodations online. Wherever you buy your ticket, remember to consider booking your hotel, flight and even rental car in one bundle. This can often save you a lot of money.
  
  

Alternatives to the stereotype

• While hundreds of thousands of students flock to the beaches during spring break, that crazy alcohol-filled scene is not for everyone. As an alternative, some colleges have set up alternative spring break activities, usually focused on service activities. The possibilities for service tourism are diverse, but check out sites like alternativebreaks.org for examples of what's out there.