TAMPA, Fla. (March 13, 2015) – Warm destinations offering fun-filled activities for families will experience the largest influx of travelers this spring season. Florida has three of the top 10 most popular city destinations, including Orlando at number one. Sunny, beach destinations in California and South Carolina also rank high on the list, followed by ever-popular vacation destinations Washington, D.C., New York City, Seattle and San Francisco.
AAA Travel’s Top Spring Travel Destinations
(based on AAA.com hotel bookings)
Orlando, Fla.
Los Angeles, Calif. (Anaheim)
San Diego, Calif.
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Miami, Fla.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Washington, D.C.
New York, N.Y.
Seattle, Wash.
San Francisco, Calif.
“Travelers are looking for warmer climates after a particularly harsh winter,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Orlando is especially popular because you have a number of theme parks sandwiched between two beautiful Florida coasts. In addition to great domestic destination getaways, cruises, tours and vacation packages to international destinations such as Mexico and the Caribbean are also popular vacations this spring.”
Theme parks continue to be a popular vacation option, as evidenced by Orlando and Los Angeles holding top spots on this year’s list. Universal Orlando Resort is an increasingly popular destination with new attractions including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Diagon Ally and the new family-friendly Cabana Bay Beach Resort. AAA offers discounts on theme park and attraction tickets as well as insider information on deals and hotel incentives.
Money-Saving Travel Tips
Airfare
Shop on a Monday or Tuesday, between midnight and 5 a.m. Any flights that are not paid in full are released at midnight, a time when most people are sleeping. This means more seat availability, reduced demand, and cheaper airfares.
Delete your computer’s cookies before returning to a website to find reduced airfare. This way the computer/website will not remember you visited the site earlier and will reflect lower prices. Otherwise, the website remembers you visited before and may not show the lowest price available.
Rental Car
Rent from location outside of the airport. Yes, getting a rental car from the airport is convenient, but can cost upwards of 30 percent more than renting a vehicle from an offsite location. It may be more inconvenient to take a shuttle to a nearby rental location, than to pick a car up at the airport, but the cost will likely be substantially less.
Prepay for the vehicle. Many times, rental car companies will charge up to 20 percent less for the rental if the car is prepaid at the time of reservation.
Hotel Rates
Book as a package with a travel agent: Many times, hotel rates will decrease upwards of 20 percent by booking as a package in conjunction with airline tickets and/or car rentals. Travel agents have the inside connections and know the ins and outs of the industry to find and hold the best rates possible.
Engage with hotels on social networks. Before booking a hotel, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Many times, deals will be announced on social sites that travelers can take advantage of prior to booking. Also, comment on their social sites about your interest to stay at the property and you may receive an individual discount offer or free upgrades as an incentive to get you to book.
Attractions
Book a resort package. If you plan to take a theme park family vacation, it’s typically better to stay at an affiliated, on-site resort to get extra perks such as extended hours at the park, free transportation, skip-the-line passes, as well as additional savings on everything from dining, tickets, waived parking fees, free wifi and more. Initially, it may seem more expensive to book at a resort, but the little freebies and perks can add up to substantial savings.
AAA Vacations, a collection of cruises, guided tours and independent vacations, offers unique, engaging travel experiences that range from exploring the Galapagos to touring America’s national parks, and are available at more than 1,000 AAA Travel offices. Each itinerary is designed with the AAA member in mind and includes built-in value along with exclusive member benefits such as 24/7 Member Care and Best Price Guarantee.
With all the options available to travelers today, vacation planning can be a daunting task. To maximize a spring break vacation, AAA recommends travelers seek the expert advice of a trusted travel advisor, who can provide personalized service and first-hand destination knowledge to create a memorable vacation experience. For more information and to begin planning a vacation, visit AAA.com/Travel.
