How to Plan the Spring Break Trip of Your Life

You deserve a brain break, and we want to set you up with all the tools and information you need to get the trip out of the group chat. So go ahead, start drafting that text to all your besties, because this spring break, y’all are going places.

Plus, if you book with us, the more people you bring, the bigger the discount—just saying.

Here’s a checklist to help you plan a spring break trip (hint: it’s way easier if you do it with us).

First thing’s first, when is spring break?? It’s important to line up your free dates first to help narrow down the locations, budget, timing, weather, etc. We don’t recommend skipping school for Mt. Fuji hikes or DR surf seshes, (we totally get it though), so check your school’s dates here.

What's the vibe? Is it hanging ten in the tropics, getting that adrenaline pumping, or doing some historic sightseeing to keep the knowledge flowing? Luckily, there’s an Ultimate Break trip for every preference. Thailand and Greece are go-tos for an island paradise. Costa Rica and Panama will kickstart that heart rate with jungle ziplining, white-water rafting, and more. Japan, Italy, and Spain have incredible ancient sights—and amazing eats. We could go on, but it’ll take too long, so you can browse here for inspo.

Now that you’re dreaming big, it’s time to get real for a second. It’s not the most fun thing in the world, but crunching the numbers now saves stress later. So open up that Excel sheet and ask yourself these questions:

• What’s my estimated flight cost?
• Do I want to stay in a hotel, Airbnb, or hostel?
• Will I need to rent a car?
• Any nice restaurants I should reserve?
• Are there activities I need a ticket for? (museums, guided tours, bullet trains, etc.)

Once you’ve plotted those out, consider your options. Maybe cut costs by catching a multi-layover flight so you can level up your stays. Maybe opt for a hostel so you can book extra excursions instead. Or maybe you can check out our spring break deals that include accommodations, tours, tickets, and a payment plan—shameless plug, we know.

There is nothing worse than packing the entire week before a trip (or night before if you’re like me), getting the pre-airport jitters, prepping for TSA “hospitality”, and then being turned away because your passport has EXPIRED. Don’t be that friend; review all your documents way ahead of time and renew your passport if necessary. Many countries require at least six months of validity before expiry to enter. If you’re still unsure, use this government site for guidance on passport applications, renewal and processing.

Time to pull up Pinterest and search “[Destination] outfit inspo”. An essential part of any trip abroad is making sure you have the proper clothing for any adventure or mishap. You don’t wanna get caught in a Tokyo typhoon without a rain jacket or a Kenya heat wave without a hat. Our warm weather go-tos are always at least one waterproof jacket, a good pair of walking shoes, a pair of sandals, a sweatshirt for cold nights, sunnies, a hat, and of course sunscreen—lots of it. We’ve got a few more packing tips from one of EF Ultimate Break’s own, Emma Lifvergren.

Free up some storage NOW! One, because you’ll need room for all the pics you’ll be taking and two, because you’ll want to download as many local apps as you can for your trip. The app store has so many great applications for transit times, translations, reservations, ride shares, and more. Some of our favorites are, Suica or Pasmo for subway cards in Japan, Michelin Guide for best eats in Italy, Bolt taxi service in Thailand and the trusty, Google Maps, Google Translate, and WhatsApp for literally anywhere. Of course, no app is as wonderful as an Ultimate Break tour director, just sayin’.

That’s a lot of info we just threw at you, so just slowly take it in and remember you’re heading to a new country soon. You can almost see it now, the waves on the horizon in Santorini, the Northern Lights in Reykjavík, the paella on the beaches of Barcelona. Relaxation is in reach. Still nervous about all the planning? Just say the word, (psst, it’s “book now”), and we’ll take care of it all.