9 spring travel tips: How to save money and sanity

As I write this here in the Northeast, the rodent saw his shadow, a snowfall fell the next day and we’re headed for a single-digit deep freeze this weekend — all of which are indicators that it is time to distract ourselves with dreams of spring travel.

Of course, planning a trip these days can induce its own kind of chills — like the one that might run down your spine at the thought of going through the roiling and unpredictable experience of heightened airport security. And there’s not much comfort on the airfare front either; a recent surge in business travel has somewhat emboldened the airlines, and while they recently had to retract a proposed fare increase, you can bet that this won’t be their last attempt at inching fares back up toward pre-recession levels, especially as the busy summer travel months approach.

But none of this means you should abandon your dream of Paris in the spring (or Easter in Antigua, or May in Morocco…). Read on for nine ways to save both your money and your sanity as you plan your spring travel this year.

1. Beware of spring break
Unless traveling amongst crowds of other people appeals to you, you may want to avoid traveling around spring break this year. Many view the spring break travel rush as mainly affecting routes to and from touristy beach destinations, but it’s not just folks looking for Jersey Shore-style antics in warm and party-friendly climates — it’s also more placid kids simply heading back to the family abode to enjoy sleeping in and eating some home cooking. And don’t count out families with younger kids traveling during “school vacation”; all add up to more folks on the road.

When is spring break? This guide should help out. And if you don’t think spring break accounts for a lot of people traveling, this week-by-week, school-by-school guide will change your mind. Whoa.

For this high-volume, high-profile period, fare increases are coming — and coming soon, according to the folks at Bing Travel.

2. If you are traveling for spring break, consider offbeat and “difficult” destinations
The conventional wisdom during an economic downturn is that travelers are most likely to choose less expensive domestic destinations over exotic international destinations, and all-inclusive packages over DIY outposts. As a result, college-friendly beach towns will be packed, while offbeat yoga retreats may be empty. Some traditionally more expensive destinations may have to lower prices as demand drops out; investigate booking away from “easy and affordable” and you may find your ideal exotic destination to be, well, both easy and affordable.

3. Book now for mid-spring
Although I have seen an uptick in fares over the past week or so, the airlines are not yet programming heavily for some of the sweet spots of spring that roll around come late April and early May. There’s far less competition then from school kids, families, vacationers and long weekenders; it’s mostly just you and a lot of business travelers. Folks traveling on a mission tend to make for more efficient airports and slightly less expensive fares, and the airlines themselves don’t have any major holidays on which to hang predatory fares. Book now and you could nab a great deal on a mid-spring trip.

One point made by the Bing folks leads me to recommend that you…