Winter may have fluctuated from mild to anything but across the U.S. this year, but now spring is officially here and it seems things are evening out across the country. As buds begin to bloom and everyone turns their eyes and goals toward a spring vacation, there’s much to look forward to.
The growing number of low-cost carriers and enhanced capacity means a record number of passengers expect to take to the skies in March and April, according to Airlines for America. Roughly 140 million people will fly on U.S. airlines during those months, the group said. That’s a year-over-year increase of more than three percent.
The timing couldn’t be better: since Spring Break can range anywhere from early March to early May, you’ve got plenty of options for where to go, whether it’s sun, mountains, ocean, or cityscape you crave. We recently partnered with Booking.com to research some of the least expensive places to visit at this time, and our findings were exciting. A few cities stood out as the most wallet-friendly over a nine-week period that we studied: Cancun (a whopping 45 percent cheaper than it was in 2015), Panama City Beach (11 percent cheaper), and San Diego (6 percent cheaper).
Your favorite spring destinations may not be on this list of usual suspects, and that's okay, too. Remember that April is peak blooming season for the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC—a short-lived but beautiful time to visit our nation’s capital. If you’re after bigger blooms, the National Parks Service has stated it’s a record year for wildflower blooms in Death Valley. After a series of storms in October triggered an additional seeding of wildflowers, matched with mild temperatures and wind speed, the flowering is the best the park has seen in a decade.
If a big trip is beyond you right now, not to worry: we’ve gathered our favorite weekend getaways near 12 cities—all ideal excursions that won’t make you travel far. So read on for inspiration, and then get to planning.
Spring Getaway Ideas: Denver
Just a few hours from Denver, you could be sipping wine in a tasting room, enjoying a mud bath in the desert, or soaking up bluebird days on the ski slope. For sunshine, head south out of Denver four and a half hours to Taos. It's a longer drive than some other spots on our list, but the open desert, gorgeous vistas of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and an on-point dining scene make this funky town a sure bet. Skiers and snowboarders looking for a spring ski trip should head to Crested Butte, Breckenridge, or the Arapahoe Basin, but if you're sick of the snow, head to Colorado's wine country; you can see big mountains from the quaint town of Paonia. About three and a half hours from Denver you'll find Palisade, an art-focused town with plenty of springtime sunshine. A bit past Palisade is Fruita, a sunny mountain biker's paradise that's quickly gaining national attention for its well-designed trails and prime spring riding conditions. —Megan Barber
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Spring Getaway Ideas: San Francisco
The city of San Francisco may boast a temperate climate all year round, but spring is the perfect time to venture out of the city and into greener pastures. Carmel-by-the-Sea might be known as a sleepy coastal village, but this spring it’s gaining momentum with the opening of Hotel Carmel in March. While many people head to Sausalito for a quick getaway, Mill Valley has less crowds and just as many worthy draws. Lately Santa Cruz, the far-out ’60s surf town, has been inching its way toward modernity, if only for its burgeoning empire of pop-up dinners. —Jenna Scatena
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Spring Getaway Ideas: Washington, DC
From steeplechases to blooming gardens, the nation’s capital ushers in the season in outdoorsy style. Make Monticello your first stop and learn about Charlottesville’s history as the home of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. While you’re there, don’t miss the Monticello Wine Trail. This spring marks the 30th anniversary of Shenandoah National Park’s annual Wildflower Weekend, which celebrates the 850-plus species of flowering plants that can be found across the park. From April 22 through 24, the city of Annapolis will host its Spring Sailboat Show featuring workshops for beginning sailors, schooner cruises, free sailboat rides, free food and drink tastings, live music, and more than 100 sailboats on. Baltimore is home to some of Maryland’s most important ones, including the Maryland Grand National Steeplechase (April 23), the Maryland Hunt Cup (April 30), and, of course, the Triple Crown race Preakness Stakes (May 21). Richmond also has a lot of beauty to share with its visitors. A few years ago, the city’s Beautiful RVA coalition launched the Richmond Garden Trail. —Amy McKeever
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Spring Getaway Ideas: Miami
Miami is a full-throttle destination, but it’s always nice to escape the mad crush. At this time of year, peak rates are coming down and the activity is slowing down in the city, making it an ideal time to get out and explore the surrounding area. It’s an easy drive to the moneyed Boca Raton and then on to nearby Delray Beach, with its first-rate museums and restaurants, or Palm Beach, which has a new Cultural Concierge program linking cultural institutions with visitors and such hotel partners as the Four Seasons Palm Beach and the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. To the south of Miami, the civilized Key West is a short drive away, while to the west, the Gulf Coast offers gentle beaches and smart restaurants. —Tom Austin
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Spring Getaway Ideas: London
Many people consider spring the best time to visit London, when temperatures are mild and everything’s in bloom. The season, however, also coincides with the beginning of tourist season, so if it’s a quick getaway from the city you’re after, check out these five great spring breaks nearby. Cambridge, a one-hour train ride from London’s King’s Cross station, is a famous city of historic colleges and spires perhaps best appreciated by boat. Gloucestershire, in the southwestern corner of the Cotswolds, is full of charming towns and inns. Small and historic, Rye is a great market town on the British Isles whose location on Romney marshes and at the edge of one of the south coast’s longest beaches makes it an excellent spot to cast off the shackles of winter. For the literati of the north London ‘village’ of Hampstead, Southwold is a regular bolthole, luring wealthy urbanites with its mix of old English civility and salty dog seaside culture. The seaside towns of Margate, Ramsgate, and Broadstairs (the main towns of the Kent region of Thanet about an hour east of London) create an appealing triumvirate that showcases the broad gamut of British coastal life. —Emily Mathieson
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Spring Getaway Ideas: Amsterdam
In Amsterdam, you don’t have to go far for a little seasonal nature. Early each spring, Lisse becomes the center of the horticultural universe. At its famous Keukenhof gardens, more than seven million hand-planted spring bulbs (including 800 varieties of tulip) burst into bloom, carpeting the 79-acre site with a rainbow of color. In the north of the country, the Wadden Islands are a great place to visit at any time. Green and beautiful, with miles of beaches, unspoiled nature reserves, and panoramic sea views, they boast twice the hours of sunlight of the mainland. —Jane Szita
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Spring Getaway Ideas: Sydney
In Sydney, it is prime weekend-getaway season: several public holidays fall during this time and, with comparatively few international tourists on the ground, prices are competitive. It's only an hour away from Sydney by plane, but Armidale in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales has an "edge of the world" feel, perhaps because it's surrounded by dramatic national parks. In the past five years, Australia's purpose-built national capital of Canberra (it was founded just over a century ago) has asserted itself as a sophisticated getaway destination, offering a winning mix of culture, upscale dining, and outdoor attractions to those who make the three-hour drive from Sydney. There’s never a bad time to visit the Great Barrier Reef, or the farmland of the Blue Mountains. Finally, Wellington, New Zealand, is a short three-hour flight away with world-class food, intense natural beauty, and plenty of cultural attractions. —Dan F. Stapleton
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Spring Getaway Ideas: Buenos Aires
It’s the perfect time to escape Buenos Aires and go mountain biking, grape picking, or catch some late summer rays at the beach. It’s harvest time at the foot of the Andes in Mendoza wine country, and up-and-coming region Uco Valley proves its mettle with luxury lodgings and classy wine flights. The crowds have slunk away from popular at coastal city Mar del Plata, mountain bikers will appreciate cooler climes in Tandil, while neighboring Uruguay’s Colonia del Sacramento fuses colonial history with relaxing riverside retreats. —Sorrel Moseley-Williams
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Spring Getaway Ideas: Barcelona
What city is more ideally situated than Barcelona, nestled between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, with the ruggedly beautiful Costa Brava to the north and the golden sandy beaches of the Costa Dorada to the south? If you’re looking to get away, you’re first option is Tarragona, a charming coastal town known for its Roman ruins. The Catalonian area of Baix Empordà is another waterside destination full of fishing villages, coves and beaches, and world-class gastronomy. The Costa Brava is home to the Perlada Golf Club, while Penedès wine country is one of the most interesting wine regions in Spain, and Cadaqués has the winding cobbled streets of the Old Town, which has gathered an array of artists and intellectuals over the years, from Salvador Dali to Pablo Picasso and Federico Garcia Lorca. —Isabelle Kliger
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Spring Getaway Ideas: Chicago
The main silver lining to Chicago's brutal winter months is the reward of a trip when the weather finally turns. Longer days, fewer layers, and more time outdoors has us plotting spring break trips. We rounded up four of our favorite seasonal getaways in Illinois and in nearby Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Waterfalls and towering trees are nestled throughout Starved Rock State Park, or you can get a culture fix in Indianapolis. Saugatuck, on the coast of Michigan, is a charming resort town, while Monticello, Wisconsin, has both wonderful dining options and is next door to the famous New Glarus Brewing Company. —Megy Karydes
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Spring Getaway Ideas: Dallas
Being in North Texas can be tough for the weekend roadtripper—Dallas is hours from both the beach and the mountains. But Austin, home of the Travasaa spa, is mere hours away by car, the charming Gulf town of Galveston is less than five hours away, and if you’re willing to go farther afield, the desert art haven of Marfa is worth the extra hours. You can also never go wrong with the River Walk in San Antonio, and the oasis of Washington, in Texas Hill Country. —Diana Oates
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Spring Getaway Ideas: Toronto
Like most northern climate countries, seeing a young guy sporting shorts in Toronto when it's 57 degrees at the beginning of spring is not uncommon. For these hearty northern folks, it's positively patio season. Head to the Apple Pie Trail, where the winding country roads of the Blue Mountains in the Meaford, Collingwood, area are a pleasant way to take in the sweet scent of the blossoms and taste the fruit. The Arts Trail in Prince Edward County is the perfect creative getaways, while Le Scandinave Spa is tucked into a natural forest and offers an outdoor escape from the everyday. You might find the variety of hands-on classes at the Wine Country Cooking School at the Strewn Winery a perfect match. If you drive to the pretty town of Kleinburg, you'll get to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, housing an impressive array of works from the Group of Seven. —Mary Luz Mejia
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