Now is the time to book vacations

More deals are available for less-common destinations.
By ANDREA COOMBES
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
There's never a lack of last-minute travel deals and airfare specials -- except when everyone else is heading to the same place at the same time.
That's why thinking now about your spring-break travel plans makes sense: mid-March to mid-April, thousands of families and college students are just as eager as you to capitalize on a week off for some fun in the sun or snow.
But booking travel for spring break can be a challenge. "Space is at a premium," said Kathy Sudeikis, president of the American Society of Travel Agents and vice president of All About Travel, a travel agency based in Mission, Kan.
"Since Sept. 11, people like to travel with their whole family, and there are very few weeks they can do that," she said. Often, Christmas is a time to stay with relatives, "so that leaves spring break or next summer." Many of Sudeikis' clients have booked their spring break travel already, and she's watched airfares rise.
"There is space available, but not at a discount," she said. "From Kansas City to Miami, for example, there's an airfare of $160, but now the cheapest I can get for anyone is about $450 departing on March 12 or 13," she said.
Deals
Still, there are deals available, particularly for those who opt for the less-common destinations. "In recent years, it's gotten popular for students to travel internationally on their spring break, including places in Europe," said Amy Ziff, editor-at-large at Travelocity. It's easier to find a deal "if you go beyond the Cancun, Florida and certain Caribbean destinations."
And those able and willing to plan ahead are more likely to find great deals, some say. "There are always deals available at the last minute if you're extremely flexible, but the most ideal thing is to plan as far in advance as possible, both from a convenience standpoint ... and [to get] a reasonable deal on the flights you want," said Geoff Silvers, director of merchandising at Orbitz.
Consider the following spring break travel packages. But be sure to compare stand-alone airfares and room rates to ensure you're getting the best deal, and realize that the listings on any travel Web site fluctuate rapidly.
Packages
Sampling of domestic spring-break travel packages:
UOrlando for $297 per person, including round-trip airfare from Chicago and four nights at the three-star La Quinta Inn Lakeside, April 16-20, on Expedia.
ULas Vegas for $286, including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles and four nights at the three-star Circus Circus, April 2-6, on Expedia.
UTampa for $335, including round-trip airfare from Chicago and four nights at the 2.5-star Baymont Tampa-Busch Gardens, March 5-9, on Expedia.
USan Juan, Puerto Rico, for $533, including round-trip airfare from New York City, and four nights at the three-star Park Plaza Normandie, March 19-23, on Expedia.
UHonolulu for $670, including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles and seven nights at the three-star Waikiki Gateway Hotel, April 1-8, on Travelocity.
UDenver for $561, including round-trip airfare from Chicago and seven nights at the 2-star Breckenridge Mountain Lodge, April 1-8, on Travelocity.
UDaytona Beach for $540, including round-trip airfare from Boston and seven nights at the three-star Comfort Inn-Orange City, March 19-26, on Travelocity.
ULos Angeles for $292, including round-trip airfare from Philadelphia, and four nights at the 3.5-star Radisson Hotel, on Hotwire.
UBoston for $304, including round-trip airfare from Orlando and four nights at the three-star Raddison Hotel Cambridge, on Hotwire.
USalt Lake City for $351, including round-trip airfare from Chicago and four nights at the three-star Peery Hotel, on Hotwire.
UPark City, Utah, for $413 including round-trip airfare from Minneapolis and four nights at the four-star Westgate Park City, on Hotwire.
UMiami for $739, including round-trip air from Denver and five nights at the four-star Beacon Hotel, March 10-15, on Orbitz.
UVail, via Denver, for $774 including round-trip air from Boston and five nights at the three-star Sheraton Mountain Vista Resort, March 3-8, on Orbitz.
International packages
Sampling of international travel packages:
UNassau, Bahamas, for $639 per person, including round-trip airfare from New York and four nights at the three-star CocoLaPalm Seaside Resort, March 12-16, on Expedia.
UAmsterdam for $928 including round-trip airfare from New York and seven nights at the four-star NH Schiphol Hotel, March 19-25, on Travelocity.
ULondon for $786 including round-trip airfare from Philadelphia and seven nights at the three-star Sheraton Heathrow Hotel, March 12-19, on Travelocity.
UPuerto Vallarta for $836 including round-trip air from Los Angeles and seven nights at the three-star Buenaventura Hotel & amp; Beach Club, March 7-14, on Orbitz.
UJamaica for $757 including round-trip air from Chicago and five nights at the two-star Sandcastle Resort, March 17-22, on Orbitz.
UAcapulco for $648 including round-trip air from Dallas and five nights at the four-star Fiesta Americana Condesa, April 21-26, on Orbitz.
UCancun for $860, including round-trip air from San Francisco and five nights at the five-star Le Meridien Cancun Resort & amp; Spa, April 21-26, on Orbitz.
UCancun for $559 including round-trip airfare from Chicago and four nights at the 4.5-star Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun, on Hotwire.
Cruises
Cruises can be good travel bargains during spring break, such as:
UA four-night Baja California cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico, for $329 per person, departing Los Angeles on March 14 and returning March 18, according to Travelocity.
UA four-night Western Caribbean cruise to Key West and Cozumel for $349, departing Miami on April 4 and returning April 8, according to Travelocity.
UA seven-night Western Caribbean cruise for $549 to Key West, Cozumel, Jamaica and Grand Cayman, departing Fort Lauderdale on March 13 and March 17, on Orbitz.