Students booking trips at last minute

Warm weather, crystal clear water and skimpy clothing are in the immediate future for many IU students. But there are still a few stragglers who have put their planning for the perfect vacation off until the last possible day. \n"There have been a lot of students looking to get a vacation within the last week, but a lot of things are starting to book up," said Erika M. Funston, the Indiana Memorial Union's STA Travel branch manager. "A lot of people think that just flying to Florida last-minute is going to be reasonable when actually it's really high now. The days of going somewhere last-minute cheaply are kind of gone."\nFunston and AAA Travel Agency Branch Manager Linda Grimsley both said the most popular spring break locations are Florida and other southern U.S. coastal regions. Due to the large amount of students flocking to American beaches, alternative options, such as cruises and international locations, have also become popular.\n"Overall, cruises to the Caribbean have been really popular, along with trips to Aculpoco and the Bahamas," Funston said. "Most people don't hit those regions because they're more expensive, but during this season, a lot of kids have been going." \nWhile traditional warm-weathered spring break locations are already full, there are other travel possibilities still open to the last minute traveler. \n"If you're planning to go and get a flight at the last weekend of spring break, then that's fine, and we can definitely do something," Funston said. "If they're still planning to go to New York or Chicago, then we can definitely get something reasonable for them."\nHowever, all students haven't waited so long to plan their much-needed week off. Junior Stephanie Violette said she has been planning her trip for more than a month. \n"I'm going to Orlando (Fla.) to see my boyfriend, and I've planned the trip since early February," Violette said. "However, the price has actually gone up this year to fly down to Orlando, and that bothers me."\nBoth travel agents agree there are still vacation options open to last-minute travelers. However, they also warn people that simply driving down to a hotel in a southern location is something one should never do. \n"Call and make hotel reservations now -- don't try to make reservations when you get there because they won't have any room for you," Grimsley said. "Also, this weekend there's a NASCAR race in Atlanta, so people should expect long delays in that area if you're driving down to Florida."\nSome students may think the best parts of spring break are the beaches, blue skies and the lack of Indiana's fickle weather, but others simply like the "break." \n"The break from school is actually the nicest part of spring break," Violette said. "It's definitely not just traveling and the warm weather, especially with the stress the midterm tests brought last week." \n-- Contact senior writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.