VIRGINIA – It’s that time of year again, when warmer temperatures have us thinking about spring and spring break, and if you’re lucky you might be planning a getaway.
From Disney World to Florida beaches, spring breakers are hitting the roads, the skies, and the seas.
“Mostly this year it’s been cruises,” Laura Tyree, a travel agent for Travel Lovers said. “A lot of fly and stay packages to the Caribbean this year. A few Disney, you know Disney is pretty much back to normal now.”
It’s no secret that inflation has caused prices to soar across most industries. Tyree said travel is no different.
“A family of four to Disney probably could have done that trip with flights for about $3,000 years ago, prior to COVID, and now they’re probably paying about $1,200 to $1,500 more for that same trip,” Tyree said.
Plenty of people will be driving to their spring break destinations too, AAA spokesperson Morgan Dean said.
“Between 8 and 9 out of every 10 people who are traveling will usually go by car,” Dean said. “We think spring break will likely be similar to that as well. An awfully lot of people hitting the road for a road trip.”
Dean said on average a trip driving from Roanoke to Myrtle Beach roundtrip will cost about $71. And he said last year it’d cost you about the same. But five years ago, gas prices were about a dollar cheaper, so it would have only cost about $50 roundtrip.
However, increased costs are not keeping travelers away.
“Feeling much more comfortable in getting back to doing some of those things that they were doing pre-pandemic, which is taking those big trips, making those memories,” Dean said.