Frequent travelers don’t like to be taken by surprise. So here’s a warning: If possible, avoid traveling during the last two weeks of March this year.

Why?

Late March is typically the busiest time of year for collegiate Spring break.

Early April, when Easter usually falls, is more popular with families.

But this year is atypical:  We have a very early Easter weekend (March 25-28) which means families AND college kids are going to be crowding airports, hotels and the beaches simultaneously.

Due to this concentration, travelers should be on alert for high prices and surprise crowds at airports, especially if you live in or near (or are traveling to or from) a big college town OR if you are headed to a warm weather destination like Florida, Mexico or the Caribbean. This is also the case for airport hubs with connections to warm weather destinations such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles or Phoenix.

Find out when the university nearest you has spring break and stay home that weekend! (Here’s a helpful guide to spring break dates around the country.)

If you must travel in late March, one way to avoid surprise airport crowds is to travel midweek, instead of on weekends when most spring breakers do.

There’s a silver lining to an early Easter, though, which is a much longer “shoulder season” when demand dips along with prices. Shoulder season this year will run almost 10 weeks from early April until mid-June when peak summer pricing and crowds kick in.

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