Best winter escape week

[PollyannaMom]

For the first time, we don't have to plan a winter trip to Florida around school/college vacations, and I find I'm actually a little overwhelmed without those restrictions. - It used to just be a pro/con list between Feb and April, or a week dictated to us in March. Now I don't know where to start!

The main purpose will be to visit family (in Port Orange and Tavares) but while we're there, we're thinking of doing a day or two at Disney (if it's not too late to even think about that - we've been several times over the years, but not since 2018, so I'm not familiar with the newest systems) and/or finally getting to Kennedy Space Center, which has always been on our short list, but we've never done it.

So I figure the best place to start is to ask here - what days/weeks in February and March tend to be less expensive to fly?

 

[pigletto]

If you use “Google Flights” you can input your departure and arrival cities and then when you choose your dates it will show you the lower cost dates in those months.
I always play with that website to get an idea of what days would be best to fly. The one airline that doesn‘t show up in their search is Southwest so you need to go to the Southwest website to look at their prices.

Once I have found the flights I want I make sure to buy them directly from the airline website though .. I don’t buy them from any of the listed third party websites.

 

[_19disnA]

It partly depends on what airport(s) you typically fly from. Smaller/regional airports may only have limited airlines providing flights and fewer options. I would search around on travel websites like Google Flight Search or Orbitz to make some basic comparisons. I don't find any magical day of the week that is always cheaper. Each airline sets their own prices and it partly depends on how much competition there is in a particular market.

If you can fly from more than one airport, those sites also make comparisons easier. Do you want to fly non-stop or care what time of day you depart? Also make sure to check the airline websites since some of the budget airlines don't provide their data to those travel search sites. Also see if any new airline has started service to where you will fly from. New airlines appear every so often adding additional choices you didn't have last year.

I would also cross-check the Disney prices along with your selected airline to see what choice of dates works out best for your plans.

We have been to the Space Center in the past and the various choices of tours are worth considering. We always rent a car and that seems like the most direct way to get there, but not sure what other ground transportation options exist to the coast.

 

[amylevan]

Very generally speaking, early February prior to Presidents week is generally one of the cheapest times. Late February\Early March can be but with Easter so early this year that is out the window.

You might be ok with late March, depends a lot on spring break crowds.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Very generally speaking, early February prior to Presidents week is generally one of the cheapest times. Late February\Early March can be but with Easter so early this year that is out the window.

You might be ok with late March, depends a lot on spring break crowds.

Easter is March 31. Late Mar will be darn near insanity in Orlando. Early March should be a solid choice this year, by mid-Mar Spring Breaks are gonna start. I’d also look to avoid Mardi Gras in Feb as we see park reports it’s busy then.

OP if you’re going soley off when airfare is cheapest Google Flights as mentioned above is the way to go. If you need hotels/have preferred hotels double check their rates before you click buy on that airfare though.

 

[QueenIsabella]

It depends on where you're flying out from, and the school schedules in that state.

New Hampshire has a different February break than most. The theory is, President's Week, the local ski resorts fill up with people from surrounding states. So, NH kids have the week AFTER President's week off, so they can enjoy the relatively calm/empty ski resorts.

Airports in adjacent states know this, of course, so flying out of, say, Logan (Boston) the week after President's week is still pricey (as is Manchester Airport). However, we lived in southwest NH--Hartford was roughly the same drive time as Manchester or Logan. And since Connecticut is not adjacent to NH, the fares were much cheaper that week.

Meanwhile, here in North Carolina, the local branch of UNC has spring break a week earlier than Chapel Hill. Go figure.

In any event, you should take some time to see what school schedules might affect you, even though you're no longer a slave to them.

 

[amylevan]

Easter is March 31. Late Mar will be darn near insanity in Orlando. Early March should be a solid choice this year, by mid-Mar Spring Breaks are gonna start. I’d also look to avoid Mardi Gras in Feb as we see park reports it’s busy then.

OP if you’re going soley off when airfare is cheapest Google Flights as mentioned above is the way to go. If you need hotels/have preferred hotels double check their rates before you click buy on that airfare though.

Duh, you’re correct. My brain must be off for the year.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Duh, you’re correct. My brain must be off for the year.

It’s New Years Eve. Give it another hour and everyone’s brain will be off

 

[PollyannaMom]

Thanks, everyone!

We have been to the Space Center in the past and the various choices of tours are worth considering. We always rent a car and that seems like the most direct way to get there, but not sure what other ground transportation options exist to the coast.

Oh yes, we'll definitely rent a car, especially since we're visiting different relatives in towns over an hour apart.

DH looks for direct flights first, just because weather is always a consideration at that time of year, and the fewer chances for delays the better! And we usually choose Providence over Boston if we can. But if we don't find anything good, we get more flexible.

 

[snowwite]

If you use “Google Flights” you can input your departure and arrival cities and then when you choose your dates it will show you the lower cost dates in those months.
I always play with that website to get an idea of what days would be best to fly. The one airline that doesn‘t show up in their search is Southwest so you need to go to the Southwest website to look at their prices.

Once I have found the flights I want I make sure to buy them directly from the airline website though .. I don’t buy them from any of the listed third party websites.

We just found this last year and it has saved us so much!

 

[snowwite]

Very generally speaking, early February prior to Presidents week is generally one of the cheapest times. Late February\Early March can be but with Easter so early this year that is out the window.

You might be ok with late March, depends a lot on spring break crowds.

I’m going home the day before Easter. I honestly had no idea it was that day when we booked. Price was great and low enough that I paid for it with only Jet Blue points. Car was pricy though.