While the semester has just begun, spring break is fast approaching. What will you do in your down time? Why not take a vacation? The secret to a good trip is planning ahead. Early planning often leads to great travel deals and helps you have a smoother trip when the time comes.

Sarah Carr, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’16, spent her last spring break with her family in Cronulla, Australia, a beach suburb of Sydney. “You got up in the morning and you could take a walk on the beach.” The beach can often mean a relaxing and beautiful escape for many, but what made her trip special was the opportunity to spend time with her aunt, uncle and younger cousins.

Carr explained that the commute to the city was “cheap, easy and quick.” She spoke of the famous Sydney Opera House and the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Although she enjoyed the city and the coastal beach life, she loved something else the most. “You don’t have to learn another language,” she joked. The epicenter of her trip wasn’t just the amazing things she got to do but the people that she got to share it with.

Juily Vasandani, FCLC ’17, recommends going to Cebu City in the Philippines for spring break. “It’s my hometown, where I was born and most of my old grade school and high school friends still live there,” Vasandani said. “Plus, the Philippines is an archipelago, so it’s very easy to take a boat and go to the islands nearby.” There are places to shop and fun nightlife. You can even island-hop with the help of a tour guide and get to three or four islands in just a single day if you really wanted to.

The warm climate and the white sand beaches make it a getaway for the books. She mentioned that in her experiences, the locals are kind to guests and the cultural festivals are quite the sight to see. Just this past winter break, Cebu was celebrating Sinulog, a festival full of colors that originally commemorated the acceptance of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines but now also acts as a fun performance and celebration for tourists and locals alike.  These festivals are always packed with fun and rich cultural experiences full of food and traditional dance. Vasandani described it as the perfect spring break destination. “It’s very cheap to visit the Philippines, and it’s a place that most people haven’t visited before. The experience overall will be really unique, and there’s a whole bunch of different things you can do.” The best part for Vasandani was seeing her family and enjoying the tranquil beach, her family dog and the beauty of her hometown.

Miami was the destination of choice for Tatyanna Senel, FCLC ’15. It’s the perfect place because of the warm weather, beautiful beaches and amazing nightlife like the  Liv nightclub in Miami. Senel recommended spending as much time as you can in South Beach. She mainly enjoyed getting great cortaditos  (a Cuban coffee specialty) in the town of Little Havana, shopping at Lincoln Road Mall, visiting the island beach town of Key Biscayne, visiting the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, going to the Merrick Park shopping mall and attending the Ultra Music Festival. She also mentioned parasailing, yachting to Star Island and relaxing on the warm beach with a cool drink. Although Senel is a California native, she once lived in Miami and found the greatest reward in escaping the cold and seeing old friends.

Jennifer Beall, FCLC ’16, recommended two places in France, specifically, Lyons and Le Harve, both cities smaller than Paris but with less tourists. Lyons has narrow streets, old architecture and is a town rich in history. Lyons is also a college town that specializes in salted caramel and apples. It has the largest collection of Impressionist paintings outside of Paris. Beall said, “It’s an authentic French experience but not so full of tourists. It’s another side of French culture and a great place to go if you’re looking to do some exploring.”

She remembered that a lot of places in Lyons offered great cheap crêpes but couldn’t think of just one place. There were also old, beautiful cathedrals. Le Havre is up further in Normandy, colder (since it’s further north) and slightly larger than Lyons. It is a nautical town with cobble streets, a harbor full of docked sailboats and has a Marine Museum based on the history of the town. “There’s a reconstruction of a ship deck and even a reconstruction of what a typical room would have looked like for a wealthier traveler taking a cross-ocean trip.”

Take a chance, plan ahead, ask around and try some exploring new destinations  this spring break.