Please define "spring break"!

[coastgirl]

In Canada it's universally "March Break". We have booked March 9-20. We are most interested in DA and will be staying off site. But if Spring Break is around Easter in the US then mid-March won't be awful?

 

[wellesleyprincess]

Spring break varies more in the US depending on the school and region.
Several colleges and universities will have there's in early to mid- March, but a lot of K-12 schools are linked to Easter (so early April this year). I would anticipate March 9-April 12 being "Spring Break" season so to speak.

 

[RMulieri]

I agree with the previous poster..it is highly dependent on region..Some schools tie their break to Easter, many do not. Colleges do not.It can vary as to when it is busy and when it isn't.Traditonally the weeks before and after Easter are very vey busy, but there can also be busy weeks in March

 

[Darcy03231]

Some US schools also have "winter break" too. I've been on a variety of travel boards over the years and when discussing winter break and spring break it seems that some school in the US is on break from mid-February to the end of April. March is popular in the US for college breaks. In our area winter break is always the last week of February and spring break is the last week of April, with the local colleges being in break either the 2nd or 3rd week of March.

 

[jkbaker]

March is extremely busy. The weather is nice and the flower show normally starts the second week of March and that draws a lot of people. I know that the colleges/universities/schools in PA are on break in March and many families plan their vacations during that period!

 

[crostorfer]

Almost all of the midwest/mid-south has spring break the week of St. Patrick's Day. That includes everyone from elementary school-college.

 

[subtchr]

Almost all of the midwest/mid-south has spring break the week of St. Patrick's Day. That includes everyone from elementary school-college.

This is not true in my experience. Here in Ohio, the last week in March is much more common (tied to the end of third quarter). I have friends in Mississippi, and theirs is earlier in March.

So I guess it just depends! I agree with a PP who said yes, March can be quite crowded, but the worst weeks are usually the weeks surrounding Easter.

 

[crostorfer]

This is not true in my experience. Here in Ohio, the last week in March is much more common (tied to the end of third quarter). I have friends in Mississippi, and theirs is earlier in March.

So I guess it just depends! I agree with a PP who said yes, March can be quite crowded, but the worst weeks are usually the weeks surrounding Easter.

In my experience it is true. On the west coast our spring break was always in April. Now that we are in Oklahoma, it is in March. Last March, the week of March 17th, we were surrounded by families from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

College Spring Breaks often coincide with the start of March Madness, which usually begins that week as well.

 

[johde]

For Colleges and Universities in 2015, Spring break seems to run from Feb 21 to Apr 25 with Mar. 7- 14 being the most popular week off followed by Mar. 14-28. Source:http://www.ststravel.com/college-spring-break-dates

For most semester schools Spring Break will be the 9th week of the semester (8 weeks, Spring Break, 8 weeks) . For most quarter schools Spring break will be be between Winter and Spring quarters (11 week quarter 10+finals). Finally, a few religious colleges will schedule around Easter. But mainly the differences in dates coincide with Quarters vs. Semesters and different start days for the term following Christmas.

 

[bumbershoot]

Last March, the week of March 17th, we were surrounded by families from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

But that doesn't mean you got people from every single school system in those states.


I had friends who went to colleges across the country. I have friends who settled in different areas and raised families. Breaktimes vary tremendously throughout the country and inside of states.

In my little area of the world there are three school systems within a couple miles, and they all have varying break times throughout the year.


That said, if I wanted to avoid "spring break" I would think of later March and then a bit of April. In reality, though, I think of March through the beginning of May as being busier than another time.

 

[pooch]

Going down 2/25 thru 3/3 probably staying at portofino. I am hoping this will fall between February winter breaks and the beginning of spring breaks

 

[coastgirl]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'd be happier if it was uniformly April, but spread-out breaks is ok. We'll manage.