If you thought spring break was all about getting away on a budget, think again.
Spring-break travel in 2025 is shaping up to be the most expensive in recent history, with average trips during the peak period in March now costing a whopping $8,306, Bloomberg reported. This hefty price tag is more than double what travelers spent in 2019 and is 26 percent higher than last year, according to data from travel insurer Squaremouth.
The platform analyzed 6,000 trip values from February 20 to April 15, 2025, and surveyed 8,000 U.S. travelers. The findings show that 40 percent of those planning trips are fulfilling lofty travel dreams, which is likely contributing to the rising costs. For example, popular destinations like Italy and Japan have seen significant growth this year, with the latter emerging as a surprising favorite.
Japan saw a record 36.9 million international visitors in 2024, including 2.7 million Americans—a surge of 58 percent since 2019. This spike is partly fueled by favorable exchange rates, although the popularity of country may be pushing overall spring break prices higher, with the average insured trip to Japan now costing nearly $10,000.
Italy and Japan are among the top destinations for spring break this year.
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Classic warm-weather spots like Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic continue to draw large crowds. Hotel prices in these regions have surged dramatically since 2019. In the Bahamas, the average cost of a luxury hotel room during spring break has increased 58 percent, reaching $623.75 per night. For those booking now, expect to pay $1,049 per night for a five-star hotel between March 12 and 21. Similarly, in the Dominican Republic, hotel prices have jumped 67 percent, with current rates averaging $587 per night.
While hotel costs are…