I recently contacted the Daytona Beach CVB to find out everything I could about it for spring break trips. And I discovered something interesting. Though a gorgeous beach with classic beach activities, attractions, night clubs, and beach bars, Daytona Beach has during the spring break season (which they call March through May) been taken over by someone besides college students.

This beautiful part of Florida, smack dab between theme-park-central Orlando, historic St. Augustine, and the space coast (including Kennedy Space Center), has for some time been promoting its beach for families, and it’s totally working.

If you visit Daytona Beach during the spring break season, you’ll likely find plenty of college students. But they’ll be equaled or outmatched in number by families and seniors. In my opinion, this is good news for lots and lots of people. Families and seniors, sure. But there are even students who seek out more family-friendly atmosphere for their warm getaway and escape from the daily grind of homework and research papers. And Daytona Beach brings the deals to back this promotion for vacationers of every kind.

Daytona Beach has all the things you need and want in a sunny getaway – the ocean, for one, plus all the thrilling activities that come with it, including but not limited to: Parasailing, surfing lessons!, and kayaking.

The area also offers culture with its Museum of Arts and Sciences and Southeast Museum of Photography. Along these more educational lines, groups love the Daytona Beach Aqua Safari, which is a tour of the area’s fascinating ecosystem. For families, you can’t beat Daytona Lagoon, a year-round family fun center with rock climbing, race cars, arcade games, and wet and wild water slides.

January and October turn Daytona Beach into speed central with Speedweeks at the beginning of the year. This includes the world-famous, and often family-beloved, Daytona 500. In the fall, you’ll find the International Speedway purring with motorcycles instead of stock cars during Biketoberfest. Both can be a great time for families just as spring break has come to be.

Whether for student tours, family getaways, or group travel of any kind, Daytona Beach definitely has something to offer.

We’re working to bulk up the fabulous content on our home page for fun and exciting student travel, and I’ve been looking around for some of the most popular, most-searched-for destinations for spring break trips.

Cancun is one of our favorite destinations with its warm hospitality of Mexico and breathtaking Caribbean waters. The snorkeling and diving are almost unmatched in the beautiful coral reefs around Cancun. The beach is gorgeous, and the nightlife some of the most innovative in the world. You can read more about it from our homepage and see all there is to discover in this popular destination.

Europe offers some of the most popular experiences and once-in-a-lifetime destinations for students as well. We love London and Paris, and we especially love a combination of the two. With the efficient Eurostar, a train that carries passengers between the two wonderful cities, including through the English Channel tunnel (or “chunnel), a trip that includes both destinations is well within your reach. Start from Heathrow airport with a guided driving tour of some of London’s highlights (Windsor Palace and Big Ben for instance), spend a couple days exploring them up close and then ride the train to Paris for a cruise on the Seine or a view from the Eiffel Tower. Of course, we have lots of other European tours on our site as well – all of them to amazing destinations any student would enjoy.

Coming soon we plan to feature Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Panama City, Florida, as two highly popular spring break destinations. We’ll also fill you in on Cocoa Beach (near Orlando), the emerald coast (along the Gulf of Mexico and covered in brilliant white quartz sand), and Miami.

But where else? Let us know some of the destinations you’re curious about. What’s the first place you think of when you consider that all-important spring break escape. And what’s more important to you? The beaches? The nightlife? Or both?  Either way, we’ll have the info you need to choose plenty of exciting beach and European tours, from Cancun spring break trips to European travel – all perfect for spring break and beyond.

Walkway to Cocoa Beach

I entered Cocoa Beach by a walkway very much like this one (by hyku on Flickr). In fact, this could be the wooden steps I took toward my favorite day in Florida.

Now, you have to know a couple things about me. First, I’m a Disney girl. I see very little reason to be in the Orlando area without being on a Disney resort spending as much time as possible either in one of the major theme parks or on the monorail between them. I heart Disney. Also, I’m not a fan of hanging out in my swimming suit. Being raised in conservative, land-locked Missouri, it’s just not how I roll. These things combined to equal a sort of “meh” attitude towards discovering what all the fuss was about when it came to Cocoa Beach.

I had a new baby at the time. He was only a few weeks old (obviously, I wasn’t there for spring break), and I quickly thanked heaven he was able to experience the ocean at such a young age.

It’s not like I hadn’t experienced it before, but this time was different. I’d just been through a tumultuous year, having been pregnant and diagnosed with cancer. I’d just finished by final treatment, and the world really seemed brand new. The ocean felt like heaven.

Cocoa Beach is indeed a popular place for spring break trips. But don’t rule it out for families as well. There’s plenty of space for all kinds of vacationers on these miles of Florida coastline. Apparently the waters here are some of the best for surfers on Florida’s east coast. Yet the waves lapping at the shoreline are perfect for children as well. The beach offers several volleyball nets for a favorite sand sport as well as, again, plenty of room for sunbathing, lounging with friends and family, and sandcastles for the kids and kids at heart.

One of my favorite parts of our day at Cocoa Beach was the pier. We browsed souvenir shops and ate at Marlins Good Times Bar & Grill where we could see dolphins out the window as we ate. The Cocoa Beach Pier stretches over 800 feet over the ocean. At least two bars can be found beyond Marlins. They offer live entertainment and a great view of the Florida sunset. Several venues around the Cocoa Beach area fit into the exciting nightlife category, but what could be more exciting than drinks on the Pier?

Cocoa Beach is one of America’s classic seaside destinations. It’s great for families, romantic getaways, and college breaks. You can’t miss with this popular beach and its entertaining pier.