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.

Emerald Coast, Florida

What makes the roads red in Canada? One of my favorite children’s books addresses this question. The main character asks it and then later in the book declares that she finally knows the answer. But the reader isn’t let in on it. Still, I’ve always loved that part. I love the amazing variety in our world – the variety of colors. Why would anyone travel if there wasn’t something new to discover wherever they went?

Beaches are a favorite destination for all kinds of student tours. But it can be difficult to decide which one to choose. Here are three favorites divided by – you guessed it – their variety in color. It’s a figurative jewelry box of beaches, jasmine, emerald, and pearl.

Cancun

For jasmine, I’m choosing one of the many gorgeous destinations that can boast the clear, delightful blue waters of the Caribbean. You may not realize that of Cancun since it’s also known for its Mexican hospitality. But Cancun rests on the Yucatan Peninsula, and its waters are indeed Caribbean. They also offer some of the best snorkeling in the world as part of the Great Mayan Reef (world’s second largest coral system). These blue waters will keep you busy all day with jungle tours, beach lounging and volleyball, cave and wreck diving, and much more. But if you go to the beach for an exciting nightlife, Cancun definitely delivers on that as well, offering some of the most innovative nightclubs in the world.

Emerald Coast

The green to turquoise color of the waters is what gives this Florida coast its name. But technically it’s the sand that’s so unique here. The Emerald Coast stretches along the Gulf of Mexico from Pensacola, Florida, to Port St. Joe. The sand along this brilliant coast has actually worn off of the Appalachian Mountains and traveled through the waterways to the ocean. It’s pure quartz. Each grain is almost perfectly round, and their color is clear. This makes them as a whole appear as white as sugar, amazingly soft and fine. Perhaps its the contrast of this brilliant white that gives the water such striking color. There are many, many destinations to choose from along the Emerald Coast. It’s perfect for families, for students, for romantic getaways – for any kind of getaway at all. The minute you sink your toes in that sand, you’ll be extremely glad that you came.

Cocoa Beach

Other Florida beaches – and let’s face it, this is one of the best U.S. states for beach time – may have slightly less brilliant white sand and not quite such jewel-toned water. We’ll call this off-white, blue-gray blend the pearl of the ocean jewelry box. Cocoa Beach is one of my favorites. It’s not far from Orlando, so there are plenty of on-land activities (can you say Disney and Universal?), but the beach itself is an amazing respite all by itself. You’ll find all the normal activities – volleyball, water sports, sand castles, swimming, and good old-fashioned lounging. The pier offers classic beach-y souvenir shopping and delicious food. Plus, it’s out there that you’re most likely to catch dolphin sightings – always one of the happiest parts of being at the beach.

Anytime’s a good time for the beach

No matter which jewel tone you choose, the beach is always a brilliant choice. There’s no place like the ocean. Many of the destinations here are perfect for spring break trips. Parents should keep that in mind. After all, these beaches are also a great choice for family, but best for little kids on either side of the March madness typical for the spring break season.

Photo by lotopspin on Flickr.