Road trips offer inexpensive break options

To most students, spring break means beaches, warm weather and exotic locales with even more exotic names. But for an increasing number of Penn students, the words spring break will bring to mind a host of other images. Cramped cars full of half-eaten bags of junk food. The thrills of staring small town America in the face. Road trips in all their glory. So should you now tear up the plane ticket to Aruba, cancel the hotel reservations and pile into the Chevy for a cross-country trek? Not so fast. "Boring as hell," said Wharton and Engineering sophomore Michael Felix about his winter break road trip home to Florida. Felix drove 21 hours straight from Philadelphia to his home in Boca Raton, Fla., with three friends. For the foursome, the decision to drive was a practical one -- it was the only way for him to bring his car home. Road trips aren't always the romantic journeys that they're made out to be in the media. What they usually are, however, are relatively cheap ways to vacation. For most Penn students, New York, Baltimore, Washington, Atlantic City, and Ocean City, Md., are some of the most practical locations. The main advantage of a road trip, whether by car or by train, is usually the low price. With a group of three or four, splitting gas and tolls, driving is often the cheapest possible way to travel. Additionally, companies such as Auto Driveaway have cars available for free that need to be driven to different locations, requiring only a refundable deposit and gas. Most major car rental companies do not rent to people under the age of 25. There are other easy ways to save money on road trips, according to STA Travel manager Ruth Perez. Student cards such as the International Student Identity Card and the Hosteling International Card, both of which are available at STA, can save money on accommodations. The ISIC card, which sells for $18, saves between 10 and 30 percent of the cost of a room at major chains such as Howard Johnson, Ramada, Day's Inn and the Red Carpet Inn. With the Hosteling Card, which sells for $25, rooms can go for as little as $10 per night. Additionally, Perez advises that students travel in groups of three or four because rates per room are cheaper as the number of occupants increases. To avoid road trip horror stories, students should plan their trips carefully, according to Automobile Association of America Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs Officer Regina Tracy. When planning a road trip, students should plan their routes carefully and make sure to speak to either AAA or the highway and turnpike commissions in the relevant area about possible road closures due to construction work, Tracy said. She also recommends driving during the hours that one is accustomed to being awake so that the body is ready for the trip.