Spring break travel begins in North Texas
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If you're flying, driving or cruising for spring break, patience and planning will be key.
- Almost 173 million Americans are expected to fly in March and April.
Driving the news: The spring break travel period starts Thursday and continues through March 24.
- Spring break is next week for the Dallas, Irving and Richardson school districts and March 17-21 in Fort Worth, Frisco, Arlington, Garland and Plano.
State of play: 4.8 million travelers are expected to use DFW Airport during the 19-day travel period. More than 250,000 people are expected to fly to, from or through the airport on most of the days, the airport says.
- Almost 210,000 people flew to and from Dallas Love Field on Southwest Airlines, the main carrier there, from March 17-21 last year, and more are expected this year as pre-pandemic travel returns. The airport expects around 34,000 Southwest travelers on March 17 alone this year.
Reality check: Flying for spring break is more expensive this year than last year, AAA found.
- The average roundtrip ticket is $820 for domestic cities, 7% higher than last year. Hotel stays in the U.S. average $660, up 8% from last year.
- Meanwhile, driving is less expensive. The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Texas is $2.73, per AAA. A year ago it was $2.94.
The intrigue: 19 million Americans are projected to go on a cruise for spring break, an all-time high, per AAA.
Fun fact: Galveston, Texas' only cruise port, is the fourth most popular port in North America for cruises and their guests. Almost 3.4 million people and 380 cruise ships sailed from the port in 2024, the most in its history.
Pro tip: Prepare for traffic delays at DFW Airport because of ongoing construction. DART's Orange Line and Trinity Metro's TEXRail also stop at the airport.
- Check security checkpoint wait times at DFW Airport and Love Field.
Reality check: If you've procrastinated on planning, Texas state parks still have availability for daytime visits and overnight stays.
- Staycations around Dallas-Fort Worth are always an option.
Editors note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the passenger figures at Love Field are for Southwest Airlines only (not all airlines at the airport).