Late April beach vacation in the US? (cost, hotel, hotels)

[patsfanboston]

Hi all,

I'm a public accountant trying to survive busy season

I would like to take a beach vacation in late April - anywhere from 3 to 7 days, preferably in the U.S. I'll be flying from Boston. No firm budget but I'd like to keep the flight under $800 round trip and I'd like to spend less than $150 per night on a hotel. I just want to lounge on the beach, maybe go snorkeling, get a couple of massages, and I'm a nature lover so nearby hiking/sightseeing would be great. No kids, not worried about nightlife or shopping.

I was thinking California - I've always wanted to see Big Sur but I think it might be too cool in April. I'm really wide open to suggestions.

[engineman]

California water is cold all year around. I spent to CA for a year and a quarter, it was never warm enough for swimming. In April your best bet would be south FL or possibly south TX. If the budget allows, Cancun, Jamaica, or the Virgin Islands.

[jlawrence01]

South Padre island would fit the bill. By April, all the college spring breakers will be gone.

[NJBest]

I'm actually going to South Beach in April. The flights to miami are cheap from here (and I can imagine cheap from boston as well). I booked $107 Round Trip on United Airlines. The hotel (Ritz South Beach), however, it quite a bit more. There's plenty of smaller boutique hotels to choose from that are cheaper.

[beachmouse]

Spring break season in Florida generally wraps up around April 15, so you wouldn't be overrun by college kids and small humans at that post-tax point.

[Borntoolate85]

Plus, with the early Easter this year, I'd say by the first full week of April Spring Break will be over this year. It's still a fine month to visit South TX/South FL just before the big summer heat/wet season arrives, but the Carolinas/Georgia and the rest of Florida are also great places to visit as well as the rest of the Gulf Coast. It's also a decent time for California in that narrow window between the rainy season and the coastal fog season. I visited CA once in late April and the weather was nice most of the time and was sunny/warm throughout my LA leg of the trip. The mid-Atlantic and southern Great Lakes can be a gamble in terms weather and usually is still cool, but there can be a warm, summer-like day now and then, but it will be way too early to swim. The weekends in shoulder months like April will always be considerably more expensive than weekdays and noticeably more crowded. This is also when many flower gardens are at their peak bloom, so consider a visit to one.

[cb at sea]

You want Florida...the Sarasota area is very nice!

[james287]

April is the turning point between the northern and southern hemispheres. The best beach vacations in April are beginning to move northward, as Europe and North America warm up with the spring season.

#01: Grand Anse Beach
#02: Avon beach
#03: St Jean Beach
#04: Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
#05: Fort Lauderdale, FL

[backstreetsbackALLRIGHT]

You're pretty much limited to Florida and Texas. Even S. California is too cold that time of year unless you suit up. But I do recommend the California coast - it is too cold all year in the Big Sur area for snorkeling, but it's definitely one of those places you should see!

[billl]

Florida!!

I have a preference for the gulf coast: I think the beaches are nicer and the water is warmer. But that's because I grew up there. Sarasota, Clearwater, Destin, Panama City Beach. They are all good choices. I've been to Miami Beach a few times and hated it.