Hey Minnesota, Where You Going on Vacation this Year?

For a lot of families, the annual tax refund is how they take their yearly vacation. The question is where to go? Do you have kids? Are you wanting to go somewhere you’ve never been? Or you could be saying to yourself, I’m ready to get away right now, I don’t want to wait until summer. 

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We’ve teamed up with Bursch Travel to help you get some answers to the vacation questions you might have. Amy from Bursch was in on the morning show on 96.7 The River with Dave-O and me last Thursday, and here are some of the more popular places that Minnesotans seek to spend their time away. 

Amy says that that Mexico and the Caribbean are two of the more popular locations people from Minnesota, especially this time of year. One of the main reasons is the “all-inclusive factor that’s there” Amy says. Plus, “from Minneapolis there are a lot of non-stop flight options, which makes it really convenient, so by far that’s the most popular request we get for winter travel” she says.  

If you’re trying to decide between an all-inclusive option versus the non-all-inclusive, Amy says that safety is a big reason people make an all-inclusive choice. “The all-inclusive locations normally have a lot of safety features including gated communities. It makes it really easy to stay on site, have everything included. You don’t really have to put any thought into anything, you can just go, relax and have a good time”.  

“For those who are feeling a little more adventurous, who want more of a cultural experience, where they can see more of the local side of things, they may choose something where they can venture off site” Amy adds.   

If you’ve got kids that you’ll be taking with you, Amy says some folks have questions about choosing Mexico or the Caribbean when this is the situation, they’re in.  

“We do get some hesitancy with those traveling with kids, especially the younger ones, but just from what I know, I don’t have any hesitancy of people traveling outside of the country with their kids to these locations like Mexico and the Caribbean because of the safety features that I talked about” Amy says.  

If you’re not as comfortable with taking your kids out of the country, Amy says there’s a popular option here in the states that people from Minnesota like a lot. “By far Florida is the most popular option that has a beach and generally warm weather”. But Florida is not an option every month during the winter.  

“January and February can be quite chilly in Florida, so we don’t guarantee warm weather there during those two months” she warns. “March and April are much better months if you’re planning something domestic” Amy adds.  

When asked about the timing of planning a trip, waiting to the last minute or planning months in advance, Amy offered this advice. “Once in a while you can get lucky and get it on availability, but not often” she says. “Generally, prices go up closer to your vacation time, so we encourage people to book farther out instead of closer to their travel dates”.  

 Amy says to start planning at about the six-month mark from when you want to travel. If you’ve never used a travel professional before, the advantage is they are aware of upsides and downsides you might not be able to find out about on your own.  

No one wants to plan and pay for a vacation where they’re going to be miserable. Reach out to Bursch Travel to begin planning your upcoming adventure. 320-251-3180, or burschtravel.com.  

Amy will be back with us next Thursday around 8:05 on 96.7 The River for more vacation travel tips so your next vacation can be your best.  

Here is the link to listen to last week’s interview.