Avoid the revelers and get some deals

IF you are a parent and have visited a popular spring break location at the height of revelry -- places such as Daytona Beach, Fla.; Cancun and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; or South Padre Island, Texas -- you probably will try to dissuade or forbid your college-age child from going there.

Though the average spring-breaker is a well-mannered young person looking for relaxation in the sun, some are fugitives from “Animal House” who sour the atmosphere for everybody else. Drunkenness is rampant; risky stunts from motel balconies are a threat to the risk takers and people strolling below; young women are demeaned by boorish comments or signs assessing their physical attributes.

For many students, spring break will be during the last two weeks of March, and therein lies an opportunity. Late March and early April (before Easter) are still low season in many places. Alternative, nonbeach vacations cost no more than the standard spring break and can bring the student a different, far better experience not soaked in alcohol.

* Transatlantic breaks: Instead of South Padre Island or Daytona Beach, how about London, Paris, Madrid or Prague, Czech Republic?

Airfares across the Atlantic are still near a historic low, and a quick visit to Europa Travel, (800) 203-2514, www.flyeurope.com, will unearth all sorts of transatlantic airfares only slightly higher than a flight to Florida or South Texas and considerably lower than the average fare to the Caribbean or Mexico.

Using a low fare, and staying at a youth hostel (try www.hihostels.com, www.hostels.com or www.the-generator.co.uk for accommodations) will result in a spring break week that’s not only affordable but also a source of memories for a lifetime.

* South America breaks: March and early April are still summer in South America, but the frenzy of the Brazilian Carnival has subsided, and Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires have hotel rooms aplenty, with prices among the lowest in years. A southbound flight to these cities involves little or no jet lag, and tour operators offer weeklong packages for as little as $749, including air, hotel and breakfast. Visit Virgin Vacations, (888) 937-8474, www.virgin-vacations.com for a number of packages.

* Central America break: The beaches on the island of Roatan off the coast of Honduras are another good place. Contact Leisure Link, (888) 801-8808, www.eleisurelink.com, for that kind of vacation. One five-night package is $785, including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles and a chance to sun, snorkel and scuba among collegians fascinated by the sea.

* Bali break: Bali is another inexpensive option. From now until the end of May, a five-day, budget-priced package to the island of Bali is $799 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air from Los Angeles or San Francisco and five nights from that island’s longtime travel specialist, Santa Ana-based Escapes Unlimited, (800) 243-7227, www.escapesltd.com. For a look at the Balinese culture, students should stay in the inland city of Ubud. For a beach location, try the Nusa Dua area, far from the crowds at Kuta Beach, where a nightclub bombing killed more than 200 in 2002.

For students looking for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, any of the above destinations offer trips as inexpensive as one on the Florida coast. Consequently, is there any reason to follow the crowds south to get some sun?

The usual justification is that students need rest after the stress of college homework and tests. But a good night’s sleep will probably do that. And if a beach vacation is an absolute necessity, at least let it be to a destination that isn’t overrun by beer-swilling frat boys. Spring break should be an occasion of which you can be proud.