Considering a trip for spring break? If you are only looking at the usual lineup of beach towns in Mexico, you are missing out on some of the best weeks of the year for students to ski on the cheap.

From Aspen to Tremblant, North American resorts are rolling out the red carpet and trying to get their hands on some of your coveted spring break cash by offering up great deals and all-inclusive trip packages that even a destitute college student can afford. While Panama City, Cancun, and other southern destinations attract the volume of students to be able to offer very low prices, many ski resorts can offer competitive (or even lower) all-inclusive prices because they are within driving distance.

And while the party scene won’t be quite as big, there are usually more than enough people for it to be a good time. Tremblant, the definitive choice for most east coast students who choose a ski spring break trip, attracted between upwards of 2,000 students during each of the major spring break weeks in 2009. While things are a bit more dispersed out west, Aspen pulls in similar numbers.

Where to go on the east coast // Tremblant Spring Break
The proximity to Montreal, a major spring break destination in itself, and the drinking age being 18 make Tremblant far and away the biggest spring break destination on the east coast. Tremblant is roughly 6 hours from Boston and 7.5 from New York – but many tour operators include bus transportation from major cities and large schools in the Northeast, and reasonably priced airfare is available at an additional cost.

Packages range in price, but are for the most part a lot cheaper than comparable trips to Florida or Mexico – the largest operator, Ski Travel Unlimited, has five day packages over your choice of six weeks starting at $399.

Where to go in the west
With so many great destinations to choose from, the answer isn’t quite as clear cut as it is in the east. Vail, Breckenridge, and Crested Butte all topped the list as student destinations during spring break in 2009, but all are a bit more low-key than what you’ll find in Florida or Quebec. For deals during break weeks, look to the resorts themselves – while there aren’t many major tour operators coordinating spring break trips in the rockies, there are still deals to be found and special events planned.