Expect crowds at 2018’s most popular spring break destinations for U.S. travelers

Spring break is that long-awaited vacation time between late February and April when winter holiday weekends have run out and Memorial Day seems so far away. The most popular destinations for 2018 spring breakers look to be Orlando, Fla., in the U.S. and Cancun, Mexico, on the international front.

Travel insurance company Allianz Global Assistance tallied up where and when Americans plan to go between Feb. 23 and April 16, according to a news release. Last year, Orlando and Cancun also claimed the top spring break destinations.

If you’re still making plans, note that March 10 is expected to be the most popular day to fly.

The Orlando Eye, a 400-foot observation wheel in the Florida city known for its theme parks.

(John Raoux / Associated Press )

But if you want to be at party central, Florida remains the most popular state for a spring break getaway. It claimed four spots among the 10 most popular U.S. destinations.

After theme-park capital Orlando, they are:

2. Phoenix

3. Honolulu

4. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

5. Las Vegas

6. Fort Myers, Fla.

7. New York City

8. Los Angeles

9. Miami

10. Maui

The most popular international vacation spots are in Mexico and the Caribbean. After Cancun, they are:

2. San Jose del Cabo, Mexico

3. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

4. Higuey, Dominican Republic

5. Montego Bay, Jamaica

6. Aruba

7. Nassau, Bahamas

8. Turks and Caicos Islands

9. Cayman Islands

10. London, the sole European city to make the list.

Also, U.S. spring break vacations are on average five days long; international trips, eight days long.

Allianz looked at data for travelers who had booked airfare and vacation packages through the travel companies with which it partners.

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@latimestravel