Where is it warm in February?

[ShelbyMay]

DH and I are hoping to take a vacation in February (before I'm hugely pregnant). All we really care about for this trip is that it's warm and there's water. Somewhere pretty would be nice. And we're also saving up for the baby, so we're looking to keep the bill as much under $3000 as possible (preferably more like $2000, but the travel agent we briefly spoke with didn't seem to think that was reasonable).

Any suggestions? We'd love the Caymans, but don't know if we can afford it.

[Mrs. M.]

DH and I went to the Mayan Riviera (Mexico) a few years ago around that time of year. IIRC it was about 1000 per person, we booked through Apple Vacations http://www.applevacations.com

It was a great vacation!

[jennylou]

Well, I think your best bet is internet research. I'm sure you could find a trip somewhere warm for about $2000 - $2500 (room and flight), you just have to keep checking places like Expedia and such.

That said, you're looking to go somewhere warm during peak travel times. Everyone wants to get out of the cold!

Oh, and I would ditch the travel agent and book everything yourself. We have quotes for a cruise from a travel agent, we can save $750 per couple by booking online.

[tenofcups]

Anywhere in the Caribbean, Mexican resorts, and South American resorts should be warm at that time. I haven't been to the Caymans, but I've heard it's expensive there and not necessarily worth the money so you might want to explore other Caribbean destinations instead. What part of the country are you traveling from? That can make a difference in airfare.

[HeatherFL]

Where are you traveling from? Hawaii can be very reasonable!

I also recommend the Caribbean that time of year. I love the Caymans, but it is very expensive and there's not much to do there. St. Lucia could be a great alternative. :)

~H.

[ShelbyMay]

We're traveling from the SE United States -- We would just go to FL, but it likely won't be warm enough then.

Our silly baby didn't think about peak travel season. :D

We are normally pretty frugal people and don't really want to part with the money, but I am afraid that we will regret it if we don't take a memorable trip before the baby comes. Oh, and cold places are out because of a medical condition.

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far -- I will check them out!

[hokiegirlie]

We're in the exact same boat as you....and we just booked a trip today! I'll be 14 weeks when we go in January.

We booked 7 nights at Secrets Capri in the Mexican Riviera. I always find really good deals there and we have always used Apple Vacations until this time. We booked flight seperately and got the resort through www.resortvacationstogo.com. Where in the southeast are you? We fly from Norfolk, VA or Richmond, VA but there are really good deals out of other major cities down here!

[southhavenjen]

You could take a nice Caribbean cruise for that amount of money!

Apparently if you go to Florida from mid to late February, the weather is beautiful. Just the first 2 weeks are iffy weather-wise, I'm told. My parents go there in the winters.

[laura]

I thought the Caymans were beautiful when I was there, and they are great for divers (but I guess not if you are pg), but I heard they were pretty decimated by the hurricanes this year. I don't know anyone who has been since, but that's what my friend heard when trying to plan a trip down that way.

We went to Aruba for our HM for less than $2000, but it was "off season" (May) - might be worth it to check, though.

[maxandmolly]

You cannot reliably predict Florida weather that time of year. Or really, from November to March. There have been years we went swimming on Christmas, and eyars where there were rolling brownouts because it was so cold and everyone was running their heaters. So I would rule out Florida, unless you are going FAR SOUTH Florida, like the Keys.

[meatpie]

Aruba is expensive to fly to but you can find lots of great hotels there for reasonable. We stayed at the Bucuti and loved every second of it. We were there last Jan. and the weather was great!

[am_81]

FH and I are going to St. Lucia next month (2nd week of January). The trip ended up being much more reasonable than I thought, mainly because we are using my Frequent Flyer miles to get our flights for free. However, before we decided to go that route, I priced several airfare/hotel packages and found some options for the upper $2K to $3K range. Of course, it doesnt involve 5 star hotels, but from what I could tell from my research, all of the hotels on the island are decent.

Also, depending on where you go, I would look into an all-inclusive package. FH and I didnt go with that option on our last trip (Puerto Vallarta) and spent a fortune on just breakfast/snacks/lunch/drinks (ate all dinners off-resort); kind of put a damper on our last day there. ;) Going all-inclusive wouldve definitely saved us some money in the end.

[tlew12778]

Anywhere below the equator is in summer in February. I would look at going to a country where they do not use the US dollar as currency bc you will probably get more bang for your buck that way. You may spend more on flights, but your overall stay will cost less.

[wine_o_girlie]

I would not go to the Bahamas or Bermuda if you want warm weather in Feb. It could be warm but it may not be. We went to the Bahamas in Feb. two years ago for a long weekend and it was warm 2 out of 3 days but even then you needed a sweater in the evenings. I would head further south if you want a sure bet for warm weather.

I agree with laura and meatpie that Aruba is very nice and the weather is extremely consistent and will definitely be warm. We went in April a few years ago and got a great deal through Priceline (stayed at the Wyndham). We booked our Mexico trip through Apple Vacations and were very pleased with them.

Have you thought about booking a villa instead of staying in a hotel? That way you will have much more privacy and you can save a bit of money by eating bagels, etc. at the house instead of at the hotel. Especially since you are pregnant, you might have special foods needs and a refridgerator would come in handy.

[amorey]

We love to go to Isla Mujeres, Mexico. It’s a cute little island that’s more quiet and relaxing than spring break and there’s amazing beaches. It’s more out of the way so it’s less expensive. Things used to be considerably cheaper than they were in U.S., but prices have started inching up as the island becomes more popular. You fly into Cancun and take a ferry out. We’ve been able to get super cheap flights to Cancun because it’s such a spring break destination. I think they might have suffered some hurricane damage, though, you’d have to check.

Also, I have family that goes down to Key West for New Year’s every year, and they always have warm sunny weather, so it might not be bad in February.

[wine_o_girlie]

I forgot to add that for a less expensive vacation than the Caribbean, you might check out Belize. We have some friends who went recently to Amergris Caye and had a great time. The snorkeling there is wonderful and it's a very laid back atmosphere. Victoria House is supposed to be a great place to stay. Our friends rented a villa from www.vrbo.com and loved it.

Also, check Luxury Link if you are flexible with your dates.

[mom_to_zoe]

My parents have a house in Naples, Florida and we go in February and have wonderful warm weather for swimming and beach-going.

[Whitters20]

I'll throw in another recommendation for Belize. The airfare isn't too bad and it's very affordable. Try: www.travelbelize.org and www.belize.com I've never been to Cabo San Lucas but I've heard good things about it also.

[justHB]

What about Belize, Costa Rica, or the Dominican Republic?

[MLA]

Expedia's running a story about winter getaways. http://www.expedia.com/daily/deals/WinterGetaways/default.asp?CCheck=1&eapid=7208-1

[singerwife]

I vote for the Keys. We went last February, and it was perfect. Flew into Miami on a Wednesday, drove down to the Keys, stopping for breaks along the way.

We stayed on Big Pine Key and did day trips. Our priorities were only warm sun, a beach, and good food. I think we spent $1,500 total, including airfare and car rental.