Spring Break is the perfect time to get some friends together and escape the Binghamton cold, but you don’t have to empty your bank account to get some fun in the sun. Here are some cheaper, better alternatives to help you plan your own spring break, instead of that awful $5,000 Cancun spring break package you were considering.

Plan a road trip with Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers.com is an amazing website where you can map out an entire road trip anywhere in the United States for free. Plug in your starting point and desired destination into the “plan a new trip” column, and Roadtrippers will map it out for you, along with the estimated mileage and gas costs. But what makes Roadtrippers a standout from Google Maps is the attractions filter. The website gives you a collection of options to choose from, including camping and hiking, entertainment and nightlife, tours, shopping, food and drinks, sports and points of interest. Choose what you’re looking for, and Roadtrippers will plot out every single point of interest on the map within a certain mile radius of your route. It’s a great way to find unique destinations, from weird attractions like taxidermy museums to scenic national parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains.

Travel tips:

—Always overestimate the cost of gas, just in case. Roadtrippers will give you a basic estimate, but you never know.

—Look for the unexpected. The U.S. is full of all sorts of oddities that make for a great adventure.

Find a cheap place to stay with Airbnb

Airbnb started in 2008 as a kind of Craigslist for travelers who needed a couch to crash on. Now, it’s a great resource to find independent lodging at incredibly cheap prices. Hosts rent out unused spaces ranging from living room floors to swanky Upper West Side penthouses. Travelers can browse listings based on location, amount of guests and price range. Once you find a place, you can contact the host using an online form and submit a reservation. Once the host confirms your reservation, you can pay through an online service like Paypal or directly with most major credit cards. In order to protect both hosts and travelers, Airbnb has a rating system that lets you view how many “stars” a host has and reviews from previous travelers. Airbnb can be a great resource for college students traveling on a budget: Prices generally range from $10 to $65 a night, far cheaper than a conventional hotel. There are listings in over 34,000 cities throughout the world, so if you’re backpacking in Europe or just looking for a place to crash in Pennsylvania, there’s bound to be a listing.

Travel tips:

—Be smart and check your host’s ratings. Airbnb cannot ensure a perfect experience, but the more stars and reviews your host has, the better. You don’t want to get ripped off or end up in a shady meth den somewhere.

—Try to keep your group size limited. If you have a group of 20 rowdy college kids, chances of finding a willing host are a lot slimmer.

— Don’t be a dick. These people are opening their private homes so you can have a cheaper vacation. Don’t go raiding their liquor cabinet or stealing their shoes.

Finding a cheap flight

The Internet is a wealth of resources, and one of those is cheap plane tickets. Sites like Kayak, Expedia and Travelocity can lead you to cheaper flight and hotel prices, but be wary and always read the reviews before you book.

Travel tips

—Book early. Now is the time to book spring break flights and hotels, if you haven’t already. They’ll fill up quickly and the remaining seats will get expensive.

— Compare prices. Make sure to check the direct price of tickets from the airline before you buy through a secondary source like Expedia or Kayak.