South Padre Island TX. The number #1 Spring Break Destination in the south!
South Padre Island is where 75,000+ spring break students party on the 5-mile strip. Only 30 miles from Mexico so you can party in 2 nations at the southernmost US Spring Break Destination — South Padre Island! With accommodations in South Padre Island ranging from low-cost party hotels to 10-person luxury condos on the beach, this is why Padre rules US spring break destinations!
South Padre Island Spring Break is the most famous “drive down / road trip” destination in the US, with wide sandy beaches and a warm Gulf climate that’s often in the 80’s during spring break & very predictable. Past acts on Spring Break in South Padre have included 50 Cent, Puddle of Mudd, Fat Joe, Fabolous, and MTV’s Spring Break Undercover, including Inertia celebrity guest appearances by MTV’s The Real World, Road Rules, and Inferno II. Not to mention the famous Coca-Cola Beach Stage Area. Padre also offers killer side trips such as the Mexico Border Bash & Party Yacht Cruise at Tequila Frogs.
Why choose South Padre for Spring Break?
- Huge condos sleep up to 10 each – bring everyone this year to South Padre Island for your Spring Break, you can all stay together for once.
- South Padre Spring Break road Trips are low-cash & easy to afford.
- South Padre Island is a 2-nation vacation – Mexico is just 30 miles away.
- Spring Break in South Padre Island is clean & safe. - South Padre Island is the #1 Spring Break destination in the US for over 15 year.
- South Padre Island hosts over 75,000 spring break students per year in March alone!
- Fly, drive, or take our luxury motor coaches to South Padre Island. If you want to fly, you’ll get a scheduled air seat on Continental, American, Southwest, America West, Delta, or Sun Country Airlines.
- A South Padre Spring Break has safe, good American food that won’t make you sick during your Spring Break vacation.
- Your cell phone & health insurance will work on your South Padre Spring Break. Stay in touch via email even with wi-fi service available throughout & available at many island businesses.
- All flights to South Padre Island are on Continental or American scheduled air – no South Padre Island Spring Break flight delays.
- All South Padre Spring Break bars & clubs are 18 to party, 21 to drink in South Padre Island.
- Kegs & alcohol are legal on the beach in South Padre Island, save money on your South Padre Spring Break. While you can’t have glass on the beach for safety reasons, you are welcome to bring a keg down & party it up.
- South Padre Island is the southern most point in the continental US = warm weather on your spring break trip.
- The majority of South Padre Spring Break trips cost $350-$450 per Person with a meal plan that includes 14 meals. That’s a week long trip that anyone can afford….under $50 per day to stay on the beach with your friends? That’s an extreme value!
When selecting a Tour Company
Inquire whether they are members of the Better Business Bureau.
- You can check them out by going to their website, figuring out what state they are incorporated in (their mailing address) and then going to the Better Business Bureau's website and doing a search on them. You’re looking for a clean or satisfactory report. By the way: it doesn’t mean all that much… but it’s far better than traveling with a tour company or travel agent that has an unsatisfactory report, right?
- Avoid or beware of any claims of “Zero Complaints” with the BBB. The BBB doesn’t rate companies as having “Zero Complaints”. Businesses get either a satisfactory or unsatisfactory rating.
- Another key accreditation (there are about 20 you can look at) is the ASTA, or American Society of Travel Agents. They have a code of ethics that their members must follow.
- Watch the accreditations. There are about 20 that a company can obtain. Really, you just pay a fee, and you’re in. That’s not really the best way to determine if they are good or not.
- If you are booking with a travel agent, check ASTA, but also: ask them whom they are using for their tour company. Check BOTH out.
A couple more things:
- Sniff ’em out. Get a friend and call the company’s office at the same time. Find out what happens when you do. Are they using call waiting (might be a home office), or do they have a professional phone system, where they can put you on hold? This matters, because it indicates financial stability and is good sign that they can provide you a good trip.
- Ask questions. Ask a lot. Ask about clubs, parties, is your hotel guaranteed, etc. If your questions are answered fluidly without problem, that’s a good thing… but if they are stumbling around, they might be rookies.
South Padre Rocks because:
- The price to get there, genius. It’s $300-$500 to drive down. You can also fly there or take a motor coach. There are simply more transportation options. If some of your friends are broke or cheap, they can drive down, and you can fly. Entire groups can split up their modes of transportation based upon their budgets.
- Condos with kitchens & living rooms give you plenty of room to hook up and to party, folks. Hotel rooms suck compared to a 3-bedroom condo with a full kitchen (with a full-size fridge for your party beverages) and a living room with a patio that opens up to the beach.
- Money. South Padre Island is hands-down the cheapest place to go. You can cook in your kitchen; you can bring your own beer in, etc. Kegs are also legal on the beach. Even at all of Inertia’s condo properties, you can bring in your own liquor… no need to buy expensive pool drinks. Mix your own in your condo & bring it out to the pool.
- Minors can get into the clubs. It’s 21 to drink but 18 to party.
- Safety. South Padre Island is in the US. Your cell phone & health insurance work.
- On the other hand, it’s also near Mexico. If you’re a minor, you can ride the Inertia Border Bash Bus to the border & get your drink on. You don’t need a birth certificate or passport either — only a valid drivers license or state ID.
- The weather. Padre’s further south than Miami, Florida.
- Lastly… over 75,000 students go there every Spring Break — HUGE.
South Padre “ain’t all that” cuz:
- It’s not 18 to drink.
- It lacks tons of great clubs & bars. There’s a few though.
- The weather is not as hot as Mexico. The water’s not quite as clear.
- Minors can get into the clubs. It’s 21 to drink but 18 to party.
- The TABC. These are the Texas booze police. They dish out tickets like candy for public intoxications and like offenses.
Is your trip the best one I can find?
Come on. You’re on our website. But objectively speaking, we welcome & highly encourage you to compare our vacation packages to South Padre Island during spring break. We are confident it’s the best student trip there. This is simply a fact. Our program is under continuous improvement.
Did you know that 7 other student travel companies sell the Inertia Package to South Padre Island? Well, they do. We’re not naming names, but why in the hell would they pick us? Because we are Padre baby. They want the best spring break trip for their clients possible, and that’s us.
If you book with someone else, you’ll still end up at our party. You’re welcome at our events, but you’ll be standing in the $20 pay line, while our students cruise in our V.I.P red carpet line. So sorry!
Is a company you’re looking at booking through offering you free fast food? That might get old. Are they selling you a hotel three miles from Tequila Frogs or Club Chaos? Jeez, are you sure you want that? There is not a free shuttle at night the area clubs. So you either walk three miles each way… or you sit in traffic for a cab ride.
Plus, how many companies have an on-site, public commercial office space in South Padre? Only one: Inertia Tours.
Selecting a hotel or condo in South Padre
Ladies & gentlemen, it matters more in South Padre than anywhere else, because the strip is five miles long, and traffic comes to a standstill Texas week.
But you have your car, right? Can you say DUI? Spell it out. And the traffic just doesn’t move, so you can’t even get a cab. Don’t be misled about the “free shuttle” we’ve seen offered elsewhere — it’s called The Wave, and it runs only during the day. You can call the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce to verify that.
Sure, most of the good condos cost more… but if you can walk everywhere, think of the time & aggravation it will save you. People forget how much they’ve paid once they get there, so try to talk your group into spending more than they really wanted — you’ll be glad you talked them into it. If you are a group leader, it’s a much better idea to talk your friends into the most expensive place they can afford.
Really quick, we’ll recommend a few places to stay. This list is NOT exhaustive… but for spring breakers, based on location, these are the best. (If you’re not a spring breaker, avoid these!)
Money is not an issue, baby
Hands down, this is the best place to stay. Next to the Sprite Re-mix & Coca-cola beach and the Radisson on the ocean. We like the Radisson, too, but a full-on condo at Saida is cheaper than a standard hotel room, and security aren’t dinks at Saida Towers.
Money matters, but we still want it on the beach & nice:
The location is a bit north, but this property — without question — is the best value for your spring break dollar. The units are timeshare units, which makes them super-nice two-bedroom, two-bath condos that are 100% all beachfront & beach view. Inertia Tours has EVERY spring break unit here as well. Security is cool, the property is hook-up friendly as well! (One of the only on the island!) This is our newest headquarters property. Rooftop pool & hot tubs.
Put me in a great property at a low price:
Gotta be the cheapest possible or we can’t go:
Honorable Mention:
Location is a 1 (1 being the worst). But there is a party up there going on. We don’t like the fact that they’ve locked it down, so if you plan on bringing a guy/girl back that isn’t staying there, get ready to pay for that right — a rip off. Also, the condos are not nice. They’re big, but 1971 in style & decor. If you’re a group of girls, we don’t recommend it; instead, do Saida or Inverness. Have friends already booked there? Inverness is next door, for 25% less money.
Party Packages
Buy one.
Buy the best one offered. While laying out $100+ right away sucks, these packages are time-tested and a good value.
We don’t care if you’re traveling with us or not — you should buy one no matter what. A cover charge in South Padre will run you $10-$20 per night, depending on whether or not you’re 21.
It’s always $5 cheaper if you’re 21… but you’ll never pay less than $10 this year, so be prepared. With a party package, your cover is obviously free. We also offer VIP Red Carpet Entrance at our events with the party packages until 11 p.m. That’s such a hook up, you can’t even believe it.
Lines just suck! We all want a big line because it means the bar is packed, but I’ve yet to meet a single student that wants to personally stand in one.
Also, once you do buy a party package, don’t think that you’re “done spending money” because this is spring break. Drinks in Padre will run you $12 each — now, they’re 44 oz., and have 7 or 8 shots in them! — so…plan accordingly.
Pre-party in your condo to save some cash. Also, remember some grubbin’ money. Even though you get 14 meals, these aren’t Thanksgiving feasts or anything. It’s basic food that’s cool because they’re included at no extra charge.
When you arrive in South Padre Island
Hey, most of you will just drive down. Watch your speed south of Harligen and east of Brownsville. The 5-0 are waiting for you, and we mean it. If you’re going even 1 mph over the speed limit, you’re getting an unpleasant welcome surprise, called an expensive-ass ticket.
If you fly in, all of the valley regional airports (McAllen, Harlingen, and Brownsville) are small, nice and quite new. We offer transfers as an option to all of our trips for just $39 per person — that’s half off! If you’re going down on your own, you can arrange for transfers for about $70-$90 each from Go with Jo! Travel. Jo is the cheapest way to go.
Forget about taking a cab Diddy, because it’s about $80 each way.
If you come down with Inertia Tours, just look for the Go with Jo! Rep, and they’ll direct you to the shuttle. Listen to when they say that they are going to pick you up at the end of your trip, or you’ll be screwed. You must show them your transfer voucher.
Thought you’d sneak on a shuttle, eh, J? The ride is long… so plan for about two hours from the time you get your bags to getting to our check-in — which itself can take awhile because we check in 1000+ students per week. No worries. We have free party bevies at our welcome party while you wait for your turn with the $5 great lunch. Being prepared to be patient will make sure you and your group has a much better start to your vacation.
Check-in Policies
We require two open credit card vouchers per room for excessive damages. Also, we take photocopies of the IDs & credit cards of each person staying in the room.
You’ll need to NOT Animal-House the condos. But don’t worry. We know you’ll be having a cocktail or two with your friends in the rooms — we’re not that stale!
If you’ve booked your own vacation without Inertia Tours… be ready for some unpleasant and unexpected or hidden “fees”. These typically are as follows:
- Cleaning Fee: $70
- Booking Fee: $50
- Linen Fee: $25
- Tax: 13.5% per room
- Security Wristband Fee: $25 per person or more
- Processing fee: $15
- Booking fee: $50
- Refundable Cash Damage Deposit: $50 per person or $100 per person for Mexican nationals, or if you’re under 21.
We don’t charge any hidden fees. It’s all here for you to see. So-called “rental agencies” will book you a condo directly and cleverly “forget” to include some or all of these fees when you initially book.
Plus: you get no advice, no inclusions and no party packages. You’ll wander around a night or two & end up at our parties anyway, so in the end… any money you’ve saved is squandered, figuring it out for yourself. You vacation is only a week long. Why take a chance?
We either have the biggest party in South Padre on ANY NIGHT, or we offer a refund.
We’re always amused when people call us at Inertia Tours for a package price, and then tell us that “they’ve gotten a better rate elsewhere.” Really? Well, after you add all those junk fees in, we generally have a lower rate, particularly when you take a look at package inclusions in South Padre Island, Texas for spring break trips.
If you have a condo — good things to know
Be aware of the fact that condos do not have daily maid service, so Nazi-guard your towel for the week.
You’ll also need to plan on leaving the place clean, because you’ll get charged for “excessive cleaning and the towels. Yeah, they charge about $20 each, so don’t use them on your shoes.
We provide a unit condition report at the time of check in, which we encourage you to take the time to note any damages, missing/broken items or other issues with your unit. We do this so you won’t be unfairly charged for causing them.
The beach
We understand your need for a “romantic” spring break walk at night, and South Padre is truly the ONLY destination that really is safe at night to be on the beach. (Not in the water dumbass. The beach.)
So get your groove on. Remember, what could be finer than being tanked on cheap liquor and going for a moonlight stroll with your one night stand?
Throw your protection away when you’re done? That’s gross. And the barefoot walk through is of questionable taste for your fellow spring break travelers.
Common Sense
At night, stay in groups.
Be realistic… People hook up on spring break. It happens. (Wow, are you surprised?!) Just make sure one person you are with knows where you are going. We know people lie because they don’t want others to know that they are hooking up, but seriously…. Just have one person that you trust to tell.
If you ARE the buddy, don’t make moral judgments that might cause your hooking-up friend to lie to you. However, if your friend is so intoxicated that they don’t know what’s up, help them please.
Thank God, in South Padre Island, your cell phones will work. Use them.
The Wave Bus - uhh catch the "wave"?
The Wave comes about every 45 minutes along Padre Blvd. You can pick it up at The Sunchase Mall, the Bahia Mar, or The Blue Marlin Grocery Store.
It’s free… but it only runs during the day, and it is slow as hell.
Cabs/Taxis
They’re dirt cheap in South Padre. Plan on spending about $3 each to go one way, anywhere.
But during the middle two weeks in Padre, they won’t take you to the South end of the island by the Saida or Radisson because traffic is so jacked up, you can’t move.
If you are an Inertia Tours traveler, you’ll receive a discount with our preferred cab company, Island Cabs. With your Inertia Tours wristband, it’s $2/person to go anywhere instead of the usual $3.
Restaurants
See our South Padre Island yellow pages for more details.
Nice, expensive
- Scampi’s. Right on the ocean, 100% of it rocks. Our favorite. $20-$30/per person. Service is somewhat slow. Reservations highly recommended.
- Sea Ranch. Another must-eat restaurant on the island. Ladies… we know you want to dress up all cute one night & go out. This is a great choice that everyone can afford. $12-$20 entrees. Expect a wait if you don’t have reservations, so call them.
Middle of the road price but good
- Konami Sushi. Sushi. Get the Treasure Boat with a Sake Bomb.
- Amberjacks. Good / decent seafood. Get the Mahi Mahi or Red Snapper.
- Schlitterbahn’s Shrimp Haus. Fried shrimp is really good on the island.
- Louie’s. Great fajitas on special during happy hour.
Cheap
- Rovan’s Bakery Surprisingly good for breakfast, and the fried fish is real decent.
- Sunset Deli. Sandwiches homemade & delicious – excellent coffee.
With Inertia Tours, we also provide for our travelers something we call the Top Shelf Dinner recommendation for every night of your spring break vacation. Our travelers get a minimum of 15% off the listed menu prices. You’ll enjoy the very best of what South Padre Island has to offer for dinner.
Inertia Tours represents the finest restaurant venues on South Padre, just as our trip is the finest trip there for spring break.
Clubs
See our South Padre Island yellow pages for more details.
Nightclubs
- Chaos. Newest club in South Padre. 3 floors, 8 bars, largest nightclub in the state of Texas. Big lines on Inertia nights Saturday & Mondays.
- Tequila Frogs. On the lagoon. Famous for Wet-T Shirts. Sunday is their biggest night; also Thursday they rock the party. Home to the Global Groove’s Party on the Lagoon on Wednesday… ”the day party” as known on the island, and is included in all Inertia party packages.
- Louie’s. On the lagoon, but too many locals for our taste. Overpriced everything and no contests. A DJ, liquor and locals… what else do you need I guess. BUT… if you are in Padre anytime besides spring break, this is THE place to be.
- Club 202. On the lagoon. Smaller, more intimate. Great Mardi Gras on Wednesday night — Real World MTV cast is there. They have the cheapest beer & liquor prices of any spring break bar, which is a big time good thing! Also, our Reality Party on Wednesday night has been voted for three straight years as the #1 spring break party favorite. It’s packed & fun.
Pre-party Bars
- Quarterdeck at the Radisson. Busy year-round, too. If you’re 30+, it’s a good scene. Dancing, generally have live music.
- Jake’s. Great food here — always huge packs of fraternities & sororities eating & drinking here because they’re sick of the club scene after a few nights. Draft beer always cold. I love this place!
- Club 202. Do a sunset happy hour, 6 beers $5.00. Not a misprint.
Side Trips
Do at least one of these.
We know you’re going to get bombed every day &mdahs; but seriously, we are talking about some of the best beaches and clearest water in the ENTIRE world… so take advantage!
Air Travel
Finally, a note about air travel to South Padre Island, for year-round guests not taking or considering an Inertia Tours trip:
If you have a Southwest Airlines gate at your nearest airport, consider booking your flight with them — they are dirt-cheap if you buy your ticket early enough. The other airports in the valley are McAllen/Mission and Brownsville. Continental, American and Sun Country Airlines all offer scheduled service as well. Expect to pay $350-$550 per person for a round-trip ticket.
