The countdown for the student flight to warmer weather begins now. You’ve only got four months to go, if you’re keeping tabs.

The senior spring break has become more than a simple tradition for some students. It was a rite of passage for Caleb Powers, Dartmouth College freshman and Free State High School graduate. Powers spent his senior spring break in Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast of Mexico.

“The senior spring break trip has become sort of an American institution,” Powers said. “It’s about going off on your own with your friends. That’s what’s expected.”

Powers began the planning process late, just a month or so before the mid-March trip. He said it took awhile to find reasonably priced airfare, even using Web sites such as www.priceline.com. But once Powers and his friends overcame the hassles of planning and executing their trip, the group enjoyed the fun in the sun.

“Planning early is key, especially if you want to do it on a budget,” Powers said. “We did a lot of just hanging out, enjoying the sun and the beach and the drinks.”

If you don’t want the challenge of organizing your own travel across the border, local travel agencies and student travel companies would love to help you out.

It’s never too early to plan a trip and check availability, said John Novotny, vice president of operations for Travellers Inc. Most people begin inquiring about spring break trips in October but don’t make any final decisions until around Thanksgiving. But Travellers Inc., 831 Mass., doesn’t just provide travel packages for students.

“For families traveling together, spring break is a peak travel period,” Novotny said. “Come spring, the whole family gets the itch to get out in the sun.”

Brandi Nichols, a Baldwin High School junior, will be traveling with a friend in March to ski in Keystone, Colo., where she has been skiing for the past few years during spring break.

“It’s best to stay in a resort because you can just walk down to the lifts,” Nichols said. “I’ve been going for a few years, and I always see other high school kids. A lot of kids from my school go to Colorado.”

FREE STATE HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS Sally Campbell, foreground, and Amy Soules, display skis and a snowboard. Skiing in Colorado is a popular spring-break getaway.

Although Nichols let her friend’s parents handle the trip planning this year, some students choose to coordinate the trip themselves. Novotny recommends students use a local travel agency instead of an Internet-based student travel agency. Local established businesses offer a stability that out-of-state agencies can’t, he said.

“When you’ve got established local businesses that have been in business for over 50 years, it escapes me as to why people don’t check here first,” Novotny said. “We limit who we work with. We only offer packages from companies we feel are reliable.”

The Internet also provides many spring break travel options for students. A simple search will turn up StudentCity.com, STS Travel and Bianchi-Rossi Tours, all promising fabulous parties and deeply discounted travel packages. By using chartered airplanes and brokering deals with local hotels, these student travel companies keep their prices down by selling in bulk to thousands of students from across the country.

Even when booking online, Tony Bianchi-Rossi suggests booking early to take advantage of freebies and specials. In addition to free meals or discounts on a weeklong party pass bracelet, students can get their pick of the best hotels and spread their payments out more. Student travel agencies also plan and staff on-site parties and activities throughout the week.

“We have the plans to make your trip a success,” said Bianchi-Rossi, vice president of sales at Bianchi-Rossi Tours. “A travel agency can get you down there, but then you’re clueless about what’s really going on down there. We know where it’s hot.”

The prices can vary wildly from company to company. Students should compare prices and services before making any commitments, Bianchi-Rossi said. He suggests looking for a company that’s been around for at least five years with the same name and asking questions about the company’s contracts with hotels, cancellation policies and travel insurance.

As far as the storied party scene goes, it is an issue that both students and travel agencies are aware of.

“I just tell the parents to make sure they talk to their kids before they leave, make sure they don’t leave their heads back in the United States,” Bianchi-Rossi said. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re in Cancun or wherever, just have some common sense.”