The first weekend in October is the perfect time for college students to have a break. After taking midterms and turning in final papers, SMU students are ready to travel.

Of course some people choose to go home and enjoy home cooked meals, but trust me — you will not want to miss out on the trip of a lifetime. I’m here to tell you where to go, and these places have so much more to offer than just great food.

There’s amazing shopping, partying and unique architecture. Here are the top three places SMU students are going for fall break, and I’ll tell you how to make it the best and most affordable trip yet!

VEGAS

Vegas is the perfect place to get away for the long weekend! Whether you want to party or relax, shop and eat yummy food, there are many options to do so in this city.

The strip is the best place to stay in Vegas because everything from restaurants to shows, casinos and clubs are all within walking distance. Most SMU students choose to stay at The Cosmopolitan. If you are looking for the most affordable options, studentcity.com suggests Delano Suites or Tropicana.

Traveling to Vegas with StudentCity is a great option because they provide you with all the hook ups you need. Not only do they handle your round-trip airfare, but they also have access to the best clubs and events in Vegas.

StudentCity offers specialty drink packages and free entry and cover fees to the best day and night parties. During fall break, the Chainsmokers will be performing at the Encore Beach Club during the day and XS night club during the evening. You can purchase tickets for as cheap as 70 dollars online at stubhub.com. Who would want to miss watching them perform alongside a swimming pool?

NOLA

New Orleans is a place to celebrate fall break in a unique way. One of the world’s most fascinating cities is New Orleans. The city is known for its exclusive culture, exotic food and distinct music.

Students enjoy walking down Bourbon Street all day and night; it’s loaded with the perfect clubs, bars, DJs and more. There are piano bars that offer a live performance experience, but you’ll also notice many street performers outside of venues as you walk along the streets.

Galatoire’s Restaurant is one of the most popular restaurants in New Orleans. Along with excellent French cuisine, it has an elegant atmosphere that visitors love.

The best hotels to stay at are in the French Quarter, right by the action on Bourbon Street. If you stay at four-star luxury hotel The Royal Sonesta Hotel, you can sit on your balcony and enjoy the nightlife action right in the heart of the French Quarter.

If you don’t want to walk all over the city during your stay, you can ride on streetcars. People get a kick of the old wooden electric cars that have been a way of transportation in New Orleans since 1835. Get your bargain slice of history in and hop on for $1.25 a ride. You can buy a $3 pass here to enjoy the Riverfront line tour, which takes visitors on a two-mile route along the Mississippi River. You can hop off at any time as it stops at the French Quarter, Canal Place, the Riverwalk and the New Orleans Convention Center. The colorful architecture makes a wonderful background in those photos you are planning to add to your fall break Facebook album.

ACL

ACL is the perfect place to enjoy this hot Texas weather all day and night for the entire weekend. Throw on comfortable shoes and shorts and stroll from stage to stage listening to your favorite bands.

Jay-Z, Foster The People, Chance The Rapper, Ice Cube, The Killers and Martin Garrix are just a few of the top performers that will be on the big stages at night. Throughout the smaller stages, other performers like ASAP Ferg and Louis the Child will be performing as well.

You can purchase tickets online for weekend one or two here.

The great thing about ACL is how conveniently located Austin is from Dallas. You can hop in a car with some buddies and drive there in three hours or you can even take the Greyhound Express for as low as ten dollars a ticket. You can book your bus reservation here.

There are several hotels that students can find for great prices, or you can stay with somebody who goes to the University of Texas at Austin. Or, ACL offers special lodging and hotel packages that you can purchase along with tickets. These packages offer great and affordable places to stay, or you can even rent a house for your whole squad to stay together.

The most popular hotel to stay at is the JW Marriot Downtown.

And if you can’t make it to ACL, The Daily Campus will be there to fill you in with daily recaps.