South Padre Island, Texas is where tens of thousands of college students party. The Island is the southernmost US Spring Break Destination. With accommodations in South Padre Island ranging from low-cost party condos to luxurious condos on the beach, Padre is the perfect choice for groups that all wanna stay together.

What makes South Padre so popular is affordability, as you can drive there. With wide sandy beaches and a warm Gulf climate that´s often in the 80´s during spring break, you’ll actually catch a tan. Inertia has reasonably priced party bus trips from the Midwest, and very inexpensive flight- included packages for those that are too far away for the road trip.

Celebrities & Entertainment? Absolutely – from MTV’s The Real World to our Infinity @ The Pool Party that the Travel Channel dubbed the largest pool party at night in the world – to Jackass LIVE with Preston - Inertia has you covered. We care about quality DJ’s & music as well – just ask our Resident DJ Silver that rocks the tables nightly.

During the day, enjoy the famous Coke Beach Stage Area adjacent to Saida Towers & Peninsula Resorts, with thousands of students getting down. Our Red Carpet VIP Party Package includes wicked side trips such as the Party Yacht Cruise, the Thriller Jet boat ride, surfing lessons, a bay fishing trip, or banana boat rides. No trip is complete without a Charlies’ Cherry or Whammy at Louies Backyard, our party headquarters & the Island’s most famous night time venue.

Figure out if that Destination is their Specialty, or if they are a "jack of all trades" travel operation selling every destination possible. We bring this up because Inertia Tours specializes in Student Spring Break trips to South Padre Island - in fact, we are even located here in the State of Texas AND have a retail location on South Padre Island at 1515 Padre Blvd on the main drag. We live & work here year round.

Consider this point - it makes sense to go to the Cadillac dealer to buy a Cadillac, just like it makes sense to come to "the Padre store" (Inertia) to buy a Padre trip. Why would you go to a generic travel site to buy a very specialized party trip to South Padre? You logically shouldn´t. It´s hard to be good at everything, and here at Inertia, we focus on specific destinations that we know and are familiar with. If we aren’t, we broker the trip – not to the highest bidder, but to the best provider. This translates into the best possible trip for you as our client. Well over 75% of our business is word of mouth referrals. We care about your experience.

Check out some of this stuff too!
1. You can check a travel agency 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.) membership and b.) a decent grade. By the way: the grade doesn’t mean all that much… but it’s far better than traveling with a tour company or travel agent that has a “F” right? Many companies exaggerate about their volume of sales to get a better grade – so look for the total number of complaints. There are going to be some, but if they “satisfactorily closed” the complaint, they’re probably solid.

2. 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.

3. Watch the accreditations. There are many 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.

4. 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

1. 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.

2. 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 or college drop outs.

3. Be Aware. If it sounds too good to be true --- it is. Buying a travel package where everything is "Free" probably indicates inferior or poor quality. You will get what you pay for - do you want the best possible party trip, or do you want a cheap trip with horrible food & empty parties? Quality costs more money - We doubt you buy all your clothes at Wal-Mart, after all. But why? It’s the “cheapest!” You know why. Clothes from wal mart = no game. Travel is NOT a commodity type of purchase when it comes to event parties and food being included. Use your noggin’

Pros:
• The price to get there, genius. It´s $250-$500 per person if drive down. You can also fly or take a motor coach. Where else can you go that kind of scratch? Florida maybe – and swim in the oil there, too from the geniuses at BP. SPI is OIL FREE.
• Condos with kitchens & living rooms give you plenty of room to hook up and to party, folks. Hotel rooms suck compared
  to a 3-bdrm condo...plus you have a full sized refrigerator for your party beverages & a big dining room table to play flip cup.
• Money. We´re not talking about the cost of the trip package here, but rather how South Padre Island is hands-down the
  cheapest place to go as far as required spending money once you get there. You can cook in your kitchen, you can bring your
  own beer into the condos, and Kegs & open containers are also legal on our BYOB beach.
• Minors can get into the clubs. It´s 21 to drink but 18 to party.
• Minors can rent condos from Inertia – as long as you are 18 you can rent from us.
• Safety. It´s in the US. Your cell phone & health insurance work. Some parents are cool with spring break, but against leaving
  the country, and we get that. Getting shot by Mexican drug cartels doesn’t sound all that appealing, and neither does getting the runs from food poisoning.
• The weather. It´s further south than Miami, Florida. The weather in Panama City or Daytona typically sucks in March.
  Those destinations are also thugged out. Padre isn´t.
• Inertia can easily provide references from literally hundreds of past clients that will tell you that regardless of the low cost - they had the very best time of their lives on our trip to South Padre Island
• The Coke Beach Stage offers FREE entertainment daily & music on all day long
• Lastly... over 30,000 students go there every Spring Break - HUGE.
Cons:
• It´s not 18 to drink like Mexico
• It lacks tons of great clubs & bars. There´s a few though that are solid.
• The weather is not as hot as Mexico. The water is not quite as clear.
• Minors can get into the clubs. It´s 21 to drink but 18 to party.
• The traffic can really suck.
• The TABC. These are the Texas booze police. They dish out tickets like candy. If you´re in your condo, you are fairly safe.. … police harassment of "rich" college students can be problematic if you act a foo’

Come on. You´re on our website. But objectively speaking, if you even look at someone else´s spring break trip to South Padre, why? Buying a spring break trip to South Padre not from Inertia is like buying a knock off Louis Vuitton – it looks close but it really is a piece of shit.

Did you know that 7 other student travel Companies sell the Inertia Package to South Padre for Spring Break? Well, they do. We´re not naming names, but why in the hell would they pick us? Because we are Padre - we´re all about it. If you book with someone else, we´ll see you at our Party. You´re Welcome at our events, but don´t think for one second that someone else has a "party" schedule that you´ll attend --Inertia events are the biggest, wildest, and provide the best entertainment the entire month of March, hands down. Call area businesses in South Padre related to spring break & ask about Inertia Tours --- you´ll quickly find that we really are the party scene. You will notice that our travelers will cut our 1000+ people event lines, so expect a 30-45 minute wait to get in without our Red Carpet treatment, and you´ll have to pay upwards of a $15- $20 cover charge to get into our parties if you have not traveled with Inertia Tours. That savings quickly adds up. Is some fool place giving you fast food meals free? Gross. Are they selling you a hotel 3 miles from the Entertainment District? Jeez, are you sure you want that? Make sure that you´ve investigated the condo types. We know of one place selling 1 bedroom condos as 2 bedrooms because there is this pull across curtain that you can divide the room with. That´s pathetic, and it´s not a 2 bedroom condo.

NOTES ON SOUTH PADRE SCAMS BY TRAVEL PROVIDERS:

Unfortunately, we are seeing new scams to lure students to purchase inferior travel packages. Buyer Beware!

1.) Credit Card sign up scams for a cheaper price. This amounts to a fraudulent offer in which you are offered $ 100 off your trip if you sign up for a credit card. Of course, if you are not approved (which you won't be) you don't get the discount, and (of course) the travel provider doesn't offer you full refund. Even if just one of you does get approved, what happens to everyone else? They pay an uncompetitive price is what happens.

2.) So-called Pre Game parties or "free drinks" for South Padre trips. This is a total scam for those that just don't know any better. It sounds good of course - but you won't ever use it (why it is included by unscrupulous travel providers) as South Padre beaches & condos are all open container & BYOB -- so that IS the pre party. Also, everyone goes to the Coke Beach Stage during the day. Would you rather party in front of a live entertainment stage with thousands in the sun or huddle up with 2 other dudes in a hotel lobby during the day for some "free (warm) beer?" Don't base a travel purchase on some “free” inclusion that you won't use, and in fact is very deceptive from the get go.

Location matters if you have flown into South Padre Island...but if you have drove down, it´s less important. If you can afford it, book Saida Towers or the Peninsula. Also.. another reason to book with Inertia Tours - we have an exclusive deal with BB’s Taxis for all of our students with our wristband on - it´s just $3 per person to go anywhere, which makes a marquee condo or hotel location slightly less important.

With this in mind, consider the location vs. price factor. A south location is overall the best possible choice - but you´ll also pay for this (Saida Towers, Peninsula) If you are driving, we really think you need to at least consider saving the money and booking one of our beachfront condo category properties. If you are saving $50 to $100 per person by staying under 2 miles to the North...that´s a lot of cab rides and your savings.

Sure, most of the good condos cost more, but if you can walk everywhere, think of the time & aggravation that 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. Having a off - the - hook party property will make you look like a rockstar to your friends. Everyone wants to meet people, and people have a baseline expectation of quality.

Some places won’t allow you to bring back guests at night (south beach properties by the coke beach stage are often culprits to not allowing you to hook up). Call us, and we will be more than happy to custom fit a condo for you & your group based on your tastes. Sometimes, your group might want to have your own party, not be all worried about the "hook up factor," or wanna be in a really nice place – you’re Seniors – last hurrah! We can assist with any type of group situation.

As Inertia brings so many students down to South Padre for Spring Break, it just makes sense to use some categories to make our trips lower cost to students. We know this might seem odd at first, but it really does make a lot of sense:

There are a few reasons for using condo & hotel categories:

1.) It saves our students money as it allows us to put them anywhere on the “3 mile party strip” as long as we fit them into the correct category. If a condo owner with a real bad ass condo comes to us and says “please rent this for me, Inertia” last minute – and we didn’t have categories – we really couldn’t take that unit – and no one would enjoy its use. That’s not logical. If you booked a beachfront 2 bedrooms condo category, and say had booked into a specific complex, and this private condo owner comes to us and his unit has a theatre, private elevator & Jacuzzi on the deck, and the other condo looks like 1985 – which unit would you rather stay in? Categories are awesome in this way.

2.) Students mainly come down to party. They want a condo with a kitchen for grubbin’ and a living room to pre-game in. That’s it. Knowing the name of the place before they get there is really not important. This again comes down to saving money. Sure, some people want to be beachfront. We would, too. That’s why most of our units are in fact on the beach. Most people are like “hey look – I don’t care where I stay as long as there are other students, it’s not too far from the clubs, and it’s on the beach.” Cool. That covers exactly 100% of our beachfront condos category properties & units as a matter of fact.

3.) Volume. Inertia brings in as many as 3000 students certain weeks of spring break. The only possible way we can accommodate our huge volume & still maintain quality is to utilize categories. You do want as many people at our parties as possible, correct? We thought so. Categories allows us to pick up every last single & possible condo & hotel room we can. From a logistics standpoint, we just have to use categories.

4.) You don’t have to do a category. Inertia offers two specific properties for those more discerning in the quality of their accommodations. You may book Saida Towers or the Peninsula Resort (both in the most highly sought south beach locations) BY NAME if you so desire. Sure, they do cost a bit more.

The small inconvenience you give up not knowing EXACTLY where you are staying is made up in the superb price of our trips, quality of our condo complexes & units, and valuable inclusions like sit down restaurant meals. REMEMBER: it’s not required to book a category, but we do suggest consideration.

Let’s break down the categories:

Walk to Beach Hotels category

These clean, basic standard motel rooms are within (3) blocks of the beach. Properties all have an outdoor pool & hot tub area, vending machines for snacks, and two double beds per room. We work with several local motel properties. The small inconvenience of not knowing ahead of time where you are staying is more than made up with these great prices. Properties are all student friendly!

Best Choice For:

• Those on a budget – for our “4 nighter” trips – the price can’t be beat.

5 people out the door price: $249.97
4 people out the door price: $274.97
3 people out the door price: $324.97
2 people out the door price: $399.97

And this includes 2 meals per day per person & all taxes & fees

• Students that know you won’t be in your much except to crash out & shower

You should pass on this category if:

• You have anal people in your group that MUST KNOW where they are staying by the name of property
• You want to come down for more than 4 nights
• You want a lot of space to hang out and pre-game / after bar in

Walk to Beach Condos category

These are located throughout the island guaranteed to be within (2) blocks of the beach & within the 3 mile party strip. If you have 2-5 people you will receive a one bedroom efficiency condo with a small kitchenette, fridge, and living area. If you have 6/7/8 people you’ll get a full two bedroom condo with a kitchen/living/dining room. Air bed provided upon request. All units are very decent; remember, you'll be on the beach all day anyway.

Best Choice For:

• Groups that are in multiples of 6 & 8 for best price
• You want a kitchen & living room
• You might want multiple bathrooms for getting ready which a lot of these have
• You want to come for a week and want the lowest possible trip cost

You should pass on this category if:

• You want to be beachfront
• You have anal people that MUST know specifically what condo they are staying at & where
• You have people that want a 5 star property (these are basic condos)

Beachfront Condos category – 1 & 2 bedroom condos

Upgrade to a guaranteed beachfront or two bedroom condo in this category with a full size kitchen, living/dining area, and separate bedroom. Units have pull out in living room to accommodate everyone -or- we provide an air bed at no charge. Condos are all student-centric & guaranteed to be within the 3 mile. party strip. You're coming to one of America's top beaches - stay right on the beach! Specific complexes not assured - this is a category - but take the savings! Property examples in this category include: Inverness Beach, Bahia Mar, Aquarius, Gulfview, Gulfpoint, International & more

Best Choice For:

• Students smart enough to weigh quality vs. price
• You have rowdy friends
• People that understand that staying beachfront really IS better
• You are looking for a good combination of amenities still value priced
• You want an upgraded property & guarantee of it being nice – beachfront units are always nicer than off beach
• You’re cool with not knowing until you arrive the exact complex as long as it is beachfront & fun
• You think Saida would be great but it’s just too expensive for some of your friends
• Those that might want to hook up – security is not as strict & you can usually bring a boy/girl back

You should pass on this category if:

• You have demanding people that must know before they arrive where they are staying to the T
• You are a Coke beach fanatic and party more during the day than at night (do Saida)
• You have friends that only travel with their parents and expect the 4 Seasons & five stars

Saida Towers – 1, 2, & 3 bedroom condos

Saida is our ultimate property. Located adjacent to the home of the Coke Beach Stage area where everyone parties during the day. Saida has 3 pools, 3 hot tubs, a full bar & poolside restaurant, and is right on the beach. The condos are nice & in absolutely the most sought-after South strip location. Saida is a 4 plus star property. Don’t rent a hotel room when you can rent a huge condo with full kitchen, living room, and multiple bathrooms for getting ready. Should be considered our all-out, all-around best possible property if it is within your budget. Inertia has as many as 620 students per week staying at Saida.

Best Choice For:

• Those seeking the best possible daytime location @ Coke Beach Stage
• You want to know EXACTLY where you are staying prior to arrival
• Big groups
• You have picky friends that you don’t want to listen to bitching
• It’s your Senior year and you want to go all out
• Those wanting good security & a super nice place to stay & play
• You stayed in a shit hole last spring break & aren’t doing that again

You should pass on this property if:

• You have budget/money concerns – it’s quite a bit more than our other properties
• You are on a mission to hook up with people not staying @ Saida (security has to be greased a lot here to get them in)
• You have ultra rowdy friends – you can be pretty wild but there is a limit here

The Peninsula

The Peninsula is located approximately 200 yards on the beach from the Coke Beach Stage area. Peninsula features beachfront, 3 bedroom/3 bathroom condos right on the beach. Full kitchen, living room, and all are direct pool & beachview. All units have both a master bedroom Jacuzzi, as well as a 3 person Jacuzzi on the balcony. Onsite restaurant & bar, infinity pool, the best fitness center & an Aveda spa. Inertia has all available condos in March exclusively. Verified sorority membership required by property to reserve.

Best Choice For:

• Quality seekers. This place is the best-kept secret on South Padre
• You want pimp – we mean….2 jacuzzis? What the ??!!! These condos sell in the $1.3 million range!
• You want to know EXACTLY where you are staying before you come
• Location junkies – right by Coke Beach
• You want a quiet place at night
• Poolside service on drinks – if that’s your thing
• Massages – Aveda spa on location
• Sororities that like to party day/night but want to escape the creepers at bedtime – you gotta be in one to stay here

You should pass on this property if:

• You want a raging party scene
• You have cheapskates
• You have girls that like or want to be creeped
• You are rowdy girls – not good here

Buy one. Buy the best one offered. While laying out $100+ right away sucks, these packages are time-tested, and offer 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 upwards of $15-$20 per night, depending on if you´re 21 or not. It´s always $5 cheaper if you´re 21, but you´ll never pay less than $10.00 for a cover, so be prepared. With a party package, your cover is obviously free.

Also, once you do buy a party package, don´t think that you´re done spending money because this is spring break, and drinks in Padre can run you $15.00 each (now, they´re 32 oz. and have 5 or 6 shots in them!) so plan accordingly. Pre-party in your condo to save some cash is key, and Inertia events ALWAYS have a drink special until 11 p.m...most times $2 twenty-four ounce drafts or $2 margaritas – ask our staff as you enter.

Not only that, a Party Package gives you a choice of a few fun side trips & things to do. Yes, we know you´ll party on the beach during the day, clubs at night. But why not go on a party cruise, do a surfing lesson, go fishing, or take a thriller jet boat ride? All of these things create memories that will last a lifetime. For about $100 bucks, you´ll get all the parties, and a couple fun side trips. That´s a sweet deal.

Remember, it´s the group mentality. Having so many people on our party schedule guarantees our large events will make you & your friends happy. The small disadvantage to having a pre-set schedule is overcome by the fact it ends arguments within your group about "where to go" or "what will be fun" - it´s a dialed in thing, as Inertia is definitely a party-planning expert on the Island. You’ll never end up a dead club or bar. Not even once on the Inertia schedule.

There are a few smart things to plan before you actually get ready to leave on your trip. For starters, our blog on our website has interesting mumblings about South Padre & spring break in general almost daily from our Company President. Considerations – these DO TAKE some time & money..but….

Go shopping for new clothes.
Yes, most people will buy some new clothes to sport on spring break. Get your ass to the mall, and bring a member of the opposite sex that is a hottie to pick out your clothes - because you have no style. No, you really don´t. A new bikini, new boardshorts, and clothes for the club, the bar, warm weather, & cool weather all recommended.

GTL (well no L)
Start working out at least 6 weeks prior to the trip By working out, we mean just do SOMETHING....anything......but get off your tushie & even walk for 30 minutes a day while watching TV everyday...it´s better than nothing at all. If you want to step up your game, visit www.bodyforlife.com, sponsored by EAS & Bill Phillips. It is absolutely the best fitness & regime available today.

Go tanning (i.e...fake n´ bake)
Listen, we know that a.) it can give you skin cancer, b.) it can be expensive c.) it´s kinda Gay for guys to go indoor tanning and d.) it’s Snookie’s favorite pass time ....but who cares? This is spring break, and you´re only young once. You need to look the best you possibly can, and a golden tan is key. Plus, you won´t burn so easily on spring break under the hot southern sun.

Buy new, cool sunglasses
You´ll be wearing/needing sunglasses all day poolside & at the beach. You´ll look like a tool with a pair of fake Oakleys. Once again, have the opposite sex pick out what looks good on you....just because Paris Hilton wears 19" Chanel´s doesn´t mean they´ll look good on your moon face. Have your friends help out. Bigger isn’t always better girls.

Make copies of your drivers licenses, all credit cards you are bringing, and your passport
This takes just minutes to do, and if you happen to lose them, you´ll still be able to partake in South Padre during your trip. Replacing them is then a breeze. If you don´t have this stuff, how will you get into the bars? You won´t. That’ll make you drop F bombs and you will need to go to confession (if you’re Catholic that is).

Most of you will be driving to South Padre Island for your college spring break trip, and we want to offer a few pointers about the road trip down.

The Vehicle Choice

Of course you´ll be considering a large sport utility or truck to pack everyone in, but it is important to try to grab the newest possible vehicle for reliability / warranty coverages. Nothing is more frustrating than a breakdown, so consider reliability. Also, fuel economy. If someone has a diesel, take it. It´ll double your gas mileage. Inertia also offers our exclusive GREEN BREAK

DISCOUNT - if you drive a Hybrid or Frybrid vehicle to South Padre with any condo package purchase, you & your group will receive at no charge a $100 gift certificate to the Blue Marlin IGA supermarket. Just show up, and show us your car that you drove down.
Make sure air pressure is at Max allowed per the tires for gas mileage. Have a fresh oil change done RIGHT before the trip & all fluids checked. Is your insurance current? Is everyone driving insured themselves and has a valid driver’s license? Make sure.

The Money / Gas Money Split
In order to avoid a.) fighting about money in the car or b.) the cheap bastard that always gets away with spending less --- if you are the vehicle owner, you need to precollect at the time you load your rig up (before you leave). Accept NO excuses. Go to www.mapquest.com, and figure out the mileage roundtrip to/from South Padre Island (zip code is 78597, just put in 1515 Padre Blvd).
Take the amount of miles one way, times it by two, and you´ll have your total miles. Now, divide that number by the miles per gallon your vehicle gets. For example, if Padre is 2000 miles round trip, and your SUV gets 10 miles per gallon, it will take you 200 gallons to go round trip. At $3 per gallon, that´s $600 for gas. If there are 6 of you in that vehicle, pre-collect $100 per person. What happens if you don´t? People blow all their money onsite, with the promise of "getting you back later." Well, that never happens, and it is not your responsibility to pay for someone else´s gas. Pre-collect $5 each for "incidentals" on the vehicle, including windshield wash fluid, three car washes (one when you arrive, one when you leave, one for when you get home). Why should it be your responsibility to clean the rig when you were nice enough to provide the wheels in the first place? This is stuff is fair to ask - and believe us, if you don´t ask in advance - you won´t receive.

The Ride Down
Mentally prepare yourself for the journey - if Mapquest says 18 hours down, you can probably do it in 16-17 hours...but no less. Don´t bother speeding - it´s not safe, and it´s not worth the ticket to get there 8 minutes faster. (studies prove that speeding actually doesn´t get you places that much faster) If you hit inclement weather, slow the hell down. Ditching it & getting a tow will take 2-3 hours and cost you a few hundred bucks....it´s way faster to keep it on the road by slowing down. Dress comfortably, bring contact solution & water with you inside the vehicle. Loading up the IPOD, having car chargers for your cell phone & laptop all will help the time fly by. Make sure you buy a cigarette/power splitter or two so you can all share power on the trip.
Don´t plan on "drinking´ on the way down...it´s just too far down, and the ticket is just too expensive. Also, there is a Wal Mart down / adjacent to the Island to buy beer don’t worry. Ben’s Liquor is on the Island as well. Set some ground rules. No smoking or toking in the ride, if you fart, roll the windows down, no eating fast food in the truck, etc. This will all make the ride more enjoyable for all. Packing some snacks will save you time, money, and they are generally more healthy anyway.

Hey, most of you will just drive down. Watch your speed south of Harlingen and east of Brownsville. The 5-0 (cops) are waiting for you, and we mean it. If you´re going even 1 mph over the speed limit in Los Fresos, you´re getting an unpleasant welcome surprise, called an expensive-ass ticket. If you’re out of State, you pay on the spot or go to the clink.

If you fly in, all of the valley regional airports (McAllen, Harlingen, and Brownsville) are small, nice and quite new. All trips where Inertia has arranged your airfare include roundtrip transfers. If you have accommodations with Inertia & got your own flight, call us. We have transfers available as an add on if you have a condo booked with us.

Forget about taking a cab Diddy, because it´s about $100 each way per person.
If you come down with Inertia Tours, just look for our staff at the airport, and they´ll direct you to the shuttle or van. 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.
Being prepared to be patient will make you and your group have a much better start to their vacation.

Bring a minimum of $300 USD or don´t come if on a 5 to 7 night vacation or we don’t recommend coming down.

One of the keys to saving money in South Padre is pre-gaming, and utilizing your huge ass condo with its full size kitchen. Go to the Blue Marlin IGA Supermarket, or Super Wal-Mart. Load up on munchies, Natty Light, and a beer bong or two. Don´t forget mixers!

Drinking a bit before the bar will help you save money. Plus, in South Padre, open containers are legal on the beach (not on the street though, be aware). You can BYOB into your condo grounds, too.

Kegs are also ok on the beach, go to Ben´s Liquor Warehouse, buy a keg, and bring it via public access beach points down to the beach. Remember, you can´t bring kegs onto, nor across, condo grounds...you must use public access points. Don´t bring any glass bottles of booze or beer with you..it´s a $500+ ticket on South Padre if you have glass on the beach.

We require two open credit card vouchers per room for excessive damages. Also, you must have photocopies of everyone’s IDs & credit cards of each person staying in the room. You´ll need to NOT Animal-House (trash) 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 stupid.

If you´ve booked your own vacation NOT WITH Inertia Tours... be ready for some unpleasant and unexpected or hidden "fees" upon check in. 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. Guess what? They rarely give them back. They find excuses to rip you off.

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 to lure you in with a fake / artificially low price. Plus…not booking with us you get no advice, no inclusions, no onsite staff, & 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. Not only this, your group of friends will get frustrated, & then the bitching begins. Your vacation is only a week long. Why take a chance?

We offer the biggest student travel Company party in South Padre on ANY NIGHT, or we offer a refund. That´s a good deal with think. 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, and figure out how much time, money, & aggravation our inclusive package will save you, Inertia Tours complete turn-key package is the way to roll. Plus, look at all the free advice we are giving you here - we know what the hell we´re talking about. You didn’t find this information someplace else online, now did you?

Be aware of the fact that condos do not have daily maid service, so Nazi-guard your towel for the week. You can of course exchange towels & linens during the week with our servicing agency free of charge.

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 for towels that are ruined, 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 something you didn’t do.

Remember to consider condo sizing, & to have realistic bedding expectations. If you are putting 10 people in a three bedroom condo, typically there is a king bed in the master, a queen in the 2nd bedroom, and two singles in the 3rd bedroom. The couch in the living room will also pull out. You may check out of our office at no charge an inflatable air bed. The point being - make sure you´ve worked out who gets to sleep where to avoid arguments onsite. Draw straws or high card.

If you have fussy people, book no more than 6 in a three bedroom, 4 in a two bedroom, and so on. That way, EVERYONE has their own bed. A quick reminder as well...all condos Inertia offers have a full size kitchen - not some broke "kitchenette," either...full size fridge, stove, all utensils...go shopping for some goods to save money for the week.

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 that is of questionable taste for your fellow spring break travelers.

South Padre Island also boasts the best surfing conditions at the Jetties & the Port Mansfield cut of the entire Gulf Coast. We recommend learning to surf here.

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 or be that guy/girl that Facebook updates every 2 seconds as a play by play. 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. Charge them at night when you hit the hay, and you´ll be set for that nights´ main event party.

If you’re the type that currently wonders why you don’t meet anyone when you go out – we are asking you here – are you text messaging 1000 times a night at the bar or club? Why are you even out? Stop it. It’s ridiculous. You look ridiculous. Don’t come on spring break if you have to text your boyfriend or girlfriend all night. You could have stayed in Nebraska & did that.

The Wave comes about every 45 minutes along Padre Blvd. You can pick it up at various stops along here, notably by the Visitors Center down by Saida & Isla Grand Hotel.

It´s free... but it only runs during the day, and it is slow as hell. Forget about those advertised "Must Bus" things --- they don´t exist. Inertia does have an exclusive agreement with BB Taxi Company. See below.

They´re dirt cheap in South Padre. Plan on spending $ 3/person to go one way, anywhere or if you’re alone with the inertia wristband.

But during the middle two weeks in Padre, they won´t take you to the South end of the island by the Saida or Peninsula from the entertainment district because traffic is so jammed, you can´t move.

If you are an Inertia Tours traveler, you pay the rate above with your Inertia Tours wristband, with BB’s Taxi.

Q: Inertia Dude, I notice that you don´t offer standard hotel rooms in Padre for week long trips, why?
A: Are you kidding? Our condos are not only the same price or lower than plain-jane hotel rooms if you are booking a 5 or 7 night trip, all of our spring break friendly complexes allow you to bring in your own liquor, and are set up for spring break - not business travelers, not families, and certainly not bitchy old people complaining you´re having a few beers or cocktails in your room. Inertia also places its party staff at all of our condo complexes to assure you not only great customer service, but also to keep the party going 24/7. We hire people specifically for this purpose --- so get your drinking hat on & dancin´ shoes pulled out - you´re gonna need em.

Q: Inertia, why would I go to Padre at all & get a condo with you all?
A: Price, college boys & girls, price! For under per person with meals & the condo, you just CANNOT get a cheaper spring break trip! Plus, we´re Texans. If you looking to book a vacation to a destination (South Padre, which is in Texas) we feel it is more than worth a look at our company, which is incorporated in the State of Texas. We also are members of the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce, & can provide impeccable references from most of the island´s most prominent business people. That´s a recommendation you can´t beat. We shake our heads at people booking trips to South Padre without considering if they´re booking with Texans - of course we have better condos, parties, & inclusions...we know everyone in South Padre! If you need a recommendation of Inertia Tours from a local in South Padre Island, from a City Alderman, to the Mayor, give us a call, and we´ll put you in personal touch with them. We´ve conducted ethical, honest business in South Padre for years.

Q: Inertia, what/where are your free restaurant meals?
A: Easy, go to our South Padre landing page, and click on Meal Plans. Not only does it list all of the restaurants & actual menu items, we feel we´ve done an excellent job of providing a reasonable selection of low-calorie, low-carb, or low-fat menu choices. Eating fast food is not for us, nor is eating hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza in some buffet line a credible meal...that´s just plain sick & gross. Fast food is NOT included on any Inertia Meal Plan. A Mcdonalds breakfast or a sick meal at a nightclub isn´t a meal plan either, it´s deception. Also...Inertia Tours has exclusive, long term contracts with its restaurants. If you see our meals or restaurants elsewhere, that website is just reselling the Inertia package or falsely advertising its package inclusions. Book it direct with Inertia, and save yourself the trouble. It is important to understand that our meals are not enormous, thanksgiving feasts, but are adequate, tasty meals considering how warm the weather is.

Q: Inertia, why does Inertia charge for its Red Carpet VIP Party Packages for Padre?
A: Well, you get what you pay for darlin´! We are sending you to the BEST clubs in Padre that ALWAYS have a cover during spring break. By the way, we can also 100% guarantee you this much...Inertia parties & events have the most expensive cover charges any night in South Padre during spring break - our parties are so packed, we have to charge a cover charge to some how control the crowds. Plus, we don´t want even one student to come to South Padre and go how without experiencing what a true spring break tour operator party & experience is like - particularly with Inertia.

Our #1 spring break party program here is the reason why, you´ll party with MTV celebrities, walk a real red carpet, and have a true VIP line with no wait & cover due at the door. We only use biggest, newest, & best clubs in South Padre for spring break. Plus, with Inertia Tours, you´ll get to choose two side trips on 5 & 7 night trips, and 1 side trip on 4 night trips. We don´t hide our party schedule, or have a "to be determined" or "coming soon" schedule of events - because we are very proud of what we offer!

Finally, you can always be that guy or girl that thinks they can do better off on their own - well, you sure can...you can wait in our party lines like every other chump, or be glad you found our party package offerings to have it all put together before you ever get there. Also, having a party packages cuts off at the bend the chance for an argument to erupt within your group about "where are we going out tonight," as it will be all set up for you, hassle free - you know it will be good at an Inertia party. Since Inertia brings the most college students to South Padre for spring break, and since we specialize in it, it´s super easy for us to demonstrate that our parties are hands-down the biggest on the island. Go to the photo album section on our homepage to view our incredible parties – again, we have nothing to hide – we are proud to offer the best parties on spring break.

Q: Inertia, I see all these "low price" guarantees for spring break, what gives?
A: Easy, it´s a scam. They offer you a low price, then do one of these things, a.) they tack on a bunch of hidden fees due upon your arrival to South Padre that they don´t tell you about when you book, or b.) they have some crazy “get this credit card and get money off your trip” scam or c.) they will honor the low price guarantee, but to a maximum of like $20/per person (why limit Some of the hidden fees we listed above. At Inertia, we pre-collect all of these fees/trip monies. At check in, you owe NOTHING – zero. Last but not least, we don´t want to be a "discounter" or "wholesale" or "the cheapest possible" - we like quality. We wear nice clothes, eat good food, and take nice vacations. We want our travelers to have the same quality experience - we owe it to you, and you owe it to you & your group to provide quality. Hot people buy nice things. Which party do you want to go to?

Do at least one of these. Some are options in the Inertia Tours Red Carpet VIP Party Package We know you’re going to get bombed every day…. but seriously, we are talking about some of the best beaches and clearest water in the ENTIRE world… so take advantage!

Learn To Surf
Vids| Pics	Includes a long board, wet suit, and lesson with Resident Inertia Pro Surfer Gene Gore (takes the ladies out), and his paddle board champ wife Rachel (takes the boys out, she´s not hard on the eyes fellas!) $50.00 for a half hour lesson. They run www.spadre.com as well. South Padre Surf Company. VIP OPTIONAL SIDE TRIP
Dolphin Watch Tour
Vids | Pics	Aboard the 50 foot catamaran with American Diving. 2 levels, narrated tour. One of the wonders of nature, SPI has the most dolphins in the wild in North America. You are 100% guaranteed to see them! Bring your camera. They have a sweet souvenir picture in front of the yacht when you´re done for $5, and it´s actually worth it. Provided by www.theoriginaldolphinwatchtour.com. Year round. $20-$25 per person. VIP OPTIONAL SIDE TRIP
Party Yacht Cruise
Vids | Pics	Our party yacht cruise is almost 2 hours of mayhem, BYOB on it (saves you money that night on drinks), contests, music and more. Mixers, cups, and ice provided. It also includes cover charge after the cruise to Tequila Sunsets & Louies Backyard— an Inertia Tours exclusive event — since we’re the only way you can do this! OPTIONAL VIP SIDE TRIP
Bay Fishing
Vids | Pics	South Padre Island’s shallow bayside waters for fishing are some of the best fishing grounds in the US. You WILL catch fish. Trip includes bait, tackle, and ride/guides on a 50 foot boat – Murphy’s Law. Stephen is an Island native and knows EXACTLY where to go to catch fish. Plus he’s a cool cat! http://www.islatours.com/. OPTIONAL VIP SIDE TRIP
Jet Skiing
Vids | Pics	You can rent equipment from Roger @ Windy City Rentals $60-$75 for a Half hour. Credit card required to insure against damages. Located at Tequila Sunsets. Inertia provides a discount with your wristband @ windy city rentals.
Parasailing
Vids | Pics	Sonny’s Beach Service is the way to go. They are super safe, coast guard approved Captains, and safe. Offered year round for $100 for a tandem (that´s right, you can go up with a friend!) off the back of a boat, you don´t get wet, and no dangerous beach landings. You´ll need a non-windy day, or they will not take you up. On the Inertia Tours onsite discount program – yes, you will get a discount as our client.

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 into Harlingen, Texas - 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 $450-$550 per person for a round-trip ticket, and another $75 to $100 per person for airport transfers.

We do recommend the Brownsville/South Padre Island airport over all others as it is the closest, and Continental is the best airline in South Texas.

If you have a condo with Inertia booked, we will do your transfers for $75 per person.

Truly don't have a ride to Padre, and the airfare is just too much money? Consider "Going Greyhound." While the ride down is long, the price is unbeatable at less than /person round trip.

We also offer luxury party buses from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas & more that are non stop & privately chartered. Call our office 800 821 2176 for more details. Fro places like Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and (anywhere) in Texas, the ride is very bearable...usually only about 20% longer than if you drove it yourself.

Think of this as not only an environmentally friendly way to spring break, it is also a great low-cash travel option. Plus, you don't have to worry about driving, the vehicle, gas, or an expensive plane ticket.

Please call us toll free 800.821.2176 or email us tripinfo@inertiatours.com for complete assistance in booking this type of vacation, or even for some just plain ol´ good Texan advice. We're here to help year round as ambassadors to South Padre Island. All of our great condos are also available at discounted rates for year round travel.