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College Kids, Just Say No to Beaches

This spring break, skip the usual B&B -- booze and beach -- vacation. Instead, stretch your mind, legs or sense of adventure on a vacation that would never be in heavy rotation on MTV. Here are some suggestions and sample trips.

· Hug a tree, build a house, save the world on a volunteer vacation. Grab your tools and get to work with Habitat for Humanity, which offers Collegiate Challenge programs nationwide -- with Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina being especially popular this year. For a week of volunteering, students sign up with Habitat for Humanity International, who will then work with the local affiliate to arrange the projects and sleeping accommodations (usually a church floor or a volunteer center with a connecting kitchen). You must handle your own transportation to the site and supply your own sleeping bag. Cost is $10 to $175 for building materials, plus a $15 fee to the organization. Info: 800-422-4828, http://www.habitat.org/ccyp/col_chal/cc_site_list.aspx .

· Strap on your board(s) for some spring skiing or snowboarding. Go West for some face time with sun and snow. Ski.com (800-778-8589, http://www.ski.com/ ), for example, offers a number of packages and last-minute vacations to resorts in Utah, Colorado and British Columbia. For example, hit the slopes in Vail for three days of skiing and four nights in a four-person condo at Landmark Tower from $585 per person. Valid until May 22. Flights from D.C. to Eagle/Vail (around $450) are extra.

· Get your Euro-fix across the pond. Gate 1 Travel (800-682-3333, http://www.gate1travel.com/ ) mixes cultures by pairing up Europe's bold-name cities: London and Rome, Venice and Florence, Paris and Rome, etc. An eight-day Rome and Barcelona tour, for example, includes air from New York, flights from Rome to Barcelona, three nights in each city and breakfasts. Various April departures; cost is from $1,153 per person double, plus taxes. Air from D.C. is also available.

· Commune with nature and your wild(life) friends at a national park. In the Great Smoky Mountains (865-436-1200, http://www.nps.gov/grsm ), spring has arrived in a bouquet of trillium, columbine, trout lilies and other wild flowers. Camp and cook out with your pals at any of the park's campgrounds, such as Big Creek ($14 per night) or Cataloochee ($17). If you prefer the great indoors -- and having someone else cook for you -- the LeConte Lodge offers cabins with bunk beds (a la dormitories), dinner and breakfast for $89 per person a night. You can also book a two- or three-bedroom lodge that can fit eight or 12 of your closest mates; cost is $472 or $708 per night, not including meals. Info: 865-429-5704, http://www.leconte-lodge.com/ .

· Get smart on an academic excursion. Learn to speak any number of mother tongues with AmeriSpan -- French, Hebrew, Thai, Greek, Egyptian. For Spanish with a Costa Rican accent, pack your book bag for the colorful university town of Heredia, where you will take 20 hours of classes per week. In addition, you stay with a host family, to cut down on the English chatter. The weekly price of $370 includes lodging, classes, two meals a day, school activities and daily flamenco classes. School is closed April 10-14. Air to San Jose runs about $500. Info: 800-879-6640, http://www.amerispan.com/ .

-- Andrea Sachs