Tag Archives: currency

Aerial view of Cape Town from a helicopter tour

Countries Where the U.S. Dollar Stretches Far in 2019

1 Reply

As we all start thinking about trips for the months ahead, one factor to consider is: Where is the U.S. dollar strongest? Exchange rate isn’t the only element that determines the cost of a trip (a short tourist season, for instance, will drive up prices, while a large number of hotels increases competition and tends to lower rates). Moreover, the cost of traveling in a destination can be very different from the cost of living in that destination. Still, exchange rates are helpful indicators of how much to budget for the things you’ll be doing alongside locals—eating where they eat, shopping where they shop, taking public transit, and so on.

So where in the world is the U.S. dollar relatively strong right now? Here are 10 appealing travel ideas for you:

Egypt

Giza Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt. Photo: Shutterstock

Egypt unpegged its pound to the dollar back in 2016, and since then it has bought you more than twice as much as it once did. Read our Insider’s Guide to Egypt, and learn what a WOW Moment inside Nefertari’s Tomb looks like.

Jan 2016: US $1 = 7.83 pounds
Jan 2019: US $1 = 17.90 pounds

Uzbekistan

View over the mausoleums and domes of the historical cemetery of Shahi Zinda through an arched gate, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

View over the mausoleums and domes of the historical cemetery of Shahi Zinda through an arched gate, Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Photo: Shutterstock

Similarly, Uzbekistan allowed its som to float in 2017, and it has since lost more than half its value against the dollar. Find out what you can see and do along the Silk Road in our Insider’s Guide to Uzbekistan, and learn why it’s great for kids and teens in Uzbekistan is the Family Vacation Idea You’ve Been Missing.

Jan 2017: US $1 = 3,245 som
Jan 2019: US $1 = 8,381 som

Turkey

Galata Tower and the street in the Old Town of Istanbul, Turkey

Galata Tower and the street in the Old Town of Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: Shutterstock

Turkey’s economy suffered in 2018, and the value of the lira has plunged. Hear why we think Turkey should be on your list this year in Where to Travel in 2019, Before Everyone Else Gets There, then check out our Insider’s Guides to Istanbul, Cappadocia, and the Aegean Coast.

Jan 2017: US $1 = 3.53 lira
Jan 2019: US $1 = 5.52 lira

Argentina

Gaucho on horseback, Argentina

Gaucho on horseback, Argentina. Photo by Aldo Sessa

Argentina has been a fabulous value ever since the peso slid a whopping 30% back in 2015, and the last year has seen its currency weaken even further. Besides bargains, what else awaits you there? Read our Insider’s Guides to Buenos Aires and Mendoza wine country to find out.

Jan 2018: US $1 = 18.62 pesos
Jan 2019: US $1 = 37.62 pesos

Mexico

Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City.

Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City. Photo: Billie Cohen

The U.S. dollar is near a ten-year high against the Mexican peso. Learn what’s unspoiled and up-and-coming in our Insider’s Guides to Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, the Riviera Maya, and Los Cabos.

Jan 2015: US $1 = 14.60 pesos
Jan 2019: US $1 = 19.23 pesos

Brazil

Beautiful Trancoso beach near Porto Seguro in state of Bahia, Brazil

Beautiful Trancoso beach near Porto Seguro in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Photo: Shutterstock

Time was when travel to and in Brazil was prohibitively expensive for most travelers; today it’s a whole other story. Learn what you’ll find there in our Insider’s Guides to the glamorous side of Rio de Janeiro, the charming seaside village of Trancoso, the otherworldly Brazilian Amazon, and, for the ultimate extravaganza, Five-Star Brazil: Best Things to See and Do.

Jan 2015: US $1 = 2.58 real
Jan 2019: US $1 = 3.88 real

United Kingdom

Hidcote Gardens in Chipping Campden, Cotswolds, England

Hidcote Gardens in Chipping Campden, Cotswolds, England. Photo: Jonathan Epstein/Celebrated Experiences

The pound hit a 31-year-low against the U.S. dollar right after the Brexit vote in 2016, and it remains not far off that nadir today. Make no mistake, London is always an expensive city—but the U.K. is a better deal now than it was for decades. Read our Insider’s Guides to London, Scotland, and the Cotswolds, as well as Do’s and Don’ts for Your Trip to London, which Wendy’s then-14-year-old son wrote in 2016 right after Wendy took advantage of the post-Brexit values and booked a family vacation there.

Jan 2016: $1 = .68 pounds
Jan 2019: $1 = .79 pounds

South Africa

Fanny african black - white penguin on the beach of Atlantic.The boulders and algae. Boulders Penguin Colony National Park, South Africa.

A penguin at Boulders Beach penguin colony, outside Cape Town, South Africa. Photo: Shutterstock

The rand has fluctuated quite a bit against the dollar in the last five years, looking strong as recently as a year ago. It’s weakened since then, so carpe diem. Here’s what awaits you in Cape Town and the Winelands, and here’s our Insider’s Guide to South African Safaris.

Jan 2018: $1 = 11.89 rand
Jan 2019: $1 = 14.38 rand

Canada

Gros Morne Western Brook Pond fjord, Newfoundland

Gros Morne Western Brook Pond fjord, Newfoundland. Photo: Maxxim Vacations

Canada may not be quite the steal it was three years ago—when one U.S. dollar equated to 1.45 Canadian—but the greenback still goes far, especially if you remember the days when it was at parity with the loonie. To better appreciate the range of delights in Canada, read our Insider’s Guides to British Colombia and Newfoundland.  Wendy jumped on the amazing exchange rate and rushed her family to British Columbia for their summer vacation a few years ago. You can read about their adventures in We Had the Best Family Trip in Whistler and We Never Put on Skis and I Can’t Believe We Did This: Mountain Climbing in Whistler.

Sept 2017: $1 = 1.21 Canadian dollars
Jan 2019: $1 = 1.36 Canadian dollars

 

Be a smarter traveler: Read real travelers’ reviews of Wendy’s WOW List and use it to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter @wendyperrin, and Instagram @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

vineyards with snow-capped mountains in background Mendoza Argentina

9 Countries Where the U.S. Dollar Stretches Far in 2018

Leave a reply

At the start of each year, as we ponder where to go next, a good question to ask is: Where is the U.S. dollar currently strongest?

Exchange rate is, of course, only one factor that determines the cost of a trip. Other factors include airfare, the length of the tourist season at your destination (the shorter the season, the higher the prices), whether the destination attracts more business travelers or vacationers (business-travel hubs are more expensive), how many hotels your destination has (since that determines the amount of hotel competition, which determines rates), and so on. The cost of traveling in a destination (and doing what travelers do there) can be very different from the cost of living in that destination (and doing what residents do there). Still, exchange rates are helpful indicators of how much you’ll spend when you are indeed doing those things that locals do—eating where they eat, shopping where they shop, taking public transit, and so on.

All you Europhiles should know that, at this moment, one U.S. dollar is worth .84 euros —the same exchange rate as three years ago. Sadly, the days of the U.S. dollar equating to .93 euros (2016 and 2017) seem to be gone for now. So where in the world is the U.S. dollar stronger than it was three years ago? Here are nine appealing travel ideas for you:

Argentina

Argentina has been a fabulous value ever since the peso slid a whopping 30% back in 2015. Besides bargains, what else awaits you there? Read our Insider’s Guides to Buenos Aires and Mendoza wine country to find out.

Jan 2015: US $1 = 8.57 pesos
Jan 2018: US $1 = 18.66 pesos

Azerbaijan

The U.S. dollar and the Azerbaijani manat were at parity until December 2015, when the manat took a huge hit. Since then the U.S. dollar has bought twice as much as before. If you’re interested in an Azerbaijani adventure—and you should be—contact me because I’m interested too and have been investigating Azerbaijan trip-planning specialists to see who deserves a spot on The WOW List.

Jan 2015: US $1 = .78 manat
Jan 2018: US $1 = 1.70 manat

Mexico

The U.S. dollar is near a 10-year high against the Mexican peso. Learn what’s unspoiled and up-and-coming in our Insider’s Guides to Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, and the Riviera Maya.

Jan 2015: US $1 = 14.58 pesos
Jan 2018: US $1 = 19.10 pesos

Brazil

Five to ten years ago, travel to and in Brazil was prohibitively expensive for most travelers; today it’s a whole other story. Learn what you’ll find there in our Insider’s Guides to the glamorous side of Rio de Janeiro, the charming seaside village of Trancoso, the otherworldly Brazilian Amazon, and, for the ultimate extravaganza, Five-Star Brazil: Best Things to See and Do.

Jan 2015: US $1 = 2.62 real
Jan 2018: US $1 = 3.21 real

Colombia

Now is the moment to explore Colombia—while it’s still relatively under-the-radar and undeveloped. Here are reasons to go to Colombia pronto.

Jan 2015: $1 = 2,434 pesos
Jan 2018: $1 = 2,941 pesos

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom isn’t the bargain it was right after Brexit in 2016, when the pound hit a 31-year-old against the U.S. dollar—and, make no mistake, London is always an expensive city—but the U.K. is still a better deal now than it was for decades. Read our Insider’s Guide to London, as well as my son Charlie’s Do’s and Don’t for Your Trip to London, which he wrote in 2016 right after I jumped on the post-Brexit values and booked our family vacation there.

Jan 2015: $1 = .66 pounds
Jan 2018: $1 = .74 pounds

Malaysia

Malaysia was a better deal last year (when one U.S. dollar was worth 4.46 ringgit), but your dollar can still stretch far. Here’s what awaits you in Malaysia (and islands nearby).

Jan 2015: $1 = 3.57 ringgit
Jan 2018: $1 = 3.97 ringgit

South Africa

The rand lost 25% of its value three years ago. It still hasn’t fully recovered, so carpe diem. Here’s what awaits you in Cape Town and the Winelands, and here’s our Insider’s Guide to South African safaris.

Jan 2015: $1 = 11.44 rand
Jan 2018: $1 = 12.37 rand

Canada

Canada may not be the steal it was two years ago—when one U.S. dollar equated to 1.44 Canadian—but the greenback still goes far, especially if you remember the days when it was at parity with the loonie. To better appreciate the range of delights in Canada, read our Insider’s Guides to British Colombia and Newfoundland.  In 2015 I jumped on the amazing exchange rate and rushed my family to British Columbia for our summer vacation. You can read about a few of our adventures in We Had the Best Family Trip in Whistler and We Never Put on Skis and I Can’t Believe We Did This: Mountain Climbing in Whistler.

Jan 2015: $1 = 1.20 Canadian dollars
Jan 2018: $1 = 1.25 Canadian dollars

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Overseas Credit Card Purchases: Which Currency Should I Pay With?

7 Replies

Keeping track of currency exchange rates is a necessity when traveling. Thankfully, there are many apps for that task, so we don’t have to spend too much of our time doing the research (I like Easy Currency Converter; leave your favorite in the comments below). But while it’s helpful to know the rough exchange for your home currency, the actual conversion rate varies from bank to bank, credit card to credit card, and even local merchant to local merchant.

As a result, when you’re overseas and you use a credit card, you’ll often see that the payment machine asks whether you want to pay with U.S. dollars or the local currency. Which one should you choose, and why?

credit card payment machine screen

Overseas credit card machines offer currency options. Which should you choose? Photo: Lindsay Lambert Day

First: Use the right credit card.

Having a credit card that’s ideal for travelers is your first line of defense against currency pitfalls: The good ones waive all foreign-purchase fees. “When you make purchases abroad, you should be using a card that doesn’t add foreign transaction fees to your bill (which can be as much as 3%),” says credit card expert Gary Leff, of View From the Wing. “All cards are going to convert foreign currency to your home currency, and you’ll get the prevailing rate. Some cards, though, will charge you a fee on top of the conversion rate to do it.”

Second: Pay in local currency.

“When a merchant outside the U.S. asks whether you want to be charged in U.S. dollars or your local currency, always say local currency,” advises Gary. “That’s because [the merchant is] going to hit you with their own conversion rate (likely unfavorable, but certainly not as good as the one you will get from your card company). And then, if your credit card hits you with foreign transaction fees, they’re going to charge those fees anyway, even if you paid in U.S. dollars, because it’s a foreign-made transaction.”

The final word:

“There is almost never any benefit to being charged by a merchant in your home currency,” Gary says. “You are best off having your credit-card-issuing bank do it at their rate. And you want to make sure you’re paying with a card that doesn’t charge you for the privilege of making purchases abroad.”

 

Be a smarter traveler: Read real travelers’s reviews of Wendy’s WOW List and use it to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter @wendyperrin, and Instagram @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.