Where the dollar is still king
Skipping the eurozone will help Americans get more bang for their buck.
By Christian Zappone, CNNMoney.com staff writer

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - As the dollar continues its slide against the euro – down almost 6 percent this year to a 1 year low - Americans thinking of traveling abroad might look beyond Paris, Rome or Madrid to destinations where the U.S. dollar remains strong.

Avoiding the eurozone, however, doesn't have to mean missing Europe entirely.

Budapest: Gresham Palace at the foot of the Chain Bridge.
Budapest: Gresham Palace at the foot of the Chain Bridge.
Hokianga Harbor in Northland region of New Zealand's North Island.
Hokianga Harbor in Northland region of New Zealand's North Island.

"People will search harder for deals these days," said Amy Ziff, Travelocity's Editor-at-Large. Travelers are savvy, she said, and will hold back on restaurants or look for hotel bargains to offset the prices they must pay.

But for those tourists who still prefer dollar-friendly places, below are three countries where the dollar has been gaining against the local currency since January of 2006.

Hungary

The dollar has been gaining on the Hungarian forint since January of 2005, making the cozy, castle-topped hills of the Central European nation more tantalizing. The country, which opened up after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, is not scheduled to join the European monetary until 2010. In the meantime its wine regions, castle hotels, hot spring baths, opera and a rich history remain a value for Americans abroad.

Last year more than 350,000 Americans visited Hungary, according to Aniko Sarkozy, at the Hungarian National Tourist Office in New York.

Highlights for visitors include the elegant capital of Budapest situated on the Danube. The capital city's sights include Buda Castle Palace, Matthias Church, Lánchíd, or the Chain Bridge which crosses the Danube. Further a field from Budapest, Hungary offers the Tokaj wine region and the Early Christian Necropolis in the city of Pécs.

A cup of coffee or glass of beer go for about $2.50, while a glass of wine is $3. Sarkozy said many tourists take advantage of the hot spring baths, which cost about $10 for admissions. For about $25 travelers can get a massage while they're there.

Although English isn't as widely spoken as in Western Europe, Sarkozy says people in the capital are English friendly, adding, "People have begun speaking it more since the country opened up to the West."

"Budapest is popping as a destination because it's cheaper to go to and it's a little exotic," said Ziff. "Travelers looking for a new thing can go to places like Hungary in Eastern Europe and see their dollars get stronger."

New Zealand

If Australia is Oz, then its neighbor New Zealand is Middle Earth - especially after the notoriety brought to it from 'Lord of the Rings.' The stunning landscape offers snow-capped mountains, rainforests, enormous fjords, and "hotwater beaches," where geothermal steam rises from under the surface, .

"New Zealand has never been positioned as inexpensive but rather as a very good value destination, in part thanks to a U.S. dollar that buys more than NZ$1.50." said Bruce Lahood, of Tourism New Zealand.

The best way to see the country is by car, coach and camper van, according to Lahood. He suggests the Northland region in the North Island, which boasts the Bay of Islands, home to the "native and spiritual Kauri tree forests." The Nelson-Marlborough region is located at the top of the South Island and offers wine and tasty seafood.

Americans account for the third largest portion of travelers to the island nation after Australians and Britons. A cup of coffee runs about $1.25 or $2.25 for a latte. And a pint of beer in Auckland is just over $4, while at local pubs in rural area it would cost about $3.00.

Mexico

The dollar has been gaining on the Mexican peso since February of this year, although the United States' neighbor to the south is always a bargain for Americans, who make up 87 percent of the tourist market. The country's beaches and resorts are well known but Mexico offers many cultural and historical destinations in the interior as well.

Cities such as the silver mining town of Guanajuato and the artist-colony San Miguel de Allende offer glimpses of Mexico's Spanish colonial history. Mexico has more than 25 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sites including Mayan pyramids and ruins at Teotihuacan and Xochicalco. The Chichén Itzá complex of ruins is located on the Yucatán Peninsula, a short drive from Veracruz on the coast.

Beer costs roughly $3 a bottle in Mexico (in tourist areas). A cup of coffee runs about $1.50 to $2.00 in tourist areas - and if you have a cup in the southern regions of Veracruz and Chiapas, expect it to be particularly fresh: it's the local crop.

"Mexico's proximity to North America makes it a perfect choice for tourists seeking shorter vacations close to home," said Magdalena Carral, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board. "The quantity and quality of our country's tourism offerings enable us to satisfy the needs and tastes of all visitors who also find more value for the money, no matter how much they have to spend."

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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.