Got cash for a foreign vacation this year? Try these countries!
Since we don’t have kids, we’ve become interested in travel recently, although our jobs and other financial commitments seem to be getting in the way, but I foresee at least one foreign vacation for us this year (we now have friends in Germany and Kenya to visit and stay with!).
But we also like travel bargains and USA Today published an article “10 great places for travel bargains in 2011” that really stuck out at me when just scanning through it because some of the countries mentioned. The author suggests, and I think correctly, that countries that are in the news for being “in trouble” for either safety or more often financial problems are often the best places to visit, as long as you take heed of travel advisories and warnings.
A few of the countries that struck me as intriguing are Ireland, Vietnam, Greece and Ethiopia.
For example, I’ve visited Ireland twice (once with a friend and once for our honeymoon) back when the “Celtic Tiger” was just beginning to roar. In 2002, our Dollar was better than the Euro, but in 2003 the tides turned and it cost us 20 cents extra on the dollar. Now that the Tiger is whimpering in its litter box, B&B’s and hotels and every other tourist trap are pushing discounts and promotions that were unthinkable just a year or two ago. I highly recommend visiting Ireland, especially if you’re a travel newbie because it’s so similar to the U.S., except for the currency and the driving on the other side of the road thing.
As for Vietnam, I recently highlighted an article from a friend called “Wanna be a millionaire? Move to Vietnam” in which I highlight the major price differences between the U.S. and Vietnam for things like food, transportation, hostels and cellphone service. And if the food from the D.C. Vietnamese restaurants is any hint of how delicious the food is in Vietnam, then I’m all in!
Can anyone really question why we want to visit Greece? Granted, my college roommate was first-generation Greek and spent high school in Greece so he had very fond memories to share with me which helped bring alive the idea of visiting the Mediterranean (Italy included). Along with Ireland, Greece is in a financial crisis after a boom and has extra hotel capacity for tourists and is hurting for visitors.
And lastly, Ethiopia. It has ancient ruins, amazing food (seriously, trust me) and such happy people, given their general living conditions. Plus, the dollar can go a loooooonnngggg way there versus most other countries. The advisory is to join tours rather than going out on your own, which I would do anyway in such a foreign country (to us). Being in D.C., we’ve been exposed to Ethiopian culture and food by visiting over a dozen different restaurants (including in Pittsburgh and San Francisco) in the last few years. It’s my dream one day to visit Ethiopia, so perhaps we can get there briefly if we visit our Kenya friends.
What’s your travel bargain tip? Any country that others wouldn’t normally visit that you have found to be safe, affordable, fun and educational?
South Africa: I have mixed feelings of South africa because I grew up there, and I wouldn’t actually recommend it because I’ve seen the bad as well as the good and don’t think it’s safe for tourists, except that a lot of people who visit and stick to the tourist areas think it’s an incredible place to go.
Price: Should still be quite cheap, though since I’ve left I’ve heard that inflation has gone up astronomically.
United Kingdom: I don’t know why people are so fascinated with london, to me it’s just a city like any other, but there are so many other places in the UK to make it an exciting place to visit.
Price: Expensive. It’s the UK.
France: Really beautiful countryside and architecture and worth a visit.
Price: Expensive, but not as much as the UK.
Australia: Sydney is incredible, it’s a really nice city and there are a lot of activities outside of the city that will make it well worth it.
Price: Middle ground, Coming from the UK I thought a lot of things were well priced.
Places I want to visit:
All of Europe, Iceland, Canada, India, Brazil, Ireland, All the rest of the UK, and anywhere really. I enjoy exploring.
I would like to visit the USA, but I am unwilling to go through the airports, so… No.
With the way the currency is, all of Europe is a steal! What better time, than when the dollar is almost at par… I remember before, when it was 2.5 pound to 1 dollar — being equal, means savings.
Interesting post. A trip to China comes to mind as far as educational and beautiful country side and fairly cheap when you compare to Europe. I went several years ago and had a great trip.
Travelling is one of my biggest passions. I visited Greece for the first time this summer and could not recommend it more highly. Very friendly people. Warm climate. Beautiful beaches. Great food. Ancient culture. I’d recommend it to anyone, although the distance is quite far, especially for West coasters.