From eggs to gas, things here at home in the U.S. are still feeling expensive. But abroad, you’d be amazed by how far you can stretch your dollar … if you pick the right destinations.
The U.S. dollar is incredibly strong against many major international currencies, which means your dollar goes further in many places abroad right now.
It’s the best of both worlds if you can jump on a cheap flight, then stretch your dollar in places like Portugal, Japan, Greece, and South Africa, among many others. Let’s look at some of the destinations where the U.S. dollar is looking strong.
Check out our guide on how to find cheap international flights!
Japan
From Argentina to South Africa to Thailand, some countries are practically synonymous with the word “cheap.” Japan typically isn’t one of them.
But that’s changing thanks to an incredibly strong exchange rate. As of publication, $1 USD will get you roughly 150 Japanese yen—nearly a record high! Pre-pandemic, that was about a 1 to 110 ratio.
That trend makes some of the best food and drinks in the world astonishingly cheap for U.S. travelers. Honestly, that’s probably a big part of the reason why travel to Japan is so popular right now.
My colleague Gunnar spent a week and change in Japan this time last year – when the exchange rate was roughly similar – and couldn’t believe how little he paid for some of the best meals of his life. Besides the always-cheap snacking you can do at popular convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Lawson, even a nice sushi dinner in Tokyo’s popular Shinjuku neighborhood only ran him $35 per person … and that included multiple rounds of cocktails.
While bullet trains, some hotels, and flights within Japan are roughly on par with U.S. travel costs, transit (i.e., local trains and buses) is unbelievably inexpensive, and entry to most museums, shrines, and other cultural attractions is all typically $5 or less, too.
Think that sounds good? Let me do you one better. Tipping is strongly discouraged in Japan and is even considered offensive. This leads to even more savings on already cheap goods and services. And if you think that no tipping leads to lackluster service, think again!
Plus, we find flight deals to Japan for our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers all the time, whether you’re looking for the cheapest fare you can find …
… or you want to make the 11-plus hour flight in business class.
This Japan Airlines Business Class deal was not only bookable for only 60,000 American Airlines miles each way, but it put you in one of JAL’s brand new A350-1000 business class suites.
South Africa
I took my own advice and finally headed to South Africa for the first time earlier this year, returning home a few weeks ago. And I still cannot believe just how cheap virtually everything was.
From Uber rides to meals to some of the most underrated wines on the planet, everything was shockingly cheap thanks to a combination of low prices and an advantageous exchange rate from the U.S. dollar to the South African Rand. In fact, it’s about as good for U.S. travelers as it’s ever been.
With each $1 netting us more than 18 Rand, my wife and I practically lived like royalty for just over a week while hardly putting a dent in our wallets.
- A big breakfast with coffee in Cape Town cost us about $10 … total, not each
- We bought good bottles of South African wine for less than half the cost of a mediocre glass here at home. No joke: You can find bottles of wine starting at $4.50 USD after the conversion
- Tastings at excellent wineries in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek will cost you less than $10 a person … if not half that
- A weeklong car rental in Cape Town – not a tiny compact with manual transmission but an automatic SUV – cost us about $130
- It also made a bucket-list-worthy, two-night safari in northeastern South Africa far more affordable
There’s so much to love about South Africa. Getting there is the hard part.
It’ll generally take you 20 hours or more inside a metal tube to get to Johannesburg (JNB) or Cape Town (CPT). And finding cheap fares on these routes is hard…
… but it’s not impossible. A while back, we found these stunning fares from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Cape Town for less than the price of a quick trip to Europe.
Otherwise, use your points to fly in some serious style and book a business class award ticket. You can’t beat Qatar Airways Qsuites – they’re widely regarded as the best business class seats in the world for a reason. And so long as you book far in advance (read as 11-plus months), you can book for 95,000 miles and about $320 in taxes and fees by using Qatar Airways Avios.
Avios are incredibly easy to earn because you can simply transfer some credit card points to either Qatar or British Airways, so points from cards like the *venture x*, the *chase sapphire preferred*, or the *amex gold* are all you need.
Portugal
No matter where you go in Europe, your dollar is strong. It’s not quite at the record levels we saw a few years back during the pandemic, but compared to the last five years, it’s still an amazing time to visit Europe in general.
But prices across individual European countries and cities using the Euro can still vary, from the wildly expensive Paris to other cheaper, off-the-beaten-path destinations. And few countries are cheaper than Portugal.
The thriftiness is just part of the reason we love Portugal, and we think you will, too. Start your trip in either Lisbon or Porto, and see the scenic coastal country for yourself. I knew it would be beautiful … but I underestimated just how cheap it was there, too.
During my first trip to Portugal, a great dinner barely scratched $25. Some of the best pastries in the world, called pastéis de nata, often cost just 1 euro – and the same goes for an espresso.
Plus, in cities like Lisbon, Airbnbs are plentiful and affordable. So skip the hotels and book yourself an apartment instead.
Now all you need is a cheap flight to get to Portugal from the U.S., and we’ve got some great news for you: Portugal has been one of the most reliable destinations for cheap flights this year (and next).
How cheap? How about roundtrip airfare flying American, Delta, or United for less than $599?
That’s less than half of the cities that all featured similar pricing to Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO) in 2025.
Spain
Just east of Portugal is Spain, another country that accepts euros and where your dollar is going to get you more.
Unlike other major countries on the continent, Spain is a historically affordable destination for travelers. That’s especially true for foodies, where a dinner and a glass of wine won’t cost you much more than a Chipotle order at home.
From Barcelona to Madrid and even to Mallorca, there are a million ways to eat and drink your way through Spain. Hit Madrid’s mercados and get some tapas, or snack on some pintxos all day long.
With two major airports in Barcelona (BCN) and Madrid (MAD), Spain is ripe for cheap flights, too. It’s one of the most reliable counties on the continent for a cheap transatlantic fare.
Want to get to Spain on miles instead? Read up on how to fly there for just 34,000 miles roundtrip – or do it in business class for less than 70,000 miles!
Ireland
Unlike Spain and Portugal, Ireland doesn’t immediately come to mind as a cheap Western European destination. We think it probably should.
The Emerald Isle is much cheaper than neighboring England and especially Iceland to the north. And with the dollar’s strength against the euro right now, Ireland can be a bargain.
On a recent trip to Ireland, Thrifty Traveler points and miles guru Peter found even a personalized pint of Guinness with his face stamped on the foam on top cost him just $6.
Transportation in Ireland is also pretty affordable, meaning you can get around to all of the sights without breaking the bank But first you need to get there, and Ireland is often fertile ground for some of the cheapest flights to get to Europe.
That’s due in part to the presence of Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, which offers nonstop flights to and from many U.S. cities. Combined with competition from U.S. airlines flying in and out of Dublin (DUB), roundtrip fares for $499 or less aren’t hard to come by.
If you’re feeling lucky, you could book these fares during St. Patrick’s Day, too. I think it’s safe to assume that Dublin puts on quite a celebration during that week…
Greece
You’ve probably seen the stunning seascapes and pristine islands of Greece. The place just looks expensive – to me, anyway. Yet somehow, it’s not.
Also on the euro, Americans can stretch the value of their dollar in Greece right now. In the metropolis of Athens, a $70-a-night Airbnb can get you stunning views in the vibrant heart of the city. On the island of Crete, access to the beautiful Samaria Gorge hike runs you just 5 euro. And if the South Aegean island of Paros is more your speed, flights to the island start at just $30 one-way.
You’ll be amazed at how cheap it can be in Greece once you get there, but it must be expensive to fly to Greece, right? Obviously not. What, are you new here?
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Believe us now? Cheap flights to Athens (ATH) are out there! These flights were for April, which is a beautiful time of year in Greece – it’s not too hot, but the weather is still lovely with a fraction of the crowds.
Croatia
Croatia is one of the newest adopters of the Euro, just recently ditching the Croatian Kuna in 2023. And while the country is still transitioning to its new currency, things are staying cheap.
Gunnar, my colleage, said it was “honestly dangerous” how inexpensive the food and wine were when he visited Croatia last August. But the savings in Croatia go beyond your table setting.
The crown jewel of Croatia is Plitvice National Park. It’s one of the finest parks on the planet, a real-life Jurassic Park (sans the dinosaurs) that simply must be seen to be believed. Entrance to the park for adults works out to just $10 in the off-season and up to $42 in peak summer.
Want to kayak around the city of Dubrovnik for an hour? It’s just $15 for the rental. And the savings go on and on and on.
Turkey
The Turkish lira has been struggling for years, making a trip to Turkey cheaper for Americans thanks to the exchange rate.
Yet the U.S. dollar just keeps getting stronger and stronger against the lira. Case in point: The dollar’s value against the lira has more than quintupled in the last five years.
The downside is that for as bad as inflation has hit us here in the states, it’s been far worse in Turkey. So while the exchange rate is better than ever for U.S. travelers, price increases on the ground in Turkey mean your dollar doesn’t go quite as far as it did a few years ago.
Still, it remains an incredibly cheap destination for Americans … and an incredibly underrated country, too. Start your trip with a flight to Istanbul (IST) and explore the country from there.
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Bodrum, and Izmir are all popular locales in the country. They’re all destinations where you can live a little more while spending a little less. Go make that visit to the Mediterranean Sea with a visit to Turkey, and don’t spend too much to get there, either.
Cheap flights to Turkey are rare, but we do find the occasional sub-$700 roundtrip ticket for Thrifty Traveler Premium members. Plus, Turkish Airlines also runs a ton of routes into the United States, giving travelers the chance to book nonstop flights to Turkey from as low as 65,000 miles each way in Turkish Airlines business class.
Colombia
Ocean, mountains, culture, and adventure dot the country of Colombia and its world-class cities of Bogotá, Cartagena, and Medellín. It’s the kind of destination travelers are starting to consider more and more – due in part to how far your dollar can go there.
It’s always been cheap to travel to Colombia. As you can see from this chart, the exchange rate has seesawed over the past few years…
… but your dollar still goes way further than it did pre-pandemic – let alone a decade ago!
As of publication, $1 nets you more than 4,100 pesos today. It’s not hard to find an ice-cold bottle of beer in Colombia for just 4,000 pesos – $1 or less!
It’s a perfect time to save on your trip to Colombia, especially when you pair it with some record-low cheap flights. While many flights are more expensive than ever, we’ve seen some record-low fares down to both Bogota (BOG) and Cartagena (CTG) over the last few years.
I took my first trip to Colombia a few years back thanks to a roundtrip fare from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Bogota (BOG) for just $221 roundtrip. Lately, we’re finding lots of deals like these.
Vietnam
Vietnam comes to mind immediately as one of the thriftiest travel destinations … at least if you can get there for cheap.
The lodging, transportation, food, and everything else there is famously inexpensive. And that was back when the Vietnamese Dong and the dollar were closer in value.
The exchange rate with the U.S. dollar has never been more advantageous for American travelers than it is right now.
That exchange rate has been soaring for years, but it accelerated. Vietnam instantly became my favorite country on the planet when I visited for the first time in 2018, due in part to just how cheap everything was. The exchange rate has only gotten better – much better, in fact – in the years since!
I’ll spare you my soapbox speech about why Vietnam is incredible and try to boil it down. It’s one of the best foodie destinations on the planet, its streets lined with food vendors who are masters at their craft. From the terraced rice fields of Sa Pa to the limestone-dotted landscape of Ha Long Bay, it’s full of jaw-dropping sights and scenes. From the bustling metropolises of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi to the charm of Hoi An to beachside towns like Phu Quoc and Nha Trang, you can’t go wrong.
Getting there is arguably the biggest challenge, as there’s just one nonstop flight from the U.S. on Vietnam Airlines. We’ve seen some great deals to fly business class on that route from San Francisco (SFO) bookable for as low as 84,000 points each way.
Otherwise, your best bet might be to search for flights to another Southeast Asian city like Singapore (SIN), Bangkok (BKK), and especially Taipei (TPE), then make your way to Vietnam on a cheap flight.
Canada
Wait, Canada That’s right: One of the destinations where your dollar goes furthest right now is just a quick flight – or maybe even a drive – away.
The Canadian dollar has been weak for the last few years and is only getting worse, leading to a nearly $1 to $ 1.50 CAD exchange rate as of publication. That makes this year a perfect time to plan that trip to Montréal for a Formula 1 race or head to Banff or Vancouver to explore Western Canada’s stunning mountain ranges – all at a huge cost savings.
Plus, as we’ve noted before, flights to Canada are as cheap as they’ve ever been – including during the peak summer travel months.
This flight deal to Calgary – just a 90-minute drive from beautiful Banff – featured tons of U.S. cities with flights under $299 roundtrip!
Bottom Line
The U.S. dollar is strong right now, and it’s especially strong against the currencies of some of our favorite, thriftiest travel destinations. That means your dollar goes a lot further at these destinations than it does back here at home.
That includes the usual favorites like Portugal, Croatia, and Vietnam … but it also includes surprisingly inexpensive countries like Japan and Canada, too.
