This is a great time for Americans to travel internationally. A host of factors have come together to make the prospect more affordable: the American economy is showing real strength, the dollar has greater buying power compared to almost all worldwide currencies, and hotel prices overseas are down, sometimes significantly. <\/p>\n
TripAdvisor recently released its survey of 2015 hotel room pricesshowing an average seven percent decline overseas overall -- and an even bigger drop of nine percent in Europe. That decline came from a combination of better currency exchange rates for Americans using dollars and lower rates set by hotel owners.TripAdvisor found hotel nightly booking prices down almost 13 percent in France, almost 11 percent in Germany, and more than eight percent in Spain and Italy compared to 2014. There are surprising deals, too, in Sweden and Norway where hotel prices are down 19percent and 17 percent, respectively. <\/p>\n
Throughout the world, in fact, from Russia to Brazil and Turkey, there are deals to be had. You can use this interactive map to see where hotel prices have fallen the most. Below, a top 10list, as well as a deeper dive into the strength of the dollararound the world. <\/p>\n
Top 10 biggest hotel price declines: Country, average hotel room price a night, decline from last year <\/p>\n
It's not just hotels, however. The economic slowdown in Europe has led to an overall decline in prices. While prices rose slightlyin Germany and France -- .1 percent --prices were down in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and many other countries. So shoppers can find bargains in accommodations, food and local products. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the stronger dollar makes the differences even bigger. The dollar is worth 21 percent more than it was a year ago against the euro. <\/p>\n
Partly as a result, on the leisure side, Europe is really, really hot, said Kurt Crowl, senior vice president of Connoisseur Travel in Washington. Iceland is very popular. Extremely popular. There are now direct flights from our area. Its new and different and for somebody whos done Europe, its an alternative to that. <\/p>\n
The dollar has also gained buying power against countries that don't use the euro. The dollar is up 79 percent against the Russian ruble over the past year. And Ukrainian officials areconcerned that unrest has driven the value of the local currency so low that the dollar isworth three times as many hryvni as it was last year. <\/p>\n
You can use this map to explore currency declines across the world: <\/p>\n
Across Scandinavia, the dollar is up 29 percent against the Swedish krona, 25 percent against the Norwegian krone and 21 percent against the Danish krone. TripAdvisor found hotel prices in Sweden, Norway and Denmark down 19 percent, 17 percent and 11 percent this year. <\/p>\n
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Wonkblog: The best places in the world to visit while the dollar is this strong<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a great time for Americans to travel internationally. A host of factors have come together to make the prospect more affordable: the American economy is showing real strength, the dollar has greater buying power compared to almost all worldwide currencies, and hotel prices overseas are down, sometimes significantly. Continue reading