International Travel Tips Re: Sinking Dollar

Hey Cheapskaters, summer is coming and if you are thinking about international travel here are  some tips to make your dollar go further. The dollar has been falling against most of the world’s currencies which means it is going to cost you more to travel in most other countries. I read in our paper even India is avoiding dealing in dollars. They are requiring tourists to pay entrance fees to monuments in the local currency instead of dollars. So here are some tips from our local travel section:

Eat like a local or eat ethnic - Whenever I watch Rick Steve’s program – Travel In Europe, he is always going to really cool places to eat that are not tourist traps. I would even go so far as to recommend you look at one of his guides. I have also used Fodor’s travel guides and found them very helpful.

Dine near an outdoor market – They tend to attract less expensive eateries that cater to workers and shoppers. Makes sense.

Watch for seasonal deals on airfares and hotel – This means traveling to places in the off season. We live in Texas and our schools let out earlier than the eastern schools. One year we went to Maine in May. It was still off season and we got some really cheap rates.

Pick you price – For bargains on name-brand hotel chains, Priceline.com lets you name your own price bids on four and five star hotels overseas and in Canada (see www.biddingfortravel.com for travelers’ tips) on how to bid.

Select the best destinations – Southest Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East are the bargain foreign destinations for American travelers, but if you really want Europe, consider less popular regions and countries i.e. Sicily instead of Tuscany.

Stay or eat in residential areas – usually cheaper because downtown  locations tend to cater to those with expense accounts.

Use public transportation instead of taxis and renting a car – An all day passs of the London Underground and Buses is 6.60 pounds or about $13.50 compared to $14.00 – $22.00 for one taxi ride of two miles.

Find out if it’s less expensive to fly between cities on one the new no-frills airlines: Check out www.whichbudget.com or www.attidtudetravel.com for a list of who flies where.

Minimize foreign currency exchange fees when using credit cards or withdrawing cash from automated teller machines in other countries, including Mexico and Canada: Use cards that carry a maximum 1 percent fee on each charge or withdrawal (available from small community banks, credit unions, etc., as  opposed to bigger national banks, which charge 3 percent or more). Capital One (www.capitalone.com) issues a no annual fee Visa of MasterCard with no foreign currency transaction fee.

Consider an apartment or condo rental instead of a hotel for longer stays: Deal directly with the aprtment or condo owner if possible. Avoid rental agencies that ask you to pay in full up front. And negotiate a reasonable deposit.

Read the fine print in group-tour and cruise contracts to find out if the price might change if the dollar’s value drops: Prices might be higher than advertised in the brochures.

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