Travel Q&A: Where is the dollar still a good value for travelers?
Michael Martinez
Article Launched: 09/09/2007 01:48:03 AM PDT



Q. Are there any countries where the dollar is doing well and travel is still a good value?
Dennie Van Tassel, Morgan Hill



A. Despite the dollar's loss in value, especially against the euro and the British pound, there are a few places where our currency still has muscle. Experts at Hotwire.com and Orbitz.com agree on these two destinations, where exchange rates are favorable and prices are low: Thailand and Argentina.

Barbara Messing, Hotwire's travel expert, says you can still get a $12 steak dinner and an $8 bottle of wine in Buenos Aires, a cosmopolitan city that often reminds visitors of Paris - long boulevards, scenic parks and great shopping.

John Cohn, spokesman for Orbitz, notes that you can find three- and four-star hotels in Phuket, Thailand, for under $120 a night.

Other suggestions: Chile, Turkey, Vietnam and Mexico.

In Santiago, for example, Cohn says the cost of a good meal is about $12, and you can find hotels for around $110. And Mexico, with an 11-1 exchange rate on pesos to dollars, remains affordable and accessible.

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