Where To Score A High-End Holiday Even With The Dollar Dipping

Travel

— 20 January 2025

WORDS

Nick Kenyon

WORDS BY
Nick Kenyon

It’s no secret that the Aussie dollar is struggling at the moment, dropping 10% against the US dollar since last September and currently lulling at a five-year low. It’s also dropped compared to the British pound and China’s yuan, making it all the more important that any near-future holiday plans include some affordable destinations where your money can get you as far as possible.

While Asia is always a great bet, there are still reasonably priced destinations to consider in Europe and the Americas. With that in mind, we wanted to highlight a few of our favourite affordable holiday destinations that offer the best value for your money at the present moment.

Asia

Compared to this time last year, the Aussie dollar has fallen compared to the currencies of Thailand (-8.7%), Vietnam (-2.8%), Indonesia (-2.8%), and India (-5.4%). However, considering the average price of a meal and a hotel room in each of those countries, they remain compelling holiday destinations. Especially because they’re all direct flights from Australia.

Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India were also all in the top ten travel destinations for Australians at the end of October 2024 (with Thailand and Vietnam up 17% and 35%, respectively, year on year), alongside China, Japan, Fiji, New Zealand, America, and the UK.

Of those ten countries, the Australian dollar has weakened against eight of those currencies, except for New Zealand (+2.8%) and Japan (+1%), which unfortunately, can’t be considered cheap holiday destinations.

If you’re thinking about booking a holiday to Asia and budget is a significant factor, we’d recommend Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and India as countries to visit; where a local meal will cost you less than the price of a pint poured in Australia, and accommodation can be found for less than $50 a night.

Europe

The Australian dollar has fallen less compared to the euro (-2%) than the British pound (-5.6%), making hotspots like Greece, Italy, and France slightly more affordable destinations compared to the UK. However, if Gallipoli or the Blue Mosque is on your bucket list, a trip to Turkey makes excellent financial sense at the moment, with the Aussie dollar growing 10% against the Turkish lira in the past year.

The Australian dollar has strengthened against both the Norwegian krone (+2%) and the Swedish krona (+0.5%), but Scandanavia remains one of the more expensive international regions to travel. For more affordable holiday destinations, also consider the likes of Poland, Romania, and Albania, which all remain comparatively affordable despite respective currency gains against the Australian dollar in the last year.

The Americas

If the US was on your list to visit in 2025, the 7.5% drop of the Aussie dollar against the US dollar might make it one you put on the back burner for another year. However, Canada is relatively affordable with a more modest drop of just 0.5%. The US itself might be out at the moment, but countries like Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile are all great options with Australian dollar gains across the board against those currencies.

The Aussie dollar is up nearly 12% against the Mexico peso, 18% against the Argentinean peso, 16% on the Brazilian real, and a slightly more modest 4% compared to the Chilean peso. Additionally, prices are generally more affordable in these countries, with the shift in buying power only giving another reason to make a trip across the Pacific.

Though not strictly budget-friendly, check out a few of our guides to the best hotels, resorts, and restaurants below.

Asia:

Europe:

The Americas:

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Nick Kenyon

Nick Kenyon is the Editor of Boss Hunting, joining the team after working as the Deputy Editor of luxury watch magazine Time+Tide. He has a passion for watches, with other interests across style, sports and more. Get in touch at nick (at) luxity.com.au