10 Destinations Where Your Dollar Goes Far
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Lisbon, Portugal
What $20 Will Buy: A Lisboa card provides use of nearly all public transportation and discounts on some tours and admission to museums and monuments.
Why It's Hot: It's affordable, charming, sophisticated and near the beach.
When To Find Deals: September and October, when four-star hotels in central Lisbon generally go for $100 per night and round-trip airfare from Chicago starts at $800.
Top Bargains: At the Instituto do Vinho do Porto (Port Wine Institute), you can try more than 300 vintages of the country's signature liquor. Tasting prices start at 1 euro.
Up Next: Santiago -
Santiago, Chile
What $20 Will Buy: Carmenere, made from a grape originally from the Bordeaux region of France, costs less than $10 a bottle.
Why It's Hot: You can take a day trip to surf the Pacific, tour wineries, hit the slopes or explore the Victorian elegance of nearby Valparaiso.
When To Find Deals: The springlike shoulder-season of October and November, when round-trip flights from Chicago to Santiago start at $1,000 per person.
Top Bargains: Luxury hotels. Under Chilean law, foreign tourists do not pay the 19 percent value-added tax for hotel stays.
Up Next: Dubrovnik -
Dubrovnik, Croatia
What $20 Will Buy: A three-course dinner of homemade sausage, roasted lamb or fish and fritule (doughnuts flavored with brandy and lemon zest) in restaurants along the Stradun in Dubrovnik.
Why It's Hot: The islands of the Dalmatian Coast look like Greece and feel and taste like Italy. The walled city of Dubrovnik features distinctive 12th century grey-stone buildings with orange-tile roofs.
Months For The Best Deals: Airfare and hotel accommodations will cost less in September and October, but the weather will still be warm.
Up Next: Wellington -
Wellington, New Zealand
What $20 Will Buy: Fine vintages of New Zealand's famous Sauvignon Blanc cost less than $20 a bottle.
Why It's Hot: On the water and ringed by green hills, the artsy city is a half-day's travel to two major wine regions -- Hawke's Bay and Marlborough.
Months For The Best Deals: In the fall. The weather will be nice, and you'll save on airfare and lodgings. For example, a round-trip flight from Chicago starts from $2,200 in June, but only $1,500 in September.
Top Bargains: Wine vacations. Bed-and breakfasts in Hastings cost less than $75 per night.
Up Next: Ho Chi Minh -
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
What $20 Will Buy: A meal fit for an emperor at the Phu Xuan restaurant.
Why It's Hot: It's less touristy than Hanoi and has a thriving dining and entertainment scene. Take a short day trip to Mui Ne, a resort city near the beach, or to the white sand dunes of Binh Thuan desert.
Months For The Best Deals: November or December. You'll save on flights and hotels and miss most of the wet season.
Top Bargains: Hotel rooms are a notable value. In Mui Ne, a room with an ocean view ranges from $20 to $100 per night depending on lavishness.
Up Next: Budapest -
Budapest, Hungary
What $20 Will Buy: A boat tour of the city along the Danube river.
Why It's Hot: You can enjoy Old Europe charm without paying for it in euros.
Months For The Best Deals: August and September. You'll save on hotel rooms because it's less busy, but the weather is still nice.
Top Bargains: Classic culture comes cheap in Budapest. With a Budapest card, you get discounts on museums and restaurants plus unlimited use of public transportation. A two-day card costs $35 and is available at the city's tourism office.
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