Best Value Destinations for 2017

27.07.2023 - 18:51 / smartertravel.com

We scoured the globe in search of destinations offering that dazzling combo of great value and serious vacation appeal in 2017.

To determine the best value destinations for 2017, we first pulled airfare and hotel data from our sister site, Airfarewatchdog. For airfare, we compared average low fares from three major U.S. airports (JFK, ORD, and LAX) to a shortlist of destinations between 2015 and 2016. For hotel, we looked at the average 3-star hotel room rates in 2015 and 2016 for a shortlist of destinations.

After analyzing these trends, the destinations selected were further valued by other travel industry round-ups as well as their Big Mac Index, Price of Travel – Backpacker’s Index, and currency conversion rates currently and over time. From the shortlist of destinations, 10 were selected and ranked based on their values across these categories.

Whether it’s an island-getaway to the Azores or a trip to Porto’s world-renowned wine region, Portugal has something to offer for every traveler at a great price.

With inexpensive new routes from Toronto on TAP Portugal and free stopovers, it’s never been easier or more affordable to add on a few days in Portugal to any European—or even African—vacation. TAP already flies from other North American destinations like Boston, Miami, New York JFK, and Newark and has a partnership with JetBlue.

And, with the Euro nearly equivalent to the U.S. dollar, all your travel expenses will be lower than in years past—which means you can look forward to everything from hotels to good wine for significantly less.

This year, Norway shines with year-round outdoor activities and a noteworthy recent decrease in price. While a trip to Norway is by no means cheap, budget airline Norwegian Air has opened up dozens of new routes between its home country and the U.S. This, combined with a drop in the value of the Krone compared to the U.S. dollar, makes 2017 a perfect time to go to the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Bergen—the gateway to the fjords—stands out as particularly good value spot in Norway. From Bergen, you can rent a car and take one of dozens of drives through the fjord lands, or opt to see these natural wonders from the water on a cruise

This Caribbean getaway has long been popular with U.S. citizens, but 2017 offers U.S. travelers to Belize even more value with favorable exchange rates, extremely low nightly hotel rates, and lower airfare. It’s one of the fastest growing international destinations for U.S. travelers, so the time to go is now.

Eastern Europe is an exceptional value for U.S. travelers. And Bulgaria’s capital city,