Where to visit while the dollar is stronger
Stretching your dollar on international trips has gotten easier.
The U.S. dollar has gained against other currencies over the past year, most recently amid investor worries over the Greek debt crisis and a market plunge in China. At the same time, international airfares have softened from cheaper oil and increased competition, said Dara Continenza, editor for flight sale-tracker Hopper.com. "It's one of those rare events where both flight prices are cheaper and on-the-ground prices are great," she said. "This is a great time to travel."
Travelers haven't been deterred from heading to Greece, either—although deals on future travel have slowed, said Gabe Saglie, senior editor for deal site Travelzoo, as travelers and travel providers are likely waiting to see whether the country will remain in the euro zone.
Still, the 19-country euro zone, which includes France and Germany, and these seven other destinations offer travelers better bargains compared with last year thanks to a stronger dollar and other promotions.
(The flight prices listed below will vary, depending on origin and destination.)
—By CNBC.com's Kelli B. Grant
Posted 10 July 2015
Russia
Dollar advantage: $1 currently buys 55.49 rubles, up 60 percent from a year ago, according to OANDA.com.
Airfare: Hopper.com puts a "good" round-trip flight price at $675, down 22 percent from last year.
Deals in Russia have been flourishing since late last year, when Russia took steps to halt the currency's slide and bring down inflation. And no, you don't need to visit in winter—the great exchange rate and substantially lower airfares have made summer and fall trips more feasible for travelers, said Continenza. In some cases, round-trip fares between New York and Moscow are under $400.
Read MorePlan ahead to cut vacation fun costs
Sweden
Dollar advantage: $1 currently buys 8.36 kronor, up 23 percent from a year ago, according to OANDA.com.
Airfare: Hopper.com puts a "good" round-trip flight price at $823, down 2 percent from last year.
Sweden has a reputation for being an expensive destination, but a stronger dollar puts a trip there more within reach this year, said Continenza. A growing number of fare sales, including a new round from Norwegian Air, has pushed deals for some September travel dates as low as $649 round trip.
Euro zone
Dollar advantage: $1 currently buys 0.90 euro, up 22 percent from a year ago, according to OANDA.com.
Airfare: Hopper.com puts a "good" round-trip flight price to Europe at $949, up 3 percent from last year.
There are two destination strategies for stretching your dollar in euro-using countries: Go cheap or go big. For stellar bargains, look to Eastern Europe (say, the Czech Republic). "You're going to see lower prices all the time," said Continenza. "They're on the euro, but attractions and prices are cheaper overall." But the stronger dollar is also a nice opportunity to hit a bucket-list city like Paris, Milan or Dublin, which will be more in reach than in previous years, she said.
Read More10 cities where vacation-rental listings are booming
Japan
Dollar advantage: $1 currently buys 122.94 yen, up 21 percent from a year ago, according to OANDA.com.
Airfare: Hopper.com puts a "good" round-trip flight price at $1,050, down 7 percent from last year.
Monetary easing from the Bank of Japan sent the yen lower against the U.S. dollar. That, combined with more fall airfare sales to Asia, has made the country a more attractive option to U.S. travelers, said Saglie.
Mexico
Dollar advantage: $1 currently buys 15.68 pesos, up 21 percent from a year ago, according to OANDA.com.
Airfare: Hopper.com puts a "good" round-trip flight price at $381, down 20 percent from last year.
Fall prices are looking more attractive this year. "We've seen some unusually good promotions from five-star resorts," said Saglie. For example, at Viceroy Zihuatanejo outside Playa La Ropa, rates are being advertised at up to 55 percent below standard prices.
Morocco
Dollar advantage: $1 currently buys 9.67 dirham, up 17 percent from a year ago, according to OANDA.com.
Airfare: Hopper.com puts a "good" round-trip flight price at $995, up 3 percent from last year.
Flights are more expensive, but on-the-ground expenses are a better bargain thanks to favorable exchange rates, said Continenza. If you know how to haggle, your money will go even further in Marrakesh's famous souks.
Iceland
Dollar advantage: $1 currently buys 131.94 kronor, up 16 percent from a year ago, according to OANDA.com.
Airfare: Hopper.com puts a "good" round-trip flight price at $772, down 2 percent from last year.
As a destination, Iceland can be a bit pricy even with the stronger dollar, said Continenza. The best way to visit this year may be as an add-on en route to or from Europe. "Stopping over in Iceland is actually a really, really good idea," she said—Icelandair's stopover packages are often great deals.
Canada
Dollar advantage: $1 currently buys 1.25 Canadian dollars, up 16 percent from a year ago, according to OANDA.com.
Airfare: Hopper.com puts a "good" round-trip flight price at $381, down 9 percent from last year.
"Canada has been one of the biggest international bargains this year," said Saglie. "You can tell the difference with a considerably stronger dollar." Late summer and fall travelers have the advantage of shoulder-season pricing. As an extra bonus, plenty of Americans have the option of driving to Canada instead of flying, making the jaunt even cheaper, he said. AAA puts the U.S. average at $2.76 for a gallon of unleaded—a 24 percent drop from this time last year.