The economy is in bad shape, gas prices are high, and the dollar is down, so it’s not an optimal time to travel abroad by any means. But if you do feel like jetting out of the country to escape the bad news, I've got a tip that will save you some big money. If you haven't picked your international destination yet, pay careful attention to currency exchange rates. The dollar is worth about half the Euro these days, which means everything you buy in a country that uses the Euro will cost you twice as much. Look for a country that have similar values to the US dollar. Currency on islands in the Caribbean are closely tied to the US dollar, so why not take a tropical vacation instead of a European trip? You'll save lots of money in the long run buying the same things if you don't have to worry about the exchange rate eating half your travel budget