Spend your hard-earned money wisely
Before you go away on holiday, you no doubt indulge in some lengthy research on flights, hotels and rental cars - but do you check that you're getting the best value possible for your hard-earned money?
With currencies constantly fluctuating and changing, it's so important to keep tabs on whether you're getting a good deal or not - especially because the results vary so much from year to year.
Luckily for us, we don't need to whip out our calculator and Excel spreadsheet just yet, because travel money specialists Fairfx have compiled a list of the best value holiday destinations for 2015.
After reviewing over 60 currencies for best and worst value, the results are in - and they're somewhat surprising.
It turns out that Moscow, Brazil and Australia top the list of best value for money cultural experiences, while the Seychelles, Hong Kong and the USA end up costing much more.
If you've always dreamed of going on a safari, now's the time to do it, as exchange rates are extremely favourable: Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya are 21%, 17% and 11% cheaper respectively, while if you've longed for surf and sand, a drop of 17% in the Australian Dollar could make a trip to the Whitsundays possible - as long as you can afford the day-long flight.
Now is a great time to save money on an African safari
If you're after even more of a great bargain, city breaks to Moscow are a whopping 57% cheaper than last year, while Brazil and Colombia are 55% and 43% cheaper respectively, and Malaysia is worth considering too, as it now costs 27% less.
Closer to home, Turkey wins the European value competition at 26% cheaper than last year, with Norway, Sweden and Poland following close behind, at 24%, 9% and 8% less expensive. Denmark is the fifth top value destination at 6% cheaper than last year.
However, the scale works both ways: visiting Belize, the Seychelles and the Cayman Islands will cost you 10% more than last year, while Costa Rica and the USA will cost you 8% and 6% more respectively.
While we're sitting here on a gloomy Monday just dreaming of some winter sun, we're also dreaming of all the pennies we'll save by just paying attention to the currency of the country we're visiting - all the better for our next online shop, don't you think?
Where would you most like to go on a winter sun break? Let us know @marieclaireuk
