U.S. dollars losing their appeal abroad

Bad news for travelers accustomed to using U.S. dollars in foreign countries. According to this

New York Times

Practical Traveler article

, the weakening of the U.S. dollar has led "the greenback to be shunned in unexpected places, creating new problems for American travelers and pushing prices higher." From the Taj Mahal to small villages in Peru, U.S. dollars are no longer as welcome as they once were as an alternative to the local currency.

The article also covers the tour operator currency surcharge phenomenon, which I covered in this

blog last month

. And it ends with advice about traveling to destinations where the dollar hasn't declined if you want the most for your lonely greenbacks.