Avoid the powerful Euro along the blue seas of the Mediterranean without avoiding Europe by traveling to these two countries outside of the Eurozone. Both countries, while still being European don’t roll with the Euro.
- Croatia – Rebuilding its economy since independence with its booming tourism industry you can get a taste of the Mediterranean coast without paying Italian, French, or Greek prices. The Croatian Kuna is worth about 25 US cents.
- The Croatia Travel Blog is a good place to start familiarizing yourself with this Balkan nation.
- Northern Cyprus – The island of Cyprus has been split in two halves since 1974. The Greek part of the island joined the EU in 2004 and prices have jumped since. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus uses the Turkish lira but offers the same beaches, climate, and historical sights like the ancient Roman city of Salamis.
- The only way to get to the northern Cyprus is through Turkey. The wise traveler would hop a flight to the Turkish resort town of Alanya, spend a day or two, then take a ferry across the Mediterranean the Cypriot city of Girne where you can scuba dive, visit old castles, or dine.
Both countries are expanding their tourism industries to bolster their economies while taking advantage of their beautiful locations and cheap currencies. Don’t expect it to last more than 4 years though, Croatia is expect to be a European Union member by 2011 and the island of Cyprus could be reunified in the near future.
[photo by: [k].on.us]
