The Weak Euro: An American Traveler’s Delight?

Since I was worried my saved U.S. dollars wouldn’t go very far here in Vienna, the rapid decline of the euro in the past few weeks has been a blessing.

When I got here, the euro was at $1.48 and I was sure “going out” would consist of drinking €1.99 bottles of wine with bums in train stations. However, the euro’s now at a five-year low of $1.28, which means that Europeans have stopped joking about using U.S. dollars as toilet paper, and I feel like I can re-enter the world of cheap student bars. Or at least buy the €2.99 wine every once in a while.

Additionally, it seems like Americans itching to go abroad might have more opportunity to travel in the coming months if the rates stay like they are.

But I can’t help but wonder: how long will it last? Financial news from the U.S. is disconcerting, and I’d be fooling myself if I believed the sudden plummeting values of European currencies are particularly good for the global economy. I guess I can take comfort in the fact that I can now indulge in some Sachertorte and Sturm while reading about the end of the world economic order.

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