Nine destinations that are surprisingly cheap this year

Call it the year of the bucket list. A strong dollar in destinations around the world is making this an amazing time to go farther and do more for much, much less in 2015. Find great value around the globe -- from usually pricey destinations like Japan and France to even better deals in affordable spots like Mexico and Eastern Europe -- and make 2015 a year to remember.

Chile

Find good airfare and you'll be able to maximize value on the ground in Chile. The dollar is at a five-year high against the Chilean peso, bolstering the already solid value that the country offers American travelers. LAN, whose flights dominate Santiago Airport, the country's most popular point of entry, has been running deals from U.S. departure cities including Los Angeles, Miami and New York City.

Over the last decade, "cheap" has never been a word associated with travel to Europe. But in recent months, headline after headline has marveled at the sudden relative on-the-ground affordability of countries that count the euro as their currency, with costs for things like hotels and food about 20% cheaper than in recent years. Americans are looking at a dollar that hasn't been this strong against the euro since 2003, making this a real opportunity for travelers who have long hoped to visit.

Australia

If you missed that amazing window back in 2008 and 2009 when the U.S. dollar was unbeatably strong compared to the Australian dollar, here's your second chance. With the U.S. dollar at a five-year high against its Australian counterpart, there's simply more Australia available for every dollar to Americans willing to put in the time to get there. Both Air New Zealand and Qantas have recently had sales on flights between the U.S. and Australia.