Ways to save against the rising euro

The New York Times (registration required) reported yesterday that euro prices have risen one percent against the dollar—hitting $1.3908, up from $1.3832 late Tuesday. This spells trouble for many Americans hoping to visit Europe soon, but it doesn’t have to mean the canceling of a vacation. Even with this current rise in exchange rates, there are still a few ways to save while abroad.

The first thing is the timing of your trip. Europe is entering its fall shoulder season, making it an ideal time to go for nice weather, fewer crowds, and lower prices. However, if you really want to save, then shoot for a little colder weather and lower prices during the winter low season.

Over the years, we’ve written several tips on how to combat the decrease in the American dollar when traveling. Our Europe Special Report is a great starting point to help you plan a budget-friendly trip. There you’ll find Fifteen ways to cut Europe trip costs, Best value Europe vacations, and Ten underpriced and on-the-rise European cities.

Our Deal Detective also tackles the issue of rising prices and European wanderlust with Europe on the cheap, where he suggests ways to search for destinations on a tight budget.

Another way to compensate for the difference in costs is a Europe City Card, which gives discounts on attractions, transportation, and restaurants for a fraction of the regular prices.