A little strategy goes a long way to saving on European trips

It’s growing costlier to visit the Continent, thanks to the speedy slide of the dollar against the euro, the currency used in 12 Western European countries. Americans’ pocketbooks are getting pounded by the British pound too.

But with the right strategies, you can minimize the damage and enjoy your European vacation.

First, the bad news:

“You’re getting killed by the exchange rate,” said Peter Pacitti of Vernon Hills, Ill., who this month paid $220 for a night at the Hilton Manchester Airport in England. By comparison, the Hilton Los Angeles Airport recently was charging $129 a night midweek.

Doing lunch? Expect to pay an average of $17 in Paris, nearly $20 in Rome and $28 in London for a sandwich and a drink, with tax and tip, says Runzheimer International, which advises businesses on travel expenses.

Katrena Stier of Huntington Beach, visiting her aunt in Barcelona, Spain, this month, got some good deals at clothing sales. But she was dismayed to find Spanish fans fetching 30 euros, or about $38, compared with about $10 she recalled paying 2 1/2 years ago.

The dollar, which has dropped around the globe, is worth about 30% less against the euro and 20% less against the British pound than it was two years ago. Its slide has accelerated in the last six months, and experts don’t see a turnaround soon. On Jan 21, the euro was valued at about $1.24 and the pound at nearly $1.80.

Here are some ways to pinch pennies or pence:

* Go now. You’ll save on the airfare at least.

“This is the time of year that airlines are looking at rows of empty seats,” said Brian Clewer, owner of Continental Travel Shop in Santa Monica. You’ll usually find the lowest transatlantic fares if you can travel by March 31.

Aer Lingus, for instance, recently was offering $298 round trips between Los Angeles and Dublin this winter, compared with $747 in May and $962 in July on dates I checked at www.orbitz.com. (Fares often change, and these may no longer be available.)

If you’re determined to fly in the busy summer season, wait to book until around Easter, when summer fare sales typically begin, Clewer advised. “There’s no need to rush into it,” he said.

Be forewarned, though: Although Clewer thinks the weak dollar may discourage travel, several signs suggest otherwise. Summer fliers who waited last year lost out on bargains as seats filled.

Nearly two-thirds of 143 travel agents polled in December by the Carlson Wagonlit conglomerate said they expected travel to Europe to bounce back in 2004. Bookings at Brendan Tours are up 30% from last year, said Gary Murphy, president of the Chatsworth-based tour company that devotes more than half its business to Europe. With an improved economy, “people are once again returning to more far-flung destinations ... and they’re willing to spend more,” said Steve Loucks, spokesman for Carlson Wagonlit.

* Book an air-hotel package, tour or cruise: You save with these because the big companies that operate them get volume discounts and typically locked in their prices months ago, when the dollar was worth more. Many also bought foreign currency then as a hedge against unfavorable exchange rates. Murphy said his company had increased tour prices as much as 10% for 2004 -- less than the drop in the dollar would warrant.

Another bonus: Most cruises and some tours include meals, sparing you sticker shock at local restaurants.

Among recently advertised deals (some may no longer be available):

Six nights in London, including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, starting at $539 a person double occupancy. Book by Feb. 15; travel by March 31. From American Airlines Vacations, (800) 321-2121 or www.aavacations.com.

Five nights in Paris, with round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, starting at $549 for travel through March 31 or $699 April 1 to June 13. From France Vacations, (800) 332-5332, www.francevacations.net.

Rome & the Tuscan Highlights tour, eight nights in Italy, including most meals and round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, starting at $2,625 for the first person, $2,012 for the second. Good June 1 to Aug. 31. From Trafalgar. See a travel agent, call (866) 247-9880 or go to www.trafalgartours.com.

Athenaeum Hotel & Apartments in London offers the same rate in dollars or pounds, subject to availability, through Dec. 31. Rates begin at about $315 a night; restrictions apply. (800) 335-3300.

* Buy rail passes or take low-cost carriers: Many European rail passes are the same price this year as last. Log on to www.raileurope.com for details. For traveling within Europe, check out the growing number of low-fare airlines such as Ryanair, www.ryanair.com, and EasyJet, www.easyjet.com. Another way to save is to rent a car with friends or family members; this can be cheaper than going solo or as a couple on trains or planes.

* Live like a local: Drink tea in London and beer in Germany; locally popular drinks and food usually are cheaper. Drop into a grocery and buy provisions for a picnic lunch; as you do at home, you save by serving yourself. “You can get a very good bottle of French wine for 2 euros,” said Barbara Lamb, a Yorkville, Calif., resident who recently returned from a month in France.

If you’re really focused on saving, don’t go to Europe. Try China, Mexico or Singapore, among the relatively few countries where the dollar has held steady or gained in the last year.

But I prefer the attitude of David Harmon, a New Yorker who visited London with his girlfriend in November and proposed marriage to her while there.

“I splurge when I travel,” he said. “If the difference [in costs] is not egregiously high, I tend to let it slide.”

His girlfriend accepted his proposal, by the way. In dollars or pounds, that memory is priceless.

Jane Engle welcomes comments and suggestions but cannot respond individually to letters and calls. Write Travel Insider, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, or e-mail jane.engle@latimes.com.