How About November in Paris?

As the summer holiday season cools, deals to Europe will take a while to heat up, but patient travelers who know the rules of the game can snag the rock-bottom rates when the time comes.

Since 2001, U.S. travelers have had ample reasons to avoid Europe, be it cheap domestic airfares to the Caribbean via JetBlue and others, the specter of terror attacks, which recently rocked Madrid in March, or the slumping dollar. But after a few years of avoidance, the pent-up demand nonetheless fueled a strong European summer season this year, despite the dollar's diminished purchasing power. As a result, airlines and hotels are holding firm on fares and rates this fall.

"What the airlines have been doing is last-minute sales," said Terry Trippler, online travel expert. "Every year, more of the baby boomers become empty-nesters, and they're more willing to travel after Labor Day. They have the money and can go at the last moment. But as we get close, airlines always say, 'Oh my god, we gotta' fill these seats!' and there are good deals."

Usually, flights to Europe are cheapest in the fall, the so-called "shoulder season" when demand slumps between the summer and winter holiday season. But in order to get the best deals this year, travelers have to be savvier than ever, using technology to get an inside track on sales before they're gone, while being flexible enough to jump on short notice.

Fear not, Continental drifter -- with our bag of tricks, you won't have to pay a premium come autumn.

Fly a Foreign Carrier

American travelers, by nature, are biased toward the Americans, Deltas and Uniteds of the world, casting a wary eye on names like Singapore Airlines and Emirates, fearing they'll receive inferior service.

This notion is completely backward, of course. First-world airlines don't offer first-class service anymore, and carriers like Singapore Air are some of the finest in the world, sweeping service awards. In fact, Singapore Air hands out little overnight kits, including a toothbrush and pair of knitted socks, to travelers heading off to Europe -- even in economy class.