New York ? Many Americans heading to Europe as prime travel season gets under way will be disheartened by how little a dollar buys. The euro hit a five-year high against the dollar in February, trading at $1.29, although it was down slightly to $1.24 in early March. But as recently as mid-2002, the euro was worth just 88 cents. That means in two years, European vacations have become more than 40 percent more expensive for Americans.

But experts say there are plenty of ways to make the best of a lousy exchange rate. If you’re traveling abroad, here are some strategies for coping with the weak dollar from Nancy Dunnan, the editor of TravelSmart newsletter.

• Buy a package. Tours that include your airfare, hotel and round-trip airport/hotel transfers are less expensive than if you book each segment individually.
• Book tours that include meals.
• Lock in rates. Ask if package prices are guaranteed in U.S. dollars or if surcharges can be added to compensate for currency fluctuations.
• Go off-season. Prices for most European countries go up in April, drop in late fall and rise again at holiday time.
• If your schedule is flexible, check out last-minute deals on European packages, car rentals and flights at www.VisitEurope.com. Prices on cruises and tours that aren’t sold out always fall as the deadline nears.
• Negotiate. Wherever you’re going, ask for a second room for the family at half-price; a lower rate if you stay five or more nights; a discount for seniors, grandparents, children and those celebrating a birthday or anniversary.
• If you’re a college student or professor, get discounts on airfare, hotels, packaged trips, insurance and train tickets through Student Universe, www.studentuniverse.com.
• If you’re traveling from one European destination to another, get a rail pass good in two or three countries through Rail Europe (home to Eurail and BritRail; www.RailEurope.com). If you must fly within Europe, use a discount carrier such as Ryan Air, www.ryanair.com or EasyJet, www.easyjet.com. You must buy Eurail and Britrail passes, and EuropeByAir tickets, before leaving the United States.
• Use a credit card that does not charge a foreign currency conversion fee. (These fees can add 1 to 3 percent to your bill.)
• To get the best exchange rate, get local currency from ATMs rather than currency exchange outlets or even banks.