"Europe? No way," friends sighed.

What was to have been a longed-for trip to Norway and Scotland in early fall was shelved when Janice Nuckols and Phil Ruprecht realized roundtrip tickets and the drowning dollar would push their travel budget through the roof.

Instead, the Kane'ohe couple decided this would be the year to visit Washington, D.C., East Coast sights and friends before calling at the Pacific Northwest on their way back to Hawai'i. Then, in early fall, they head to Canada and Colorado to visit family and friends.

"The value of the dollar is very discouraging," Nuckols said. "Just not enough bang for the buck. For the cost of traveling to Europe for two weeks, we could spend the same amount and have two six-week vacations on the Mainland ... even factoring in all the airfares."

The dollar's free fall against the euro won't stop Bonnie Friedman of Wailuku, Maui, who's planning a return trip to Italy next spring for the Venice Biennale. Friedman offsets travel costs by renting the same apartment each trip. "I've now built up a relationship with the owner," she said. "And it also means I can cook, have friends visit, which shares the cost, and there's a great garden we can enjoy." Also, Friedman says she travels solo and doesn't shop.

"I'm not deterred (by the exchange rate)." she said. "I'm forgoing a vacation this year in order to go to Italy in the spring, and I'm truly hopeful that the dollar will rebound after the election in November."

"Europe is very expensive; we all know that," said Mary Lou Lewis, co-owner of HNL Travel Associates. "But there's still a lot of interest in going there even though we've had a lot of blows to the Hawai'i economy in the last weeks with Aloha Airlines, ATA and Molokai Ranch shutting down operations.

"We're selling a lot of cruises; there are some great deals out there. My sense generally is that people are still willing to travel, including to Europe. You've planned a trip and you go."

Lewis said European cruises (in fact, all cruise destinations) are one way to battle rising costs, especially to the Baltic countries that are not tied to the euro currency and are less costly than West Europe destinations. "Yes, there are fuel surcharges being added but, overall, once you've paid for the cruise you don't have to worry," she said.

According to AAA's International Summer Travel Forecast released in April, U.S. travelers to France, Italy and Germany — highly favored destinations for U.S. travelers — are projected to increase by up to 7 percent this year, even though they'll be spending a lot more because of global inflation and a weak dollar.

"Americans are working harder and longer than ever and many feel their vacation is a benefit they've earned," Betsy Sell, managing director for AAA travel, said in the report. "Americans will rearrange their budgets and postpone some trips, but they're still traveling abroad."

If you're determined to visit Europe despite the dismal dollar, see Page E5 for tips to help your budget stretch across the pond.

The fiercest expenses in Europe are lodgings, restaurants and train tickets. Galleries, exhibitions, music, architecture and cultural attractions — the reasons people go to Europe — are not the biggest drain on the dollar. A little planning will help absorb costs — and keep in mind airlines charge for checked bags, so pack light!