A grab bag of ways to cut costs

SEVERAL developments could affect the cost of your next vacation. Here’s a look at some of them:

* Currency: You’ve probably noticed the drop of the U.S. dollar against the euro (one euro now costs $1.07), which makes life on the Continent 10% costlier. But few Americans seem aware that the Mexican peso has weakened against the dollar in the last year. Now you get nearly 11 pesos for one U.S. buck (versus 9 pesos a short while ago), making Mexico an attractive vacation destination. So are Argentina and Brazil, where $1 buys more than three Argentine pesos or Brazilian reals. Latin America is where the bargains are today.

* Airfare deals: Two of the three biggest airfare search engines will now alert you to airline bargains if you notify them of the routings that interest you. Travelocity will send you an e-mail about attractive new fares under its “Fare Watcher” program. (Go to www.travelocity.com, click on “My Stuff” at the top of the home page, log in with a name and password, and then select “My FareWatcher” from the blue bar across the screen.) Orbitz’s “Deal Detector” places a message on your monitor every time you log on to the Internet. Simply go to www.orbitz.com/dealdetector and download it.

* Southwest: Did you know that the major airfare booking engines -- Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity and Trip -- don’t carry the fares of price-cutting Southwest Airlines? You have to use its Web site, www.southwest.com, or call Southwest at (800) 435-9792 to get price and flight information and to book tickets.

* Compare: A powerful tool for getting the best airfares offered by all the booking engines is SideStep, www.sidestep.com, a software program that’s easily downloaded.

* European deals: The “Last-Minute Travel” booking counters on the mezzanine in Terminal 1 at the Frankfurt, Germany, airport have become a popular source of low-cost airfares and packages from Frankfurt to vacation resorts. You arrive with suitcase and all else ready, and within hours you’re on a flight to, say, Mallorca, Spain, or the Canary Islands for an all-inclusive week or two. Other last-minute airport counters are operating in London and Amsterdam.

* Bargains in France: Many readers have been delighted to discover Carrefour, the French equivalent of Wal-Mart. To find one in Paris, go to www.carrefour.fr, click on “votre magasin” in the blue bar near the top and when a new page comes up, type “Paris” and your hotel address in “ville” and “adresse.” Click “OK” and you’ll get the location of the nearest Carrefour in that area.