Advent of the euro makes joys of continent even more boundless.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Centuries-old towns with cobbled streets sloping up from the river await in towns along the Rhine. Charming tete-a-tete tables under sidewalk awnings beckon in Paris. Panoramic alpine vistas fill the horizon in Switzerland, and the dollar still buys plenty almost everywhere in Europe.

What's missing from the picture? American tourists.

Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, Americans have been loath to travel far from home _ and there's a big ocean between the United States and Europe. Although more Americans have been crossing the pond in each month since 9-11, travel to Europe is still down in double figures. And the outlook for the normally busy summer season is really unclear.

"We all know this is not going to be one of our greatest years," said Einar Gustavsson, North America president of the European Travel Commission. The ETC is projecting that only 10 to 12 million Americans will visit Europe this year, compared to the record 13.1 million in 2000.

But that decline, in a way, may produce a boom for travelers. What is one man's loss, after all, often is another's gain: Americans who do go to Europe will find there are advantages to traveling in a down year.

"There are fewer (visitors), plus price reductions on hotels and car rentals. And the dollar is very strong," said Gustavsson.

Indeed, the dollar is fetching about 1.13 euros these days, a quarter more than it did three years ago, when the euro debuted. And the decline in visitors means tour operators are willing to shave prices in order to boost business _ another plus for prospective travelers.