Shopping for deals in the off-season

Tis the season for U.S.-based Francophiles to gaze across the pond with glee. Though the Euro is drubbing the dollar, opportunities abound for savvy travelers to score great off-peak bargains. Specifically, Paris, the birthplace of couture, becomes far more affordable come winter.
For starters, it's cheaper to get to Europe off-season. Recent round-trip sale airfares from the East Coast to Paris have ranged around $500, with return trips from the West Coast hovering around $650. Travel bargain sites like Travelzoo.com and Airfarewatchdog.com have weekly e-mail lists highlighting discounted and last-minute fares; if you're looking to get your France on, sign up.
When you're on the ground in Paris, you'll find another low-season benefit: far fewer crowds than during summer's crush. By traveling against the grain, you'll enjoy greater tranquility in Notre Dame, more elbow room at the Louvre. You'll be sharing the city with the locals: Better to queue up at the Centre Pompidou or Musée d'Orsay with field-tripping Parisian schoolkids than packaged tour groups cranky with jet lag.