Getting less for her buck was not going to stop fashion designer Jennifer McPherson from celebrating her 32nd birthday in France.

As the dollar hit record lows against the euro, she and her boyfriend booked a hotel and bought a plane ticket for a January weekend in Paris.

"It's fine as long as it feels like what you're spending is reasonable for what you're getting out of it," said Ms McPherson, who works for a Manhattan department store.

So far Americans have not let the sharp decline in the value of their currency stop their trips overseas. But if the greenback continues to slide, travel analysts say US vacationers, especially those on tight budgets, may eventually decide the added costs of leaving the country are more than they are willing to pay.

The US dollar's long-term decline has accelerated in recent months. In the past year, it has taken a steep nine per cent fall against a basket of major currencies. Most of that drop has happened in last few months.

"If the dollar remains weak when we go into the summer vacation planning season, which will start in March, it will be harder for travel companies, hotels and airlines to attract Americans to destinations abroad," said analyst Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Research in San Francisco.

Nearly eight in 10 travellers say they take trips for the shopping, dining and night life, according to Forrester Research. Because these activities require local currencies, they are where Americans stand to lose the most from a weak dollar.