Combine time of year and destination, and you'll go a long way towards determining the costs of your trip. Choose an expensive place at peak season and you'll face a much different budget challenge than visiting your chosen place at an economical time. Here are 12 destinations -- in alphabetical order -- that have special value during the fall.

Athens

Leave the heat and crowds for summer visitors; visit Athens in the fall, when prices fall along with the temperatures. The off-season discounts here are significant, especially on hotel rates. Summer visitors must book the best budget lodgings months in advance, but that is far less necessary in the fall, when innkeepers are concerned about filling those same rooms.More »

Boston

People love to visit New England during fall foliage season. Unfortunately, big crowds mean the highest prices of the year in many locales.But when the remainder of the region is collecting premium rates, Boston can be a good base for seeing foliage and many other attractions: The Freedom Trail, pennant fever at Fenway Park or fall cultural offerings at Boston's many colleges and universities.More »

Beijing

Winters in Beijing tend to be quite cold. Summers are hot, muggy and smoggy. Autumn is a great time to visit this busy world capital and the nearby Great Wall of China.More »

Berlin

Prices peak in Europe during the heavily touristed summer months. Winter cold discourages visits in places such as Berlin. In between, we have fall.Flights are cheaper and crowds are smaller. Hotels will be more likely to offer low room rates. If the cold rains of autumn descend during your visit, you can stay indoors and check out a few of Berlin's world-famous museums. There are enough of them to visit a different venue each day for six months.More »

Detroit

Unhappy with the prospect of paying top dollar to see New England foliage? Why not use Detroit as a base to explore brilliant fall colors in Michigan forests? Autumn is a great time to visit the Great Lakes. Go to one of the area's cider mills or enjoy hiking and fishing amid forests and lakes that are a short drive from Detroit.More »

East Frisia in Germany

Prices in Europe drop in the fall, but you can still pay quite a bit to visit northern countries. If you're looking for a place to depart from the crowds and save a little money, check out the northwest corner of Germany near the Dutch Border. East Frisia (Ostfriesland in German) is a cycling paradise, with kilometers of relatively flat trails and pastoral, unspoiled scenery you won't see in more industrialized areas of Germany.More »

Great Smoky Mountains

Fall colors in Tennessee and North Carolina are not nearly as spectacular as locations to the north, but leaves stay on the trees longer here. Great Smoky Mountain National Park, one of America's busiest natural tourist attractions, will be far less busy as the days shorten. Some hotels here close during winter, and the final weeks before closing offer great room rates.More »

Lincoln

Does Lincoln, Neb. belong on the same list with cities such as Beijing, Paris and Berlin? Any other time of year, probably not...but this is autumn, when you will find the unique pageantry that surrounds University of Nebraska football.Season tickets descend through families and become the focus of divorce settlements. Every game here has been a sellout since 1962, and tickets are sometimes tough to find. Beyond that, other expenses are manageable. You don't have to love Big Red to see this is among the best atmospheres in all of sports. Where else do home fans give the visiting team a standing ovation -- win or lose? After the game, eat a great Nebraska steak at prices well below what the same cut of meat costs on the coasts.More »

New Orleans

The cheapest season of the year to visit New Orleans is the fall. So long as you can avoid any tropical storm or hurricane threats, the weather is milder and more pleasant after Labor Day. Speaking of hurricanes, the destructive remains of Hurricane Katrina are still a major problem in this area. Voluntourists who combine sightseeing with some volunteer work are most appreciated.More »

Orlando

Once North America's children are back in school, lines shorten at Orlando's many attractions. That saves you money--because you spend less time waiting and more time enjoying a variety of experiences. From Labor Day until the winter crowds begin arriving after Thanksgiving, you can snag some excellent hotel deals in the Orlando area--and enjoy more comfortable weather. One potential snag: tropical storms and hurricanes can spoil your plans, especially in September and early October.More »

Paris

Romantics go to Paris in the springtime, but more visitors are there in summer than any other season. Rock-bottom deals are possible in winter, but many attractions that make the city famous are closed or less than enjoyable during that time. All things considered, autumn visits make a lot of sense. The weather is still warm for some pleasant walks along the city's famous boulevards or park trails, yet prices for hotels fall as innkeepers work to fill beds after the summer rush.More »

Seoul

The colorful brilliance of fall foliage in South Korea usually peaks in October, which is one good reason to visit Seoul at this time of year. Here are a few more: the summer heat has subsided, and the peak prices of mid-July are now just a memory. To save more money, try to time your visit to central Seoul for a weekend in the fall. Hotels cut rates in the absence of business clients.More »