Stay in NYC for $100 a Night During Hotel Week

Tour packages, hotels, cruises, and train travel are all on sale this holiday season. Here's what you need to know. TOUR PACKAGES • Be on the lookout now thru Dec. 24 for the 12 Days of G sale by G Adventures. Check their website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed daily for new discounts on tours from all over the world and while you're there, enter to wiin a free trip for two to the Galápagos Islands. So far, they've offered 15 percent discounts on select tours to China, North America, East Africa, Patagonia, Australia, New Zealand, as well as 15 percent off several of their sailing and local living packages. Participating packages must be booked by Dec. 31, 2013 for travel by Sept. 30, 2014. • Contiki, a company that specializes in tours for 18-35-year-olds, is offering 15 percent off 15 of their European trips when you book now thru Dec. 31, 2013, and use promo code EUROPE15. Tours on sale include the following: European Discovery, European Highlights, European Horizon, Simply Italy, Italian Espresso, European Magic, Spanish Spree, European Whirl, Amsterdam to Barcelona, European Escapade, Eastern Road, European Experience, Mediterranean Highlights, Great Britain & Ireland, and European Inspiration, and range anywhere from 8-21 days. Be sure to check out their 31 Days of Contiki page daily for inspiring travel quotes, travel tips, and giveaways. TRAIN TRAVEL IN EUROPE • Rail Europe is offering two big year end specials to help travelers get around Europe this month. You can save 35 percent off all TGV train tickets when traveling with France and to and from Milan and Luxembourg—prices usually start around $66 before the discount is taken, so be sure to use promo code TGV35 when booking your tickets now thru Dec. 31, 2013. The Swiss Pass Free Day deal gives you five days of travel around Switzerland for the price of four with the purchase of a First Class 4-Day Swiss Pass. You'll get five consecutive days of unlimited travel on scenic routes like the Glacier Express, Wilhelm Tell Express, and Golden Pass Line, and have access to public transportation in 75 Swiss cities, complimentary admission to more than 470 museums, and save 50 percent off most mountain railways. Swiss Pass Free Day deal must be booked by Dec. 20, 2013 for travel thru Dec. 31, 2013. Passes start at $482. CRUISES • Cruisevoyant is celebrating the holidays with its 12 Days of Cruisemas sale and will be releasing a new cruise deal every day now thru Dec. 25—check the website daily for specials like a 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale for from $594 per person or a 15-day cruise to Hawaii and Mexico from San Francisco for from $1,099 per person. Specials may vary; based on availability. Check the website for more details about travel dates. • You can save up to $2,000 per stateroom and earn up to $100 worth of onboard spending with the Season of Savings sale by Princess Cruises, happening now thru Friday, Dec. 20. You'll save on more than 125 cruises to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Tahiti, and the Panama Canal—offers include a 4-day Western Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale from $249 per person and a 3-day cruise from L.A. to Ensenada, Mexico, for from $169 per person. Use promo code RXZ when booking this deal. Sale ends at 11:59 PST on Dec. 20, 2013. HOTELS • Book your Resort Holiday Getaway at one of several participating Marriott properties now thru Dec. 26 for travel thru Jan. 31, 2014, and you'll receive a $50 resort credit per night (up to $200 resort credit). Rooms at the following hotels start at $149 a night: Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina, JW Marriott Orlando Grand Lakes, Key Largo Bay Marriott Beach Resort, Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club, and Spa (pictured above), Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, Orlando World Center Marriott, Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld, The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa, Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa, and the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pampano Beach Resort & Spa. Visit marriott.com/resortholidaygetaway.com and enter promo code P91 when booking. Based on availability; room rate does not include taxes and fees. • You can save 15 percent off the best available rate at Aston Hotels & Resorts this holiday season thanks to the 12 Days of Aston sale happening now thru Dec. 23 at twelve of their properties. Sale prices include rooms in Hawaii at the Aston Waikiki Beachside Hotel from $89 a night, Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel from $123 a night, Aston at the Waikiki Banyan from $127 a night, Hotel Renew by Aston and the Aston Waikiki Sunset from $135 a night, and rooms at the Aston Waikiki Beach Tower from $382 a night; on Maui, rooms at the Aston Ka'anapali Shores are offered from $184 a night, while the Aston at The Whaler on Ka'anapali Beach has rooms from $221 a night; on Kauai, you can stay at the Aston Waimea Plantation Cottage for from $210 a night; on the Big Island of Hawaii, rooms at the Aston Waikoloa Colony Villas start at $178 a night; in Lake Tahoe, California, rooms at the Aston Lakeland Village Beach & Mountain Resort start at $93 a night; and in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada, the Aston MonteLago Village Resort has rooms from $85 a night. Book by Dec. 23, 2013 for travel by Mar. 31, 2014. Based on availability; prices quoted do not include taxes and fees. Call 866/774-2924 or visit astonhotels.com to book your stay. • Best Western is offering 20 percent off hotel prices when you book the internet-only rate on stays now thru Feb. 2, 2014. For an even better deal, register for the Best Western Rewards program to earn 1,000 bonus rewards points on stays prior to Feb. 2, 2013—elite level members will earn 500 more bonus points per stay, for a total of 1,500 points. For bookings now thru Jan. 5, 2014, Best Western will donate an additional 500 points for every elite stay to the Best Western For A Better World Charities. • Red Roof Inn properties around the country are offering 20 percent off the best available rate when you book your stay 10 days in advance. Please note that the Nicest Price deal is largely nonrefundable (a full advanced payment is required at the time of booking and no refunds or credits will be given for cancellations, no-shows, or changes with your reservation), but you can score some great deals by planning ahead of time. Choose the Nicest Price option when booking this deal online, or call 800/733-7663 to book your stay by phone.

If you're looking for a fun, affordable southern getaway, visit Savannah, where you'll find the perfect mix of southern hospitality, nightlife, and enough action to satisfy every food lover and history buff. Savor the tastes of SavannahAlthough things may have gotten a little controversial recently, Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons, is still one of Savannah's major attractions for foodies and fans alike—folks have been known to make reservations online up to a year in advance or else risk waiting in a line that wraps around its home at 102 West Congress Street. For a more traditional southern dining experience, try Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room at 107 West Jones Street, where you'll share a giant table and make new friends as you chow down on fried chicken and cornbread dressing, sweet potato soufflé, okra gumbo, corn muffins, and black-eyed peas. If you're still not full after all that, head to Leopold's Ice Cream, a Savannah legend that's been serving the sweet treat since 1919 (212 E. Broughton St). Check out the old fortsMake history interesting for your family by showing them around the places where it all happened. Fort Pulaski National Monument, located about 20 minutes from downtown Savannah, was pummeled by cannon fire during the Civil War and once served as a Union prison—spend some time exploring the tiny tunnels built into the hillside that let you pop up at different vantage points around the fort. Just 10 minutes from downtown Savannah, Old Fort Jackson sits along the Savannah River and is one of oldest standing brick structures on the east coast. If you have time to take a drive, Fort McAllister Historic Park is home to 4.3 miles of hiking and biking trails, Fort tours, and historical Civil War demonstrations 45-minutes south of Savannah on the shores of the Ogeechee River. Stroll around Savannah's great outdoorsSavannah is a great city to take a walk—you'll be met with scenic squares and picturesque scenery at almost every turn, so don't forget your camera! Movie buffs will want to visit Chippewa Square, where Forrest Gump told the story of his fascinating life while waiting for the bus. If you're a Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil fan, make a pilgrimage out to historic Bonaventure Cemetery 15 minutes from Savannah's downtown and pay a visit to poet Conrad Aiken, singer-songwriter Johnny Mercer, and several of Savannah's most famous residents. You can also visit the grave of Danny Lewis Hansford, whose death was popularized by the book, next door in Greenwich Cemetery—his gravestone is often covered in roses, cigarettes, cigars, coins, and sealed bottles of bourbon. Back in town, take a stroll or have a picnic in beautiful Forsyth Park, a gorgeous green space within the Historic District and easily accessible by Savannah's free DOT Express Shuttle. If you've brought your precious pup with you to Savannah, check out Oliver Bentleys Historic Dog Walk Tour, a tour led by the popular dog product company's mascot, Ollie B (and owner of course), that lets you and your furry friend "sniff out Savannah" and explore another, four-legged, side of the city ($20 for adults, $10 for children ages 9-17, children under 8 are free, limited to two leashed dogs per human). Take a ghost tour—if you're brave enough!Pick a ghost tour, any ghost tour. Savannah is rumored to be the most haunted city in the U.S. so naturally, there are plenty of options to go with—choose from the trolley-tour fun of Ghosts & Gravestones, gain some liquid courage during the Ghost City Pub Crawl by Ghost City Tours, or brave the streets at night while being led around town by your guide with Cobblestone Tours. Either way, you'll learn about the city's hauntings, tragic tales of unfortunate circumstances, and maybe even see a ghost or two. Anything can happen—you'd be surprised how much of the city was actually built on the remains of its former residents! Spend a day at the beach in Tybee IslandCraving some sun and sand? Tybee Island is only about a 20-minute drive from Savannah and is home to the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum, a 270-year-old site where you can visit historic buildings and see what it was really like to live on the property in 1732. The view from the top* is worth the $9 entrance price ($7 for children ages 6-17, seniors, and military members—free for Coast Guard members with a valid ID). If all else fails, find your perfect spot of sand and spend a day in the warm waves of Tybee Island Beach. Mark your calendars—Tybee Island Restaurant Week is happening Jan. 17-26, 2014, so don't miss this opportunity to sample some great seafood—The Crab Shack is offering great prix fixe options from $25. Stay in the heart of the city for lessBook your stay at the Best Western PLUS Savannah Historic District, located right along River Street, a five-minute walk from some of the city's best nightlife along the Riverfront, and across the street from Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos, a legend of the Savannah late-night entertainment scene. Rooms are priced from $79 and include complimentary continental breakfast. Park your car at the hotel for $12 and take advantage of the city's vibrant nightlife options—you can even get around for free via the DOT Express Shuttle, River Street Streetcar, or hop a free ride on the Savannah Belles Ferry to access the Riverfront area. *Please note the Tybee Island Lighthouse will be closed for painting thru Jan. 31, 2014, but the rest of the museum site is still open to the public at a discounted entry price.

Yup, cheap airfares and hotel rates make Las Vegas a perennially attainable indulgence. Once on the ground, the city rolls out entertainment, food, and drink 24/7 any day of the year. But in December, the desert oasis may shine brighter than ever, with a merry mix of grown-up, kid-friendly, and downright quirky holiday traditions. Here, some of our favorites. Las Vegas Great Santa Run. Vegas's answer to Pamplona's Running of the Bulls? The Great Santa Run, December 7, is a 5k that starts at the Third Street stage of Fremont Street Experience and features thousands of red-suited Santa wannabes. The ninth annual Great Santa Run will be marshaled by Shania Twain and will be competing with similar Santa runs in the U.K., Tasmania, and Japan for title of world's biggest "Santa challenge." Fremont Street Experience. On December 11, downtown will play host to the lighting of a 50-foot Christmas tree, adding to the glow of the city's Viva Vision canopy. A live musical revue, Country Christmas, will follow the lighting. Sunset Wonderland Holiday Festival. Sunset Park, southeast of the Strip, is home to a holiday festival through December 22, with ice skating, carriage rides around the lake, a Ferris wheel, and of course opportunities for kids to have their picture taken with Santa Claus. Sam's Town Hotel & Gambling Hall. This annual spectacle features more than a half-million Christmas lights, a laser show, and a snow shower in the desert! The Bellagio. This glitzy icon throws a holiday party like no other, with its famous fountains dancing to Christmas carols all month and its botanical gardens boasting an immense Christmas tree topped with a star that's eight feet tall.

Sure, you're well traveled. You've got pages of brag-worthy passport stamps and amazing true stories from the road. But Graham David Hughes, of Liverpool, U.K., has been to every country on the planet. And he did it without ever once boarding an airplane. Vicky Baker, writing recently in The Guardian, profiled Hughes and what he calls "the first surface journey to every nation on earth." Starting in Uruguay in January 2009 and finishing in Russia earlier this year, Hughes set the bar high: Not only did he not allow himself to fly, but he also ruled out driving, insisted on crossing only at official border points, and using public transportation whenever possible. His feat—covering 201 countries in 1,426 days—will likely be a Guinness World Record, though the Guinness judges faulted him for entering Russia illegally. (Hughes returned to Russia to get a new visa in hopes of having his world record approved.) Hughes documented his trip at theodysseyexpedition.com, and raised money for WaterAid. When Baker asked him for the highlight of his round-the-world jaunt, Hughes replied "Iran," praising that country for its friendly population and predicting that it would be a top tourist destination in the future.