There’s always a good time to celebrate in Umbria

Passport processing times have once again returned to normal, pre-pandemic levels.

By American standards, the holiday season starts early in Europe… Halloween isn’t traditionally celebrated here, and Thanksgiving doesn’t exist, so Europeans start thinking ahead to December in mid-October.

New York City is practically synonymous with New Year’s Eve. The entire world watches and waits for the ball to drop in Times Square, while revelers at the crossroads of the world and across the boroughs celebrate the upcoming New Year. Plenty of restaurants far away from the chaos are also hosting celebrations for festive meals, toasts and a fun ambiance to ring in the 2024. Here’s where to celebrate:

USA TODAY’s 10Best announces Silver Dollar City’s An Old Time Christmas as America’s “Best Theme Park Holiday Event,” a sixth win for the internationally-awarded theme park. The announcement follows a four-week voting competition. Located in the heart of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, Silver Dollar City collected the most votes of all 20 nominees, including Disney and Universal, along with SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Legoland parks. Nominees are chosen by a panel of experts, including USA TODAY editors and theme park experts.

Get ready to unwrap your holiday spirit this festive season on Yas Island Abu Dhabi with an extravaganza of unparalleled entertainment, exclusive family-friendly packages and fun-tastic experiences for guests of all ages. This multi award winning destination, Winner of World’s Leading Theme Park Destination 2023 Yas Island also won awards for World’s Leading Theme Park 2023 - Ferrari World, Middle East’s Leading Water Park 2023 - Yas Waterworld and Middle East’s Leading Adventure Tourist Attraction 2023 - Clymb at this year’s World Travel Awards

What do you get when you cross two alums of the fine dining pantheon The Modern with the finest Italian seafood, creative cocktails and deep and esoteric wine list all in a gorgeously chic Soho setting? Say hello to Principe, which is fast becoming everyone's new favorite downtown destination.

More than 115 million travelers are expected to travel over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the second most in decades. 

Embark on a festive journey with The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts, where enchanting experiences await in Amsterdam's winter wonderland, Madrid's vibrant Christmas fiestas, Rome's artistic celebration, Phuket's Thai-European fusion market, and Bali's rich cultural feasts. Uncover the magic with these exclusive 'December Discovery' packages, blending luxury, local delights, and seasonal festivities. Check out these 5 great holiday escapes.

Tucked at the bottom end of the Riviera Maya, Tulum is Mexico’s “it” tropical vacation destination at the present time.

Long before she entered the tent as the elegantly erudite judge of The Great British Bake Off, Prue Leith was already enjoying a fascinating career: Born in Cape Town, South Africa, she studied at the Sorbonne in Paris before opening a Michelin-starred restaurant in London. Among her many, many roles in the decades since, she has written a dozen cookbooks and nearly as many novels, opened several culinary schools, and sat on the board of British Railways and Orient Express.

The holiday season is about to begin and one very pleasant way to increase the holiday cheer of your celebrations is with a creative cocktail. Whether you are indulging in an American gin with an abundance of botanicals or a special bottle of pisco from Chile, an interesting and tasty beverage is a terrific way to welcome guests and spur conversation. Below are six fun cocktails to show off your bartending skills.

With beautiful islands, Indigenous outposts, dense rainforests, cosmopolitan cities and two magnificent coasts to explore, Panama is somewhere to linger.