Face it. You work ALOT, and in some caseses for too little. In place of booking a 3-day sunny shore getaway with your family, or a 7-day special first night with your new companion, book a month-long escape! River cruising offers front-row seating to a nation’s heartland and simple access to some of its most culturally rich settlements. Travel to European waterways for an old-world Christmas steeped in tradition, complete with medieval chapels, festive decorations and world-famous Christmas markets. Avalon Waterways posted a sale of $500 off for every lodge cabin for select Christmas travels — we like their 8-night Christmastime on the Danube voyage on board the 166-traveler Avalon Vista, setting out on Christmas Day in Prague and emulating the Danube along to Vienna for a New Year’s Eve occasion and firecracker powered finale (bargain deals close on August 13; discount rates from $2,097/person).