Want a Valentine’s Day getaway, but have a pint-sized “third wheel” in tow? While three (or four or five) may be a crowd at most hotels around Valentine's Day, the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach is offering a package that makes an all-family Valentine’s Day seem like a great idea.

The 161-room hotel on the north side of San Diego is across the street from a public beach, has a pool, and is just a short shuttle ride from Legoland. Its Romance Package—which includes niceties such as an early check-in, sparkling wine or cider in your room and a late checkout on request—also packs some surprisingly kid-friendly value. It includes free breakfast for everyone (worth about $50) and a dinner option: steak or salmon, the trimmings and chocolate-covered-berries for $36 per adult, plus a free dinner for kids 12 or under, featuring kid-friendly cuisine with sundaes for dessert.

Package rates are advertised starting at $193 a night, but when we checked the weekend before Valentine’s, we found a double room for $183 a night. Regular rates start at $159 for the same night, so unless you skip breakfast, you will definitely save at least $25 with the romance package—a decent (if not spectacular) 12%. Even so, the deal is a nice value for this time of year, when Legoland crowds are at their thinnest (the San Diego Zoo and Sea World are about 30 minutes away, too).

Since Valentine’s Day falls on a school night this year, the deal also offers a lot of flexibility: the Valentine's menu offer is available through February and March, and the Romance package is good through August. You can book the offer through the specials page or mention the Romance package when calling 760/476-0800.

The holiday decorations may have come down at Disneyland, but the magic of 2012 has only just begun. It is officially low season at the Happiest Place on Earth, when you’ll find thinner crowds and the opportunity to actually trim your costs. 

The three hotels at Disneyland are offering a winter sale that cuts up to 35% off  stays for most nights during Janurary and February. At Paradise Pier, you can save 35% on stays of 3 or more nights, and 30% on stays of 1 to 2 nights. At the recently renovated Disneyland Hotel, and the arts-and-crafts-style Grand Californian Hotel, the three-night savings go up to 30%, while 1- or 2-night stays get you 20% off.

The only catch?  "Most nights” means weeknights, not weekends, and the discounted rates run higher during the winter-break week following Presidents Day. But the prices are still pretty tempting: At Paradise Pier, they start at a very reasonable $156 a night (then $189 a night during Presidents week); at the Disneyland Hotel, rates starts at $225 a night ($289 during Presidents week); and at the Grand Californian, rates start at $267 ($345 during Presidents week).

For contrast, we tested regular weekend rates at the Disneyland Hotel, and found a whopping $620 a night—more than twice as much as the weeknight deal. That’s a great excuse to come here with preschoolers during the week, or even let your school-age kids play hookey.

A bonus: when you book the winter deal, even for weekend stays, you get two Fastpasses for each person in your party. Even during “low season” at Disneyland, there will still be lines.)  Come during the week and you can also take advantage of the early-entry “Magic Mornings” on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

The winter deal with Fastpasses is good for stays through February 29. You must book your stay by February 18. There’s a limit of two rooms per reservation and five people maximum per room. You don’t need a code to book the deal online, and you can also call reservations at 714/520-5045.

If you're going to be flying over the Christmas week, you can connect with loved ones more easily thanks to Skype. The VOIP service is offering one free hour of wi-fi at over 50 US airports between December 21 and December 27. You can use Skype WiFi to make voice and video calls to computers for free and to landlines and mobile phones using Skype credit.

The offer is available in more than 50 major airports, including  JFK, LaGuardia and Newark in the New York City area, Boston's Logan Aiport, Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, Jackson Hole, and Miami. For a full list, see the interactive map.

'Tis the season for shopping and school concerts and holiday parties and frazzled nerves.  If the crazies have hit and you're dreaming about an escape, listen up:  Hilton Hotels is running The December Sale, which promises savings of up to 33% at participating Hilton properties around the globe when you book by New Year's Day and stay before January 8, 2012.

Turns out that "savings of up to 33%" doesn't mean you'll always be able to chop a third off your hotel bill. When we test-booked the offer at two family-friendly properties, we found actual savings hovering closer to 20%. At the Embassy Suites Washington D.C. at the Chevy Chase Pavilion, which boasts a location directly on the Metro Red Line, a two-bedroom suite runs $127 a night, which is a savings of 20% off the best available nightly rate of $159.  Want something warmer? Take a look at the Grand Vacation Suites at Sea World.  At that all-suite resort, we found December Sale nightly rates that were also 20% less than the best available rate: $119 for a one-bedroom suite and $199 for a two-bedroom suite (compared to best available rates of $149 and $249, respectively).    

As always, there's plenty of fine print. The rates are non-refundable, full payment is due at the time of booking, there's a seven-day advance purchase requirement, and blackout dates may apply. Book online or call 800/HILTONS.

Racking your brain for the perfect present for a special family? Consider giving the gift of travel.

We're giving away a $500 gift certificate for Tauck Bridges, the leader in guided family travel. Tauck is known for putting together inclusive, fun family vacations for every age to enjoy together in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Africa. Tauck Bridges family travel adventures are all about shared enrichment and inclusive value, meticulously planned and seamlessly orchestrated so all vacation plans and details are handled for you so your family enjoys ease of family travel.

To enter, visit our Facebook page. You can enter through December 17, 2011.

On your marks, get set, shop! While you're online today, take advantage of the great travel sales to land a great deal on a family vacation for 2012. Here's a round-up of great Cyber Monday sales:

• What's better in the Bahamas? Savings, for starters. Save $450 on an air-inclusive package when you visit Bahamas.com, select the resort of your choice and use the promo code CYBER450 to receive an instant savings on an air-and-hotel package. Travel must be completed by February 29, 2012.
• Frontier Airlines is slashing 10% off every airfare today. Use promo code CYBER10.
• Alaska Airlines is offering fares as low as $40 each way for travel December through February.
  
• Orbitz's weekend sale is still on, offering 50% savings at popular hotels in destinations such as Orlando, San Diego, New York, Miami and Hawaii.
• Marriott is holding a Cyber Monday sale for savings of 25% at select Florida resorts for stays through January 8, 2012.
  
• Shell Vacations Hospitality's Black Friday sale continues, promising up to 50% in savings at its 23 family resorts in the US, Canada and Mexico.
  
• DirectAir is having a BOGO sale through today: Buy one ticket, get one free! Good for airfare through September 2012.
• Funjet's weekend sale showcases the 10 best deals of the season, promising big savings on vacations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Las Vegas when you travel through February 6, 2012.
• In Southern California, save 35% through today at the plush Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.
• Like to ski? Liftopia.com's sale runs through today and offers up to 81% off lift ticket packages for your next ski vacation.
• Today between 9am and 9pm EST, there will be a new deal every three hours at Yuupon.com, with savings of up to 90% (no, that's not a typo) on vacations to destinations all over the world. Sign up for their e-mail alerts for an advance schedule of the sales.
• CheapCaribbean.com's Cyber Monday sale promises up to $100 per person in instant savings on trips to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Santa, baby, how about sticking a family vacation under the tree? We've rounded up a selection of great Black Friday travel sales that can help the big guy score a great deal.

• CheapCaribbean.com is offering discounts of up to $500 per person on Caribbean packages that include airfare. Sale ends Sunday.
• Orbitz is offering 50% savings at popular hotels in destinations such as Orlando, San Diego, New York, Miami and Hawaii. Sale runs through Monday.
  
• Shell Vacations Hospitality's Black Friday special lets you save 50% on vacations at its 23 family resorts in the US, Canada and Mexico.
  
• DirectAir is having a BOGO sale for Black Friday: Buy one ticket, get one free! Good for airfare through September 2012.
• Norwegian Cruise Line's sale includes a credit of up to $250 to spend on the ship.
• BookIt.com's Black Friday specials promise savings of up to 70% on vacations to Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean.
• Funjet's Black Friday weekend sale showcases the 10 best deals of the season, promising big savings on vacations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Las Vegas when you travel through February 6, 2012.
• Sterling Resorts is holding its annual blowout sale, with savings of up to 60% on condos at popular beach resorts along Florida's Gulf Coast.
• Heading off on a Disney vacation next year? Buy your souvenirs now at the Disney Store and save 50% on top of 20%! Use promo code THANKS.
• In Southern California, save 35% through Monday at the plush Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.
• Like to ski? Liftopia.com's sale runs through Monday and offers up to 81% off lift ticket packages for your next ski vacation.
• There will be a new deal every hour at Yuupon.com, with savings of up to 90% (no, that's not a typo) on vacations to destinations all over the world. Sign up for their e-mail alerts for an advance schedule of the hourly sales.

Not many San Diego hotels can lure travelers with the promise of playing in the snow, but the Hilton Garden Inn, north of the city in Carlsbad, is doing just that. With its Let It Snow package, the 161-room hotel, across the street from a state beach, bundles a hotel stay with two tickets to Legoland, just a few minutes away. Along with the theme park’s special holiday shows and almost nightly tree-lightings, there will be a snowman-building area, with real snow, through New Year’s. During the holiday season, the Hilton is also offering beach-winter perks, such as warm cider and cookies in the lobby and movies on the oceanfront lawn. The hotel also has a pool as well as an outdoor fireplace.

But does this snow really pack? The package rate starts at $244 a night and includes:

• one night lodging (regular rates start at $149)
• breakfast for one adult and one child (worth about $25)
  
• one adult's and one child's admission to Legoland (worth $134)
• free shuttle to and from Legoland (always free)
• free kids meals at lunch and dinner with adult meal purchases (worth about $20/day for two kids)
• plush toy and mittems for the kids
  

If you booked all the one-night components on your own, your total would come to $328—so this package delivers savings of about 25%.  Normally these kinds of deals have a slight sting: you get your one-time park tickets bundled in for a great deal on the first night, but if you stay two or three nights paying that same package rate, your savings melt like, well, snow in San Diego.

But Hilton is being more than fair: you can snap up additional nights for as little as $139 a night—as good or better than the regular rate. While you get only a pair of Legoland tickets, you can buy additional park tickets at a 10% discount ($61/adult and $55/child) and those tickets include free breakfast back at the hotel.

Deal or no deal? Let's hear it for snow days!

The package is good through January 2, 2012. You can book it online through the specials page, or clicking the Let It Snow box when you book. Or, mention the deal when calling 760/476-0800. One important note for scheduling: this time of year, Legoland is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with the exception of Thanksgiving week, Christmas week and New Year’s week.

Want to kick off the holiday season in style? From now until January 8, the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau is offering And to All a Free Night, a holiday promo promising up to 33% in savings.  Book a two- or three-night package at one of 10 participating hotels (some hotels require a total of four nights), and you get one free night, discounts at area restaurants and shops, as well as possible extras such as restaurant or spa credits,  personal shopper services or free transportation. Around town during Deecember, families can enjoy activities such as snow falls, horse drawn carriages, and Santa meet-and-greets.

While some of the hotels in the deal are very high-end, such as The Peninsula and the Montage Beverly Hills,  (rates start at $665 and $695 a night respectively), there are some more modest price points. For example, at the famed Beverly Hilton—home to the largest heated pool in Bev Hills—rates start at $285 a night. After the fourth free night is factored in, the average per-night rate drops to $214.

And here’s an added incentive to act fast: the first 200 guests to book the offer will receive a sparkly Helix Pendant by Swarovski Elements, inspired by the holiday crystal display decorating Rodeo Drive for the season. To book the offer, use the Beverly Hills specials page, and click on the particpating hotel, then click on the More Information button. Or mention the deal when calling individual hotels.

In my latest Ask the Expert column, a reader is looking for a great deal on a Disney Cruise. It turns out that she has great timing, thanks to a few new developments at Disney Cruise Line that make it a great time to snag a cruise for less in 2012. For starters, Disney Cruise Line has added several new home ports, which makes it easier (and cheaper) for millions of families to drive to the ship instead of having to fly. In addition, Disney has a couple of excellent special offers on the table for sailings in late 2011 and early 2012. For more information, see Ask the Family Travel Expert: 4 Ways to Save on a Disney Cruise.