Smallpox? Polio? Plague? Just reading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Travel page, with its list of some 60-odd diseases from African Sleeping Sickness to Yellow Fever may be enough to make you consider staying home.

Winter is hard upon us, and with it comes a season full of holiday traditions. While our own customs may not seem strange to us -- what's so weird about feasting on a giant bird while watching football games? Or parades of enormous balloons shaped like cartoon characters? -- others might beg to differ. We've scanned the globe to find ten unusual celebrations, both here and abroad.

Go somewhere spooky for Halloween

As Halloween approaches, it seems young and old alike get into the spirit of ghosts and spooky, supernatural happenings. At a number of historic hotels and resorts throughout the country, guests can enjoy not only a chance to get away from the daily grind, but possibly a brush with the unknown.

Many travelers don't think about foreign currency exchange until they arrive overseas and have to take a taxi to their hotel. A little planning can help you avoid getting overcharged -- although it's getting more and more difficult, as banks and credit card companies are upping their transaction fees for foreign currency purchases. Here are our best money-saving tips to avoid getting ripped off on your vacation.

In true tabloid fashion, AOL Travel went behind the scenes at Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pa. to ask: Who is this Elmo character? What's behind the furry red face that rules the hearts and minds of so many kids?