You are correct it seems that TAR has gone on the cheap, especially since season #7. I think it was you who remarked about how they went half way around the world and then went back.
GSN is currently running season #2 and tomorrow they will have the season #2 finale. In that one I beleive they go from New Zealand to Hawaii to Alaska to the finish in San Francisco. I've seen it before and know who wins and they had much tougher detours and roadblocks, which is missing from the later seasons.