Articles

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Possibility of Public Disorder is Perhaps Another Problem of the Upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio

Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro. Photo credit: ru_boff/InstagramOn my own several trips to Rio de Janeiro (as a one-time tour operator, I offered charter flights there), I…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Why Are So Many People Acting Like Jerks in National Parks? A Radical Proposal to End the Selfishness

Did you hear about the "Tourist Bros" who reportedly have a warrant out for their arrest for trampling on fragile areas of Yellowstone?A vanity project called "High on Life…

Article / Passportable

Cambodia Regains its Train Lines

Photo credit: TrainCambodia.comOne of the many consequences of Pol Pot's genocidal 1970s regime in Cambodia was the loss of its railway system. The dictator wanted to bring his…

Article / Family & Kids

Which Are the Most Pet-Friendly U.S. Hotel Chains (And Which Ones Just Claim They Are)?

Lots of hotels say they'll let you stay with your dog—but at many, the price is steep and support is weak. But some American hotel companies truly do go the extra mile to welcome…

Article / Passportable

San Francisco-LA Sleeper "Bus" Debuts

This week, there's been a lot of press about the "Hyperloop" companies that are racing to create magnet-powered trains that will shuttle passengers at the speed of sound inside…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Travel to Cuba is Now in Full Swing, Available on Group Tours or Cruises at Outrageous Prices, But Affordably to Totally Independent Tourists

Photo credit: Ana/WikimediaSeveral months ago, when Carnival Cruises announced it would soon begin offering cruises to Cuba, it did so in the strangest way.  Instead…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Two New Websites Are Poised to Become the Airbnbs of RV Rentals

It was only a matter of time. Just as HomeAway.com and Airbnb.com dramatically changed the home rental industry, now two relatively new sites are transforming the ways people rent…

Article / Student

Malia Obama Brings Back the "Gap Year"—Here's Why Every Student Should Take One (and How)

What You and Your Teen Should Know About Planning a Successful—and Peripatetic—Gap Year

Article / Hotels

3 Alternatives to Miami Beach’s Party Hotels

Taking in all that’s new in Miami Beach can be exhausting. If you don’t want to deal with the hyped-up party scene or the impersonal service of a too-big resort, here are…

Article / Passportable

Airline to RFID-Track All Checked Bags

Nice to see a little of that crazy airline profit money poured back into something that benefits passengers: Delta has announced that by the end of the year, its new RFID luggage…

Article / Hotels

Why the U.K. Government is Looking More Closely at the Hotel Booking Sites

Hotels think the online booking sites create an unfair playing field, and now, some goverments are looking into the matter, too. Can guests benefit from the fight?

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

With Americans Caught Up in the Presidential Race, Travel May be Somewhat Reduced, Creating Unexpected Opportunities for Persons Determined to Travel

To the U.S. travel industry, now is the “election year curse”—a time when both domestic and international travel slow perceptibly. And this year, that sluggish trend has…

Article / Passportable

No More Stretching Out on Empty Flights?

This month, some newspapers and magazines published stories that proclaimed things like, "Lie-Flat Seats are Coming to Economy Class."It sounds like a dream come true, right?…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Not as a Hypothetical Prediction, But in Disturbing Reality, the Surviving Big Airlines of America are now Acting like Classic Monopolies

When, through mergers and acquisitions, the big airlines of America were reduced to four (Delta, United, American, and Southwest), such critics like me complained that…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

There Are, Sad to Say, a Number of Caribbean Locations Where Gay Couples Seeking a Pleasant Vacation Will Occasionally be Unsafe

Our nation has been increasingly tolerant of gay rights. Stirred by the words of Pope Francis, or by Supreme Court decisions, one state after another has accepted the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Recent Anti-Gay Action of the Legislatures of Mississippi and North Carolina Has Become a Travel Issue

Once, several years ago, I had occasion to meet the troubled daughter of a friend of my wife. I use the word "troubled" advisedly. She appeared anxious and often distraught, she…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Cheaper Trans-Atlantic Flights, Cheaper Hotel Rooms, Fewer Mexican Destinations

/>Acapulco, MexicoThough little-noticed, three recent news events have brought about important developments in travel.Cheaper Transatlantic…

Article / Passportable

Delta Drops Phone Booking Fee

Delta Air Lines has dropped one of its most onerous fees: the $25 it collects to allow you to make a booking by telephone. Now, people who do not book using the Web—because they…

Article / Passportable

Exploring South Walton, Florida

Drive for 26 miles in Florida and what will you see? If you’re by the shore, the vistas will likely be a daisy chain of beaches, hotels and strip malls. Especially strip malls.…

Article / Passportable

New App is Uber for Last-Minute Homestays

A new app has been launched that helps travelers find a last-minute place to crash.It's called Overnight, and to use it, you use it to post that you're in town and what…

Article / Hotels

Here's Why You Should Book Directly with a Hotel

To get the best deal, you should always surf the Web for the best hotel price, right? Well, no, not anymore. Hotels are increasingly trying to sweeten the pot if you agree to book a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Beware! A New Airfare Gotcha Penalizes Travelers on Multi-Stop Itineraries

TimDorr/FlickrThe majority of travelers buy non-refundable airfares for a simple reason: They're vastly less expensive than refundable fares. But those who try to book…

Article / Air Travel

A Passenger's Warning About Ryanair—And Three Things Every Ryanair Customer Must Know

An American traveler learns the hard way about why European airline Ryanair has such cheap fares—let her experience be your lesson.

Article / Passportable

River Cruising Comes to Southern Africa

River cruising is huge in Europe and growing in Asia, but there's one place it hasn't made deep inroads: Southern Africa.That may be about to change. CroisiEurope, the largest…

Article / Passportable

Congress Votes On Airline Seat Sizes

Descheboard/FlickrSorry, America: No space for you!The United States Senate has voted down an amendment that would have told the airlines that they are no longer permitted…