Articles

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Asked to Recommend a Batch of "New Destinations" for 2016, I Like to List Locations that Aren't Really "New" but Simply Under-Visited

Travel writers are often asked to name a few "new destinations" for vacationers who like to travel differently.  And dutifully, they respond by naming places of which you've…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Possible Surge of American Tourism to Iran Should Not be Prevented or Opposed, But the Realities of Iran Should Not be Overlooked Either

I can never quite enjoy myself in a totalitarian country.  Whether it be China or Myanmar, Franco's Spain or Castro's Cuba, I could never, in the past, quite rid myself of the…

Article / Food and Drink

How to Get a Reservation At the Most Popular Restaurants

Part of the joy of traveling is trying great restaurants—but what should you do if you're told there's no room for your party?

Article / Passportable

Watch: Hotel Guest Films Skin-Crawling Bedbug Infestation

Social media has clouded our heads with a lot of useless, anxiety-inducing information, but for the traveler, it has its uses.This week, a budget traveler in New York City decided…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Breaking News! The Frommer Travel Show is Now Live on Saturdays at 3 p.m. ET on WABC in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey & in the Rest of the Country at Noon ET Sundays!

We have an important announcement:  Starting immediately (namely, this coming Saturday), the Frommer Travel Show will now be carried live every Saturday at 3 p.m. on Radio Station…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Travel Memoir for Today: Gloria Steinem’s "My Life On the Road"

I never thought I’d use the words "Gloria Steinem" and "travel memoir" in the same sentence. Somehow the idea of one of the most important leaders of the 20th century couching her…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Are Cruise Ships Easy Targets for Terrorists?

There's no need to be complicated about this answer.Yes.This week, Disney Cruise Line announced that it will no longer stop in Greece, Turkey, or Malta on its upcoming…

Article / Passportable

Hilton's New Mandatory $50 Cancellation Fee

The giant Hilton hotel brand is piloting a new way to make life miserable for travelers: It has started charging $50 for cancellations, no matter when they're made.Under the new…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Though He May Not Have Planned It to Be a Travelogue, Michael Moore's New Documentary Film Contains Powerful Advice On How to Conduct a Tour of Europe

The new documentary film by the irrepressible Michael Moore, "Where to Invade Next", now playing at movie houses all over the nation, was obviously meant to convey a political…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The TSA May Now Deny You the Right to a Pat-Down

Until this month, anyone undergoing a TSA search at airports has had the right to bypass the "Advanced Imaging Technology" screening booths—the ones in which passengers hold their…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Peaceful at Last, The Important (and Easily Reached) South American Nation of Colombia is Finally Attracting the Tourism It Deserves

The recent making of a peace treaty (with amnesty provisions) between the government of Colombia and its longtime insurgent guerillas (a movement known as "FARC") has brought about…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Medellin, Colombia, A City Once Infamous for its Frequently-Violent Drug Battles, Has Become a Touristic Magnet Now that the "Narcos" Have Been Ousted From It

In a recent column, I wrote about the surprising emergence of the South American nation of Colombia as a hot new tourist destination  (and one that also has the fastest-growing…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

From A.F.: I, Too, Have Drawn Up a List of a Dozen New Year's Resolutions for Travel in 2016, Hopefully Meant to Maintain and Improve My Vacation Trips

Most of us make New Year's Resolutions to correct human failings in our daily activities.  I do something of the same, but limited to the times when I leave my home for a trip.  Here…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Pauline Frommer's Top (Travel) Resolutions for the Coming Year

It’s that time of year and let’s be real, those three inches padding my waistline aren’t coming off anytime soon. Instead of doing the usual “lose 10 pounds” resolution, my top 7…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Counting Down the Top 6 Travel Stories of 2015—And Looking Ahead to 2016

(Photo by Zach Dischner/Flickr)Unusually dramatic events and trends shaped the way we traveled in 2015 and should continue to impact our wanderings in 2016. Counting them down,…

Article / Passportable

Two New Passport Rules Elicit Anger

The U.S. State Department has changed the rules for passports in two ways.First, as of January 1, 2016, it will no longer allow you to add pages to your passport if you fill up…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Numerous Parts of the Travel Industry are Rapidly Being Dominated by Monopolies—and Relief Does Not Seem at Hand

It is slightly more than a year since final Justice Department approval of the merger between American Airlines and U.S. Airways, but most of the travel industry is still dazed and…

Article / Passportable

Snacks Are Back On United Airlines

Well here's some news that may put a smile on your face (just as it's moving your belt buckle an inch more towards your hips). United Airlines has announced that it will be bringing…

Article / Passportable

Coming Soon: Planes with Skylights?

In the never-ending quest to figure out new enticements to squeeze cash out of passengers, airline operators in a corner: There's not much space to add more stuff.According to The…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Some Pre-Christmas Musings About the Current State of Travel

The major news in travel continues to be the amazing strength of the U.S. dollar, which makes travel cheaper for the American tourist.  And that strength continues despite…

Article / Passportable

Manhattan's New Tourist Sight: Jerry Seinfeld

The modern tourist landscape New York City continues to co-opt some of Las Vegas' best ideas: In 2013, Billy Joel announced his once-a-month residency at Madison Square Garden,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Department of Transportation Is Getting Serious About Airlines Compensating Passengers for Damaged Luggage

If you think passengers are being treated disrespectfully by the airlines—what with ever shrinking seats and ever growing fees—consider what their luggage is going through. Recently,…

Article / Passportable

London's Black Taxis Will All Soon Accept Credit Cards

London's licensed cab drivers famously have a larger hippocampus (the part of the brain that's responsible for memory) than average folks. That's the result of two years of studying…

Article / Passportable

'70s Heartthrob is Now Upscale Cruise Director

If you were a North American teenager in the 1970s, you certainly remember Willie Aames. He became a teen magazine cover boy and Battle of the Network Stars fixture by appearing on…

Article / Passportable

Cyber Monday Travel Savings: A (Growing) List

Apparently tryptophan, the sleep-causing amino acid in turkey, also inspires wild bouts of shopping. How else to explain the mad rush after the holidays to empty Best Buy and…