Articles

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

We’re Proud Spain’s "Autonomous Region" of Catalonia has Chosen a Frommer Guidebook—Barcelona Day by Day—To Be a Contest Prize in Celebration of One of its National Holidays

St. George’s Day—he’s the guy who vanquished that dragon—is celebrated in various ways all over Europe, but in a very special fashion in Spain’s region of Catalonia.  Instead of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Are the Attractions of Costa Rica No More Desirable than Those in Other Central or South American Countries? Ecuador Says Yes

Is tourism to Costa Rica based on a hoax?  Is Costa Rica's leading touristic position among other nearby countries simply a product of public relations?  In an elaborate…

Article / Passportable

Royal Caribbean Limits Last-Minute Deals

Royal Caribbean has been enjoying a lot of publicity for the christening of its latest megaship, Anthem of the Seas, which is bound for service out of New York Harbor next year, but…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Reason Why Guidebooks to Some Countries or Cities Sell Better Than Guidebooks to Others, Is An Enduring Mystery of Travel

As a co-publisher of travel guidebooks, I have to participate in choosing, each year, the destinations--the countries, the cities--about  which we will be researching and…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

On the Eve of What Will Undoubtedly be a Record-Breaking Summer Travel Season, Here Are Some Europe-Related Observations

We are on the brink of the summer travel season, best known as the Summer of the Strong Dollar.  For the first time in many years, American vacationers are enjoying an…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Recent "Symbolic" Vote by the U.S. Senate, Selling Off Our Public Lands to Private Interests, Should Raise the Ire of Every American

If you are a normal, sensitive individual in love with your country's natural wonders and determined to preserve them for generations to come, then you will be…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Recent "Symbolic" Vote in the U.S. Senate, Transferring Our Public Lands to States (And Thus Eventually to Private Interests), Should Raise the Ire of Every Citizen

To be handed over to private business: America's National Forests (credit: Kaibab National Forest)If you are a normal, sensitive American in love with your country's…

Article / Passportable

When Airbnb Goes Wrong

We love Airbnb. We do. It has the power to transform the way travelers interact with local culture and make expensive destinations affordable. It also strips the power out of the…

Article / Passportable

Airfares to Asia Dropping Below Those to Europe In Many Cases, and From the East Coast, No Less

When is a sale not a sale? When it actually just reflects the going rates, but in a, well, louder fashion.That's seems to be the case with Emirate Airlines current "deal" to Kuala…

Article / Air Travel

Why Airlines Can Bump You—And What They Owe You in Return

Know your rights! Here's what you're owed when airlines bump you involuntarily—and how they might compensate you when you volunteer your seat.

Article / Cruise

Which cruise should I take: Celebrity or Princess?

What’s not to like about Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises? They both offer an elegant and tasteful experience and serve primarily couples, but also families…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Linger Longer in Madurai, India: This Often-Overlooked (By Americans, At Least) Tamil Nadu City Has Much to Offer

Visitors often complain that India is too chaotic. But is it chaos they’re experiencing or simply a far more complex way of life than they’re used to at home? India is, after all,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

How Exactly Do You Make a Trip to Cuba? Here's An Attempt to Explain a Several-Step Process

The recent loosening of restrictions on the right to travel to Cuba has permitted almost any American to go there.  You no longer have to apply to the Treasury…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Now That the Cost of Travel Within Europe Has Been Lowered Through the Decline In the Value of the Euro, Why Not Consider a Longer Trip There?

The sharp, recent decline in the value of the European currency, the Euro, has convinced a large number of Americans that they can now consider not simply a short,…

Article / Passportable

Elite Flyers Lose Access to TSA Pre

Today, American Airlines sent a warning to its AAdvantage frequent flyer club members: You've been downgraded.Said the airline, "The Transportation Security Administration…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Portrait of a Family Volunteer Vacation in Chennai, India

When Vani (not her real name) was five years old, her mother dropped her off to live at the SEAM Children’s Home in Chennai, India. Vani’s mother had remarried, and her new husband…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Fee Hikes May Be Coming to a National Park Near You

(Photo by NPCA Photos/Flickr)It's no secret that America's greatest treasures,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hey Yank, Want to Go to Cuba? You Can Now Get Travel Insurance and a Bed More Easily If You Go

And another piece—no, make that two—has fallen into place for Americans with a yen to visit the long-forbidden Cuba. Today, massive online lodging company AirBnB (it serves as a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is An Exotic Trip In Your Future? Here Are Some Important Health Precautions to Take in Advance of Travel

Heading to Quebec City? You can likely just hop on a plane or train without a second thought. But for other destinations—many parts of Asia, Africa, South and Central America and now…

Article / Cruise

Which cruise should I take: Western or Eastern Caribbean?

Looking at cruise brochures, it can be hard to differentiate between the various Caribbean itineraries. But once you know what you’re looking at, distinct differences emerge.…

Article / Passportable

DogVacay is now CatVacay, Too

There are no figures for this, but I wonder how many people decide they can't travel because they don't want to (or can't afford to) leave their animals behind. Kennels are expensive…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

After Germanwings: Are the Budget Airlines Less Safe than the Others?

On Thursday morning on ABC's The View, Michelle Collins, one of the show's revolving co-hosts, suggested that because the European cut-price airlines are tough on customers…

Article / Cruise

Which cruise should I take: Carnival or Norwegian?

These two cruise lines have a lot in common: huge ships that attract families with kids, as well as couples and singles. Their appeal boils down to plenty of choices and features like…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Don't Buy the Hype! $10 Flights to Europe Will Never Be a Reality, And Here's Why

Anyone who has ever been on Facebook knows what click bait is. That's when some website—it used to be one you'd never heard of, but now everyone's doing it—writes a sensational…

Article / Passportable

CityPASS Adds One City But Drops Another

In our estimation, CityPASS is one of the only multi-attraction tourist passes that's worth its salt. Countless ticket packages marketed to tourists have a very short lifespan—often,…