Articles

Arthur Frommer

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

From Apartment Rentals to Viewing the Olympics, the World of Travel is Full of Difficult Choices

Travel decisions: whether to seek an apartment in place of a hotel, or to visit the Rio Olympics instead of elsewhere, require serious study by an avid traveler.The…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Britain's Decision to Leave the European Union May Mean Short-Term Advantages for the American Tourist, But Long-Term Disadvantages

It is far too early to assess the impact that Brexit (the decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union) will have on the economy of the world.  Various…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

An Excess of Tourism Has Now Eliminated Much of the Appeal that the Medieval Cinque Terre Once Possessed

If you're like me, you have spoken to a great many friends on their eve of a trip to Italy, who have made a point of saying that they would include the "Cinque Terre" in…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Britain's Exit from the European Union May Have Adverse Consequences for the American Tourist

It may be too early to determine exactly what impact Britain's exit from the European Union may have on us American tourists.  Certainly, it will take several months, according to…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Airlines Have Been Working Hard to Overcome the Much-Publicized Problems at Airports Both Here and Abroad

If you've been disappointed by the failure of U.S. airlines to announce scheduled services to Cuba (now that Americans can freely go there), it hasn't been because of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

In Declaring War Against the "Online Travel Agents," The Major Hotel Chains Have Created a Mighty Reason for Always Going Direct to Those Hotels

The battle between America's large hotel chains and the so-called "Online Travel Agents," who attempt to place reservations at such chains, has now come into the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A "Refurbishing" by Carnival Cruises of the Classic 'Queen Mary 2', Has Raised Danger Flags About a Possible Alteration of the Latter's Character

Sculpture aboard the Queen Mary 2, 2013When I first learned that the Queen Mary 2 was going into drydock for several weeks, for a "complete overhaul," a "retro-fitting of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Legality of Short-Term Apartment Rentals Remains Hotly Contested, But Numerous Additional Companies Have Now Begun Acting as Agents for Such Rentals

Source: FreeImages.com/miro_penevIn all of travel, there is no topic more puzzling and contradictory, more challenging and debatable, than the short-term rental of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

There are Tentative Indications That a Slight Decrease in Tourism May be Currently in Progress, Opening Opportunities to Travelers Who Have Not Yet Made Their Plans

Photo credit: Carnival Cruise LinesIs the current travel season an especially slow one? Are there plenty of empty seats on both domestic and international flights? A…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Survey Performed by a Noted Analyst Shows a Sudden Increase in the Sales of Printed Travel Guides

Photo credit: Manfred Heyde via Wikimedia CommonsAs the co-publisher (with my daughter) of a series of printed guidebooks, it would not be appropriate for me to use this…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Disney Is Opening a New "Magic Kingdom" in Shanghai, China, And from All Reports it's a Stunning Advance in Theme Park Design

Disney ParksChina itself is such a fascinating touristic destination that it really doesn't need another attraction. And yet that's exactly what it got this month, in the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Galapagos Islands, Which for Years Have Been Stigmatized as an Expensive Cruise Destination, Are Actually Visited Cheaply by Tourists Living in Budget-Priced Hotels and Visiting the Unique Wildlife by Short Ferry Rides

Photo credit: C. Dorobek/FlickrEver since the widespread popularity of cruising, the Galapagos Islands have been regarded as primarily a cruise destination to be visited…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Hardships Encountered by Passengers at the Nation's Overcrowded Airports Are Because of Congress' Refusal to Properly Fund Amtrak

Photo credit: Jake McGuireWe are now in the full throes of the summer travel season, and the airports are jammed. I use the word "throes" advisedly. The dictionary defines…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Immense Increase in Chinese Tourism Creates Career Opportunities for Young Americans Willing to Learn Chinese

Photo credit: joebrandt/istockphoto.comAt a time when tourism is dramatically down to places like Turkey, Egypt, Belgium, Tunisia, and North Carolina, a favorable…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Decision by the President's Daughteer to Experience a "Gap Year" Before Entering Harvard Has Brought Immense Publicity to this Travel Option

When the President's older daughter, Malia, announced that she would experience a "gap year" before entering the freshman class of Harvard University, her decision…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

And Still They Come: Ever-Larger Cruise Ships to Displace the Smaller Vessels, Causing Grave Harm to the Once-Delightful Activity of Cruising

Photo Credit: Royal CaribbeanRecently, the travel trade press has been filled with headlines about the largest cruise ship ever built. It is the 5,500-passenger Harmony of…

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

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

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 / 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

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

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 / 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

Now More Than Ever, The American Traveler Will Find Additional Reasons for Scheduling a Stay in Belgium on their Next European Trip

Bruges, Belgium (Photo credit: Neilhooting/Flickr) The tragedy of terrorism in Brussels is what comes to mind, unfortunately, when we now think of the Belgian capital.…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is It Possible that a Remedy Has Been Discovered for Travelers' Diarrhea?

Quinn Dombrowski/FlickrMost of the physical ailments associated with travel (travelers' diarrhea, jet lag, and the like) have no known cure. Over the years, I've tried every…