Articles

Jason Cochran

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Need a Cheap Hotel? This Year, Hostels Have More Private Rooms Than Usual

Hostels, as every nomadic youth knows, are the tentpoles of budget travel, and Covid-19 failed to take them down. The coronavirus did, however, shake up how hostels apportion space—and…

Article / Passportable

New Starlux Airlines to Fly from the U.S. to Asia from $464 Each Way

Americans are about to enjoy the price competition that results when a new challenger enters a market. Starlux Airlines is coming to Los Angeles, and its arrival on the scene should…

Article / Passportable

Brazil Is About to Become More Difficult to Visit Because of a Backward Move

Petty diplomatic squabbling is about to end a travel perk that we barely had time to enjoy. On October 1, 2023, Brazil will bring back mandatory visas for tourists from the United…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Can a Hotel Front Desk or Cruise Hold Onto Your Passport?

The answer, in many places, is yes. Sometimes hotels may legally demand that you hand over your passport when you check in. "In some countries, hotels may be required under local law…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

If You Have Old Traveler's Checks Lying Around, Here's Why You Should Cash Them ASAP

For a long time, the standard advice about traveler's checks has been conditional: You can still buy them, but be prepared for them to be refused at many places. Traveler's checks hail…

Article / Slideshows

Eat Like a Local: The Best Cheap Food in Honolulu, Oahu

Want to impress Hawaiian locals? Tell them you went to one of these places on your own. Waikiki is full of crummy tourist grub and chain restaurants, but don't waste your time on…

Article / Arts and Culture

Where Iconic Designer Bob Mackie Travels for Inspiration

Bob Mackie has been hailed as the greatest costume designer who ever lived. But away from the stage, he travels to unplug and to find inspiring fabrics and works of art. Where does he…

Article / Passportable

The World's Busiest Cruise Port Has Been Dethroned

What cruise port would you say is the busiest in the world? Last Friday, a new winner claimed the heavyweight belt based on 2022 passenger data. It's not New York City. It's not…

Article / Air Travel

Economy Classic vs. Economy Delight: What Virgin Atlantic's Cryptic Seat Categories Mean

What do Virgin Atlantic's economy seat categories mean? Economy Classic or Economy Light or Economy Delight (Delight?!). The booking process is confusing about what you get, but we can…

Article / Slideshows

Universal's Super Nintendo World Changes the Game—In Both Delightful and Tricky Ways

Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood, which opened on February 17, 2023, is the most exquisitely designed section of a theme park in the United States. It's a clear leap…

Article / Passportable

Need a U.S. Passport in 2023? Wait Times Are Rising, so Here's What to Do

If you've been meaning to renew your passport or get a new one, you're not alone. The dysfunction of the past few years has created a backlog of travelers who, because they couldn't go…

Article / Slideshows

The Major Cheap Hotel Chains in Europe That Will Save Your Budget

Every American knows the big, affordable U.S. hotel brands in their own country: Hampton Inn, Best Western, Fairfield Inn, Motel 6, and others. But which brands do you look for when…

Article / Passportable

Pacific Surfliner Train Back on Track in California—with Free Disneyland Shuttle

A welcome update on a story we reported in October: The famed Pacific Surfliner, one of the most popular scenic rail routes in the United States, has reopened provisionally on one of…

Article / Passportable

Hong Kong to Give Away 500,000 Free Airline Tickets for Tourists: How to Enter

Hong Kong, one of the most fascinating and coolest cities on the planet, has had a rough time of things lately.The city, which was largely built by heady colonialism and international…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Should You Decline Prepaid Fuel When You Rent a Car? The Answer, Once and for All

When a rental car agent pressures you into prepurchasing gas, should you do it?

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Las Vegas Casinos Accused of Fixing Prices in 90% of Rooms on the Strip

Here's a budding lawsuit worth keeping your eye on.Casino operators that account for about 90% of the rooms on the Las Vegas Strip—Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International,…

Article / Slideshows

Would You Travel for Disneyland's Disney100 Promotion? A Look at What's On

Disney's U.S. parks are launching a new promotional period, Disney100, which marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Walt Disney's empire —and you're going to hear a lot about…

Article / Slideshows

The Best Cheap Hotels in London for 2024—Around £100 a Night

If there's one thing we understand at Frommer's, it's that for many travelers, being able to visit places affordably is the only way to visit them at all. In 1957, Frommer's burst upon…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

In 2023, Strikes Are Paralyzing European Travel

The strain of the pandemic has exposed so many of our current societal systems as being inadequate for the demands we now place upon them, and the world is reacting with discord and…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The World's Most On-Time Airlines and Airports in 2022

As it does every year, Cirium, a leading aviation analytics company, has crunched the numbers to come up with its On-Time Performance Review of global airlines. The annual report card…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Disney, Stung By Harsh Feedback, Backtracks on Parking Fees and Park Hopping

On Tuesday afternoon, Disney Parks did something it pretty much never does: It gave money back. At least a little bit. Without warning, the Florida resort backtracked and announced…

Article / Passportable

Act Fast for Two Deep Cruise Discounts: One for Singles, One for Companions

Cruise companies are unlocking deep discounts for the year ahead. Two big new promotions have surfaced today—one of them will be on offer until March 1st, but the other is available…

Article / Theme Park

4 Signs That Disney Parks Are in a Lot More Trouble Than People Think

The value of a Disney vacation is sliding fast, and the problems run so deep they won't be solved by the recent CEO swap.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Visiting Croatia Gets Much Easier as It Joins the Euro and Schengen Zone

This week, we have proof that if you live long enough, you can see miracles happen. If you were alive in the early 1990s, you probably remember the terrible wars that devastated…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hate Resort Fees? Want them Banned? Now's the Time to Tell the Government

Living in America today requires taking frequent emergency actions to avert the latest civic crisis, be it a high-stakes election, a GoFundMe for someone who slipped through the…