Articles

Jason Cochran

Article / Passportable

The Prices for Disney's New Star Wars Hotel Are Out of This World

Disney’s groundbreaking Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel sounds like the coolest idea in hotels since pillows. Starting next spring, the new luxury hotel, which was recently…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

3 Ways Disney's New Paid FastPass System Is Problematic

Update, August 24, 2021: After this story was published, Disney expanded paid FastPass to its theme parks in the United States. For coverage, read Disney Officially Kills FastPass,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Scam Alert: Passport Processing Swindles Are Booming

We've been warning you about the immense backlog of passport applications facing the U.S. State Department—up to two million people are now reportedly waiting for processing. It…

Article / Passportable

Delta Air Lines Battles Call Wait Times by Easing Basic Economy Rules

If you've had to call an airline's customer service number in 2021, then you already know: Wait times are extreme. In fact, you might still be on hold right now. For a lot of messy…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

New Covid Testing Kits Can Be Packed and Used to Reenter the U.S.

The United States still requires everyone who enters to produce a negative Covid-19 test result that's no older than 72 hours. The rule applies even if you're vaccinated, and the…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

How Americans Can Obtain Proof of Vaccination for Travel

Your vaccination card might not be enough. Here's how to make sure you have the documentation you'll need to travel freely in other countries.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

As Disney World Strips Away Its Perks, What Will Replacing Them Cost You?

This week, it was confirmed that Disney Parks will receive a $580 million tax break from the state of Florida to relocate about 2,000 key workers from Southern California, where the…

Article / Passportable

Canada to Welcome Vaccinated Americans for Tourism Aug. 9: How It Will Work

The wait is finally over for Americans: Canada has named the date when you're allowed back in. Following months of controversy and midway through a lost summer tourist season, Canada…

Article / Outdoor & Adventure

Ireland's Just-Opened "Greenways" Could Transform How to Tour the Emerald Isle

Converting abandoned railbeds and towpaths into leafy off-road routes for walkers and cyclists, Ireland is creating a whole new way to explore the Emerald Isle.

Article / Passportable

Airport Express Lanes for Vaccinated Travelers Are Coming

As the door to pandemic-era international travel slowly creaks open, border control agents are facing a new procedural problem: If their governments enact differing entry rules for…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hertz Accused of Slapping Fees on Innocent Customers: How to Protect Yourself

Tuesday's Los Angeles Times had a skin-crawling story about Hertz, the rental car giant that just emerged from bankruptcy last week. The article tells the tale of a family who picked…

Article / Passportable

Unvaccinated? Royal Caribbean Will Make You Buy Travel Insurance

Royal Caribbean International has added another requirement for unvaccinated cruisers in Florida: They must have travel insurance. Starting August 1, guests who do not volunteer their…

Article / Passportable

TSA Is Training Fight Attendants to Take Down Unruly Passengers

Coffee, tea, or a clock-cleaning? That'll be the new menu aboard the major U.S. airlines soon. Following a spate of antisocial behavior by passengers, the Transportation Security…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

How to Survive the USA's Crazy-Busy National Parks This Summer

America is entering a summer of pent-up travel energy following more than a year of homebound life. And as long as most international countries remain unready to fling open their doors…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

ICYMI: These Big Names in Travel Couldn't Survive 2020 and 2021

We don't have to tell you that Covid-19 has changed the world. In fact, there's so much in our shifting lives that requires attention you might have missed word of the final chapters…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

This Summer, Travel Isn't Working Like It Used To, So Bring Your Patience

As a society, we're still coping with a once-in-a-century trauma—and several of us aren't handling the stress well. Some travelers are snapping, losing their marbles in the worst…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

If You Sail Royal Caribbean from Florida or Texas, Fellow Travelers Will Be Unvaccinated

In the run-up to restarting operations, Royal Caribbean International was one of the first cruise lines to assure customers that when services resumed, every adult on board would be…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Going to Disney Is Different Now. Someone Should Warn You About These 10 Things

The return of travel brings the return of reassuring old habits. Just as some people feel incomplete until they can root for their favorite baseball team in person again at their local…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Alaska Cruises Are Back! Congress Saves the 2021 Season and Trips Are Already on Sale

Vacationers had written off the 2021 cruise season in Alaska as another casualty of Covid-19. Canada, seeking to protect the health of its population, banned big cruise ships from…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Royal Caribbean Yanks Newest Ship from Haifa, but Will Politics Ruin a Florida Homecoming?

Americans who had hoped to spend some quality summer time aboard Royal Caribbean's newest megaship, Odyssey of the Seas, might now get their shot. In late winter, the cruise line…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Pandemic Forces a 19-Month Delay in Real ID Enforcement at Airports

Many notorious fibs have been told to modern travelers: High-speed rail is coming soon. Competition will make airline service better. Mergers will give travelers more choice. But among…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Another Mediterranean Destination Says It Will Subsidize Tourist Visits

Last year, the Italian island of Sicily announced that it was creating a fund to pay for half of vacationers' costs. It was a powerfully attractive promise, to be sure, but considering…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Why You Shouldn't Freak Out Over the U.S. Adding 116 Countries to the "Do Not Travel" List

Early this week, the U.S. State Department, as it often does, updated its list of travel advisories—and the resulting headlines sparked some consternation. On the surface, headlines…

Article / Slideshows

Which Galapagos Islands Are Best to Visit? Finding The Animals

Ecuador's Galápagos Islands comprise a national park unlike most others: To visit the majority of sites, you are required to be escorted by a pedigreed guide and travel by boat. This…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hawaii Set to Make Entry Easy for Vaccinated Visitors This Summer

As tortured and as controversial as Covid-19 safety measures have been across some parts of the United States, the rules for Hawaii have been even more intense—by necessity. From the…