Articles

Jason Cochran

Article / Slideshows

How Far in Advance Should I Book Flights?

Next to the tax code, there may be nothing more confusing than airfare. Dynamic pricing, capacity-controlled rate tiers, seasonal shifts—how is anyone supposed to know the best time to…

Article / Passportable

A Deadly End for the Yellowstone Daredevils

Two years ago, in the spring of 2016, a few young Canadians created an international scandal by treading into forbidden, protected areas of Yellowstone National Park and recording it…

Article / Slideshows

For These European Sights, You Should Reserve Tickets Ahead

Because travel has become so affordable, the world's favorite tourist attractions have never been more crowded. Some of them are so overrun that you could spend as many hours outside…

Article / Passportable

After 700 Years, Westminster Abbey Opens Secret Attic to Visitors

It took five years and $30.5 million (£22.9 million) to make it happen, but Westminster Abbey in London has just made a spectacular new addition to one of Europe's top tourist…

Article / Passportable

U.S. National Park Fees Leap Higher Overnight

When Americans woke up this morning (June 1), they discovered it would cost them a lot more to enter their national parks.Nearly all the major parks hiked their entry rates by a hefty…

Article / Passportable

Bad News for the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Pearl Harbor's world-famous memorial (pictured above) that straddles the submerged wreck of the USS Arizona has been closed indefinitely.The trouble began May 6, when cracks were…

Article / Air Travel

Avoid Extra Bag Fees with This Fiendishly Clever Packing Hack

You don't have to check a second bag. Here's a smart tip for when you've bought more souvenirs than you can fit in your luggage.

Article / Hotels

Can't Find a Cheap Hotel in Europe? Try the Ramadan Trick

For travelers who are not observant Muslims, it's a time of year that may yield surprising deals in non-Islamic vacation destinations.

Article / Passportable

Hello Kitty Bullet Train to Make Japan Even More Adorable

We're just going to leave this right here.On June 30, 2018, a brand-new bullet shinkansen service will make its debut in Japan: a Hello Kitty train. The Hello Kitty Express, as we're…

Article / Passportable

New Ferry Links Spain with Ireland, Thanks to Brexit

Something brand-new happened this month: A new ferry service between Ireland and Spain was inaugurated.Why? Because as the United Kingdom proceeds with Brexit, its half-baked plan to…

Article / Passportable

Thanks (and No Thanks) for the Memories, Bob Hope

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans—truly one of the best, most thorough, and well-funded historic museums in the United States, and deeply underrated—is adding a special…

Article / Passportable

Another Airline to Sell Transatlantic Fares from $200: What's the Deal?

You've heard of Norwegian, XL, and WOW—three low-cost, Europe-based airlines that have made their fame by selling affordable, no-nonsense transatlantic flights from the United…

Article / Passportable

Hugely Popular European Destination Bans Apartment Rentals

Between 2015 and 2017, illegal vacation rentals, fueled by services such as Airbnb, shot up 50%. As a consequence, rent for locals skyrocketed 40%.For a small Mediterranean island…

Article / Slideshows

Symphony of the Seas by Royal Caribbean: A Tour (and the Cheapest Cabins)

When the Symphony of the Seas was launched in the spring of 2018, it was billed as the largest cruise ship in the world. This was true—but only by a very small degree over the previous…

Article / Passportable

Priceline Ends "Name Your Own Price" Car Rentals

Yet another core offering of Priceline has been carved away.The website, which made itself famous beginning in 1997 as a place where travelers could place low bids for various products…

Article / Slideshows

Things to Do on Catalina Island, L.A.'s Island Getaway

Just about everything about Catalina is incongruous. Found 22 miles into the Pacific Ocean southwest of Los Angeles, this rugged isle is a bastion of laid-back calm within sight (on a…

Article / Passportable

Disney World Now Charges for Parking at Hotels, Decreasing Their Value

Update: Disney Parks finally rescinded fees for self-parking at Walt Disney World resorts in January 2023. Click here to read about that.It used to be one of the great courtesies of…

Article / Passportable

For Tourists, This Is the Last Straw!

Last call! More and more, you're going to have to go without drinking straws.Single-use plastic straws are distinctly unkind to wildlife. Fresh straws choke animals. Then each straw is…

Article / Hotels

Resort Fees Repel Foreign Visitors and Cheat People: They're Destructive for Us All

Americans despise resort fees. But in a shockingly short span of time, we became blasé about them. Appallingly, the people once renowned for feisty individualism and a testy spirit of…

Article / Local Experiences

A Walking Tour Into Los Angeles' Abandoned Speakeasy Tunnels

A walking tour company in Downtown Los Angeles brings visitors into long-forgotten tunnels once used for bootlegging under city streets.

Article / Slideshows

Look at How Different Shanghai Disneyland Is from Other Disney Parks

Shanghai Disneyland may be the sixth Disney resort to be built worldwide, but it's the first of its kind. For one, this resort, which opened in the summer of 2016, is in a size…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is It Safe to Vacation in Cape Town Once the Water Runs Out?

We have never been here before. A major world city is about to run out of fresh water.  On April 12, the drought-stricken city of Cape Town, on the southwestern tip of Africa, hits Day…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Why Wall Street Doesn't Want You to Have Cheap Airfare

It was a blip in the headlines last week, barely noticed amid a circus of political stories: United Airlines stock plunged 6%. At the same time, Delta dropped 5.4% and Southwest went…

Article / Passportable

The Travel Services That Close in a U.S. Government Shutdown

As the wheels of Washington threaten to grind to a halt yet again, another United States federal government shutdown is a concern. Travel, by and large, is considered a "non-essential"…

Article / Passportable

Now Flying: A Zip Line Over the Grand Canyon

A brand-new zip line has opened on a spur of the Grand Canyon, sending harnessed thrill seekers flying 1,000 feet over the earth.The Zip Line at Grand Canyon West near Peach Springs,…