Articles

Jason Cochran

Article / Passportable

Virgin Voyages Offers Free Cruises for Young Adults Traveling with a Parent

Virgin Voyages made a splashy entrance into the cruise market a few years ago, but at the worst moment imaginable: The line's first cruise was originally scheduled for April 1,…

Article / Theme Park

Disney's Lightning Lane Passes Explained: These 10 Tips Will Save Money and Time

Disney's Lightning Lane service heaps extra expenses onto a visit, but many guests still feel like they need to submit. One thing is for sure: It's a waste of money if you use it the…

Article / Passportable

Orly Airport Just Opened a Cheap Direct Train Link to Central Paris

Every few months, it seems, another outfit releases a new list of the best and worst airports in the world, and a certain airport seems to be a perennial pariah. Paris' miserable…

Article / Passportable

Venice, Italy, Says the Entry Fee for Day Trippers Will Be Doubled

Update: November 8, 2024: There has been an update to this story. Click here to read it. The trial period for the controversial new entry fee for Venice Italy, is complete for 2024.For…

Article / Arts and Culture

Sphere Vegas: Our Review of The Sphere Experience—Best Seats, Savings Tips, More

Las Vegas' epic Sphere was built as a performance arena, but when nothing is onstage, tourists can visit The Sphere Experience. Here's what to expect and how to plan to see Sphere.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Cost of Visiting Universal Epic Universe Will Gut Your Bank Account—and Disney's

There's a famous event from the history of architecture that serves as a warning to companies that assume competitors could never catch up.In the late 1920s, the Empire State Building,…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Orlando's Visitor Toll Pass Saves You $20–$30 a Day. More Tourists Should Know About It.

Is Florida's Visitor Toll Pass legit? Yes! But it saves tourists so much money on tolls that the rental car companies would rather you didn't know about it. Here's how it works.

Article / Air Travel

How to Identify Flights Overhead and Ships at Sea for Free Using Your Smartphone

Free apps and tools let you identify the airplanes you see in the sky and the ships sailing in the ocean.

Article / Family & Kids

Disney World Rebrands Genie+/ FastPass, but It's Still a Miserable, Complex, and Costly Chore

In July 2024, Walt Disney World in Florida tweaks its overscubscribed beat-the-lines product yet again. To make it work, vacationers will have to plan even farther ahead and spend even…

Article / Passportable

Barcelona to Ban All Vacation Rentals by 2028

Although the announcement may seem surprising to outsiders, people familiar with Barcelona will recognize this has been a long time coming—and will likely be a harbinger of future…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Bags Stolen From Baggage Claim: The Airlines' Big Luggage Security Problem

Many travelers won't know or remember this, but there was a time when airline passengers had to to present a claim check in order to pick up their luggage after flights.Until the early…

Article / Passportable

The Real Reason Cruise Ship Cabin TVs Don't Carry the Big Networks

The minute you step aboard a cruise, you're entering a bubble. Your phone calls cease, your e-mails go unchecked, and day-to-day pressures can't reach you. A good cruise is like a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Online Passport Renewal is Back in the U.S.! Here's How to Get In On It

All right, Americans. Ready? This is online passport renewal, take two. The U.S. State Department today announced that it is once again accepting applications for online passport…

Article / Passportable

TSA Confirms Real ID Will Be Mandatory to Fly Starting May 7, 2025

This post was originally published in December 2022 and contains updated information.The deadline for all Americans to be using Real I.D., the strengthened identification format that…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

American Airlines Raises Bag Fees, Will Ban Some Booking Sites from Points Eligibility

This news post was updated with new information after its original publication.It's almost as if the corporations dominating our lives are determined to make back whatever they missed…

Article / National Parks

How to Get U.S. National Park Reservations if They're Sold Out

The most popular national parks in the United States now require advance reservations for entry in peak season, and those often book up months in advance. Here's how to get into a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The News Said Two Airlines Just Scrapped Change and Cancel Fees—but the Truth Is Messier

Something notable is happening at American airports. Something that only happens once in a blue moon.Airlines are changing their positions on fees. In recent days, two major U.S.…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Study Finds Gig Drivers Still Earn Less Than Minimum Wage. Is Using Uber and Lyft Ethical?

Corporations are squeezing Americans for more cash everywhere. We're all feeling it, especially at the grocery store and at the gas pump, even as the big companies in those industries…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

Taking Sand from the Beach as a Souvenir? That'll Be a €3000 Fine

The next time you're at a beach you love, fight the urge to celebrate the place by taking some of it with you. A single selfish tourist taking a small vial of sand would barely seem to…

Article / Road Trips

Why Your Phone's Navigation App May Be Useless for Driving Outside Your Home Country

You cannot rely on your smartphone from home to give you quick turn-by-turn driving directions in another country. Here's why, and here's how to get around it.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Opening Dates for Orlando's Big Summer 2024 Attractions—and Should You Care?

This year, it's as if the USA's most popular tourist destination is holding its breath. Most summers, Orlando's theme parks construct a new blockbuster ride or two to attract families…

Article / Family & Kids

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make on a Walt Disney World Vacation

Disney World vacations are full of pitfalls. Save money and avert discomfort by avoiding these basic planning mistakes.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Biden Creates His First National Park Unit: Amache in Colorado

Update: Amache officially became a Natonal Historic Site on February 15, 2024. Here is its official National Park unit page.Last Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the paperwork…

Article / Air Travel

10 Surprising Things That Could Trigger a Bag Search at the Airport

If you pack any of these items, don't be surprised if airport security agents ask to open your luggage for closer inspection.

Article / Arts and Culture

Warner Bros. Hollywood Debuts Historical TCM Classic Films Studio Tour

Stung by criticism, Warner Bros. launches a new tour of its Burbank studios that pays homage to the glory days of Hollywood. How different is the TCM Classic Films Tour from the…