Articles

Pauline Frommer

Article / Passportable

Another Job Posting for Beer-Loving Hikers: Visit National Parks for $50k

Looks like Michelob Ultra has decided to outmatch a job posting we saw a while back. In June, the artisanal Devils Backbone Brewing Company offered what sounded like a sweet deal. The…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Colleges and Universities Are Canceling Spring Break in 2021

No need to practice your keg stand or to save up for a bikini smaller than the dollar bills you'll use to buy it. Some six months in advance, universities are announcing that because…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is Now the Right Time to Buy Holiday Airfare? The Answer is a Qualified Yes

If this were a normal year, I’d be penning a post right now about getting ready to scoop up holiday airfares at the end of September or early October. Traditionally, that's the sweet…

Article / Slideshows

Expert Advice on Visiting Museums During the Pandemic

Just going to a museum now feels exotic…and potentially dangerous. To help culture fans navigate the new reality, I talked with the directors of major museums in Albuquerque , Seattle…

Article / Passportable

Farewell to New York City's Iconic Century 21 Department Store Chain

According to a study by the U.S. Travel Association, shopping was a top reason why people took 1.9 billion trips in the United States in 2019—second only to visiting relatives. As the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Beloved Tour Operator TrekAmerica Calls It Quits

It’s no secret that travel businesses are in trouble right now. Airlines are planning huge layoffs for the fall and a large percentage of hotels will likely never reopen. Now a major…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Try These Two Maps to Track Covid-19 Restrictions State-By-State in the USA

Each American state has its own approach to viral prevention, which makes traveling in the USA tricky. Many issues can complicate even a 20-minute, cross-border drive, including…

Article / Passportable

Are TSA Screenings About to Become Self-Serve?

Earlier this week, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released information about a pilot program the agency has been testing at Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

United Airlines to Drop Change Fees Permanently on Many Types of Flights

Not long ago, Frommer's listed the things we don't miss about pre-pandemic travel. Paying big fees for making changes to airline tickets ranked right up there with buffets and dirty…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Dominican Republic's New Plan for Bringing Back Tourism: Fewer Tests, Longer Stays

The tourism industry of the Dominican Republic has faced a downturn for far longer than most any other destination. The D.R.'s problems started long before Covid-19. In spring of 2019,…

Article / Passportable

Wolverines Return to Mount Rainier After More Than A Century

Last week the National Park Service made a surprising announcement: A wolverine mother with two kits (offspring) had been spotted several times in Washington State's Mount Rainier…

Article / Passportable

Win a Weekend Vacation in an RV, Plus $1,000 and Expenses

It's a sign of the times that a Wi-Fi delivery company is looking for an "anti-influencer" for a short term travel job. Web provider SatelliteInternet.com announced that it will pay…

Article / Passportable

Costa Rica Says It Will Only Accept American Visitors from Certain States

The rest of the world is well aware of the growing disparity in infection rates between states within the USA. This week, Costa Rica acted, proving it has been studying the situation…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Weather Expert Predicts New England's Fall Foliage Peaks for 2020

In Homer's Iliad, Thetis, the mother of Achilles, foretold two diametrically opposed fates for her son. He could either die young but achieve great glory in the process or live a long…

Article / Passportable

Huge Numbers of U.S. Hotels Could Soon Go Belly-Up

Before the pandemic, the hotel and lodging industry employed, both directly and indirectly, 8.3 million Americans, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA).…

Article / Slideshows

Great Art in the Great Outdoors: The USA's Finest Sculpture Parks

"Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist," wrote René Magritte, creator of some of the world’s most enigmatic paintings. He’s onto something. There is a space…

Article / Passportable

For Better Social Distancing, Amtrak Now Shows How Many Seats Have Been Sold

It's a start. Amtrak's booking engine (Amtrak.com) now lists the percentage of seats that have been sold for each departure. That means that before purchasing a ticket in coach class,…

Article / Passportable

Sign Up for Free Lessons in Outdoor Skills from L.L.Bean

Preppy outdoorsy clothing emporium L.L.Bean will hold free "Outdoor Discovery Programs" from August 14 through 30. The classes are being held in a number of East Coast locations such…

Article / Slideshows

Sausage Party! Which U.S. Region Serves the Best Hot Dog Variety?

Show me a hot dog with all the fixings, and I’ll tell you what part of the United States you’re in. Many regions of the country have distinct ways of dressing up their dogs, and to…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

What Are Your Chances of Catching Coronavirus on Planes? MIT Study Has Answers

Not long ago, a dear friend reached out to me for advice. His aunt was dying of cancer, and his mother wanted to fly across country to be at the deathbed. My friend was trying to…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

U.S. State Dept. Lifts Warning Against International Travel: So What?

Let us flag this moment. Today, the U.S. State Department announced that, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control, it was lifting its blanket travel warning against all…

Article / Passportable

Schmoozing United Airlines Gate Agents for Upgrades Is a Complete Waste of Time Now

Remember when travel articles weren't all about airborne pathogens and instead were full of advice like "dress nicely if you want to be upgraded to first class" or "bring a small gift…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Advice from an Airline Pilot About Flying Safely in 2020

Like me, my friend Andrea Eldridge, a pilot with a major airline, has been barraged by questions from family and friends about the wisdom of flying right now. In response, she posted a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Myriad Ways One Hotel Manager's Job Has Gotten Tougher Since Covid-19

August 3, 2020 Add hotel manager to the list of jobs that have gotten exponentially more arduous since March. Not only are hotels being tasked with keeping travelers safe under…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is This The World's Safest Airport in the Battle Against Coronavirus?

When I'm in Dubai International Airport (DXB), I'm impressed not only by the fact that it has camel's milk chocolate bars for sale—gamy, but tasty—but also by the of-the-moment design…