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Arthur Frommer Online

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

In Ways Large and Small, International Travel Has Become Easier/Harder in Recent Weeks

Here are several of the often-contradictory developments in recent travel news:In ParisA dramatic decline in tourism to Paris, currently down by more than…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Distinguished Magazine for Travel Agents Has Again Raised the Possibility of Renting a Cruise Ship Cabin on a Year-Round Basis

In recent weeks, a seven-day cruise of the Caribbean, leaving from Miami (and returning to Miami), has been selling for about $600 per person. That's for an inside cabin…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

From Apartment Rentals to Viewing the Olympics, the World of Travel is Full of Difficult Choices

Travel decisions: whether to seek an apartment in place of a hotel, or to visit the Rio Olympics instead of elsewhere, require serious study by an avid traveler.The…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Britain's Decision to Leave the European Union May Mean Short-Term Advantages for the American Tourist, But Long-Term Disadvantages

It is far too early to assess the impact that Brexit (the decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union) will have on the economy of the world.  Various…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Today's Eurail Pass: A Conversation on What Travelers Need to Know

The Eurail Pass is not new, but it’s still not as well known among first-time travelers to Europe as it should be. The pass, which has a number of different iterations, allows…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Britain's Exit from the European Union May Have Adverse Consequences for the American Tourist

It may be too early to determine exactly what impact Britain's exit from the European Union may have on us American tourists.  Certainly, it will take several months, according to…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

What Will Brexit Mean for Travelers? Some Counterpoints from Pauline Frommer

A dream died on June 23, the dream of a unified, peaceful Europe. After centuries of wars, it seemed like the European Union was going to finally forge a partnership between peoples…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

An Excess of Tourism Has Now Eliminated Much of the Appeal that the Medieval Cinque Terre Once Possessed

If you're like me, you have spoken to a great many friends on their eve of a trip to Italy, who have made a point of saying that they would include the "Cinque Terre" in…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

In Declaring War Against the "Online Travel Agents," The Major Hotel Chains Have Created a Mighty Reason for Always Going Direct to Those Hotels

The battle between America's large hotel chains and the so-called "Online Travel Agents," who attempt to place reservations at such chains, has now come into the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Airlines Have Been Working Hard to Overcome the Much-Publicized Problems at Airports Both Here and Abroad

If you've been disappointed by the failure of U.S. airlines to announce scheduled services to Cuba (now that Americans can freely go there), it hasn't been because of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A "Refurbishing" by Carnival Cruises of the Classic 'Queen Mary 2', Has Raised Danger Flags About a Possible Alteration of the Latter's Character

Sculpture aboard the Queen Mary 2, 2013When I first learned that the Queen Mary 2 was going into drydock for several weeks, for a "complete overhaul," a "retro-fitting of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Legality of Short-Term Apartment Rentals Remains Hotly Contested, But Numerous Additional Companies Have Now Begun Acting as Agents for Such Rentals

Source: FreeImages.com/miro_penevIn all of travel, there is no topic more puzzling and contradictory, more challenging and debatable, than the short-term rental of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Survey Performed by a Noted Analyst Shows a Sudden Increase in the Sales of Printed Travel Guides

Photo credit: Manfred Heyde via Wikimedia CommonsAs the co-publisher (with my daughter) of a series of printed guidebooks, it would not be appropriate for me to use this…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

There are Tentative Indications That a Slight Decrease in Tourism May be Currently in Progress, Opening Opportunities to Travelers Who Have Not Yet Made Their Plans

Photo credit: Carnival Cruise LinesIs the current travel season an especially slow one? Are there plenty of empty seats on both domestic and international flights? A…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Galapagos Islands, Which for Years Have Been Stigmatized as an Expensive Cruise Destination, Are Actually Visited Cheaply by Tourists Living in Budget-Priced Hotels and Visiting the Unique Wildlife by Short Ferry Rides

Photo credit: C. Dorobek/FlickrEver since the widespread popularity of cruising, the Galapagos Islands have been regarded as primarily a cruise destination to be visited…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Disney Is Opening a New "Magic Kingdom" in Shanghai, China, And from All Reports it's a Stunning Advance in Theme Park Design

Disney ParksChina itself is such a fascinating touristic destination that it really doesn't need another attraction. And yet that's exactly what it got this month, in the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Las Vegas Just Got Pricier. MGM Resorts Eliminates Free Parking At Its Sin City Properties

Gamblers know: in Las Vegas, the house always wins. Drivers now need to adopt the same mindset, because on June 1, one of Sin City’s most beloved traditions was trashed. Don’t…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Free Trip to Paris? Fantastique! Including a Stay in a Purpose-Built Apartment in the Actual Eiffel Tower? Mind-Blowing

They said it wouldn't last.The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World's Fair and was only supposed to stand for 20 years after that event. Truth is, many in Paris wanted it…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Hardships Encountered by Passengers at the Nation's Overcrowded Airports Are Because of Congress' Refusal to Properly Fund Amtrak

Photo credit: Jake McGuireWe are now in the full throes of the summer travel season, and the airports are jammed. I use the word "throes" advisedly. The dictionary defines…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Immense Increase in Chinese Tourism Creates Career Opportunities for Young Americans Willing to Learn Chinese

Photo credit: joebrandt/istockphoto.comAt a time when tourism is dramatically down to places like Turkey, Egypt, Belgium, Tunisia, and North Carolina, a favorable…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Reports: The TSA Speeds Up Lines By Allowing Shoes, Fully Packed Bags

For weeks, the news has been clogged with reports that airports were often seeing lines of as long as two hours for security clearance.According to independent reports on Twitter…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Decision by the President's Daughteer to Experience a "Gap Year" Before Entering Harvard Has Brought Immense Publicity to this Travel Option

When the President's older daughter, Malia, announced that she would experience a "gap year" before entering the freshman class of Harvard University, her decision…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

And Still They Come: Ever-Larger Cruise Ships to Displace the Smaller Vessels, Causing Grave Harm to the Once-Delightful Activity of Cruising

Photo Credit: Royal CaribbeanRecently, the travel trade press has been filled with headlines about the largest cruise ship ever built. It is the 5,500-passenger Harmony of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Why Are So Many People Acting Like Jerks in National Parks? A Radical Proposal to End the Selfishness

Did you hear about the "Tourist Bros" who reportedly have a warrant out for their arrest for trampling on fragile areas of Yellowstone?A vanity project called "High on Life…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Possibility of Public Disorder is Perhaps Another Problem of the Upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio

Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro. Photo credit: ru_boff/InstagramOn my own several trips to Rio de Janeiro (as a one-time tour operator, I offered charter flights there), I…