Articles

Arthur Frommer Online

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Decisions, Decisions: Here Are Some That Will Confront You As You Plan Your Forthcoming Vacation Trip

In travel, there’s always an alternative to consider when you plan your next vacation.  Here are some of them:(1)  Cruises vs. all-inclusive resort hotels:…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Last Weekend's Street Demonstrations by a Million Parisians Have Served to Remind Us of Our High Regard for France and the French

Thomas Jefferson is supposed to have said (though some scholars deny he did) that “Every man has two countries--his own and France”.I thought of that famous…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Spend Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at a National Park: It's the First Free Entry Day of 2015

Not that the United States' National Parks are all that pricey to begin with. In fact, most don't charge entry fees and the most pricey—places like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Growing Strength of the U.S. Dollar May Turn 2015 Into a Halcyon Period for American Tourists

Although the remarkable recent rise in the value  of the U.S. Dollar has made headlines, hardly anyone has commented on the impact of that development on international…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Here's an Attempted Explanation for the Surging Popularity of River Cruises

The recemt and extraordinary popularity of river cruises--especially those of European rivers--is one of the great mysteries of travel.  River cruises have been…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Head to South Africa This Spring! Full Tours, Including Airfare from the US and Within Country, a Safari and More For Just $1499

Let me start by saying that we have no affiliation whatsoever with smarTours, the tour operator behind this deal. But when we get a press release that makes our jaws hit the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A New Monopoly on European Airport ATMs Means Lousy Exchange Rates for Travelers

I just had the pleasure of co-hosting our radio show with Samantha Brown, Travel Channel star par extraordinaire. (You can hear the podcast here). Whenever I chat with Samantha, I…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

In Sharp Contrast to the Thoughtless Acceptance of TripAdvisor in the U.S., the Europeans are Fining It Big Bucks for Allegedly Failing to Police the Posting of Fake Reviews

Five hundred thousand euros (or $610,000).  That's the fine recently levied on TripAdvisor.com by a regulatory commission in Italy. The famous website's violation? The…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hooray for Hyatt! Its End-of-the-Year Announcement is "Free Wi-Fi for All"

It's nice to end the year on some good news!Hyatt Hotels, that massive chain that now consists of 573 properties in 43 countries, will be offering free Wi–Fi to ALL guests…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Some End-of-the-Year Musings on Current Developments—And Bitter Controversies—in Travel

As we move into 2015, a number of important travel issues seem unresolved and the subject of fierce controversy. Since both travelers and legislators are being asked to resolve…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Bye-Bye, Economy! Delta Airlines Introduces Five New Classes of Seating

In 2013, Delta Airlines collected $1.67 billion dollars in so-called ancillary fees last year (mostly change fees and baggage fees), whupping its nearest competitor by almost $300…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is It Still Possible to Find Vacation Space at Christmas? In Certain Limited Instances, The Answer Seems to be Yes

Barbados: You could be here this Christmas"I know I should have planned this months ago, but I was just too busy at the time. But now, we simply, desperately, want…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

120 to the Dollar. That, Believe It or Not, is the Current Exchange Value of the Japanese Yen!

When the Japanese Yen fell to a rate of 100 to the dollar some months ago, one particular financial observer predicted it would eventually fall to a level of 125 to the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Point/Counterpoint: Pauline Frommer Gives Her Impressions of Colonial Williamsburg

I won’t lie: I was dragged, kicking and wailing, to Colonial Williamsburg. I thought the idea of spending Thanksgiving at the famed “living history museum” was a goofy one, and…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

We Visited an American Theme Park that Vanquishes Disney and Universal

Pauline and I, and our respective families, spent the Thanksgiving holidays at Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia.  And because CW doesn't enjoy anywhere near the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and All Those Travel Deals: Which Are Worthwhile (and Which Can Be Skipped)? We Have a Little List

According to the shopping experts who gab away on morning TV, TODAY will be the best day to shop if you're in the market for the usual gifts (sweaters, gadgets, toys, jewelry,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is Last Minute, Spontaneous Travel Now a Thing of the Past? Yes....And No

It’s been a good several years since the airlines offered regular last-minute deals. According to a study of 180 million ticket sales by the Airline Reporting Corporation (the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

A Severe Drop in the Value of the Japanese Currency Has Made That Country a Highly Desirable Low-Cost Destination for American Travelers

Several weeks ago, when the value of the Japanese Yen plummeted to a rate of 100 to the U.S. dollar, people in the travel industry awoke to the emergence of a new…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Winter Europe on $75 a Day per Person, Including Quality Accommodations and Three Tasty Meals

This coming winter, hundreds of thousands of Americans from the northeast or midwest will compete with one another for the few low-cost or moderately-priced condos or…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Et Tu JetBlue? Carrier Will Be Adding Bag Fees and Extra Seats to Cabins

Today, JetBlue released a bombshell-filled securities filing, one that will make investors happy but is going to take the swing out of the step of many travelers (this one included).…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Despite an Almost Universal Criticism of My Viewpoints About the Latest Trends in Cruising, I Remain Unmoved

If you are dismayed by the decision of cruiselines to place bumper cars and basketball courts on their top decks, does that make you an "elitist" or a spoil-sport?  If…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hilton and Marriott Announce Strict New Fees for Last–Minute Cancellations

Just as Cinderella had to high tail it home before the stroke of midnight, from January 1st on, travelers heading to a Hilton or a Marriott property will have to remember to…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

American Airlines Goes Its Own Way on Frequent Flyer Miles….For Now. And Travelers Should Be Grateful

Loyalty doesn’t always go both ways. That’s the sad truth that members of the frequent flyer programs for most of the major North American carriers found out this fall when two of…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Food, Travel and Marriage: Two Excellent New Memoirs Explore Journeys on the Silk Road and France

As a woman who was wooed and won by a man who laboured for three days preparing a lasagna — he made the pasta from scratch — I know, in a visceral way, that the connection…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hailo Shuts Down: How Taxi Drivers Sabotaged a Golden Opportunity and Handed Uber and Lyft the Keys

Taxi, New York City, 2013The cab-summoning app Hailo is dead.Yesterday, it suspended operations in North America, opting to concentrate its business in Europe and…