Frommer’s New Yellowstone Guidebook Captures an Ever-Changing Natural Wonder
Posted on 04/05/2023, 7:30 AM
In my almost 15 years of regularly visiting Yellowstone National Park, I’ve learned that change is the only constant in this dynamic place. Volatility is literally baked into the landscape. The Yellowstone hot spot—a plume of magma from the planet’s core that sits closer to the crust here than in most other places on Earth—fuels the earthquakes, geysers, and hot springs that continually reshape t...
Biden Names Two More National Monuments, Expands Marine Reserve
Posted on 03/29/2023, 7:15 AM
President Joe Biden has designated two more national monuments that are precious to the history, culture, and natural resources of the United States. Combined, the newly protected areas account for 514,000 acres of public lands. The first area to be classified as a new national monument is Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, which spans 506,814 acres in the southern tip of Nevada. The name choice is ...
Introducing a New London Guide for a New Era—Now on Sale!
Posted on 03/27/2023, 2:45 PM
Frommer's first guide to London came out in 1957. This week, a long tradition continues as our newest guidebook on the city is released. Out now in paperback and e-book and on sale at your favorite bookseller, this edition of Frommer's London looks nothing like any previous version we've published. The book still comes with the same award-winning travel advice about great hotels, restaurants, and t...
Need a Cheap Hotel? This Year, Hostels Have More Private Rooms Than Usual
Posted on 03/21/2023, 7:45 AM
Hostels, as every nomadic youth knows, are the tentpoles of budget travel, and Covid-19 failed to take them down. The coronavirus did, however, shake up how hostels apportion space—and that could be a secret to finding extra savings for travel this spring and summer. In 2020, when all of us were social distancing, so were hostel guests. The category of cheap lodging has always depended on multibe...
Passport Wait Times Have Skyrocketed for Expedited Renewals and Applications
Posted on 03/17/2023, 5:30 PM
Which is more fun: root canals or getting a passport application expedited? The answer, for now at least, is the root canal. Thanks to a confluence of problems from understaffing to a surge in travel after the Covid lockdowns, many people trying to get a new passport quickly are being told they might have to fly cross country to get their required in-person passport appointment. That is if they ...
Can a Hotel Front Desk or Cruise Hold Onto Your Passport?
Posted on 03/14/2023, 5:45 PM
The answer, in many places, is yes. Sometimes hotels may legally demand that you hand over your passport when you check in. "In some countries, hotels may be required under local law to retain copies of guests' passport information," a U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed with me. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take additional steps to protect your documents. The details of how yo...
If You Have Old Traveler's Checks Lying Around, Here's Why You Should Cash Them ASAP
Posted on 03/07/2023, 6:15 PM
For a long time, the standard advice about traveler's checks has been conditional: You can still buy them, but be prepared for them to be refused at many places. Traveler's checks hail from an era before ATMs, credit cards, prepaid debit cards, and digital wallets, when travelers had to bring large sums of money with them to pay for their adventures. The traveler's check enabled people to remain w...
Is the U.S. Government’s New Dashboard on Airline Family Seating Actually Useful?
Posted on 03/07/2023, 9:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Transportation has rolled out an update to its airline customer service dashboard, adding a new section focused on which airlines do and don’t guarantee the right of families to sit together without paying extra fees. It’s the latest chapter in a mounting pressure campaign by the Biden administration over what it deems “junk fees” and restrictive policies by airlines (and o...
As United Makes Family Seating Easier, What Are Other Airlines Doing?
Posted on 02/21/2023, 5:15 PM
Amid 2023’s busiest travel weekend so far, United Airlines announced it’s making changes to its policies and computer systems to make it easier for families to sit together. The changes will start rolling out right away for those booking a ticket with a child age 12 or younger, with full implementation expected by early March. As part of the upgrades, the Chicago-based carrier plans to debut a ne...
Peru’s Machu Picchu Reopens to Tourists—but Is It Safe to Go There?
Posted on 02/17/2023, 8:00 AM
Machu Picchu, the world-renowned Inca citadel in the Andes of southern Peru, reopened to tourists this week after a nearly monthlong closure due to antigovernment protests. Peruvian news agency Andina reports that the decision to resume operations at the site came as a result of agreements made by municipal authorities, social organizations, and the tourism industry to "ensure [the] safety of the...