Articles

Deals & Bookings

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

9 Ways You Can Save Money on Summer Travel in 2022

Hard truth: Even if you follow every money-saving tip I'm about to give you in this article, you're still likely to spend more on your 2022 summer vacation than you did in 2021—and…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

How Airbnb's Revamp Could End Up Doubling Your Vacation Costs

This week Airbnb announced what the vacation rental giant is calling its “biggest changes in a decade.” That’s not hyperbole. Alas, the changes don't involve reining in fees (we…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Are Avis and Hertz Fixing Rental Car Rates? Congress Is Demanding Answers

As excoriating letters from members of Congress go, these made little effort to soften accusations. "Hertz appears to have used its market position to raise prices substantially even…

Article / Cruise

What's Better for Alaska Cruises: Round-Trips or One-Way Voyages?

Cruise lines permit passengers on Alaska journeys to end their voyages in the state to continue touring. Should you—or should you get off where you began?

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

5 Ways to Ensure A Vacation Rental Meets Your Definition of Clean

Every vacation renter claims their units will be clean, but in reality, many of them cut corners. Here's how to make sure your Airbnb or home rental is sanitized to your own standards.

Article / Honeymoons

Pauline Frommer: How to Plan a Destination Wedding in 2022 and 2023

Pent-up demand, inflation, and shortages are affecting the pricing and availability of destination weddings. Here's what you need to know—and do.

Article / Passportable

In New York City, 50% Off Shows and Attractions, Plus Deep Winter Discounts on Hotels and Food

Deep winter means deep discounts in New York City. That was true pre-pandemic, but the number of deals has grown exponentially this year thanks to the city's proactive tourist…

Article / Passportable

Wasted, Away on a Floating Margaritaville: Buffett's Brand Announces a Cruise Ship

It's got a catchy melody, but if you listen closely to the lyric of "Margaritaville," it's clear that it's actually a song of woe—the tale of a man stuck in a tourist trap, getting…

Article / Slideshows

Odyssey of the Seas: Photo Tour of Royal Caribbean's Cruise Ship

Royal Caribbean is one of the most popular mass-market cruise brands in the world, but that doesn't mean the average customer fully understands its varying levels of custom-built…

Article / Money and Fees

That Tempting Travel Deal Could Be a Rip-Off. Tips for Spotting a Real Bargain

Promoted travel deals are often just marketing—and sometimes scams. Here's how to find the actual values.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

How Much More Expensive Is an Airbnb Than a Hotel Room? New Data

This time last year, I wrote a blog post about a survey that showed that a new winner had emerged in the long-standing battle between the hotel industry and Airbnb. Thanks to social…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Warning! Hertz Still Slapping Erroneous Fees on Innocent Customers, Paper Says

Hertz may have emerged from bankruptcy protection earlier this year, but for customers of the rental car company, warning lights are still flashing. The troubled brand that Vanity Fair…

Article / Passportable

Princess Cruises Expands Onboard Gambling—To the Entire Ship

According to the North American Foundation for Gambling Addiction Help, 2.6% of adult Americans, or about 10 million people, struggle with a gambling addiction. For them, a Princess…

Article / Passportable

New York City Puts Hotels, Shows, and Museums on Sale for October

Fall is normally New York City's most busy and expensive season, with hundreds of thousands of travelers descending on the city for business meetings, Broadway show weekends, the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Strategies for Finding Affordable Holiday Car Rentals in 2021

Although we're no longer seeing headlines blaring "Rental Car Apocalypse!", should holiday travelers still be worried about rental car prices? Sadly, yes. Rental cars remain in short…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Finding Affordable Holiday Airfare and Hotels in 2021

The holidays will be tricky this year, and I’m not just talking about potential gift shortages due to global supply chain issues. Travel patterns continue to shift. While there’s still…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

New CDC Warning: Avoid Cruising If You're Pregnant, Older, a Smoker, Overweight, and More

Last Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its guidance to reflect growing concern about the advisability of cruising. Previously, the CDC's…

Article / Slideshows

Pauline Frommer's First Music Festival Vacation—And Advice on Planning Your Own

I never thought I'd regret not owning any tie-dyed clothing. But who would have guessed that, well past the statistical midpoint of my life, I would become enamored of music festivals?…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is It Wise to Book Group Tours at This Time? Our Advice

Even in the best of times, group tours are tremendously complicated travel products. A tour company not only has to create an appealing itinerary. It must also arrange for all…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Hertz Accused of Slapping Fees on Innocent Customers: How to Protect Yourself

Tuesday's Los Angeles Times had a skin-crawling story about Hertz, the rental car giant that just emerged from bankruptcy last week. The article tells the tale of a family who picked…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Royal Caribbean Will Charge Unvaccinated Cruisers More And Bar Them From Some Activities

Update, July 1: What follows now applies to Celebrity Cruises as well as its sister line Royal Caribbean. Celebrity has announced that for sailings from Florida, passengers who fail to…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

How to Survive the USA's Crazy-Busy National Parks This Summer

America is entering a summer of pent-up travel energy following more than a year of homebound life. And as long as most international countries remain unready to fling open their doors…

Article / Passportable

Curacao To Give One Night Free After Every Three Booked—We Think

Last week, headlines trumpeted the news that hotels on Curaçao are giving visitors a big incentive to visit: four nights for the price of three. The deal, the equivalent of 25% off the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Travel Prices Will Rise Sharply in the Coming Weeks, Warns a New Report

I've always said that one of my main jobs as a travel writer is to make really stupid mistakes so I can warn my readers about what not to do. Glory be, I made one such mistake in early…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Will a Gasoline Shortage Kill Summer Road Trips? Advice From An Expert

Toilet paper shortages? That's so 2020. This year, sources have been warning about an issue that chills the blood quickly: not enough fuel at gas stations. "It's been a bit of a…