Tagged: costa-rica

Pauline Frommer's Chat with Samantha Brown, Host of 'Places to Love' on PBS

Earlier in the year, the Frommer's podcast featured an interview Pauline Frommer did with Samantha Brown, host of the PBS show Places to Love. What follows is a transcript of that…

The Best Beach Towns in Costa Rica

Updated November 19, 2024 The great thing about Costa Rica's beaches—other than the flour-soft sand and the top-notch surfing and snorkeling—is that many of the best coastal areas abut…

San Francisco's T2: America's Best New Airport Terminal?

A lot of hype has surrounded San Francisco's new $383 million Terminal 2, and rightly so. The 640,000-square-foot T2 is equally shared by American Airlines (www.aa.com) and Virgin…

4 Tips for Visiting the 4 Most Popular Latin America Destinations This Year

After being largely suppressed in 2020 and 2021, international travel surged last year, with airport traffic approaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels on some days. Overall,…

Tipping in Costa Rica: A Gratuities Guide for Hotels, Restaurants, and Tours

In Costa Rica, tips aren’t as large—or as expected—as they are in the United States and Mexico. In fact, Costa Ricans (otherwise known as Ticos) aren’t in the habit of automatically…

Arthur Frommer: Rejecting an Army Made Life in Costa Rica Better

Of all the documentary films recently shown in America, one has a special relevance to the world of travel. It is called A Bold Peace, and it deals with the Central American nation of…

Looking for a Classic Caribbean Vacation? Arthur Frommer Suggests Belize

Although nearly a million American cruise passengers enjoy momentary contact with Belize each year, the number of its actual tourists is only 250,000 persons, and the country is…

10 Travel Hotspots Where Nobody Went When Frommer Guides Began

Sixty-five years ago, when the Frommer guides were launched with the publication of Europe on 5 Dollars a Day, the world was a smaller place—at least for American travelers. Yes, we…

Are the Attractions of Costa Rica No More Desirable than Those in Other Central or South American Countries? Ecuador Says Yes

Is tourism to Costa Rica based on a hoax?  Is Costa Rica's leading touristic position among other nearby countries simply a product of public relations?  In an elaborate…

Travel Here, Not There: Why Choosing a "Secondary" Destination May Lead to a Better Vacation

There’s a reason tourists don’t flock to Akron, Ohio. And no, it’s not just because Goodyear decided to close its “World of Rubber Museum” in 2011. (The town’s only real tourist…

We've Told You Where to Go in 2014, But Which Destinations Were Most Searched in 2013? The Answers May Surprise You

Let me start this blog by stating that there's no evidence that the number of searches for a destination will translate into more visits for said destination. But it is a fascinating…

Four Vacation Packages and Cruises Lead the Travel Industry's Offerings for Departures in July of 2013

There was once a time when a bargain-hunter could point with excitement to packaged vacations costing less than a thousand dollars at the height of the summer season, like…

That's Ridiculous! Why Did My Ticket Refund Take Forever and a Day?

Gripes about lengthy refunds are not unique to the travel industry, or even to airlines. But if you want your money back for a ticket, you should probably be prepared for a long…

Slope Specs: Glacial Challenges at Early Season Favorite Les Diablerets

Les Diablerets (pronounced lay dee-AH-blur-ay) is part of a ski region that includes the linked villages of Villars and Gryon in Switzerland. Of the three, which are skiable on a…

Rocky Mountain Report: Resorts Install State-of-the-Art Lifts

Longer Gondola, Shorter Ride at KeystoneAt Keystone (tel. 877/753-9786 or 970/496-4500; http://keystone.snow.com), a new eight-passenger River Run gondola replaces the former…

Photo Slideshow: Hiking to Machu Picchu

Although the classic Inca Trail is already booked up through fall 2008, thankfully other ways to hike to Machu Picchu are still available. An Alternative Inca Trail Hike Although the…

Inside Secrets of Hotel Renovators

Lots of people want to stay in a new hotel, but nobody wants to get stuck in one that's renovating. Unfortunately, the two go hand in hand. On a recent trip to Charlotte, I ended up in…