Tagged: vacations

There is Increasing Evidence that the River Cruise Industry has been Over-Built, and that Discounts are Now Widely Available from all the Usual Sources

Two years ago, the sudden popularity of European river cruises seemed to catch the entire travel industry by surprise.  River boats, and their itineraries, became totally sold…

New York City’s Latest Culinary Trend Is One That Your Mother—And Your Cardiologist—Will Approve Of

About five years ago came the parade of pork, in every form under the sun, the fattier the better. That trend was followed by the “Cronut” phenomenon: normally sane people getting up…

Which Frequent Flyer Program Is the Best for Actually Redeeming Miles? A Massive New Study Provides Some Answers

We have to give thanks to Consumer Reports, which has done the heavy lifting on this one, completing a study of some 70 million passenger in the last year has yielded important data…

Special Globe, A Superb New Website for Families with Children With Disabilities, Debuts

Travel was an important, and much beloved, part of Meghan Harris’ life growing up. Her father was a professor, and he used his sabbaticals to show his family the world.  Harris hoped…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

Sundays Replace Tuesday As the Day to Book Airfares, and More Savvy Advice From An Expert Source

You may have never heard of the Airline Reporting Corporation but you've likely purchased a ticket it has had its "virtual fringerprints" on it. That's because the ARC serves as…

A Tip on Digital Safety for Travelers: Always Look for the "S" in http. Here's Why

Identity theft is a growing problem, especially for travelers. That’s because criminals tend to congregate in hotel lobbies, cafes and other areas with free wifi, because they know…

Service Vacations Can Be an Educational and Character-Building Experience for Teens and Tweens

Add “community service” to reading, writing and arithmetic. It’s one of the requirements that many high schoolers must fulfill in order to get their diploma. But even those young…

A Primer on Travel Insurance: When You Need It (And When You Don't), Misconceptions About Coverage, and New Trends

If there’s one lesson travelers have learned this winter it’s that even the best-laid plans can go badly wrong. Thanks to a season of unrelenting storms some 1 million flights…

When's the Best Time to Book Airfares? A Major Search Engine Comes Out With Some Very Specific, And Helpful, Advice

It's one of the most asked questions in travel: When should I book my airline ticket? According to the mega-airline search site Kayak there's no one simple answer. Or perhaps I…

Approaching the Final Stop of the Frommer's Book Tour: Denver! We'll Be At the Oriental Theater on February 18 at 7pm

Its been a blast seeing the United States on this recent book tour. But all good things must come to an end and the end for the Frommer's 2014 book tour comes this upcoming Tuesday…

The Travel Ins and Outs Of Long Distance Relationships: A Conversation with Romance Expert Andrea Syrtash

According to the Center for the Study of Long Distance Relationships (yes, that’s a real organization), some 14 million Americans are involved with people who live a long way from…

Trends and Tips on Traveling with a Disability From Candy Harrington, The Top Expert in this Field

Between 14% and 21% of North Americans have some sort of disability.  In the bad old days, that would have meant a stay-at-home life. Not so anymore. I sat down and spoke with Candy…

Sky Dining: A New Study Looks At the Most—And Least—Healthy Airline Foods

It’s that time of year again! And if you’re like most of us, you’re likely going to make the resolution to shed a few pounds. But like the rest of the gang, that resolution could…

Southern (and Central) California Here We Come! The Frommers to Speak in Sacramento (January 16) and Los Angeles (January 18)

Yes, our  jaunt around the United States continues on thanks to Allianz Travel Insurance, our sponsor on this books tour!This week both Frommers will be hitting the road, to get…

Blowing Into the Windy City: Pauline Frommer to Speak in the Chicagoland Area on January 9 and 11

I'm excited--make that thrilled--to announce that the second leg of our book tour, celebrating the launch of the NEW Frommer guidebooks, will kick off in the Chicago area  on January…

Some Changes, Large and Small, That Will Confront Travelers in 2014

As the recession continues to fade (and that’s a “finger’s crossed” statement), travel companies of all stripes are coming out with new offerings. And more folks are hitting the…

Study Finds Remarkable Benefits For Educational Travel by Teens and Tweens

In 2000, Reid Bramblett, a writer and long-time scout leader in Pennsylvania, took 9 members of his Boy Scout troop to Europe for nearly a month (along with two other adults). One of…

Schussing Savings: No It’s NOT too Early To Book Your Winter Ski Trip

No white stuff: less green stuff—that’s the crude equation that rules the ski industry. It was a point driven home in the winter of 2011-2012, when snowfalls that were 50% lower than…

What’s the Best Vacation For Your “Stage of Life”? How Age Can—and Should—Affect Your Travel Plans

“Man is by nature a social animal”, wrote Aristotle. And though he wasn’t commenting on vacations, his observation certainly applies:  who one travels with can be as important to the…

Scrimp vs. Splurge: When Does Spending More Actually Improve a Vacation?

Several years ago, an author I’d hired to do a chapter in a guidebook returned it to me with a major tourist sight missing from the text. He explained that he’d left this particular…

The How-To's Of Getting Better Rest on the Road

Is it a vacation if you can’t sleep? That’s the question many travelers confront when they head off for much needed rest and relaxation, only to find themselves becoming more…