Articles

Trends & Hacks

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Oh No! My Tickets Fell Through the Cracks

Our reader books two airline tickets using frequent flier miles. But when she checks her reservation, she finds nothing. Can the airline retrieve it in time for her trip?

Article / Money and Fees

Top 10 Reasons Staycations Are a Lousy Idea

We know gas price are high. We know that food prices are high. But vacationing at home is an oxymoron and does a real disservice to the benefits you receive by getting the heck out of…

Article / Packing & Luggage

Maid on a Mission: 6 Secrets for Avoiding Housekeeping Headaches

The rush to clean rooms and communication gaps are creating dissatisfied hotel guests and exhausted hotel employees. You don't have to be angry.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Incidentally, Where's My $10

Because of a missed connection, our reader has to spring for socks and toiletries. After a promise to cover the cost, Frontier balks at a refund. What's going on?

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

6 Ways to Keep a Natural Disaster from Ruining Your Vacation

When a natural disaster strikes travel companies like to play the God card, unless everyone is looking. Here's how to navigate the dangerous and uncertain waters of a natural disaster.

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

9 Ideas for Travelers with Dietary Restrictions

Traveling with food allergies, intolerances, or other dietary restrictions, can be difficult if you don't plan ahead. Here are some simple ideas to make your next trip better.

Article / Hotels

Pauline Frommer's Spend Less, See More Tips for Home Exchanges

What you need to know to live like a local and save thousands of dollars on your next vacation.

Article / Cruise

Expert Advice: Are Cruises Really So Romantic?

What's romance on a cruise ship, really? Is it like the 'Love Boat' or is it all just gauzy marketing-speak? Frommer's resident cruise experts discuss.

Article / Cruise

Giving 7 Cruise Myths the Heave-Ho

Sometimes all the reticent cruiser really needs is a dose of the truth. Here are the cold hard facts behind some nagging cruise myths.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: They Didn't Leave the Light On

Our reader is offered a free room-night certificate as compensation for a bad stay at a Motel 6. But when she tries to redeem it, she's told it's no good. How do you get the hotel to…

Article / Miscellaneous

All Aboard: 5 Tips for Getting on the Plane Pronto

You'd assume that airlines want to get us on the plane as quickly as possible. But nothing could be further from the truth: Generally speaking, airline boarding procedures are as short…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Travel Health & Safety: The Deadly Dozen Travel Diseases

More than 60 million Americans leave the country each year, so it's statistically certain that a small percentage of them will fall ill while traveling. Here's how to arrive prepared.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Help! My Leg is Missing

When our flyer discovers part of her flight from Calgary to Rome is missing, British Airways claims 'extraordinary circumstances' and refuses to compensate her. Is she really out of…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Flying Sick? 4 Secrets for Surviving Your Trip

Why would anyone get on an aircraft while in the throes of a contagious, debilitating viral infection? Maybe the question should be: Why not?

Article / Cruise

Top 10 Reasons a Tahitian Cruise Is a Perfect Girls-Only Getaway

Traveling with the girls and leaving the spouse, boyfriend, kids and/or dog behind should be a god-given right ranking up there with freedom of speech and weekly pedicures.

Article / Cruise

The Schooner the Better: Exploring Coastal Maine

The schooners are back on Maine's coast, plying the waters of Penobscot Bay as they've done for more than two centuries: sail-powered, silent, and -- a plus this year -- almost…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: What Didn't Happen in Vegas

When the resort our reader is supposed to stay says its never heard of her, she's sent to a different hotel that's out in the boondocks. What is she owed for the reservations snafu?

Article / Local Experiences

10 Ways to Get Historical in Los Angeles

We know, we know: L.A.'s all about out with the old, in with the new. However, the city notorious for razing its history can actually be a great place for history buffs -- if they know…

Article / Miscellaneous

Five Things You Shouldn't Wear on a Plane

Not only are we heading into the warm summer months, when air travelers commit a majority of sartorial slip-ups, but the gap between what we should wear on a commercial flight, and…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: A Canceled Flight, But No Refund

Travelocity promised our flyer a refund when the airline stopped flying. But after countless calls and e-mails, there's still no sign of the money.

Article / Hotels

Tank Toppers: Hotels Lure Families with Free Gas

Wouldn't it be great if someone else paid for your trip to the pump? As luck would have it, more hotels than ever are luring guests with the promise of free gas.

Article / Hotels

Best Family Discounts at Major U.S. Hotel Chains

The challenging economic climate aside, there is good news for travelers this summer: Hotel chains are pulling out the stops to lure families. Here are some of the best perks offered…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: No Place to Park or Sleep

Our reader makes a reservation at an airport hotel through ParkSleepFly.com, but when she tries to check in, the hotel has never heard of her. Should she get a refund for the $180 she…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

Pauline Frommer's Spend Less, See More Tips for Traveling Green

In this series of monthly tips, you'll find some terrific ideas to help you get the most out of every trip. This time around, I share with you seven ways you can make your next journey…

Article / Miscellaneous

Airline Fees Take Off into the Stratosphere

This summer travel season is taking the fee frenzy to new heights -- levels that might even delay planes and increase air rage. Here are the ones you really have to look out for.