Articles

Trends & Hacks

Article / Air Travel

Where is Everybody? "Humanless” Customer Service is Dominating Travel. Can We Be Heard as Consumers?

Companies have been eliminating customer assistance and denying consumers help with increasing frequency, and now the problem is nearly ubiquitous. Why isn't this a national…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

American Airlines Raises Bag Fees, Will Ban Some Booking Sites from Points Eligibility

This news post was updated with new information after its original publication.It's almost as if the corporations dominating our lives are determined to make back whatever they missed…

Article / Passportable

Deal Alert: Hawaii Hotels Are Up to 30% Cheaper Than Normal Right Now

If you've ever wanted a vacation on Maui's famed Ka‘anapali Beach, this is the year to go. Occupancy and prices are down some 20–30% in the popular West Maui resort area, but those…

Article / Food and Drink

Flying With Wine: Packing and Legal Tips You Need to Know

Packing wine to fly? We asked an expert about customs laws, airline policies, and avoiding luggage disasters.

Article / National Parks

How to Get U.S. National Park Reservations if They're Sold Out

The most popular national parks in the United States now require advance reservations for entry in peak season, and those often book up months in advance. Here's how to get into a…

Article / Passportable

Hurricane Season Forecast: 2024 Could Get Most Storms Ever

This post, originally published April 22, has been updated with new information.The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is going to be a rough one, according to weather forecasters. For…

Article / Air Travel

5 Ways to Get Airport Lounge Access Even Though You're Flying Economy

So what if your airline ticket was the cheapest one you could find? There are still ways to get into the airport lounge.

Article / Passportable

Bike Tennessee with This Free Online Collection of Scenic Cycling Routes

Tennessee is making it easier to experience some of the state's best scenery and historic sites by bike. A partnership between the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and the…

Article / Local Experiences

The USA's Legal Recreational Weed States in 2024

24 states and counting . . . 

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The News Said Two Airlines Just Scrapped Change and Cancel Fees—but the Truth Is Messier

Something notable is happening at American airports. Something that only happens once in a blue moon.Airlines are changing their positions on fees. In recent days, two major U.S.…

Article / Outdoor & Adventure

How to Avoid Ticks While Hiking, Camping, or Otherwise Enjoying the Outdoors

Tick talk: tips for avoiding ticks in the outdoors, what to check after you come back inside, and how to remove a tick if you find one

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Study Finds Gig Drivers Still Earn Less Than Minimum Wage. Is Using Uber and Lyft Ethical?

Corporations are squeezing Americans for more cash everywhere. We're all feeling it, especially at the grocery store and at the gas pump, even as the big companies in those industries…

Article / Beach & Water Sports

Taking Sand from the Beach as a Souvenir? That'll Be a €3000 Fine

The next time you're at a beach you love, fight the urge to celebrate the place by taking some of it with you. A single selfish tourist taking a small vial of sand would barely seem to…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

The 10 Safest Countries in Africa to Visit in 2024

These 10 African countries have earned the safest rating from the U.S. State Department.

Article / Road Trips

Why Your Phone's Navigation App May Be Useless for Driving Outside Your Home Country

You cannot rely on your smartphone from home to give you quick turn-by-turn driving directions in another country. Here's why, and here's how to get around it.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Opening Dates for Orlando's Big Summer 2024 Attractions—and Should You Care?

This year, it's as if the USA's most popular tourist destination is holding its breath. Most summers, Orlando's theme parks construct a new blockbuster ride or two to attract families…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Car Rentals in Europe: Travelers Have to Watch Out for These Pitfalls

If you don't live in Europe, your assumptions about renting a car there may be wrong. Watch out for these classic mistakes when you rent a vehicle in Europe.

Article / Money and Fees

Countries That Use the US Dollar as Currency

You can fall back on your greenbacks in these countries that use the U.S. dollar as currency.

Article / Family & Kids

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make on a Walt Disney World Vacation

Disney World vacations are full of pitfalls. Save money and avert discomfort by avoiding these basic planning mistakes.

Article / Slideshows

Sun Princess Cruise Ship Review: What We Love—and What Needs Work

Sun Princess , the latest addition to the Princess Cruises fleet, is the line’s largest ship to date, weighing in at 177,882 gross tons and able to accommodate 4,300 passengers. By…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Biden Creates His First National Park Unit: Amache in Colorado

Update: Amache officially became a Natonal Historic Site on February 15, 2024. Here is its official National Park unit page.Last Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the paperwork…

Article / Passportable

USA's Most Endangered Historic Places Now Include L.A.'s Little Tokyo and Concord, Mass., Revolutionary Sites

The site of the American Revolution's "shot heard round the world," the hometown of author Zora Neale Hurston, a lighthouse in the middle of the Hudson River, a long-standing Japanese…

Article / Slideshows

What Is It Like to Fly French Bee? Our Airline Review

In the landscape of a vacation, air travel is just one small hill you need to climb before the real experience begins. That’s why I’ve always been a proponent of paying as little as…

Article / Air Travel

10 Surprising Things That Could Trigger a Bag Search at the Airport

If you pack any of these items, don't be surprised if airport security agents ask to open your luggage for closer inspection.

Article / Air Travel

DOT’s New Airline Refund Rules are a Godsend for Travelers

The Department of Transportation announced meaningful new rules last week. They couldn’t have come soon enough.