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Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The New Official National Parks Trip-Planning App Gets a Rave from Us

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has released a new official app—and it's exciting. After years of forcing users to track down current information at each individual unit's website…

Article / Passportable

Here Are the Countries with the Least and Most Expensive Plane and Train Travel

Thailand has the world's most affordable domestic transportation prices overall while Denmark has the most expensive, according to a newly released analysis of plane, train, and bus…

Article / Passportable

The Most Popular Dog Breeds in the World—Mapped

When I travel with my friend Rachel, which I do every other year or so, we come back with as many photos of dogs as we do pictures of monuments. Rachel, you see, is canine crazy, and…

Article / Hotels

5 Tips to Remember When You Pay for a Hotel Room

Hidden fees, complex cancellation policies, and incidental deposits are just some of the surprises that may show up on your hotel bill at checkout. Follow these five steps to avoid…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

U.S. Airlines and CDC to Begin Contact-Tracing Passengers

Last week, the internet was abuzz with rumors that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was about to introduce a testing requirement on domestic airline traffic. The scuttlebutt was…

Article / Passportable

Bar Tab: Map Shows the Cost of Beer Around the World

“Whoever drinks beer, he is quick to sleep; whoever sleeps long, does not sin; whoever does not sin, enters Heaven! Thus, let us drink beer!” That toast and its airtight logic come…

Article / Passportable

JetBlue Forbids Free Carry-Ons for Basic Fares, Drops Change Fees Elsewhere

JetBlue is adding an irksome catch to its cheapest category of plane tickets. Any customer who books a basic economy fare—dubbed "Blue Basic" by JetBlue—for travel after July 20 will…

Article / Passportable

Virgin Voyages Is Giving Away 1,000 Free Cruises

Before Covid hit—back in the Pleistocene era—huge excitement was building over the impending debut of the Virgin Group's first cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady, which promised to be a…

Article / Passportable

Finland Created a Kitchen Made Out of Ice—and It Works

As if a hotel built from more than 20,000 tons of ice and snow weren't impressive enough, the designers and igloo constructors of Lapland Hotels SnowVillage in northern Finland keep…

Article / Slideshows

Where to See Alaska Glaciers Without Taking a Cruise

If seeing a glacier up close is on your bucket list, Alaska is the place to do it. The state is filled with glaciers, but many tourists mistakenly believe they can only spot them from…

Article / Passportable

Alaska Opens Up: Visiting No Longer Requires a Negative Covid-19 Test

As of this week, travelers entering Alaska are no longer required to show proof of negative Covid-19 test results upon arrival. That was one of the provisions in the state's emergency…

Article / Passportable

Historic Queen Mary Is In Dire Straits As Operator Collapses

January 2021 kept people occupied with a few other news headlines, so you're forgiven if you missed this one: The company that operates the famous and irreplaceable Queen Mary filed…

Article / Passportable

Airline Waives Mask Rule for Passengers in First and Business Class

First class and business class flyers getting special perks is not news. But it's a shocking development when airlines decide to bend science in an effort to attract big…

Article / Slideshows

The 10 Most Fun Heritage Railways in America

The many heritage railways in the United States are museums of moving history—a reminder of the industrial age that shaped and continues to shape the country in profound ways. Often,…

Article / Passportable

Flash Sale: Two-For-One Tickets On Amtrak For Travel Through August

How does Amtrak celebrate Valentine's Day? Nope, it isn't painting train carriages bright pink or handing out chocolates on the Acela. Instead, the rail service is doing something even…

Article / Passportable

Go Inside Beijing's Forbidden City With Lush Images From This $995 Book

Beijing's imposing Forbidden City complex has been wowing travelers for centuries. Marco Polo called it the "greatest palace that ever was." Franz Kafka, who never visited China except…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Follow in Frances McDormand’s Tire Tracks at “Nomadland” Filming Locations

In some ways, Chloé Zhao's Nomadland follows the template of classic film westerns such as those made by John Ford: Individuals struggle for survival and find community against the…

Article / Passportable

Eiffel Tower in Paris to Be Painted a New Color for 2024 Olympics

Imagine how strange it would be if San Francisco decided to paint the Golden Gate Bridge lavender. Or if the Great Wall of China was redone in red shellac. A structure just as iconic…

Article / Passportable

See the World from Home with Amazing Travel Photographer of the Year Images

With travel curtailed since the start of the pandemic, the work of skilled photographers lets us explore the world vicariously and, just as important, reassures us that it's all still…

Article / Passportable

Listen to Live Radio from Around the World with This Melodious Website

There's no replacing travel when it comes to expanding your horizons. But after nearly a year at home, I'm finding small ways to make my world feel larger—it's kind of like being on…

Article / Passportable

1950s School Bus That Once Toured 200,000 Miles Revs Up for New Journey

A 1950s school bus that already racked up more than 200,000 miles on two continents decades ago is going back on the road. Josh Jackling and Carolyn McKenna spent three years…

Article / Air Travel

Your Guide to the Airlines' In-Flight Covid Safety Policies

From asking passengers to bring their own masks to blocking seat assignments, here's what the major airlines say they're doing to convince passengers it's safe to fly.

Article / Passportable

Yardi Gras! With Parades on Pause, New Orleans Decorates Homes Like Floats

In response to the pandemic, New Orleans has banned the following from the 2021 Mardi Gras celebrations in the days around Tuesday, February 16: parades, bars, to-go drinks, and large…

Article / Passportable

Four Men Eat Crate of Oranges at Chinese Airport to Avoid Excess Baggage Fee

How far would you go to get out of paying an extra fee at the airport? Whatever your answer, we're guessing it doesn't involve gobbling up nearly 70 pounds of produce in less than 30…

Article / Passportable

Going Maskless on Planes, Buses, or Trains Could Now Cost $1,500 or More

For most of 2020, airlines and other travel suppliers urgently told customers to wear masks. But if passengers were unwilling to comply, there wasn't much that could be done. The major…