Summer River Cruises in Europe May Now Present Problems, Says Arthur Frommer
Posted on 11/15/2018, 12:00 AM
Should you book a European river cruise that takes place in summer? Maybe not. Next summer’s cruise passengers are expected to encounter problems because of an unusually hot season in Europe. The result of that torrid weather has been low water levels in isolated parts of European rivers, requiring that cruise companies alter or even cancel itineraries. They cannot operate their ships wher...
Despite Heavy Financial Losses, Low-Cost Carriers to Europe Will Survive
Posted on 11/13/2018, 12:00 AM
Will low-cost transatlantic airlines continue to survive in the months ahead? That’s a big question currently asked by travel professionals. On its answer rest the hopes of many travelers that they may be able to enjoy a European vacation. The pessimistic response to this question has been stoked by recent airline failures. WOW Air of Iceland has recently canceled several of its cheap flights...
The Pittsburgh Steelers Are Getting a Roller Coaster
Posted on 10/23/2018, 6:00 PM
One of America's oldest amusement parks is teaming up with one of the NFL's most storied franchises. Kennywood, which originated as a "trolley park" around the turn of the 20th century and still operates classic rides from the 1920s, is constructing a new themed area dedicated entirely to the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose Heinz Field is about 12 miles west of Kennywood (just go up the snaking Monon...
Holiday Flights: Tips for Saving Money—and Actually Getting to Your Destination
Posted on 09/06/2018, 4:45 PM
There are few bigger problems, budget-wise, than having to buy a ticket to fly over the Thanksgiving or the Christmas/New Year's holidays. Prices are always at their peak, and discounts are nil. But tell that to your grandmother. Or to the other eager family members who insist you fly home for the holidays. So even though the fares are a killer then and the crowds at the airport will demolish w...
This Fall, See Rome, Venice, and Florence by Rail for Less Than $25
Posted on 08/24/2018, 12:00 AM
Traveling by train among Italy's three most popular tourist destinations can be extremely affordable this fall, provided you buy your tickets right now. European travel booking site GoEuro has joined forces with Italo Treno, an Italian rail service operator, to offer a fare from Rome to Venice to Florence or vice versa for just €19.80 (US$23) one way. That's an incredible bargain for seeing Ro...
Turkey Is Insanely Cheap for Travelers Right Now
Posted on 08/20/2018, 12:00 AM
Turkey's ongoing currency crisis, during which the Turkish lira has lost more than 40% of its value, is making a vacation in that country extremely affordable at the moment for travelers from places with stronger economies. As of this writing, one U.S. dollar equals 6.04 lira. According to USA Today, $1 got you 3.54 lira just one year ago. That means that American travelers can get a lot of bang...
Singapore Airlines Bringing Back the World's Longest Flight
Posted on 05/30/2018, 9:45 PM
Singapore Airlines has announced plans to resume nonstop service between the Asian city-state's Changi Airport (pictured above) and Newark Liberty International Airport just outside New York City—a flight that will cover more than 10,000 miles and last just under 19 hours, making it the world's longest. The carrier previously offered this route up until 2013, when it was decided that planes would...
How Bad Will Hurricane Season Be This Year?
Posted on 05/30/2018, 12:00 AM
Hurricane season officially starts Friday, June 1, but the first named storm of the year has already arrived. Subtropical depression Alberto made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Memorial Day and continues to bring the threat of heavy rains, wind gusts, and flash flooding as it moves through the Southeast. The Weather Channel predicts the storm could last through late Wednesday, as what rema...
Free Admission at Wisconsin State Parks on the First Weekend of June
Posted on 05/12/2018, 12:00 AM
Wisconsin is giving locals and visitors alike a good reason to experience the state's considerable outdoor charms on June 2-3. That weekend, admission will be free at all Wisconsin state parks, encompassing forests, hiking trails, lakes, bluffs, and beaches. You can hit the trails to see picturesque cascades at Copper Falls (pictured above) in the northern part of the state, survey the mighty M...
Longest-Ever Around-the-World Cruise to Set Sail in Summer 2019
Posted on 05/08/2018, 9:15 PM
If you've seen a map of the world, you've seen the itinerary for the latest offering from Viking Ocean Cruises: a truly epic, ridiculously expensive, globe-girdling voyage that will leave Greenwich, London on August 31, 2019, and return to the city from the other direction eight months later. That's 245 days in total, making this the longest continuous cruise ever undertaken. By the time the t...
Coming in May: UFO Fests in Oregon and New York State
Posted on 04/17/2018, 12:00 AM
The search for signs of intelligent life in the universe hasn't turned up much so far. Even here on earth intelligent life can seem awfully hard to come by. But judging from the many UFO festivals held across the country each year, there are evidently still plenty of those who believe the truth is out there. Among this spring's crop of events dedicated to alien abductions, government cover-ups...
D.C.’s African American Museum Tests a Change to Its Admissions Policy
Posted on 04/04/2018, 4:00 AM
The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. is trying out a new admissions practice this month. Each Wednesday in April, visitors can simply walk up to to the building on Constitution Avenue, get in line, and gain entry to the museum on a first-come, first-served basis, starting at 10am, when it opens. That might sound like standard museum-going procedure, bu...
Hotel on Skis Debuts in Finland for Northern Lights Viewing
Posted on 03/21/2018, 9:15 PM
A novel way of experiencing the Northern Lights has come to Finland. The new Aurora Wilderness Camp, located near the village of Kilpisjärvi, is comprised of three mobile cabins that have been mounted on skis so that they can be dragged into the remote reaches of the country's Lapland region. And because each unit has a glass roof, guests have a good chance of spotting the Northern Lights from t...
New Looks for Two of London's Most Important Art Museums
Posted on 02/22/2018, 11:15 PM
Fans of art and architecture already have a lot to keep them busy during stays in London—and with free admission at most of the top cultural institutions, the city's treasures are easy to access, too. But museum- and gallery-goers will have even longer to-do lists in the coming months, thanks to the reopening of two high-profile spaces—one a 250-year-old mainstay, the other an oft-reviled Brutali...
Italian Airline Now Offers Free Stopovers in Rome
Posted on 02/06/2018, 10:45 PM
Rome remains a destination that rarely lacks for tourists. In 2017, more than 14.5 million of them visited the Eternal City—a nickname that might as well refer to the wait times in line for the Vatican during summer. But even more travelers could soon begin queuing up for trips to the Italian capital thanks to a new initiative from state-owned national carrier Alitalia. From now until the end o...
Pop-Up Marriage License Office Opening at Vegas Airport for Valentine's Day
Posted on 01/22/2018, 4:00 PM
Around 80,000 couples get married in Las Vegas each year, and about 80% of them are tourists. For obvious reasons, the nuptials biz is especially brisk around Valentine's Day, when the Clark County clerk's office tends to issue twice as many marriage licenses as usual. This year, even more lovebirds are expected to tie the knot around the holiday because the Chinese New Year—considered an auspic...
U.S. State Department Travel Advisories: Where to Find Them, How to Read Them
In 2018, the U.S. State Department revamped its travel warnings to make them easier to understand. Here's how to find them and how to use them to plan a safe trip overseas.
Huge Nature-Themed Light Show Illuminates Winter Nights in Japan
Posted on 01/02/2018, 1:00 PM
Each winter at Japan's Nagashima Resort in the city of Kuwana, millions of LED lights are used to create ravishing nighttime nature scenes. Held in the gardens of the complex (which also has an amusement park and hot springs), the Nabana No Sato display has previously depicted Mount Fuji and the Northern Lights, among other wonders. For 2018, the focus is Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture. As CNN rep...
In January, Learn to Ski—for Less—in Michigan
Posted on 12/19/2017, 12:30 AM
It might surprise you to learn that Michigan has one of the highest concentrations of ski areas in the United States. There are around 40 places to hit the slopes in the state. According to the Detroit Free Press, only New York has more (take that, Colorado and Vermont). In January, 28 ski areas across the state are banding together to offer affordable introductory packages for downhill skiing...
Our Top Tips for Surviving Holiday Air Travel this Year
Posted on 12/13/2017, 2:45 PM
The airlines are expecting 51 million passengers to fly in United States in the final two weeks of December, a figure that’s up 3% from last year’s record number. Break it down and that means some 80,000 more passengers a day than fly during an average day during the rest of the year. If you will be among the masses, you'll want to carefully strategize. Here are our suggestions: Check in 2...
Paid Reservations Now Required to Visit California's Muir Woods
Posted on 11/30/2017, 12:00 AM
From Dubrovnik to Machu Picchu, popular tourist destinations around the world are devising new sign-up strategies to combat overcrowding caused by hordes of temporary visitors. The latest spot to add to the list, as Frommer's reported would happen back in 2015: Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley, California, north of San Francisco. Starting on January 16, 2018, each visitor who arrives...
