The President’s Ban on Travel to Cuba is an Odious Denial of Rights
Posted on 06/17/2019, 6:00 AM
The President of the United States has, in effect, blocked most Americans from visiting Cuba. In a recent directive, he prohibited the most popular means of going there (the cruise ship) and also banned group tours following people-to-people itineraries. Astonishingly, there seems no widespread popular protest against this action. Even from the cruise lines. Where are the heads of Carnival, ...
Our Travel Podcasts: Travel Bans and Flight Plans
Posted on 06/11/2019, 12:00 AM
Each week, Frommer's brings you two fresh podcasts stuffed with travel tips, news, and inspiration. Recordings are made from our weekly call-in show on WABC-770AM in New York and our nationally syndicated radio program. Last week, the Trump Administration surprised Americans—and the travel industry—by banning all educational and cultural tours, known as "people-to-people" trips, as well as a...
London Airport Soon to Let You Keep Liquids and Laptops in Carry-Ons
Posted on 06/08/2019, 7:30 AM
If all goes as planned, travelers at London's Heathrow Airport will soon get to keep liquids and laptops in carry-on bags while passing through security checkpoints. The airport announced that it can make that change thanks to new 3D scanners equipped with high-tech CT technology to provide a clearer-than-ever picture of what, exactly, you've got in your hand luggage—no removal of makeup-packed ...
Here Are the Major Cruise Lines' Policies on Cuba Cancellations
Posted on 06/05/2019, 6:00 PM
Tens of thousands of people are holding tickets for cruises to Cuba that, in a snap of a finger, the Trump Administration has said they now can't use. Here are the cruise companies' current policies—verbatim—on what to do if you have booked a Cuba-bound cruise with them. Norwegian Cruise Line As you know, yesterday the United States government announced new and immediate travel restric...
Trump Administration Announces Bans on Cruises and Tours to Cuba
Posted on 06/04/2019, 3:00 PM
The other zapato has dropped. In April, White House National Security Advisor John Bolton announced that the Treasury Department would soon implement new regulations to restrict non-family travel to Cuba. But I don't think anyone expected the roll-out of those new regulations to be as abrupt, messy, or sweeping as the ones announced today turned out to be. On Tuesday afternoon, the Treasury De...
McEmbassy? Every Austrian McDonald’s Now Offering Travel Help for Americans
Posted on 05/17/2019, 3:00 PM
Thanks to a unique and, for those concerned about commerce meddling in government, somewhat unsettling partnership between McDonald's Austria and the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, all 194 of the fast food chain's outposts across Austria are now offering travel help for visiting Americans who need it. According to the embassy's announcement on Facebook, U.S. citizens who "find themselves in distress" wh...
Arthur Frommer: Are We Hypocrites to Visit the Statue of Liberty?
Posted on 04/24/2019, 9:00 AM
On an island in the waters off New York, is a giant statue inscribed with the immortal words of Emma Lazarus: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” It—the Statue of Liberty—is visited each year by three million American tourists who often weep when they read those words. In the months ahead, those same tourists, by their political inaction, will h...
Thanks a Lot, Instagram. Horseshoe Bend Now Has an Entry Fee
Posted on 04/22/2019, 7:00 PM
Many of the world's most beautiful places have become victims of their own Instagrammability, with hordes of selfie snappers causing congestion, safety concerns, and strains on infrastructure. As a result, officials at photogenic locales across the globe have introduced measures aimed at thinning crowds—or at least shifting some of the financial burden for upkeep onto tourists. The latest examp...
Travel Podcasts: Visas, Vietnam, and Tiger Travelers
Posted on 03/11/2019, 5:00 PM
Each week, Frommer's brings you two fresh podcasts stuffed with travel tips, news, and inspiration. Recordings are made from our weekly call-in show on WABC and our nationally syndicated radio program. First up this week, Frommer's editorial director Pauline Frommer describes her recent trip to Vietnam with World Spree—"by far, the best tour I've ever taken," she says. Cohost and Frommers.com ...
Will Americans Soon Need a Visa for Europe? What We Know So Far
Posted on 03/08/2019, 12:15 PM
The European Union has considered requiring a visa for tourists from the United States for some time. After all, the U.S. has required special authorization from visitors from European countries (and many other places) since 2010. Starting on January 1, 2021, Europe is returning the favor. All U.S. citizens will need an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) visa to visit...
Airline Ticketing Will Include Nonbinary Gender Option
Posted on 02/19/2019, 3:30 PM
The major U.S. airlines are changing their online ticketing sites so that passengers can identify gender with options other than male and female. According to the Associated Press, American, Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, and JetBlue are all working on introducing selections such as "undisclosed," "unspecified," or "Mx.," a non-gendered alternative to Mr. or Ms. Industry trade group Airlines...
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.
Venice Has Adopted the Ultimate Means for Reducing Crowds: Admission Fees
Posted on 01/29/2019, 12:00 AM
Just about everyone will agree that the worst current problem in travel is overtourism—the crowded conditions in the world’s most popular cities and destinations. In places like Barcelona, Dubrovnik, and the Cinque Terre, there are just too many visitors in high season, harming the pleasure of both residents and visitors. But though everyone will agree that overtourism is growing, due to th...
U.S. Tourism to Canada Again Embroiled in Controversy
Posted on 12/10/2018, 12:00 AM
Through all the decades of travel from the U.S. to Canada, our northern neighbor has occasionally presented us with touristic issues and arguments. Some 60 years ago, Canadian travel agents were accused of attracting prolonged visits by young American men as a means of their avoiding service in Vietnam. But now the entire Canadian nation is attracting modern-day American tourists for another reas...
Arthur Frommer: The Ban on Muslim Travel to the US is Counterproductive
Posted on 07/05/2018, 3:00 AM
Undoubtedly, the most significant recent development in travel was the Supreme Court’s approval, by a slender 5-to-4 margin, of Donald Trump’s ban against Muslim travel to the United States. All Americans should examine the validity of that ruling from the standpoint of economics, constitutionality, and national security. From an economic standpoint: The world’s population of Muslims amount...
New Zealand to Start Taxing Tourists
Posted on 06/20/2018, 5:30 AM
The price of a vacation in New Zealand is about to go up. The country's government has announced plans to charge a new tax on tourists, expected to go into effect in the middle of 2019. International visitors staying less than 12 months will be charged somewhere in the range of NZ$25–35 (US$17–24). Citizens of Australia and most Pacific Island Forum countries will be exempt from the fee. Acco...
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...
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...
Most Visited U.S. National Parks and Monuments in 2017
Posted on 03/05/2018, 10:45 PM
The National Park Service (NPS) has released its visitor numbers for 2017. A total of 330,882,751 people spent time at American national parks, monuments, and other sites deemed worthy of federal protection. As the NPS points out, that figure is only a smidge lower than the record-setting 330,971,689 visits the agency logged in 2016—the year of its highly touted 100th birthday. The Blue Ridge ...
Arthur Frommer: Make Sure To Check Your Passport Dates Before Travel
Posted on 02/14/2018, 7:00 PM
You are about to leave on an international trip, and you have carefully checked the contents of your suitcase, wallet or purse to make sure that everything—especially your passport—is there. And is the passport still valid? You glance at the page with that information, and seeing that all is well, you leave for the airport. You have done everything correctly, right? Wrong! Unbeknownst to...
Get Yours Now! Passport Fees are Going Up
Posted on 02/06/2018, 10:00 AM
The U.S. State Department has announced that prices for passports will inch up come April. For adults, the cost for a passport book will be $145. The fee for children 16 and younger will be $115. It's an increase of only $10, but that's on top of a fee that already was pretty steep—those who live in the United Kingdom pay roughly 30% less for their passports. Passport cards, which are used for ...
The Travel Services That Close in a U.S. Government Shutdown
Posted on 01/19/2018, 11:00 AM
As the wheels of Washington threaten to grind to a halt yet again, another United States federal government shutdown is a concern. Travel, by and large, is considered a "non-essential" function—and non-essential functions either dim or go dark. Generally speaking, here's what is not available during a federal government shutdown: Passport services (may be limited) Visa processing N...
