Articles

Miscellaneous

Article / Passportable

Your African Dream Trip Is Now Cheaper Than Ever

In the past six months, the value of the South African rand has tumbled some 40% against the U.S. dollar. In March, one greenback would get you a bit more than 11 rand. Today, you get…

Article / Passportable

Eat on Florence's Streets and You Could Be Fined $580

Lots of people choose to visit Italy because they respect the cuisine, but now, eating it with dignity is the law. On September 4, Florence instituted a new penalty for tourists who…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: The Biggest News is the Dominance of Tourism by the Chinese

Suddenly, the press that deals with travel is full of articles about the sudden rise of Chinese tourism. All over the world, Chinese citizens have become the largest source of…

Article / Passportable

WW2 Tower Converted to Vacation Rental in Channel Islands

During World War II, the Nazis occupied the Channel Islands, a string of isolated spots floating between England and France. Using forced labor, the Germans built concrete…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Exult in the Pleasures of Solo Travel with This Distinguished Book

It isn’t often that a newspaper reporter publishes a truly distinguished book about the sensations of solitary travel, the rewarding emotions you feel when abroad by yourself in a…

Article / Passportable

New, Heart-Stopping Bungee Catapult Launches in New Zealand

New Zealanders are like Elphaba in Wicked—they're obsessed with defying gravity. The world's first permanent commercial bungee operation was established by AJ Hackett Bungy (that's how…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

JetBlue Increases Baggage Fee, Leading Way for Copycats

It's like a cautionary fairy tale. There once was a fun-loving, egalitarian airline that wanted to revolutionize the industry. All seats were given personal TVs, there was only one…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Royal Caribbean's Private Beaches Make Second-Class Citizens of the Rest of Us

Most passengers on a Caribbean cruise are by now aware of the “private beaches” and “private islands” that cruise lines operate for the purpose of keeping you from contact with local…

Article / Passportable

New Street Murals Animate World Trade Center in New York City

Ever since the events of 9/11, New York City has faced the challenges of rebuilding the area around the Twin Towers as well as finding an appropriate aesthetic for the site—tasks that…

Article / Passportable

This Fall, See Rome, Venice, and Florence by Rail for Less Than $25

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…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

$999 for a Week in Vietnam, Including Air! Outstanding, Writes Arthur Frommer

To enjoy a travel miracle—a memorable tour to an exotic nation, for less than the cost of airfare alone—is to lend excitement to life. Several months ago, we described an awesome…

Article / Air Travel

Why Airlines Like to Annoy You with Credit Card Pitches—and Why It's About to Get Worse

A researcher has calculated how much money U.S. airlines are making from in-flight credit card sales pitches, and the number isn't good news for peace and quiet.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

“Crazy Rich Asians” May Feel a Lot Like Going to Singapore, Says Arthur Frommer

Let me be entirely frank. I greatly disliked the movie Crazy Rich Asians, which I recently saw.  I was so horrified by its fawning depiction of irresponsible wealth that I almost…

Article / Passportable

Real-Life Version of "Simpsons" Convenience Store Comes to Myrtle Beach

Fans of The Simpsons have a new place to satisfy their cravings for Buzz Cola, Squishee frozen drinks, Heat-Lamp Hot Dogs, and Lard Lad Donuts (what, no Duff beer?).A full-size,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Another New Fee, Courtesy of United Airlines

About five years ago, Saturday Night Live scored some laughs with a skit that parodied "priority boarding" announcements at the airport gate. A uniformed Tina Fey and Taran Killam…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: Remove Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior

The Secretary of the Interior of the United States is supposed to preserve and protect our national parks, national monuments, and public lands from commercial exploitation. He is…

Article / Passportable

Turkey Is Insanely Cheap for Travelers Right Now

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…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: Climate Change Is Jeopardizing the Travel Experience

Is climate change for real? And is it having an impact on the recreational travels we undertake? If you would put that question to relatives of mine living in England, they would…

Article / Passportable

In Late Autumn, Fly to Iceland for $99 Each Way

The following is in the nature of a “believe-it-or-not” category of travel. A scrappy budget airline of Iceland (the aptly named WOW Air) has just announced that for scattered…

Article / Money and Fees

Can We Talk About Those Ridiculous Game Show Vacation Prices?

When it comes to the cost of a vacation, the price is not right on TV game shows. 

Article / Passportable

Huge Projections and New Architecture Center Added to Chicago Riverwalk

The Chicago River has had about as strange a career as any waterway in North America, starting with its namesake city's decision in the late 19th century (enacted in the early years of…

Article / Passportable

Epic New Zealand Rail Line to Reopen After Quake

New Zealand's gorgeous Coastal Pacific rail service, which runs between Picton and Christchurch on the South Island's east coast, announced it will return on December 1. KiwiRail's…

Article / Passportable

Chill with Superheroes at Air-Conditioned Theme Park in Abu Dhabi

And you thought Orlando was sweltering. Temperatures in Abu Dhabi regularly top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) during much of the year, making an outdoor theme park in the…

Article / Passportable

National Comedy Museum Opens in New York State

Think of the word museum and you’ll probably think of old paintings. You might expect the sound of footsteps crossing a quiet gallery or guards standing watch over masterpieces. The…

Article / Slideshows

Travel in Style with These Great Gifts and Gadgets for Every Budget

We may pack our itineraries with exciting new places, but when it comes to packing our bags, most of us still travel the same way we have for years. It's time for a travel makeover.…