Articles

Money and Fees

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Las Vegas without Taxis or Ubers: Try These Free or Cheap Transit Methods

How to get around the Strip without hiring a driver: We braved the summer heat to tell you about Vegas' shuttles, trams, and other ways to move around town.

Article / Air Travel

The Fastest Way to Get from NYC to Boston? A Waterfront-to-Waterfront Seaplane

Traveling from Boston Harbor to Manhattan's East River by amphibious aircraft is fast, fun—and expensive.

Article / Cruise

Free Cruises for Casino Lovers: How Gamblers Get Invited to Cruise for Free

In casino lingo, a "whale" is a high roller—and whales can sail on the major cruise lines for next to nothing. How to win an invitation to their little-known subculture

Article / Air Travel

How We Helped to End Family Seating Fees, the Worst Airline Junk Fee Ever

For more than ten years, airlines have charged families with young kids to sit together. It’s finally going to stop. Here's how we made change happen.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

U.S. Forbids Airlines from Charging Families to Sit Together

There's been another big win for consumers at the U.S. airports. On Thursday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that it has proposed a rule that forbids commercial…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

How to Apply for a U.S. Passport or Visa

Here's everything you need to get an American passport or a passport card: the rules, fees, instructions, photos, forms, and directions.

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

How to Get a Copy of Your Birth Certificate for Travel

Birth certificates are crucial for obtaining essential identification for travel. Do you know where your birth certificate is?

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Southwest Airlines to End Open Seating, So Why Fly It At All? There's Still One Reason

Social media is so infected with liars and bad actors that we can't trust it even to tell us the sky is blue anymore. But the minute Southwest Airlines announced that, after some 50…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

DOT Secretary Forcefully Reminds U.S. Airline Passengers of Their New Refund Rights

Some airlines are still struggling to reboot their service in the wake of last weekend's cataclysmic CloudStrike software shutdown. On Monday, Delta Air Lines was still limping its way…

Article / Passportable

Virgin Voyages Offers Free Cruises for Young Adults Traveling with a Parent

Virgin Voyages made a splashy entrance into the cruise market a few years ago, but at the worst moment imaginable: The line's first cruise was originally scheduled for April 1,…

Article / Passportable

This Carnival Cruise Customer Service Scam Cost a Family Their $900 Vacation

We've warned you before about travel scams involving fraudulent phone numbers for airlines' customer service call centers. Passengers fall prey to that con when they look up an…

Article / Miscellaneous

How to Visit Paris During the Olympics—Even If You Want to Avoid the Games

In the summer of 2024, Paris’ flashy new Olympic facilities will compete with traffic chaos, security crackdowns, and price hikes. Here’s how to navigate Paris even if…

Article / Theme Park

Disney's Lightning Lane Passes Explained: These 10 Tips Will Save Money and Time

Disney's Lightning Lane service heaps extra expenses onto a visit, but many guests still feel like they need to submit. One thing is for sure: It's a waste of money if you use it the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Airlines Are Shrinking Carry-On Sizes, Forcing Travelers to Pay Checked Bag Fees

Your carry-on hand baggage may not be small enough anymore. A new furor is unfolding in the skies as airlines are caught drastically reducing the maximum permitted size of carry-on…

Article / Passportable

Venice, Italy, Says the Entry Fee for Day Trippers Will Be Doubled

Update: November 8, 2024: There has been an update to this story. Click here to read it. The trial period for the controversial new entry fee for Venice Italy, is complete for 2024.For…

Article / Cruise

Holland America’s Standby Program: Is This the Best Deal in Cruising?

Holland America Line's Standby Program offers significant discounts for cruises—but with very short notice if you're selected. Here's what to know before taking the gamble. 

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Cost of Visiting Universal Epic Universe Will Gut Your Bank Account—and Disney's

There's a famous event from the history of architecture that serves as a warning to companies that assume competitors could never catch up.In the late 1920s, the Empire State Building,…

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Orlando's Visitor Toll Pass Saves You $20–$30 a Day. More Tourists Should Know About It.

Is Florida's Visitor Toll Pass legit? Yes! But it saves tourists so much money on tolls that the rental car companies would rather you didn't know about it. Here's how it works.

Article / Family & Kids

Disney World Rebrands Genie+/ FastPass, but It's Still a Miserable, Complex, and Costly Chore

In July 2024, Walt Disney World in Florida tweaks its overscubscribed beat-the-lines product yet again. To make it work, vacationers will have to plan even farther ahead and spend even…

Article / Air Travel

5 Idiotic Viral Travel Hacks You Shouldn’t Bother Trying When You Fly

Don't believe everything you see on the internet. These viral travel hacks aren't likely to make flying better—and could make things worse. 

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Bags Stolen From Baggage Claim: The Airlines' Big Luggage Security Problem

Many travelers won't know or remember this, but there was a time when airline passengers had to to present a claim check in order to pick up their luggage after flights.Until the early…

Article / Passportable

JetBlue Basic Economy to Allow Carry-Ons—Which Airlines Still Charge for Overhead Bins?

JetBlue passengers with the airline's cheapest class of tickets, known as Blue Basic fares, will be allowed to bring a carry-on bag onto the plane at no additional charge, the carrier…

Article / Slideshows

The Best Packable Backpacks: These Day Packs Fold Up for Easy Travel

Now that many travelers are cutting costs by packing only a single carry-on bag, a new problem arises: What should you carry around for a day of touring, or what bag can you use in the…

Article / Hotels

A Home Rental Exec Reveals His Best Hack for Finding Cheap Vacation Rentals

Sick of the high vacation rental fees on Airbnb and VRBO? A guy who founded one of the big home rental sites shares a huge tip for getting around them.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Online Passport Renewal is Back in the U.S.! Here's How to Get In On It

All right, Americans. Ready? This is online passport renewal, take two. The U.S. State Department today announced that it is once again accepting applications for online passport…