Articles

Money and Fees

Article / Food and Drink

Yelp Listings Are Replacing Restaurants' Real Phone Numbers with Fee-Charging Numbers

Businesses' real phone numbers are being swapped with ones run by the app's partners, so be careful if you use Yelp to research dining options and call for reservations.

Article / Passportable

You Can Now Rent Hertz Cars in Europe with a Debit Card—but Should You?

Rental car company Hertz and the two brands under its corporate umbrella—Dollar and Thrifty—have begun accepting debit cards as a payment option for car rentals in Europe. Previously,…

Article / Slideshows

New York City Sightseeing Passes: A Buyer's Guide for Every Type of Traveler

What makes choosing a New York City sightseeing pass difficult is the same thing that makes it hard to pick a Manhattan restaurant or find an eligible New Yorker on a dating app: too…

Article / Hotel Deals

Find the Name of That Secret Priceline Hotel with This Canny Tool

Priceline hides the identities of its best hotel deals, but there's a browser extension that pinpoints the property you're bidding on before you buy.

Article / Air Travel

High Boarding Group Number? Don't Panic—The Airlines Are Messing with You

Are you in Group 7 again? No need to fret. The airlines are trying to stress you out so you'll pay more.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

An App That (Almost) Guarantees the Lowest Hotel Rates

It’s said there are no guarantees in life. But does that apply to travel? For hotels, a relatively new app may offer the closest thing to a guaranteed low price that I’ve seen. It’s…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: Seaweed is Invading the Mexican Caribbean, But There's a Bright Side

Among the current important news of travel is a sudden and mysterious drop in tourist traffic to the so-called “Mexican Caribbean” (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, Tulum, the…

Article / Hotels

Stay for Free Around the World, Just for Playing with Animals: The Petsitting Sites

These websites can help hook you up with a free place to stay in exchange for taking care of pets. But which one is the best one for you?

Article / Passportable

L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art Getting Rid of Admission Fees

Pretty soon, it won't cost you a penny to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles. The institution announced it is reducing its $15 general admission fee to $0, a…

Article / Air Travel

How Families Can Sit Together on Airplanes

Paid seat reservations have turned airline cabins into competitive arenas. If you want to make sure you sit next to your children, you need a survival guide for the battle.

Article / Passportable

Thanks a Lot, Instagram. Horseshoe Bend Now Has an Entry Fee

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…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: The British Outlawed Deception by Hotels. Why Won't America?

A British organization that regulates hotels—it’s called the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)—has just taken steps to prevent U.K. hotels from using deceptive sales tactics.…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

This Spring, It Will Never Be Cheaper to Fly to Hawaii, Says Arthur Frommer

The biggest news in travel is the recent start-up by price-cutting Southwest Airlines of a massive number of flights from the U.S. west coast to the islands of Hawaii. Travel to those…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: Decent People Will Avoid All Contact with Brunei

It is highly unlikely that many of our readers will travel as tourists to the nation of Brunei on the island of Borneo in the South China Sea. The economy and currency of that nation…

Article / Money and Fees

Tipping in Costa Rica: A Gratuities Guide for Hotels, Restaurants, and Tours

Some tips on tipping to follow while checking out Costa Rica's cities, beaches, and jungles

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

When Should You Book Airfare and Hotels? A Huge Study Reveals the Current Answers

The Airlines Reporting Corporation’s annual Travel Pricing Outlook study (conducted in partnership with Expedia) arrived with very little fanfare this year. Which is odd—and not so…

Article / Passportable

Unruly Drinking on This Spanish Island Could Cost You Thousands

Tourists who break public drinking laws on the Spanish island of Majorca—long known for its beaches and raucous party scene—will face fines of up to €3,000 (US$3,400) this summer, as…

Article / Money and Fees

Tipping in Portugal: A Gratuities Guide for Hotels, Restaurants, and Taxis

What to tip waiters, taxi drivers, tour guides, and hotel staff in Lisbon, Porto, and other locations in Portugal

Article / Miscellaneous

This Airbnb Scam Is Costing People Thousands: How to Protect Yourself

Avoid this vacation rental scam that uses the secure reputation of Airbnb against you. Here's how to make sure you're never a victim.

Article / Money and Fees

Tipping in China: When You Can—and When You Shouldn't

Gratuities aren't standard in China. Here's when to tip waiters, hotel staff, and tour guides—and when to keep the change. 

Article / Hotels

Hotel Booking Sites Are Using These Shady Tactics to Trick You into Booking

An investigation of the major hotel reservation websites has exposed some of the mind games they play to deceive you about rates and urgency.

Article / Air Travel

Basic Economy Fares: What You Get and What You Lose, Airline by Airline

United vs. American vs. Delta vs. Alaska: How to know when you'll save money using "basic economy" fares on the U.S. airlines—and when you're better off spending more for a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Venice Has Adopted the Ultimate Means for Reducing Crowds: Admission Fees

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…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Can the Taj Mahal Be Saved? New Measures To Preserve India's Wonder

The Taj Mahal remains the most convincing argument that Agra, the northern Indian city where the marble mausoleum stands, was once something like a paradise.Gazing at Shah Jahan's…

Article / Money and Fees

Tipping in the U.K.: A Gratuities Guide for Taxis, Hotels, and Restaurants

Some pointers on tipping waiters, taxi drivers, and hotel staff in England, Scotland, and Wales—without overdoing it