Articles

Money and Fees

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

Article / Money and Fees

Tipping in Japan? Not So Much a Thing

Why Japan doesn't go for gratuities—but why you still might have to pay extra fees for meals and accommodations

Article / Money and Fees

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

How to tip restaurant servers, cab drivers, and hotel staff in Germany—without overdoing it

Article / Money and Fees

What to Tip Waiters, Hotel Staff, and Taxi Drivers in France

Some pointers on how to pay gratuities—without overdoing it—in hotels, restaurants, and taxis in France

Article / Slideshows

The Trends That Will Shape Travel in 2019

This past year’s biggest travel trends —the rise in solo female travel and solo travel in general, the new emphasis on green travel, the development of cannabis holidays, an uptick in…

Article / Passportable

Smoke on a Carnival Cruise and You Could Get Kicked Off the Ship

Carnival Cruise Line is getting stricter with passengers who light up at sea. The company has updated its tobacco and marijuana smoking policy to include the possibility of removal…

Article / Money and Fees

Resort Fees Have Spread to City Hotels Now: How to Get Them Off Your Bill

Resort fees aren't just for resorts anymore. Even city hotels are getting in on the scam. Why hotels annoy you with them—and what to do about them.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Arthur Frommer: Charging $300 Round-Trip to Europe, Level is the World’s Budget Champion

If you were to ask even a well-informed travel professional to name the cheapest airline flying the Atlantic, they would undoubtedly answer: Norwegian Air.And they’d be dead wrong. The…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Boost Your Overseas Vacation with a Free Stopover in Switzerland or Belgium

If you've ever longed to take a vacation from your vacation, maybe you should opt for an airline stopover.That's when a plane makes a days-long pit stop on the way to its final…

Article / Passportable

Is This the King of Airfare Search Sites? The Aggregator of Aggregators

For years, we've been telling you that the best places to find cheap airfare are often the "aggregators," which are search engines that scan prices from dozens of different…

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

Drive to Florida in a Rental Car for Only $7.99 a Day

Winter is coming, and in Florida, so are the tourists. Each year, the major car rental companies shift their inventory to where the business is, and now that summer is ending, Hertz…

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 / Slideshows

12 Theme Park Tips That Will Literally Save Your Life (Not Literally)

Working at a major theme park for years, you learn a few things. Like, if you happen to stumble upon an animal trainer with a chimpanzee, the chimp will consider you an attacker and…

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 / Health, Insurance, Security

Do I Need Car Insurance When I Rent a Vehicle? Maybe Not

Should you buy CDW coverage when you rent a car? You may be surprised to learn that you can save the money—because you're already covered.