Pauline Frommer: I'm Often Asked How to Become a Travel Writer, And I Suggest This Event
Posted on 07/02/2019, 12:00 PM
Every year, I give about a dozen speeches on travel across North America. When I sign books afterwards, a familiar scenario inevitably will play out. I’ll hand back the book that I've just autographed and notice that the individual standing in front of me looks very, very nervous… and doesn’t want to move away from the table. She or he will chit-chat for a few minutes before taking a deep breath ...
The American Economy is Losing Billions from the Current Trade War: Arthur Frommer
Posted on 06/19/2019, 11:00 AM
Supporters of the president’s trade war against China are undoubtedly unaware of the impact of that angry policy on the number of Chinese tourists visiting the United States. I have read countless reports of that trade war, and not one of them (up until now) includes even a passing mention of incoming tourism from abroad. But recently, numerous newspapers have carried stories about a sharp...
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, ...
This Year is A Great Year for Memphis. Our Frommer's Guide Writer Explains
Posted on 06/07/2019, 1:00 PM
When we come out with a new guidebook at Frommer’s, we tap the best local journalists to write it. One such pro is Ashley Brantley, a native of Nashville who grew up in Memphis (and still has family there), making her the ideal person to write the newly released Frommer’s EasyGuide to Nashville and Memphis. I interviewed her on our national radio show about why 2019 is the ideal year to visit Memph...
This Harbor Is a Refuge for Burning Man Artwork—Without Burning Man Crowds
Posted on 06/06/2019, 6:00 PM
The nine-day Burning Man festival, held in the depths of summer in a remote area of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, earns mixed reviews. Founders describe it as “a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance.” But others, such as former attendee and writer Soren Bowie, remember it differently. “I went seeking a Utopian enclave … Instead I found misguid...
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...
L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art Getting Rid of Admission Fees
Posted on 05/22/2019, 8:45 PM
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 move made possible by a $10 million donation from the president of MOCA's board of trustees, Carolyn Clark Powers. You'll still have to pay for special exhibits, however. Speaking to the New York Times, museum dire...
Arthur Frommer: Travel in Europe is Getting Harder, Yet Still We Must
Posted on 05/06/2019, 9:00 AM
Let’s be frank: Traveling to Europe this summer will be more difficult than in recent years. Which is all the more reason to consider, and then overcome, a number of obstacles. What has resulted in these problems? First, the initial cost of flying to various European capitals will undoubtedly be higher than before. That major champion of low-cost transatlantic air travel, WOW Ai...
Talking with Frances Mayes About Her Latest Book, 'See You in the Piazza'
Posted on 05/01/2019, 2:00 PM
Frances Mayes, author of the memoir Under the Tuscan Sun, is to Tuscan travel what ketchup is to Russian dressing. For tens of thousands of vacationers, her tale—both the book that sat on the New York Times bestseller list for two years, and the Diane Lane film that fictionalized it—was the reason they chose to go this bucolic and beautiful corner of "The Boot." Now Mayes has a new book called...
Muslim History Tour Tells Untold Chapter of New York City's Past—and Present
Posted on 04/25/2019, 12:00 PM
The gym where I work out (when I’m feeling up to it and can’t find anything good on Netflix) is housed in a building that stands where there used to be a mosque founded by Yemeni immigrants and frequented by jazz musicians. The Apollo Theater is just about a block east on 125th St. in Harlem, where I live. Back in the 1940s and ‘50s, performers at that legendary Upper Manhattan venue are said t...
Travel Podcasts: Treasured Landmarks from Notre-Dame to the Taj Mahal
Posted on 04/22/2019, 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. First up this week: The devastating fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris prompts hosts Pauline Frommer and Jason Cochran to consider other iconic edifices in need of preserva...
Books, Games, Apps, and Activities to Get Kids Excited About Travel
Prepare your children for upcoming vacations by harnessing their innate curiosity and instilling a spirit of exploration that will last a lifetime.
