Hello Kitty Bullet Train to Make Japan Even More Adorable
Posted on 05/22/2018, 12:00 AM
We're just going to leave this right here. On June 30, 2018, a brand-new bullet shinkansen service will make its debut in Japan: a Hello Kitty train. The Hello Kitty Express, as we're calling it, will link Osaka and Fukuoka, two cities that are about 400km (250 miles) apart, but as of today, are at the center of our hearts. Everything will be pinker than a debutante, washed in the blush tones o...
Bavarian Vegetarian: Germany's Sausage Central for People Who Don't Eat Meat
There's more to German dining than bratwurst. These meatless Franconian staples ensure that no vegetarian has to go hungry.
What Will Be New at America's Theme Parks This Year?
Posted on 05/01/2018, 3:30 PM
Amusement park season is around the bend—and that bend could be a loop-de-loop of a high tech ride. For our weekly Frommer's Travel Show on WABC Radio, Jason Cochran and I interviewed Susie Storey, the Director of Communications for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions to learn what new thrills, chills, and services would be available to theme park visitors in 2018. Pa...
Famous Hawaiian Mule Ride Closed Indefinitely
Posted on 04/30/2018, 9:45 PM
One of the most popular tourism experiences in Hawaii has shut down, possibly for good. Travel Weekly reports that the operators of the long-running mule rides down the cliffs of Molokai have been evicted from the location where they stable their animals and organize riders for the daylong descent to Kalaupapa National Historical Park some 2,000 feet below. That idyllic seaside spot was once a...
Hugely Popular European Destination Bans Apartment Rentals
Posted on 04/27/2018, 8:00 PM
Between 2015 and 2017, illegal vacation rentals, fueled by services such as Airbnb, shot up 50%. As a consequence, rent for locals skyrocketed 40%. For a small Mediterranean island without suburbs to expand to, what is there to do? If you're governing Majorca, an internationally beloved getaway in the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain, you impose a life-ruining fine of €400,000 (US $485,000...
Arthur Frommer: Some Little-Known Institutions Bring You a Better London
Posted on 04/18/2018, 9:00 PM
Why is it that we turn off our minds when we visit London as tourists? A city of profound intellectual pursuits, the British capital offers exciting mental rewards if we simply take the time to find them. Far removed from Changing the Guard and Piccadilly Circus are at least the following: Free public lectures: Next time you visit any major London museum, ask the attendants fo...
Coming in May: UFO Fests in Oregon and New York State
Posted on 04/17/2018, 12:00 AM
The search for signs of intelligent life in the universe hasn't turned up much so far. Even here on earth intelligent life can seem awfully hard to come by. But judging from the many UFO festivals held across the country each year, there are evidently still plenty of those who believe the truth is out there. Among this spring's crop of events dedicated to alien abductions, government cover-ups...
In New York City, Rapidly Shifting Hotel Prices, Shorter Dining Hours, and More
Posted on 04/12/2018, 5:30 PM
Every year at this time, I update the book Frommer’s EasyGuide to New York City. This involves spreadsheets of pricing, hours, and more, meaning that I’m easily able to graph the trends that shape visits to Gotham. Here’s what I’m seeing for 2018 and into 2019: Good news/bad news on hotel rates: To track hotel pricing, I use several hotel booking engines, and I test dates for the slowest travel da...
"Millennial" River Cruise Brand No Longer Restricted to Millennials
Posted on 03/12/2018, 5:45 PM
U by Uniworld, a new river cruise brand originally restricted to passengers aged 18 to 40—then 21 to 45—has now dropped upper age limits altogether. When the brand's pair of sleek, all-black ships, dubbed simply the A and the B, launch in April, adults of any age can be on board, even if they have memories of watching Nixon's resignation or the last episode of M*A*S*H. In announcing the change,...
