Articles

Zac Thompson

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

2023 in Review: These Top Travel Trends Were Hot on Frommer's

As 2023 draws to a close, a look back at the year’s headlines shows it was an eventful one in travel—and much of what happened wasn’t great. Wars raged. The planet roasted. Prices…

Article / Slideshows

Things to Do in Central Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley, the State's Most Underrated Regions

Many travelers feel about Massachusetts the way I feel about Thanksgiving: It’s all about the sides. In the Bay State’s case, the scenic mountains and picturesque villages of the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Report: Car Rental False Arrests Not Limited to Hertz

We're sorry to tell you there's a new chapter in the ongoing saga of people renting cars legally yet somehow being accused of vehicle theft anyway—a story Frommer's has been…

Article / Slideshows

2023's Best Pics of the Northern Lights

The aurora borealis is one of those magnificent sights of which it's often said that photography doesn't do it justice. The same goes for the Grand Canyon and your face in your…

Article / National Parks

Entrance Fee–Free National Park Days in 2024

All U.S. national parks are free to enter on these six days in 2024.

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Paris Métro Tickets Set to Double and Hotel Rates to Quadruple During Summer Olympics

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are shaping up to be très cher for spectators. That's French for "a big fat rip-off." This week local authorities announced a plan to nearly double…

Article / Passportable

In Singapore, Public Transport Buses Have Been Transformed Into Luxury Hotel Rooms

Singapore has one of the world's best public transit systems, according to a 2023 survey from Time Out. In fact, the Southeast Asian city-state's public buses are apparently so nice…

Article / Theme Park

Our Q&A with Dolly Parton at Dollywood, Quite Possibly the USA’s Best Theme Park

We chatted with Dollywood's "dreamer-in-chief" about the Tennessee theme park's recent award-winning additions and big plans for the future, including new hotels and an interactive…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Where to Stay for Edinburgh Festivals in 2024 When You Can’t Find a Hotel

Each August, the Scottish city of Edinburgh hosts five—count 'em, five—major arts and culture festivals dedicated to the performing arts, the visual arts, books, and military…

Article / Passportable

Venmo Groups: A New Tool for Managing Expenses on Group Trips

When it comes to organizing a group trip, the Type A member of your crew already has enough to do, what with booking sunrise yoga classes and laminating copies of the itinerary to…

Article / Passportable

These Northern Lights Cruises in Norway Guarantee You'll See the Aurora Borealis

Travelers who long to spot the northern lights should consider booking a trip with Hurtigruten. The company, which has been shipping cargo and passengers along the coast of Norway…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

American Airlines Flight Attendants Were Reportedly Reminded to Stop Lessening Your Misery

You know how flying with a commercial airline is terrible? The seats are cramped, the fees are outrageous, and the other passengers are always brawling or screaming about how their…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Report: 2024 Travel Trends to Include Destination Dupes, Dry Tripping, Set-Jetting and More

"Destination dupes," "tour tourism," "dry tripping," "go-ccasions"—these are among the top travel trends we can expect will inspire vacationers in 2024, according to a new forecast…

Article / Passportable

This Emergency Alert App Saved a Skier’s Life. Make Your Phone a Rescue Locator, Too.

On a foggy day last winter at Idaho's Soldier Mountain resort (pictured above), a skier got separated from her party and wound up lost in an out-of-bounds area where neither chairlifts…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Charges for Gratuities on Royal Caribbean Going Up—as the Company Reports Huge Profits

Royal Caribbean quietly increased its automatic gratuity charge this week. Starting November 11, the cruise line's service charge added to each passenger's bill will be $18 per day…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

“If It Is Not Closed, It Will Collapse”: Converted Hagia Sophia Is Now Crowded and Crumbling

The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul's iconic cathedral-turned-mosque-turned-museum-turned-mosque, will begin charging foreign tourists an entrance fee starting January 15, 2024, Turkish…

Article / Passportable

Colosseum Underground Tour Delves Into Restored Tunnels Below Ancient Roman Monument

Whether or not you think about the Roman Empire as often as the men of TikTok evidently do, you're likely to be intrigued by the opportunity to follow in gladiators' footsteps through…

Article / Passportable

Visit Nevada Ghost Towns and Alien Sites with New Paranormal Passport

Asked to name the most ghoulish places in the United States, you might come up with Salem, Massachusetts, for its witchy goings-on, New Orleans for the aboveground cemeteries, and…

Article / Passportable

How Much Is a Hotel Room Gonna Cost in 2024? Where Rates Are Rising Fastest

Hotel room rates in many major cities around the world are expected to continue their skyward climb in 2024—rising by double-digit percentages in many places, according to the Hotel…

Article / Slideshows

James Bond Locations: Iconic Places Where 007 Movies Were Filmed

James Bond has probably flown to more places than any other U.K. icon, with the possible exception of British Airways. From the fictional spy's first onscreen appearance in 1962's Dr.…

Article / Arts and Culture

America’s Most Haunted House? Hunting for Ghosts in the Home of Lizzie Borden

What it's like to go on a ghost hunt and spend the night in the house where one of the most notorious unsolved murders in U.S. history took place 

Article / Passportable

Amtrak Gulf Coast Train to Restore Service (Finally!) Between New Orleans and Mobile

Amtrak rail service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, has been suspended since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. A long-in-the-works project to bring Amtrak trains…

Article / Passportable

How Far Ahead to Book Flights and Other Air Travel Tips from Expedia Data Analysis

Getting the timing right to save money on airfare is a perennial concern of travelers. That's why advice on when to buy and when to fly is almost as easy to find online as TikTok…

Article / Slideshows

America's Most Mispronounced Place Names

First of all, it’s FROH-merz , not FRAH-merz . We know the double “m”s throw people off, but the last name of our founder rhymes with Homer, Gomer, and Matt Bomer. Here’s a rhyme to…

Article / Passportable

Utah Stargazing: This Lake Powell Glamping Site Was Named the First DarkSky Resort

In 2023, the light-pollution foes at DarkSky International added a category for "DarkSky Approved Lodging" to their register of places where the nighttime environment is exceptionally…