Articles

Health, Insurance, Security

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

U.S. Tourist Faces Huge Fine and Jail Time for Breaking Canada’s Covid Laws

Canada closed its border with the United States on March 21 due to the coronavirus, and the border is currently slated to remain closed at least until September 21. There's an…

Article / Passportable

SFO Airport Opens Rapid Covid Testing Facility, but We Need More

Covid-19 has been with us for the whole year, and back in the spring, countries around the world began requiring negative test results from visitors, but the world's airports still…

Article / Passportable

Costa Rica Says It Will Only Accept American Visitors from Certain States

The rest of the world is well aware of the growing disparity in infection rates between states within the USA. This week, Costa Rica acted, proving it has been studying the situation…

Article / Passportable

In a Covid First, Family Kicked off Cruise for Leaving Shore Excursion

Cruises out of the United States are still banned, but in Europe, where Covid-19 infections are under much better control, cruises are just beginning to resume. MSC Cruises was the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is Vegas a Secret Superspreader? Study Shows Alarming Reach of City's Visitors

It has been about two and a half months since Las Vegas began reopening its casinos and resorts on June 4, following this spring's pandemic lockdown. How have things been going since…

Article / Entry Requirements & Customs

Some Countries Require Proof of Medical Insurance Now: How to Get It

More countries are demanding proof of medical coverage, but your existing insurance—if you're lucky enough to have it—won't cover care when you're abroad.

Article / Passportable

Horrifying Video Shows What Happens When Tourists Get Too Close to Buffalo

When it comes to bison, it's always the season for social distancing. A tourist learned that lesson the hard way this week in South Dakota's Black Hills—and her terrifying encounter…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

What Are Your Chances of Catching Coronavirus on Planes? MIT Study Has Answers

Not long ago, a dear friend reached out to me for advice. His aunt was dying of cancer, and his mother wanted to fly across country to be at the deathbed. My friend was trying to…

Article / Passportable

Major Airfare Search Engine Now Includes Covid-19 Safety Ratings

Scientists are still piecing together evidence to figure out how dangerous airline travel is (judging by this study, it isn't) during the pandemic. But the fact remains: Consumers are…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

U.S. State Dept. Lifts Warning Against International Travel: So What?

Let us flag this moment. Today, the U.S. State Department announced that, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control, it was lifting its blanket travel warning against all…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Advice from an Airline Pilot About Flying Safely in 2020

Like me, my friend Andrea Eldridge, a pilot with a major airline, has been barraged by questions from family and friends about the wisdom of flying right now. In response, she posted a…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Cruising Is Back! It's Been a Disaster: Crew on Three Lines Test Positive

It's no secret that many countries are doing better than the United States when it comes to containing Covid-19 infections. A few of those places thought they might be able to extend…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Is This The World's Safest Airport in the Battle Against Coronavirus?

When I'm in Dubai International Airport (DXB), I'm impressed not only by the fact that it has camel's milk chocolate bars for sale—gamy, but tasty—but also by the of-the-moment design…

Article / Passportable

Is Brazil Nuts? Amid a Covid-19 Surge, It Reopens Tourism

In a move that feels downright Floridian, the government of Brazil reopened the borders to international tourists on the same day the country reported single-day records for…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Myriad Ways One Hotel Manager's Job Has Gotten Tougher Since Covid-19

August 3, 2020 Add hotel manager to the list of jobs that have gotten exponentially more arduous since March. Not only are hotels being tasked with keeping travelers safe under…

Article / Passportable

Hawaii's Resorts May Allow Visitors to Vacation While Quarantining

Hawaii has been ahead of the curve on coronavirus matters. It was one of the first U.S. states to institute a quarantine, and it's the state that has been most proactive about…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Pauline Frommer: If Casinos Go Touchless, More People May Suffer

Like many people who work in the travel industry, I start my day looking at the daily stories sent out by Travel Weekly, a top source for news. Today's edition featured an in-depth…

Article / Passportable

Your Chance to Tell the CDC What Cruise Ships Should Do to Fight Covid-19

In the wake of Covid-19, what would make you feel safe enough to take a cruise? Capacity limits on ships? Short itineraries? A reliable plan for dealing with outbreaks? Stockpiles of…

Article / Passportable

Tourist Overload: Venice Limits Gondola Capacity Due to Heavier Visitors

The number of passengers allowed at one time aboard the iconic gondolas of Venice is being reduced from six people to five. It sounds like a social distancing thing, but, in fact,…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Does This Look Fun to You? Vloggers Show What Travel Is Like Now

What's travel like these days? Now that things are reopening elsewhere in the world, are you missing out on the fun? You don't have to wonder. YouTube has the answer. The first…

Article / Passportable

Puerto Rico to Tourists: Stay Home!

Because Puerto Rico is part of the United States, flights to the island from the mainland were never completely halted this spring due to the pandemic. But in March, Puerto Rico's…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Disney and Hotel Chains Are Enforcing Mask Rules—Why Can't the Government?

As government leaders at the state and federal levels continue to send mixed and misleading messages about mask usage—we’re looking at you (but not only you), Georgia Gov. Brian…

Article / Passportable

CBP Changes Tune Again: Delays Global Entry Enrollment for Third Time

U.S. Customs and Border Protection just can't seem to get it together. Yet again, the agency has delayed the reopening of enrollment centers for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck. The…

Article / Vacations

What Escorted Tour Companies Are Doing to Keep Travelers Safe

We spoke with some of the biggest tour operators to learn what changes they've made to keep customers safe and happy during the pandemic era.

Article / Hotels

I've Stayed in Several Hotels This Summer. It Didn't Go How I Expected.

A surprising way the pandemic has changed the travel experience is how we relate to hotels now—and it goes beyond cleaning concerns.