Travel Guide Icon Arthur Frommer Dies at 95

by Anthony Losanno
Frommer

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You might not know Arthur Frommer, but you’ve certainly heard of his travel guidebooks. He revolutionized travel guides and convinced many Americans to travel abroad. Frommer died from complications of pneumonia at age 95 according to his daughter.

Frommer began writing his travel books while serving in the United States Army and stationed in Europe in the 1950s. He penned and self published Europe on 5 Dollars a Day in 1957. It became an international best seller and celebrated its 50th year in 2007. The brand is now run by Frommer’s daughter, Pauline, and continues to publish guidebooks along with a social media presence, podcasts, and a radio show.

The type of travel recommended is not for everyone. Smaller inns and budget hotels are praised over five-star luxury. Public transportation is suggested. And, dining at local haunts versus fancy restaurants is the norm. This style of travel opened the door for many travelers and also praised an authenticity not found when staying in elite environments.

The book that Frommer started with was updated for fifty years and last published as Europe on $95 a Day. This ceased in 2007 when this was no longer possible. The publishing company was sold several times through the years to Simon & Schuster then Wiley Publishing and Google in 2012. Google stopped producing guidebooks shortly after acquisition. Frommer bought the company back from Google in November 2013 and relaunched with dozens of new print books.

Anthony’s Take: While it’s not my style of travel, I have great respect for travel influencers like Arthur Frommer and Rick Steves. They made me want to get out and see the world (albeit from a Park Hyatt versus a pensione).

(Featured Image Credit: Frommer’s via X.)

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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.

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