Arthur Frommer, known for the guidebook Europe on 5 Dollars a Day and other titles on budget travel, has died aged 95.
Pauline Frommer, his daughter, confirmed his death in a statement on his website.
The writer, who began his journalism while on military deployments abroad, passed away at home surrounded by his loved ones.
“Throughout his remarkable life, Arthur Frommer democratised travel, showing average Americans how anyone can afford to travel widely and better understand the world,” Pauline wrote in her statement.
“I am honoured to carry on his work of sharing the world with you, which I proudly do with his team of extraordinary and dedicated travel journalists around the world. We will all miss him greatly,” she added.
Frommer was the founder of Frommer’s guidebooks – a series of travel books that included planning and travel tips to destinations around the globe.
The series was based on Europe on 5 Dollars a Day – one of his first publications, which came out in 1957 and sold millions of copies.
The book detailed how average Americans could afford to take trips that many thought were only accessible to the wealthy.
Europe on $5 on DAY
The FIRST ONE
“Wow ! Imagine it? Europe on $5 a Day”
The GOOD OLD DAYS
“This is a book for American tourists who a) own no oil wells in Texas, b) are unrelated to the Aga Khan, c) have never struck it rich in Las Vegas and who still want to enjoy a wonderful European vacation,” he wrote in the original guidebook.
Frommer was drafted during the Korean War. He was sent to Europe and served in Germany because of his language skills. While deployed, he wrote what would be his first travel guidebook for his fellow service members, The GI’s Guide to Travelling in Europe.
As well as a writer, Frommer was a TV and radio host whose work helped shape others’ approach to travel.
In one essay, Frommer wrote that travel “broadens our lives”.
“Travel has taught me that despite all the exotic differences in dress and language, of political and religious beliefs, that all the world’s people are essentially alike,” he wrote. “We all have the same urges and concerns, we all yearn for the same goals.”
EUROPE on $25
by Arthur Frommer
Early 1980s Edition
POSITANO The AMALFI COAST
TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK
My FIRST TRIP to EUROPE
“And Using a Frommer Guide”
My own Frommer travel experience. After dreaming of going to Europe since I was about 16 or 17 years old, I pulled the plug in the Summer of 1985. Yes I yearned for several years, dreaming of hanging out in cafes in Paris, going to Rome, Venice, Amsterdam, maybe Switzerland, I don’t know, I had to figure out an itinerary.
I was influenced by people I knew, and settled on Italy: Rome, Florence, Venice, and Positano and The Amalfi Coast, and over to Barcelona to meet up with some friends from New York.
Well I didn’t end up going to Paris (another trip), but I did make it to Nice, Monaco, and The South of France. Everything would be wonderful, but I would have to plan. I had my Frommer Travel Guide, Europe on $40 a Day. I think it was that one. All these years later (2024) I can’t remember of it was the $25 a Day edition or $40 a day. Anyway, the book was a great help. I had also bought Rick Steves 1st travel guide, Europe through the Back Door which was nice, but not filled with nearly much info, on many more places as the Frommer Guide by Arthur Frommer.
Europe on $5 ($25, $40) was the standard at the time, which Arthur Frommer started in 1957 with his 1st of many guides, with Europe on $5 a Day. “Wow, imagine that” ? Those were the good old days, when European Travel was “Dirt Cheap” I must say, I was lucky to catch the tail-end of very affordable (cheap) European Travel on my first few trips.
On that first trip, I stayed in a Pensione in Rome for just $14 a night, just $6 a night in Barcelona, I think I payed about $25 – $30 for a room in Nice, $35 a night at the Hotel Firenze in Venice, and $40 for a room at the Pensione Maria Antoinette in Positano. Though it was Europe on $40 a Day at the time, I decided to give myself a budget of $60 a day. I wasn’t backpacking it, I had luggage as opposed to a backpack, and I didn’t want to stay in hostels, but I did want the most affordable accommodations a step or two up from hostels. This was Pensione accommodations, which gave you a clean room, but usually not with a bathroom. There were shared bathrooms on each floor of a typical Pensione. I didn’t have any problem with not having my own private bath in the room. “Hey, at least I wasn’t staying in a hostile with other people in my room?” Not that there is anything wrong with that.
The Europe on $40 a Day covered the main attraction cities like Rome, Paris, Venice, Florence, Vienna, Athens, Amsterdam, and others. For each city, the main tourist attraction such as The Coliseum in Rome, Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Parthenon in Athens would be covered. Local transportations options were cover, with sections called “How to Get There” and “How to Get Around,” which were very helpful. For each city there was a small listing of inexpensive Hotels to choose from, a few mid-range options, and maybe t deluxe hotel recommendations, which were classified as “Splurge” options, for both hotels and restaurants.
Then of course there were restaurant suggestions, mostly in the affordable category, as well as a few of the most popular dishes that any particular city or region was famous for.
Most important to me was the hotel section of any particular city. Back then (1985) there was no Internet, which has made travel much easier to naviagate, with limitless information on vacation destinations around the World, and companies that book hotels all over the World, such as Expedia, Booking.com and others, where you have websites that list hotels in every budget, you can sift through the pages, pick a hotel, make room reservations, and book hotel rooms, all on your computer or Smartphone.
I was 22 years old when I made my first trip to Europe. I book a flight on PanAm from JFK New York to Rome. It was $55o. I can’t tell you how excited I was on the flight over, and those first 5 days spent in Rome, and I was in total euphoria as I explored The Eternal City. I just couldn’t believe it. I was like a young child on Christmas Day. That’s the feeling I had, super excited and oh so happy. And again, I was in a state of euphoria. That’s how much I loved it.
I met a couple on the plane, we shared a taxi from the airport to Rome Central Station. I took a cue from my Rick Steves travel guide, and checked my luggage at the train station while I went looking for a pensione with a list I made from the Frommer Guide listings. I got a room on my first try with in a pensione that was just 2 blocks from the train station. I told the desk clerk I would take the room, and went back to the train station to retrieve my bags. After going back to the station, I laid down for a few minutes, couldn’t fall asleep (to excited) so I took a shower, got dressed, then went out to explore Rome, The Eternal City.
I walked about 5 blocks and came upon a Kiosk Cafe by small park across from the Piazza della Repubblica. I went inside and saw these little sandwiches on the counter (Tramezzini). They looked good and were cheap (900 Lire – .50 cents) so I got a couple, along with an Apricot Juice and my 1st Italian Espresso in Italy. I took my stuff and went outside to sit at one of the cafe tables. I was in “7th Heaven.” No big deal to most, yet it was blissful to me. I was in the Ancient City of Rome, eating my first ever meal in Italy, and Europe at the same time. the sandwiches were tasty, the juice refreshing, and the Espresso was amazing. “I loved it all,” and this some 39 years later, I can still remember it all, and I savor the memory. The sandwiches were so tasty (but not filling) that I went inside and got two more. This would be my breakfast for the next 5 days while in Rome. I found a cafe I liked the next day, and went there for the following 4 days, for a caffe (espresso_ Apricot Juice, and 2 or 3 Tramezzini Sandwiches. I loved it.
Anyway, back to that first day. I walked and found my way to The Spanish Steps. I marveled at the sight. I walked up to the top. There was a food truck up there, and I got a Coca-Cola. This was around the time that Coca-Cola had the foolish idea of changing the recipe of “Coke.” A big mistake. People stopped drinking Coca-Cola and the company was forced to changed back to “The Original Recipe.” I had my Coke and gazed out upon The Eternal City. Up on top of The Spanish Steps, you get a wonderful view of Rome, spread out before you. I savored it all.
From here. I walked down the road toward the Borghese Gardens and the Piazza del Popolo beyond. I came across a beautiful little garden caffe an stopped in. I got a little something to eat. Sorry, can’t remember what it was. What I do remember was that it was enchanting sitting in the garden and again, looking out over Rome. Absolutely beautiful.
After leaving the garden caffe, I continued on my exploration and walked on the road and descended down into the Piazza Popolo with its two beautiful little “Twin Churches,” and a couple famous caffes, including Rosati that my friend Rene Ricard told my that I had to go to, along with visiting the two Twin Churches. Of course I did.
Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke
“The TWIN CHURCHES’
PIAZZA del POPOLO – ROME
After visiting the twin churches of Santa Maria Maricoli & Santa Maria Montesanto, I continued on. In a few minutes, I came upon the monument to Victor Emmanuelle, The 1st King of Unified Italy. Adjacent to this monument is the Roman Forum, and The Colosseum beyond. Wow, The Colosseum ? This really blew my mind. Ancient Rome of 2000 years ago/ I couldn’t believe it.
Daniel Bellino Zwicke
….. to be continued …
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