On the road with Frommer
Books dispensed with the ‘nonsense’ of travel and changed the industry
This year, the legendary travel guidebook writer Arthur Frommer celebrates 60 years since the publication of his book, Europe on $5 a Day. Frommer began writing about travel while serving in the U.S. army in Europe in the 1950s. When his book of travel advice for U.S. soldiers sold out, he launched what became one of the travel industry’s best-known brands.
Frommer’s philosophy — stay in inns and budget hotels, sightsee on your own, eat in small cafés instead of fancy restaurants — had a huge impact on the way travellers vacationed in the mid- to late 20th century. His message of authentic bargain travel encouraged average people — not just the wealthy — to vacation abroad.
But as the cost of travel increased over the decades, the titles changed too. The $5 a Day edition became $10 a day, $20 a day and so on. The series ended in 2007 with $95 a Day guides. By then, Arthur’s daughter, Pauline, had joined the family business, and the brand continued. There are now 101 Frommer’s guides available to destinations around the world.
Arthur Frommer, 87, recently shared his story with The Associated Press.
Q How did the Frommer’s brand begin?
A I was drafted into the army at the time of the Korean War. But luckily enough, and to my great surprise, instead of being sent to fight in Korea, I was sent to Europe because I had certain linguistic abilities.
... And while in the army overseas, I was always struck by the fact that my fellow GIs did not travel. They were scared to travel. They were worried about how you would pay for various items. What currency would you use, where would you live at night, and I decided to do a guidebook. And in my last three weeks in the army, I wrote a little book called The GI’s Guide to Traveling in Europe, which was circulated to the various PXs in Europe on the day that I left Germany and returned home . ... And immediately I got a cable from Europe that the book had sold out overnight.
Q You returned to New York to practise law but decided to write another guidebook for civilians. How did you do it?
A During a one-month vacation, I returned to Europe and I went running to 15 different European cities, getting up at 5 a.m., hitting the streets, going from one guest house to another, from one lowcost restaurant to another, and I then wrote a book called Europe on $5 a Day. I printed 5,000 copies of the book, the book went on sale and again it sold out.
Q What was the impact of your books?
A In the 1950s most Americans had been taught that foreign travel was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially travel to Europe. They were taught that they were going to a war-torn country, where it was risky to stay in any hotel other than a fivestar hotel. It was risky to go into anything but a top-notch restaurant . ... And I knew that all these warnings were a lot of nonsense. ... I told them that every five-star hotel was identical to every other five-star hotel . ... I taught them to sightsee on their own two feet. I told them to use public transportation . ... I think we were pioneers in also suggesting that a different type of American should travel, that you didn’t have to be wellheeled, you could be a person who just graduated from college.
Q What’s your favourite destination?
A The one spot I could return to over and over again for the rest of my life is the city of Paris. … I love going to Paris and I am horrified over the fact that tourism by Americans to Paris has fallen by as much as 30 per cent in the year that has just passed because of a fear of terrorism. I am continuing to travel. I will not permit some deranged terrorist from deciding where I should or should not go. The Associated Press