Arthur Frommer answers travel questions

Last week the Freakonomics blog interviewed Arthur Frommer with questions that they had gathered from their readers.

Frommer is the man who started the Frommers travel guide series (Europe on Five Dollars a Day) and I've always enjoyed hearing / reading his comments. He is excited about travel and discovering new cultures. His energy comes through in every interview I've ever read with him. I also love the incredible candor he displays in answering questions, here are two examples from the interview:

Q: When you travel these days, do you think it’s better to lie and say you’re Canadian?

A: No.

...and...

Q: Can a woman travel to Samarra, Iraq and find a safe, decent place to stay for a month or two?

A: No.

The first time I heard Arthur Frommer was in a Rick Steves Podcast, where they spent about an hour talking. That interview goes into more depth than the question and answer format on the Freakonomics blog, and is well worth the time to listen.