The Passport Story
was really taking off.
Once Upon a Time ...
In the 1960s, American interest in traveling to Europe was hitting a new peak. For the new affluent class, independent travel was the norm — packaged tours were not yet very evolved — and figuring out where to go was something of a dilemma.
The trick was to know someone local who could point you to the best hotels, restaurants, sights and shops. But not everyone has close friends living in Paris, London, Rome, Provence, Barcelona and ... so on.
Our founder loved to travel and was blessed with a cadre of friends across the Continent. Before long he realized that his trips to Europe were far more enjoyable than those made by his acquaintances because he was seeing the “real” Europe — at better prices, with a more authentic experience — than his neighborhood friends or business associates who didn’t have local friends in France, Italy, Britain, Germany, Austria, or Spain.
Letters Preceded Newsletters
So, he began to write to his friends whenever he was in Europe, to tell them about the great finds to which his European pals had introduced him. A charming suite on the Left Bank at considerably less than the equivalent hotel a block away. A nightclub featuring excellent musicians and patronized only by locals. A new restaurant opened by a brilliant chef who, a few months earlier, headed the kitchen of a much more expensive restaurant that earned its reputation from culinary talent it no longer had.
Better experiences, and better value without sacrificing high standards — all the result of local knowledge. From these elements, Passport Newsletter was born in 1965, and has been continuously published ever since.
Our original founder ran the business for 25 years before selling it to an enthusiastic subscriber, who has run it ever since.
Today, Passport Newsletter is written by a network of correspondents — professional travel writers and experts, most of whom live in the places they write about, continuing our tradition of presenting options best known to locals, and knowing where to find excellent experience and value for high-quality travel. While we still report regularly from Europe, our range has expanded to all continents.
Your "Correspondent in Cannes ... Cairo ... Caracas ... Canton ... Canberra ..."
Passport Newsletter continues to act as “the advance team” for our readers, just as in the ’60s. Our readers know about top hotels and restaurants that don’t advertise in the U.S. and thus don’t inflate their rates to pay for television and magazine advertising campaigns. Our correspondents are discerning, accomplished, and worldly travel journalists who know how to evaluate travel options and have a keen eye for editing an overwhelming number of choices down to a consumable handful of superb options.
Our loyal readers tell us they can’t wait to dig into the pages to see what’s new. They often tell us they “wouldn’t think of leaving home” without our recommendations for their destination packed into their luggage. And by way of underscoring the value we bring to our readers’ experiences, we’re honored to say that a large number of the most elite travel agents in the world — experts who know what matters to affluent travelers — are regular, long-time subscribers to Passport Newsletter who often rely on our recommendations to help stay current.