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PODCAST

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With Kids

Family Travel Unpacked is a family travel podcast for parents who want to travel with kids more easily, confidently, and joyfully. Hosted by Melissa from The Family Voyage, each episode breaks down real-life family travel strategies, smart planning tips, and destination inspiration so travel with kids actually feels doable.From packing hacks and family vacation planning to hotel tips, points and award travel for families, and travel mistakes to avoid, you’ll laugh, learn, and walk away ready to plan

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All Episodes

24:52

Travel Tools I Use for Every Trip

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/10/02

What apps and websites make planning a family trip with points and miles easier? In this episode, I walk through the exact tools I use for every trip, from finding award seats and nonstop routes to organizing the itinerary and getting through travel day with kids. It started with a mistake. This morning I discovered I'd booked a return flight a full month too late, and a tool I've had for almost 20 years would have caught it. So here's my whole toolkit, in the order I use it, including the on...

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25:58

Azores with Kids: The Full São Miguel Guide

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/09/25

How many days do you actually need in the Azores with kids, and is São Miguel worth the trip? This is the full São Miguel guide — flights and points, renting a car, where to stay, the best hot springs and waterfalls, whale watching, and the honest story of how our four days actually went, weather included. We paired this trip with a stop in London (full recap in Season 2, Episode 2), and if you want the complete points and miles breakdown for the whole ten-day trip, that's back in Season 1, E...

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19:50

The Sapphire Saga: Why I'm Not Sorry for Spending...

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/09/18

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve still worth its $795 annual fee after the 2025 overhaul — and what does the Chase Sapphire Preferred's new 4:3 Hyatt transfer ratio mean for your points? This episode breaks down every change to both Sapphire cards this year, why Melissa upgraded back to the Reserve with no welcome bonus, and exactly how she used Chase's "The Edit" hotel program to book two rooms for four nights in Amsterdam for 100,000 points and fifty dollars. In this episode: What the Chase Sa...

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5:29

Reflecting on Full-Time Family Travel, Nine Years Later

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/09/04

Nine years ago this month, Melissa's family packed up the car and set off on what was supposed to be a one-year adventure — and turned into almost two. In this reflective episode, she looks back at what actually stuck: the deep family bond that full-time travel built, why "owning your happiness" became a lasting family value, and how those lessons still shape the way they travel. In this episode: The 2017 family trip that turned into two years on the roadThe two biggest takeaways from full-ti...

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18:12

London with Kids: What We Loved, What Surprised Us,...

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/08/28

Family travel to London with kids: what we loved, what surprised us, and what we'd do differently on our next trip We just spent five days in London with the kids, and rather than walk you through a stop-by-stop itinerary (that's what the blog article is for), this episode is the honest debrief: each of our four favorite things from the trip, where we ate, what caught us off guard about the city, and what's already on the list for next time. IN THIS EPISODE Where we stayed near King's Cross a...

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27:03

19 Perfect Fall Break Destinations for Families...

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/08/21

Episode Description My most popular article of the year — now an episode. A region-by-region fall break guide for families, plus four spots that didn't make the original article. East Coast Fall Break Escapes: New York City · Finger Lakes · Washington DC · Colonial Williamsburg · Philadelphia · Boston · Sarasota · Orlando · Iceland Midwest Fall Break Favorites: Chicago · Cleveland · Louisville · St. Louis · Aruba & Curaçao Mountain/West Fall Break Options: Arizona · San Diego · Yosemite ·...

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27:13

Travel with kids for FREE? Yes please! (Replay)

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/08/11

Our Trip Fell Apart (But Our Points Didn't) — Plus How to Travel for Free with Kids A Southwest delay killed our Charleston beach trip — but because it was booked on points, we walked away without losing a dime. Here's exactly how we unwound three different award bookings, plus a full breakdown of how to earn and use points to travel with kids for free. Melissa was supposed to be recapping a family beach getaway to Wild Dunes, a Hyatt resort near Charleston. Instead, a cascading Southwest del...

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9:17

Philadelphia Recap: 24 Hours in the City of Brotherly...

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/07/28

Planning a weekend trip to Philadelphia? We spent 24 hours in the city using points for flights and a free hotel night, hitting Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and some of the best Israeli food in the country. We flew nonstop on American using Alaska Atmos points, stayed at the Hyatt Centric Rittenhouse Square on a free night certificate, and packed in a museum, three restaurants, and a same-day Independence Hall reservation — all in one night. In this episode: Booking nonstop American f...

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9:24

Boston With Kids Recap: Taking a Bite of Beantown

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/07/21

Boston with kids doesn't have to mean one long trip — after two separate weekend visits in the same year, here's what's worth doing, where to stay on points, and the one expense that caught us off guard. In this episode 50 recap, I compare two Hyatt Regency stays booked on free night certificates, share the Alaska Atmos points trick that got us into first class for less than economy, and break down where to eat, tour, and skip the rideshare surprise that cost us the most. In this episode: Why...

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11:03

London vs. Azores Recap: A Kid's Take

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/07/14

Wondering whether London or the Azores is the better pick for your next family trip? In this episode of Family Travel Unpacked, my 12 year old takes over as our tween travel expert and gives her honest, unfiltered review of both destinations, from Harrods and the West End in London to hiking, hot tubs, and Europe's only tea plantation in São Miguel, the Azores. We just got back from London and the Azores, and this trip felt like two completely different vacations back to back — a huge Europea...

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29:09

The Ins and Outs of Unaccompanied Minor Travel

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/07/07

Kids Flying Alone? Everything Parents Need to Know About Unaccompanied Minor Travel Can kids fly alone — and how does it actually work? This episode covers everything parents need to know about domestic unaccompanied minor travel, from airline policies and fees to what really happens at the airport. Melissa shares firsthand experience from multiple solo flights her own kids have taken, breaks down the rules for every major US carrier, and explains how to use points to book UNMR tickets. Jacob...

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17:43

6 Sneaky Ways We Rack Up Travel Points (No New Cards...

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/06/30

Six low-effort habits for earning more travel points and miles as a family - no new credit cards required. In this episode, you'll learn six specific strategies to earn extra points and miles without opening a single new credit card. From shopping portals and smarter everyday spending to a gift card trick that can fund hundreds of thousands of points a year, this episode covers it all, including a couple of strategies most people never think to try. In this episode: How shopping portals and b...

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8:08

What to Pack for Alaska (BONUS EPISODE)

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/06/24

Packing for Alaska? There are a few items that most people overlook — and after three trips, Melissa knows exactly what they are. In this bonus episode, she shares the five things she never travels to Alaska without, including one she loves so much she packed a spare pair for a friend. In this episode: Why rain pants belong on every Alaska packing list (even if it doesn't rain)The collapsible lunch containers that save Alaska daysThe bug protection hack that doesn't touch your liquid allowanc...

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37:04

Alaska With Kids: Anchorage Edition with My Teen...

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/06/23

Thinking about visiting Alaska with teens? My 14-year-old son joins me for a mother-son Alaska recap — and spoiler: he caught a king salmon just 12 hours after landing and hasn't stopped talking about it since. We cover four days of adventures based entirely out of Anchorage, and I break down how we pulled off the whole trip on points without paying for flights or hotels out of pocket and highlight our favorite things to do in Anchorage and on day trips. In this episode: • King salmon fishing...

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4:45

Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Recap & Mini Review

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/06/16

Get the quick highs and lows in this Grand Hyatt Scottsdale review + recap episode, all in less time that it takes to drink your morning coffee! Find out if this could be the right resort for your trip to Scottsdale with kids - and what might be the biggest drawback for many families. Check prices at Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Amex Platinum Card for The Hotel Collection bookings: $300 statement credit, $100 property credit, breakfast for 2, guarantee 4pm late checkout, room upgrade Arizona with k...

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13:57

What's in My Carry-On? Travel Essentials for Your...

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/06/09

My carry-on has evolved over years of family travel - and at this point, it's pretty dialed in. This episode breaks down exactly what's in my bag, from the backpack I choose to the credit cards I pack and why. A few of these might surprise you! In this episode: How I choose the right backpack for every tripThe power adapter I use every single day — at home and abroadWhy I think carefully about which credit cards to pack (and make a list)What I bring to actually get some sleep on overnight fli...

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17:30

How We Planned London & Azores on Points

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/06/02

This summer our family is heading to London and the Azores — and before we go, I'm walking you through exactly how we're paying for it with points and miles. From 32,500 AA miles per person to a $1 flight (yes, really), this episode breaks down every flight and every hotel booking and shows you what this trip would have cost in cash versus what we're actually paying out of pocket. If you've ever wondered whether the points and miles game is worth it for a family, this one's for you. IN THIS E...

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34:28

The Magic Combo: Southwest Companion Pass + World of...

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/05/26

Southwest Companion Pass + World of Hyatt points = endless family travel possibilities. Here's how to make them work together.What happens when you combine the Southwest Companion Pass with World of Hyatt points? You get one of the most versatile family travel strategies out there — whether you're looking for an easy long weekend at a Texas resort, a ski trip in Colorado, an eco-adventure in Costa Rica, or an all-inclusive in Jamaica. In this episode I'm breaking down how these two

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25:51

Clash of the (Sort of) Ninety-Five Dollar Travel...

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/05/19

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture X — which travel credit card is right for your family? Melissa breaks down annual fees, earning rates, transfer partners, lounge access, and real-world redemptions to help you decide. Spoiler: you'll probably want both. In this episode: Why the Venture X's $395 annual fee is effectively comparable to the Sapphire Preferred's $95 — and how the math worksThe Capital One travel portal price match trick that actually worksCurrent welcome bonusesHow ...

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28:14

Europe with Kids: A Beginners Guide

Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With... ·

2026/05/12

Planning a family trip to Europe but not sure where to start? In this episode Melissa breaks down everything you need to know to plan your first family trip to Europe — from choosing the right destination for your family to getting around once you're there without losing your mind. With nine trips to Europe across more than a decade of family travel, Melissa has done it every way imaginable: road trips, trains, ferries, budget flights, and everything in between. She shares which countries wor...

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