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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 your next stress-free family trip.
Episodes
22 episodes
Travel With Kids: Picky Eater Edition
Family travel with kids gets easier when picky eaters become adventurous! Learn 8 strategies to help your children try new foods while traveling.Struggling with picky eaters on family trips? You're not alone. In this episode of Fa...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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11:24
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Icon of the Seas: A Kid's Take
Icon of the Seas from a kid's perspective! 11-year-old Shoshana shares her honest review of cruising with kids, from soft serve to Celiac dining.What does an 11-year-old really think about Icon of the Seas? In this Quick Tip Tuesd...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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12:22
All About Icon of the Seas: Review, Pros, Cons and Everything In Between
Icon of the Seas review: honest multigenerational cruise tips for 12 travelers ages 4-78. Western Caribbean ports, dining, shows & staterooms.We're just back from a week on Icon of the Seas with our crew of twelve! I'm sharing...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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41:41
Visiting Hiroshima with Kids: An Honest Guide
Visiting Hiroshima with kids: Should families tour the A-bomb sites? Melissa shares honest advice on navigating Japan with kids, including age-appropriate preparation strategies and what to expect at the Peace Memorial Museum. Learn which books...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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5:09
Japan with Kids: Planning Tips & What to Expect
Planning a family trip to Japan? In this episode, Melissa shares honest insights from her family's 10-day Japan adventure with kids ages 8 and 11. She covers what worked, what didn't, and why Japan became one of their most memorable trips despi...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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22:58
Southwest Companion Pass 2026: My Secret to Budget Travel with Kids
Southwest Companion Pass 2026 lets you fly your kids for $5.60 on every flight! Learn how to earn 135,000 points fast with credit card bonuses.Melissa breaks down everything you need to know about earning the Southwest Companion Pass in ...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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7:17
Family Travel Plans for 2026: A Sneak Peek at What’s Next
Travel with kids in 2026: Get a sneak peek at our family travel plans! From Portugal to London, cruises to beach weekends, see how one family balances school schedules, sleepaway camps, and award travel to plan an incredible year of fami...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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4:43
Travel With Kids: Looking Back on Our 2025 Family Adventures
Join us for a special 2025 year-end review including travel with kids to 10+ destinations! Family travel expert Melissa shares her year-in-review adventures including Maui family vacation tips, Italy with teenagers, Costa Rica with kids, and bu...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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12:18
Hacking Hotels (Family Edition)
Travel rewards and credit card points strategies to save thousands on family hotels! Learn unconventional booking hacks from a family travel expert.Maximize your credit card points and travel rewards with four game-changing hotel ...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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10:00
Hawaii with Kids: Five Questions People Ask Me All The Time
Planning a family trip to Hawaii with kids? Melissa shares 20+ years of Hawaii experience, answering the top 5 questions about which island to choose, how to make Hawaii affordable with points & miles, hotel vs condo decisions, trip length,...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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32:32
The Packing Hack To Level Up Your Winter Travel With Kids
Travel packing hack alert! Vacuum storage bags can save massive space when packing winter gear for ski trips and cold destinations like Iceland.Host Melissa shares how her family packed carry-on only for Iceland in July using vacuum comp...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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4:36
Crushing Your Family Ski Trip With Jessica Averett of Skiing Kids
Skiing with kids doesn't have to be stressful! Learn how to plan the perfect family ski trip with expert Jessica Averett of SkiingKids.com. From choosing the right resort to handling different ability levels, ski school decisions, and packing e...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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43:42
Your Multi-Gen Family Travel Planning Timeline
Planning multi-generational travel? Learn why booking 10-12 months ahead makes family reunion travel easier and more affordable. Melissa shares real examples from traveling with grandparents including Mexico resorts, cruises, and Hawaii trips. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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5:47
Making Multi-Generational Travel Work for Everyone
Multi-generational travel tips for planning successful family reunion vacations with grandparents, grandchildren, and everyone in between. Learn destination selection strategies, hotel vs. vacation rental pros/cons, activity planning for differ...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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31:00
Credit card treasure hunting
Maximize credit card travel benefits and perks with this quick guide to rental car status, Global Entry credits, and hidden airline benefits. Learn how to audit your credit cards to uncover hundreds in travel savings before your next family vac...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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6:29
Travel with kids for FREE? Yes please!
Learn how to travel for free with your family using points and miles! Get the details on travel hacking for beginners from busy mom Melissa, who's addicted to family travel on points.Dreaming of taking your family to Hawaii, Europ...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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20:28
Teen Travel Gift Guide (What They Really Want)
Best travel gifts for teens: our teen gift guide with ideas they'll actually use! From experience gifts to luggage and tech essentials.Struggling with holiday shopping for your teen traveler? In this quick episode, I share my teen...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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6:20
Travel With Kids: Costa Rica Edition
Planning your perfect Costa Rica family vacation? Learn essential tips, itinerary ideas & how to pivot when travel goes wrong!Join Melissa from Family Travel Unpacked for a complete guide to Costa Rica with kids—from cloud forests an...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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24:03
Mastering Microvacations (aka How Travel With Kids Doesn't Have to be a Full-Time Job)
Microvacations and weekend getaways don't have to be complicated! Learn how to plan the perfect 2-3 day family trip that actually refreshes you.Melissa shares her proven formula for stress-free microvacations: finding affordable non-stop...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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4:09
How to Choose Your Next Family Travel Destination
Get family travel planning tips from a mom who books 10-12 months ahead! Learn how to choose destinations based on your family's schedule, using points & miles, weather, flight routes and more. Family Travel Unpacked host Melissa shares her...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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14:54
The Secret Weapon Hiding on Your School's Website
Discover how to book award travel with kids by checking next year's school calendar NOW. Learn why planning 10-12 months ahead unlocks the best points and miles redemptions for family trips.Host Melissa shares the one strategy that chang...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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4:45
Welcome to Family Travel Unpacked
Travel with kids doesn't have to wait. Join host Melissa as she shares how her family travels MORE now than before having children—from Hawaii at 3 months old to a 2-year family gap year backpacking the world.In this debut episode of Fam...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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12:02