Family Travel Unpacked: Make the Most of Travel With Kids

Celiac travel tips for families: Learn how to safely travel internationally with food allergies. Melissa shares practical strategies for keeping your child safe while exploring the world - from choosing gluten-free friendly destinations like Costa Rica and Italy to using translation cards and leveraging cruise ships as a stress-free base. Discover why cruises work brilliantly for Celiac families,...

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 Family Travel Unpacked, Melissa shares practical strategies for encouraging kids to try new foods while traveling - without the mealtime battles. From choosing the ri...

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 Tuesday episode, I interview my daughter Shoshana about her week on the world's largest cruise ship. She shares unfiltered opinions on everything from the shows and...

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 what worked (and what didn't) for our multigenerational cruise over New Years. From our perfect Deck 8 balcony setup to managing the water slide crowds,...

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 helped her family prepare, how her 8 and 10-year-old handled the experience, and practical tips for making the right choices for your children. In this epi...

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 despite being the hardest to plan. In this episode: Why you need to plan early Transportation strategy Kid-approved Japan activities Real talk about je...

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 2026 - the ultimate family travel hack that lets you bring a companion on every Southwest flight for just $5.60 in taxes. Despite Southwest's recent changes,...

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 family travel adventures across Europe, the US, and beyond. Join Melissa from Family Travel Unpacked as she reveals her 2026 travel lineup, including: First-time visit...

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 budget-friendly family trips using points. Discover family travel planning strategies, traveling with kids who have Celiac disease, multi-generational family...

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 strategies. Melissa reveals how her family uses points transfer bonuses, hotel credits, and smart booking tactics to slash accommodation costs on trips to the Azores, Po...

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, and handling jet lag. Episode Highlights: Why Oahu (not Waikiki) is best for first-timers How we flew to Hawaii for $11.20 using points Hotel vs condo: whi...

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 compression bags for puffy jackets, rain gear, and cold weather essentials. Learn the difference between roll-up bags and electric pump versions, plus a genius bonus...

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 essentials—get all the tips you need for an amazing winter vacation. In this episode: Best ski resorts for families and first-timers Ski school vs. teac...

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. Discover the ideal timeline for coordinating flights, hotels, and activities when multiple families travel together. What You'll Learn: Why early booki...

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 different ages and abilities, navigating money conversations, and managing group dynamics on trips spanning toddlers to seniors. Episode Highlights: Choosing dest...

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 vacation. In this Quick Tip Tuesday episode, Melissa shares how to maximize credit card travel benefits most families overlook. Discover how to unlock rental c...

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, Europe, or Costa Rica without breaking the bank? In this episode of Family Travel Unpacked, host Melissa breaks down exactly how to use credit card points and miles to c...

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 gift guide featuring the best travel gifts for teens and tweens – vetted by my own 14 and 11-year-old! From experience-based gifts that create lasting memories to...

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 and coffee farms to zip-lining adventures and beach resorts. After an unexpected flight diversion forced a complete itinerary change, this family of four discovered...

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 flights, choosing hotels with breakfast included, and picking compact destinations where you can maximize fun without the exhaustion of over-planning. Episo...

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 "Where to Go When" spreadsheet system, real examples from Costa Rica and Italy, and how to balance everyone's needs with you travel wit...

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 changed her family travel game: using next year's school district calendar to book award flights and hotels before availability disappears. Perfect for famil...

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 Family Travel Unpacked, Melissa introduces her 8-year journey running The Family Voyage and reveals the surprising truth: family travel became intentional, freq...