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Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Places & Travel

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

Hosted by NerdWallet Travel

About this Show

Planning your next vacation? Before you budget, learn how to get the most out of your travel dollars with Smart Travel.

NerdWallet’s trusted travel experts, Sally French and Meghan Coyle, are here to help your travel dollars work even harder. 

But the travel Nerds don’t just make recommendations; they break down the latest travel details, exploring the pros and cons of specific strategies, practical tools, and tactics. Dive deep with the experts as they lay out all the options so you can finally plan that dream vacation.

So put your seat in its full upright position, buckle up, and let’s help that travel budget take you places you’ve only dreamed about.

Join hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle, two of NerdWallet’s expert travel Nerds, as they lay out tips, tools, and strategies for your next travel getaway, including:

Travel budgeting: What’s the best way to budget for a vacation? How can you save money planning travel? The Nerds compare the best travel budgeting tools.

Travel Strategies: Should you use travel points or travel miles? Should you Airbnb or get a hotel? The Nerds have your how-to travel guide for your next trip.

Family vacation planning: Thinking of a Disney trip or something more tropical? Should you fly or rent a car? The Nerds lay out your options so you can decide the best way to book your next family vacation.

Travel Agents: Can travel agents save you money? Are there better alternatives? The Nerds dive into the actual cost of financial traveling and lay out your best options. 

Seasonal timing: When’s the right time to book travel for next summer? How far out should you plan a holiday getaway? The Nerds got you covered from Spring to Winter with smart travel strategies.

Fee and policy changes: How do the latest TSA rules affect you? The Nerds break down recent regulations and how it impacts your next travel budget. 

Travel Planning Tools: Not sure about a new travel app? Does that website actually give you the best deals? The Nerds have reviewed all the major platforms and share their pros, cons, and insights.

Destination-Specific Booking Strategies: Dreaming of Hawaiian or European getaways? The Nerds can help you and your travel budget when booking popular travel destinations. 

If you’re planning on traveling within the next 12 months and ready to start researching and booking your next great adventure, then follow Smart Travel to upgrade your getaways. 

You’ll love Smart Travel if you like podcasts like: Far From Home, Zero to Travel, Points Talk with the Travel Mom Squad, Amateur Traveler, Point Me To First Class, Takeoff A Points And Miles Podcast, Frequent Miler On The Air, Women Who Travel, and many other travel related podcasts. 

NerdWallet Compare, Inc. NMLS ID# 1617539 NMLS Consumer Access: http:// www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/

Latest Episodes

November 4, 2026

How to Choose an Airline Credit Card in 2026: Miles, Lounges and Companion Passes

Learn how airline credit cards could earn you more miles, cheaper award flights, elite status and free checked bags. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss airline credit cards to help you decide whether one belongs in your wallet. They break down why United cardholders now earn more miles ...

October 28, 2026

Best Days to Fly for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's 2026 (and When to Book)

Learn the best and worst days to fly for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, plus when to book to save on airfare. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss the best days to fly and book around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's to help you dodge crowds and save on holiday airfare this...

October 21, 2026

Is the Southwest Companion Pass Still Worth Chasing after the 2027 Changes?

What does Southwest's loyalty overhaul mean for the Companion Pass, elite status and credit card earning in 2027? Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss Southwest's Rapid Rewards overhaul to help you figure out whether the Companion Pass and elite status are still within your reach in 2027....

October 14, 2026

How to Book Business Class With Points: Award Availability Tips for Flights and Hotels

Learn how to find award availability for hard-to-book business class flights and hotels using your points and miles to travel. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss how to find availability for hard-to-book award flights and hotels to help you get more value from your points and miles wh...

October 7, 2026

How to Find Award Flights With Points: Tips From the Seats.aero Founder

Learn how to use award travel search tools like Seats.aero to find flights you can book with points and miles. Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss how to search for award flights across dozens of airline loyalty programs to help you get more value from your credit card points and miles. ...

September 30, 2026

How to Book Flights With Points and Miles: A Beginner’s Guide

Learn how to book your first flight with points and miles, and how to tell whether an award flight is a good deal. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss the basics of booking flights with points and miles to help you turn a stash of rewards into your next trip. But first, they break down t...

September 23, 2026

Ten Credit Cards, One Strategy: Which Annual Fees Are Worth Paying

Learn how to audit a wallet full of credit cards and decide which annual fees are actually worth paying. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss how to assess a wallet full of credit cards to help you figure out which ones are actually working for you. But first, they break down the latest t...

September 16, 2026

Chris Hutchins' Top Points and Miles Tips, Straight From “All the Hacks”

All the Hacks podcast host Chris Hutchins reveals his tricks for finding hidden discounts and getting real value out of points and miles — without the headache. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss practical strategies for earning and redeeming points and miles to help you book the trips ...

September 9, 2026

Is Bank of America Still Worth It for Travelers? New BofA Rewards Rules Explained

Learn how Bank of America's revamped rewards program could quietly cut how much cardholders earn back. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss Bank of America's overhauled BofA Rewards program to help you figure out whether it's still worth keeping money parked with the bank. But first, they...

September 2, 2026

Best Credit Cards for Dining Rewards in 2026: How to Earn More at Restaurants

Learn how to earn more restaurant rewards, and whether paying extra for a premium card's dining credit is worth it. Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss how to make the most of credit card rewards on restaurant spending to help you eat out for less. But first, producer Tess Vigeland joins...

August 26, 2026

How to Coupon Your Way Around the World, with Torok Coupon Hunter

Coupon queen Kiersti Torok reveals how everyday savings on gas, groceries and gift cards can fund your next trip. Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French talk to Kiersti Torok — known online as Torok Coupon Hunter — about turning everyday savings from groceries, gas and gift cards into a bigger tra...

August 19, 2026

Bilt to Last? Grading Bilt Rewards Six Months On

Learn what six months of confusing changes to Bilt's rewards program have actually meant for cardholders' points. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss six months of living with Bilt's revamped rewards program to help you decide whether the housing-focused card still earns its keep. But fi...

August 12, 2026

Finding Cheap Flights, Mastering Layovers, and Knowing Your Card’s Benefits (Put to the Test!)

Learn how to handle a surprise layover and track down a cheap flight to a random destination. Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss how to think fast when travel plans go sideways to help you handle curveballs with more confidence. But first, they break down the latest travel headlines, in...

August 5, 2026

Ask the Nerds: Booking Traps, Transfer Optimization and Card Strategy

Learn how to stretch modest points balances into business-class flights, and safer spending abroad. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle answer travel questions from listeners to help you make smarter points, transfer and booking decisions. But first, they break down the latest travel headlines, ...

July 29, 2026

The 7 Things Our Travel Pros Insist On Packing

Learn which packing essentials two travel experts swear by, plus how to time your Labor Day trip for fewer crowds. Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss the gear they just won’t travel without, to help you pack smarter on your next trip. But first, they break down the latest travel headlin...