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Unpacked by AFAR
Unpacked by AFAR
AFAR Media

Unpacked by AFAR unpacks one tricky topic in travel each week. We're here to help you navigate the travel world, whether you... more

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Episodes

A Way (Way, Way) Better Way to Book Travel Using Points and Miles

It’s easier than ever to earn travel points and (sometimes) miles through credit cards and loyalty programs. But when it... more

16 May 2024 · 45 minutes
Replay: Everything You Need to Know About Travel Insurance (Before Booking Your Summer Trips)

With summer travel on the horizon, it's an excellent time to talk about everyone's favorite subject: Travel insurance. It's not... more

09 May 2024 · 36 minutes
Introducing The Decision Coach: How to Make Big Choices

Back in February, we interviewed Nell McShane Wulfhart, host of the Decision Coach podcast. She was a fantastic interview—lively, funny,... more

02 May 2024 · 42 minutes
Visiting Native Communities Is More Important Than Ever—Here’s How to Do It Right

Last November, while reporting our “Unpacking Albuquerque” episode, I spent a day at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. It’s this... more

25 Apr 2024 · 27 minutes
The True Story of One of the World's Most Diverse Cities

This week on Unpacked, we travel north to Toronto, Ontario, one of the world’s most diverse cities to explore what’s made... more

18 Apr 2024 · 48 minutes
Taylor Swift, New Flights, and Climate Change: Everything You Need to Know About Summer Travel This Year

Summer is coming. And while it's not looking like this season will be as insane as summer 2023, it's still... more

11 Apr 2024 · 37 minutes
Behind the Scenes: How We Create Our Best New Hotels List

The best hotels are a destination unto themselves. On this week’s episode of Unpacked, AFAR senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers... more

04 Apr 2024 · 37 minutes
This Midwestern City Is One of the Country’s Best-Kept Food Secrets

Hot tip: Don’t listen to this week’s episode of Unpacked hungry. Because we’re traveling to a surprising Midwestern city to... more

28 Mar 2024 · 35 minutes
At This Remote Island Resort, Staff Housing Is (Almost) as Luxurious as the Guest Quarters

If you travel to a remote island resort, where do the people who work there live? Because of course, if... more

21 Mar 2024 · 20 minutes
Why You Have to See the April Solar Eclipse, According to an Airstream-Loving Astronomy Expert

Where will you be on April 8, 2024? In case that date isn’t burned into your brain, it’s the day... more

14 Mar 2024 · 42 minutes
Replay: Here's How to Get the Best Sleep While Traveling

Unpacked, and host Aislyn Greene, are in Toronto this week! So we're resharing one of our most popular episodes from... more

07 Mar 2024 · 34 minutes
A Professional Decision Coach’s Secrets to Making Better Choices in Travel—and Beyond

Have you ever gotten stuck in indecision? Maybe it was around where to travel, or when to book your tickets,... more

29 Feb 2024 · 34 minutes
How to Budget for Travel, No Matter Your Income

Money is often a taboo subject in our culture, but it has a huge impact on our lives, our futures,... more

22 Feb 2024 · 44 minutes
Unpacking Albuquerque

In season three of Unpacked, we're introducing "Unpacking," a series that explores some of our favorite destinations around the world.... more

15 Feb 2024 · 33 minutes
At This London Tour Company, Formerly Unhoused People Are Your Guides

The issue of homelessness—or being unhoused, or facing housing scarcity—isn’t something we often talk about when it comes to travel,... more

08 Feb 2024 · 28 minutes
You Can Get Free Flights and Hotel Stays Easier Than You Think. Here’s How.

The world of travel loyalty programs is . . . complicated. Last year, Delta made waves when it announced that... more

01 Feb 2024 · 52 minutes
Where to Cruise This Year—Even if You Think You're Not a Cruiser

There’s a special magic to being at sea. Watching a port retreat as a ship begins to sail, the sensation... more

25 Jan 2024 · 52 minutes
The 25 Most Exciting Places to Travel in 2024

We're three weeks into the new year. Maybe you're a freshly minted, idealized version of yourself. Or maybe your new... more

18 Jan 2024 · 53 minutes
Unpacked Returns: A Bigger, Brighter World Awaits

It's a fresh new year! And we all know that this also means that there's a fresh year of travel... more

04 Jan 2024 · 1 minute
Where to Travel This Winter

Winter is coming. (But not in a threatening, Game of Thrones-y kind of way.) So this week on Unpacked, AFAR’s... more

28 Sep 2023 · 54 minutes
Being a Person With Dwarfism Has Never Stopped Me From Exploring the World

Christophe Zajac-Denek is an actor, a podcaster, a traveler—and he’s 4 feet 4 inches tall. On this week’s episode of... more

21 Sep 2023 · 36 minutes
How Maps Reveal the Secrets of our World

You may use Google Maps every day, but how often do you think about how that map was made—and more... more

14 Sep 2023 · 44 minutes
Can a Pledge Really Help Cure “Bad Tourists”?

If you’ve been following the news, it’s been a summer of “bad tourists.” There was the woman who carved her... more

07 Sep 2023 · 23 minutes
Think Travel Insurance Is Boring? Prepare to Be Dazzled (or Just Financially Protected).

Travel insurance: It's not the sexiest subject, is it? And yet, it can play a huge role in saving you... more

31 Aug 2023 · 38 minutes
A Skeptic's Guide to Birdwatching

Have you ever considered birdwatching? If the answer is a "heck, no"—or even a "not really"—than this episode is for... more

24 Aug 2023 · 29 minutes
National Parks Are America’s Greatest Idea—and Biggest Problem

When you think of America’s national parks, what comes to mind? For many of us—myself included—it’s the sense of openness,... more

17 Aug 2023 · 27 minutes
Should I Give Money to Panhandlers When I Travel?

There are few things as challenging as the moment when, while walking along a sidewalk in Paris, San Francisco, or... more

10 Aug 2023 · 28 minutes
Will the "Real" Waikīkī Please Stand Up?

AFAR senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers—who heads up all our hotel content—has a deep familiarity with Waikīkī, the two-mile stretch... more

03 Aug 2023 · 28 minutes
The Promise and Peril of Digital Nomadism

Digital nomadism has been hailed as a way to save communities—and slammed for raising rents and pricing out locals. In... more

27 Jul 2023 · 32 minutes
How to Get Airport Lounge Access, Even if You Don’t Have Airline Status

Airport lounges can be one of the most complex, mysterious parts of the airport experience. Aside from buying a business-... more

20 Jul 2023 · 48 minutes
The Secrets to Traveling Well With Children

Which countries are the most family friendly? How do you help kids deal with jet lag? What about routines, bedtimes,... more

13 Jul 2023 · 42 minutes
Summer Replay! The Best Places to Go in 2023

It’s a holiday week, one that (we hope) finds you swimming in a lake, or traveling to a new city,... more

06 Jul 2023 · 46 minutes
A Flight Attendant's Tips for Flying With Kids—Without Losing Your Mind

Kids and flying can be polarizing—anyone else remember popcorngate? But in this week’s episode, flight attendant (and mother of two)... more

29 Jun 2023 · 41 minutes
Inside Rick Steves’s Self-Imposed Carbon Tax

Can $30 per traveler really make a difference when it comes to carbon offsets? For Rick Steves, the answer is... more

22 Jun 2023 · 31 minutes
Rick Steves Wants to Save the World, One Trip at a Time

In the world of travel legends, Rick Steves is right up there at the top. Since he launched his company... more

15 Jun 2023 · 47 minutes
It's Not Too Late to Plan Your Summer Travels—Here's How

This episode starts with a sunburn. That’s how on-topic it is. Because yes, it’s summer! And wow, do we have... more

08 Jun 2023 · 1 hour,
Are You Ready to Hand Over Your Travel Planning to the ChatGPT and AI Bots?

Would you let ChatGPT plan your trip? Chris Dong, the host of this week’s episode, isn’t sure. As a travel... more

01 Jun 2023 · 26 minutes
The Making of a Patagonian National Park

When Kris Tompkins, former Patagonia CEO, moved to Chile in the ’90s, she and her late husband, Doug Tompkins, began... more

25 May 2023 · 41 minutes
How to Make Hard Travel Funny, According to a Comedian

This week we’re chatting with comedian, activist, and podcast host Youngmi Mayer, who’s based in New York City’s Chinatown. Host... more

18 May 2023 · 37 minutes
Would You Hike 500 Miles With Your Teenager? Andrew McCarthy Said Yes.

Hiking Spain’s Camino de Santiago trail is one of the world’s great pilgrimages. And actor, writer, and director Andrew McCarthy... more

11 May 2023 · 49 minutes
Why Do I Want to Stay for Another Drink? The Subconscious Power of Music in Hotels

Think back to the last time you stayed at a hotel: Did you notice the music playing? Maybe, maybe not.... more

04 May 2023 · 28 minutes
Ghosts, Celebs, and Rock ’n’ Roll: A History of NYC’s Hotel Chelsea

How does the hotel that attracted luminaries like Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin, and Sid Vicious undergo a renovation without losing... more

27 Apr 2023 · 28 minutes
How the Host of a Must-Watch Nature Show Deals With Climate Change

What will the Earth look like in seven years, as climate change progresses, and what we can do about it?... more

20 Apr 2023 · 58 minutes
How to Sleep Better While Traveling

We’ve all been there: Tossing and turning on a long-haul flight, or in an unfamiliar hotel bed. But it doesn’t have... more

13 Apr 2023 · 36 minutes
Into the Heart of North America's Iceland

This week, we’re heading to Iceland—well, kinda. We’re actually exploring the Viking hearts of New Icelanders, from Gimli, Manitoba to... more

06 Apr 2023 · 41 minutes
A National Parks Road Trip for the Ages

In early 2020, journalist Emily Pennington set out on a year-long road trip to visit all 62 national parks in... more

30 Mar 2023 · 53 minutes
Tourism Was Destroying Kerala. So Kerala Fought Back.

Kerala is one of the most striking states in southern India, with sandy beaches, lagoons, and cultural traditions that are... more

23 Mar 2023 · 26 minutes
Part II: A Man, a Dog, a Walk Around the World

In 2015, Tom Turcich—and his dog, Savannah—left his home to begin a walk around the world that would span 7... more

16 Mar 2023 · 1 hour, 37 minutes
A Man, a Dog, a Walk Around the World: Part I

In 2015, Tom Turcich—and his dog, Savannah—left his home to begin a walk around the world that would span 7... more

09 Mar 2023 · 1 hour, 50 minutes
How Travel Can Help Us Grieve

We turn to travel for a thousand different things: Connection, adventure, vacation, learning, family, the list goes on. One element... more

02 Mar 2023 · 34 minutes
Unpacked by AFAR
How Travel Can Help Us Grieve
Unpacked by AFAR
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Description

We turn to travel for a thousand different things: Connection, adventure, vacation, learning, family, the list goes on. One element of life... more