Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More Responsibly

Latest Episodes:

Why You Have to See the April Solar Eclipse, According to an Airstream-Loving Astronomy Expert Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

Where will you be on April 8, 2024? In case that date isn’t burned into your brain, it’s the day the sun, Earth, and the moon will completely align, creating a total solar eclipse that will sweep over a section of the United States. It will plunge cities around the U.S.—from Austin, Texas, to Buffalo, New York, into darkness for up to four minutes and 27 seconds and, according to our guest today, will be “the greatest science event in human history.”

That’s because it’s going to be one of the most accessible celestial events to happen in recent times: The path of totality crosses some of the most populated areas of the United States, and astro-tourists will flock to places like Texas in droves. Scott Roberts, today’s guest, will also be there, guiding a small group of people through the event at a ranch in Leakey, Texas.

To be honest, I wasn’t planning on traveling for the eclipse, but after interviewing Scott, I started to wonder if I’m missing out: He likens viewing an eclipse to some of his peak life experiences, nearly up there with witnessing childbirth. He’s seen four solar eclipses since he started photographing them as a young man, and now he’s a kind of eclipse evangelist.

Maybe you, like me, didn’t make plans to see the eclipse. Or maybe you’ve had your plans locked in since 2022. Either way, Scott has a nugget of wisdom for you, from how to view your first solar eclipse (hint: just enjoy it) to the reason we should all celebrate the sun’s rise every day.

He’s also an avid Airstreamer and has been traveling around the country in a 1968 Overlander named Barbara Jean after his travel-loving mom. He shared how he downsized to the Airstream lifestyle and how this kind of travel allows him freedom to follow his celestial obsessions.

Resources

Read this week’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Check out Scott’s website, Explore Scientific.
Explore Scott’s eclipse trip in April (or just buy a pair of glasses).
Learn more about seeing the eclipse.
Follow the podcast to ensure you don’t miss an episode.
Subscribe to AFAR’s YouTube channel for a full video of the conversation.

Meet this week’s guest

Scott Roberts, founder of Explore Scientific, and eclipse enthusiast

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

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Replay: Here's How to Get the Best Sleep While Traveling Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

Unpacked, and host Aislyn Greene, are in Toronto this week! So we're resharing one of our most popular episodes from last season, because who doesn't need help sleeping from time to time?

We’ve all been there: Tossing and turning on a long-haul flight, or in an unfamiliar hotel bed. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Enter Anne Bartolucci, a licensed psychologist and a certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist. She’s the founder of Atlanta Insomnia & Behavioral Health Services, P.C. and the author of Better Sleep for the Overachiever. In other words, she knows her sleep—and she specializes in helping people improve their sleep without medication.

In this week’s episode, host Aislyn Greene chats with Anne about the one thing everyone should bring on their next flight, the proper use of melatonin (turns out most of us don’t use it correctly), and yes, how to get a decent night’s sleep in a new destination.

Resources

Read this week’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
Buy the neck pillow that AFAR editors swear by! (And go down our neck pillow rabbit hole.)
Explore Anne’s work at the Atlanta Insomnia & Behavioral Health Services, P.C.
Buy Anne’s book, Better Sleep for the Overachiever,on Amazonor Bookshop, or listen to it via Amazon.

Meet this week’s guest

Anne Bartolucci, a licensed psychologist and a certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist.

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A Professional Decision Coach’s Secrets to Making Better Choices in Travel—and Beyond Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

Have you ever gotten stuck in indecision? Maybe it was around where to travel, or when to book your tickets, or even something as small as where to eat when you’re on the road. Well, this week’s guest is an expert at cutting through the noise and helping her clients—and now you—make fast, solid decisions. Her name is Nell McShane Wulfhart, and she’s a professional decision coach.

Does it sound like a made-up job? Nell is the first to admit that it is in fact a made-up job. But one that she is uniquely qualified for, especially when it comes to travel. I’ve known Nell for about a decade now—as a travel writer. She has lived all around the world, from South Korea to Uruguay to Switzerland.

A couple of months ago, I got an email from Nell about her new Audible podcast, The Decision Coach. And I learned that for the past decade, she has also been (in her words) a “professional bossy boots.” That means that she sits down with clients who are stuck and helps them get unstuck. Some are chronically indecisive and need help getting out of that rut. Others are usually good decision makers but are stuck on a big life decision, like whether to have a baby, or take a new job, or move to a new country.

So I sat down with Nell to talk about how she makes decisions, how we can make better decisions, and how we can apply all of that to travel.

Meet this week’s guest

Nell McShane Wulfhart, podcaster and travel writer

Resources

Read a full transcript of the episode.
Listen to Nell’s podcast, The Decision Coach.
Check out her website for tips on making decisions and to sign up for her newsletter.
Follow the podcast to ensure you don’t miss an episode.
Subscribe to AFAR’s YouTube channel for a full video of the conversation.

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How to Budget for Travel, No Matter Your Income Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Money is often a taboo subject in our culture, but it has a huge impact on our lives, our futures, and yes, our travels. Danielle Desir Corbett—our guest this week—works to dispel myths and encourage transparency on her podcast, The Thought Card, and her website, thoughtcard.com, where she even posts breakdowns for the many trips she's taken. In the episode, she shares her annual travel budget, her tips on budgeting in a way that is in alignment with what you truly value, and tools that can help you navigate finances without getting totally bogged down. Best yet: She’s found that by using these tools over the years, she’s been able to travel more than ever before—and still accomplish her financial goals.

Meet this week’s guest

Danielle Desir Corbett, podcaster and author

Resources

Read a full transcript of the episode.
Listen to Danielle’s podcast, The Thought Card.
Check out her website for tips on personal finance and travel, plus posts about trip costs around the world.

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Unpacking Albuquerque Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

In season three of Unpacked, we're introducing "Unpacking," a series that explores some of our favorite destinations around the world. First up: Albuquerque, land of hot air balloons, chiles, and some fantastic outdoor spaces. Join host Aislyn Greene as she unpacks the Southwestern city's outdoorsy roots.

Meet this week’s guests

Sarah Sheasley, director of marketing for Los Poblanos
Elaine Briseño, journalist and historian
Terry Brunner, the Director of the city of Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency
Justin de la Rosa, a local food writer and director of outlets for the Sawmill Market
Dylan Storment, director of wine and spirits at Los Poblanos
Missy Begay, cofounder of Bow & Arrow Brewing
Bill Stimmel, the entrepreneurial director at Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Murray Conrad, hot air balloon pilot and owner of World Balloon

My Albuquerque itinerary

Where I ate, stayed, and played.

Hotels

Book a stay at Los Poblanos
Book a stay at Hotel Chaco

Restaurants

Activities

Take a bike and taco tour with Routes
Tour the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Visit the Paseo del Bosque
Take a tram up Sandia Peak
Fly with World Balloon
If you want to hear more of the flamenco episode you hear at the top of the episode, see a show at Tablao Flamenco

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At This London Tour Company, Formerly Unhoused People Are Your Guides Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

The issue of homelessness—or being unhoused, or facing housing scarcity—isn’t something we often talk about when it comes to travel, unless it’s in a negative sense. In this episode, however, we’re going to meet a London-based tour company that’s working on bringing homelessness into the tourism narrative.

It’s called Unseen Tours, a nonprofit founded in 2010 by Jayni Gudka. It offers London tours that touch on many of the city’s most popular sites and neighborhoods—Soho, King’s Cross—with a twist: They’re led by individuals who were once homeless. But the tours are not poverty tourism. They’re history-rich, city-focused walking excursions led by people with a very special kind of knowledge.

Meet this week’s guests

Rachel Parsons, journalist
Nic Shaw, guide with Unseen Tours
Jayni Gudka, CEO of Unseen Tours

Resources

Read a full transcript of the episode.
Book a tour with Unseen Tours.
Follow the podcast to ensure you don’t miss an episode.
Subscribe to AFAR’s YouTube channel for a full video of the conversation.

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You Can Get Free Flights and Hotel Stays Easier Than You Think. Here’s How. Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

The world of travel loyalty programs is . . . complicated. Last year, Delta made waves when it announced that it was making radical changes to its SkyMiles program. People very quickly—and this is the technical term—freaked the eff out. So, Delta swiftly (and wisely) backpedaled.

But as I learned from this week’s expert, Paul Rubio, this isn’t the only airline that has made less-than-positive changes. Delta just took the heat. Drama! It’s just the first of many (many) things related to travel loyalty programs that we'll learn about from Paul, a points and miles wizard. You may remember him from season two, when he shared his vast knowledge about the world of travel credit cards. And in today’s episode, he does the same for airline and hotel loyalty programs.

We start off exploring why it’s worth joining these programs—and it definitely is, and it definitely doesn’t have to take up your whole life—and which programs are best for both airline and hotel points. Then we dive deeper into how to maximize them, and how best to use them, including when you should buy points and when you should not.

It’s a pretty complex topic, but Paul has done all the legwork so that we don’t have to—as you can tell by the very long list of resources below.

Meet this week's guest: Paul Rubio, points and miles expert.

Resources

The recent changes to American Airlines' reward program.
The recent changes to Southwest's reward program.
The recent changes to United's reward program.
Delta's amended changes to its award program.
Paul's Tumi and Rimowa suitcase reviews.
Our guide to the World of Hyatt program.
How and when to buy points for hotels.
When to buy points for airlines.
How to get VIP rewards for credit cards.
How to use loyalty points for charitable donations.
How to use Points.Me.

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Where to Cruise This Year—Even if You Think You're Not a Cruiser Jan 25, 2024

Show notes

There’s a special magic to being at sea. Watching a port retreat as a ship begins to sail, the sensation of gently (or not so gently) rocking waves, the expansiveness of open water. This week’s episode is all about that magic, whether you would label yourself a “cruiser” or not.

To get the scoop on the high seas, we’re hearing from Fran Golden, who covers the cruise world for AFAR. Fran is a bonafide cruise expert. She’s been on more than 170 ships (at times, she’s taken up to 12 cruises a year), she’s written several books on cruising, and she loves every minute of it.

She shares her favorite itineraries for 2024 (including a sail along the western coast of Africa), the best cruise lines for every traveler (from small, casual sailboats to luxurious ocean liners), and tips and tricks for finding a good deal, even if you’re a solo traveler.

There are plenty of surprises, too: Fran gets seasick, for one. So she has excellent advice for anyone who goes green around the gills at the thought of stepping on a ship. And she talks a lot about sustainability, which is a key focus for the cruise industry right now, and for us here at AFAR.

Meet this week’s guest

Fran Golden, cruise expert

Resources

Explore Fran’s cruise stories on AFAR.com.
Follow Fran on Instagram.
Read the transcript of the episode.
Subscribe to AFAR’s YouTube channel for a full video of the conversation.

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The 25 Most Exciting Places to Travel in 2024 Jan 18, 2024

Show notes

We're three weeks into the new year. Maybe you're a freshly minted, idealized version of yourself. Or maybe your new year's resolutions are as distant as the icebergs of Antarctica. But no matter what your life looks like, there's one thing you can count on: travel. And today, we're going to talk about the best places to travel this year, whether you want to chase eclipses, drink Uruguayan wine, or discover the coolest cities in Europe.

Every year, AFAR puts out an annual "Where to Go" list in the magazine and online. And this year is no exception. From the peat bogs of Estonia to the kite festivals of Weifang, China, to the waters of Fiji, this year's list of 25 places is robust, thoughtful, and deeply inspiring. (Not that we're biased or anything . . . . )

In this episode, the three editors who helped craft the list join host Aislyn Greene to talk about how and why they chose the places on the list, which ones they have personally visited, and their predictions for the year ahead.

Meet this week’s guests

Sarika Bansal, AFAR editorial director
Billie Cohen, AFAR executive editor
Tim Chester, AFAR deputy editor

Resources

Explore all 25 destinations on our “Where to Go in 2024” list.
Read the transcript of the episode.
Subscribe to AFAR’s YouTube channel for our *brand new* podcast videos.
Read our local's guide to Toronto.
Check our Toronto guide.
Listen to our episode about travel insurance.
Explore our feature story about Oman.

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Unpacked Returns: A Bigger, Brighter World Awaits Jan 04, 2024

Show notes

It's a fresh new year! And we all know that this also means that there's a fresh year of travel to plan, discoveries to be made, and adventures to be had. And Unpacked by AFAR is here for you every step of the way. AFAR editors will share the places they're dreaming of visiting this year. A cruise expert will unveil the best places to cruise in 2024, as well as the best cruise lines to sail with, even if you're not a cruiser. (And a little hint: These companies are more sustainable than ever.) We'll reveal the best ways to use and accrue air and hotel rewards, how to build a travel budget, deal with awkward plane encounters, and so much more.

And this season on Unpacked by AFAR, we're going farther than ever (literally) in our new series "Unpacking." Host Aislyn Greene is visiting some of our favorite places in the world and reporting back, meeting with the locals who define these places and sharing tips on how to best explore them.

So join us every Thursday beginning January 18th. Because the travel world is complicated. We're here to help you unpack it.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales by AFAR, a series of first-person stories about the trips that change our lives.

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