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/
All content for Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways is the property of NerdWallet Travel and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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/
Summer Travel Deals: Where Prices Are Dropping and How to Book Luxury for Less
Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
35 minutes
1 month ago
Summer Travel Deals: Where Prices Are Dropping and How to Book Luxury for Less
Score travel deals, discover hotel savings, and learn how to maximize your budget without missing out this summer.
How can you travel this summer without overspending? Where should you book to get the most value from your hotel stay? Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss the state of summer travel and how shifting prices are impacting vacation budgets. But first, they break down the latest travel headlines, including: massive crowds already clogging airports and attractions, updates to the Chase Sapphire Reserve and new rules for holding multiple Sapphire cards, a teased refresh of the Amex Platinum, Disney’s Halloween event ticket rush, the opening of Delta’s new lounge in Seattle, and major changes to Carnival Cruise Line’s loyalty program.
Then, Mary Hines Droesch, Head of Consumer and Small Business Products at Bank of America, joins Meghan and Sally to talk about real-time spending data and what it tells us about how and where Americans are vacationing this summer. They discuss how high-income travelers are approaching international travel, where cruise bookings are surging, and why road trips and destination dupes are having a moment. Then, Christie Hudson, Head of Global PR at Hotels.com, joins to talk about how to find five-star hotel stays for less, which U.S. cities have seen the steepest hotel price drops, and how loyalty perks (even from free programs) can unlock big savings on your next getaway.
This show references a limited-time offer on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. At the time of posting, it wasn’t announced when the offer would expire. See NerdWallet’s review of Chase Sapphire Reserve current benefits, terms and fees: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-reserve
Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:
Chase Sapphire Reserve Review: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-reserve
Chase Sapphire Preferred Review: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-preferred
American Express Platinum Review: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/american-express-platinum
Capital One Venture X Review: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/capital-one-venture-x
Resources discussed in this episode:
The Best Travel Credit Card Welcome Bonus Offers Right Now https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/top-rewards-credit-card-offers
What Credit Cards Can Get Me Into the Delta Sky Club? https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/what-credit-cards-can-get-me-into-the-delta-sky-club
Best Credit Cards of July 2025: https://www.nerdwallet.com/the-best-credit-cards
Best Credit Card Bonuses for New Cardholders of July 2025: https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/credit-cards/bonus-offers
In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: cheap summer travel, affordable summer vacations, hotel deals 2025, best credit cards for travel, travel credit cards, Chase Sapphire Reserve bonus, travel spending trends 2025, how to find cheap hotels, best time to book hotels, destination dupes travel, cheap five-star hotels abroad, road trip vs flying, domestic vs international travel costs, cruise travel 2025, how to get free hotel perks, Hotels.com loyalty program, travel loyalty programs, cheapest cities for hotels, cheapest cities for cocktails, August travel deals, shoulder season travel tips, how to save on luxury travel, summer airfare prices, declining airfare trends, best cities for cheap hotels, travel booking strategies, where to find value hotels, national parks travel tips, Disney Halloween party tickets, Oogie Boogie Bash tips, theme park travel savings, Carnival Rewards cruise program, cruise loyalty program changes, and guest access travel lounges.
Correction: A previous version of this episode misstated the ability to receive a sign-up bonus by downgrading a credit card. This has been corrected.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
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/
