Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Hosted by Meghan Coyle and Sally French · NerdWallet Travel
4.4from 414 ratings
- 93
- Episodes
- 87
- Transcribed
- 414
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2025
- First episode
- 53M
- YouTube views
About 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/
- Publisher
- NerdWallet Travel
- Category
- business · education · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 5 Feb 2025
- Latest episode
- 4 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
87 of 93 episodes have a transcript.
4 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT
How to Choose an Airline Credit Card in 2026: Miles, Lounges and Companion Passes
28 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Best Days to Fly for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's 2026 (and When to Book)
21 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Is the Southwest Companion Pass Still Worth Chasing after the 2027 Changes?
Inside a recent episode
How to Choose an Airline Credit Card in 2026: Miles, Lounges and Companion Passes
Published 4 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And it doesn't matter which Southwest credit card you have, you will be able to pick a seat. There are different... times before departure that they'll allow you to pick your seat. And so that might change the availability of which seats are available to you. But I think that's super interesting. […]
Read the full transcript with a Pod Engine plan.
See plansWho has been a guest on Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Craig Joseph
- Ian Carroll
- Tiffany Leung
- Chris Hutchins
- Tess Vigeland
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 53,083,937
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.4 / 5
- 333 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.3 / 5
- 81 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 90 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 87
- Social presence
- 97
- YouTube
- 93
- Engagement
- 90
Contact Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Questions about Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Who hosts Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways?
Meghan Coyle and Sally French host the show. Published by NerdWallet Travel.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
87 of 93 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
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