Learn how to travel for free with your family using points and miles! Get the details on travel hacking for beginners from busy mom Melissa, who's addicted to family travel on points.

Dreaming of taking your family to Hawaii, Europe, or Costa Rica without breaking the bank? In this episode of Family Travel Unpacked, host Melissa breaks down exactly how to use credit card points and miles to cover flights and hotels for your entire family.

In this episode:

• Best starter credit cards for family travel (Chase Sapphire Preferred, Freedom Unlimited)
• How to find and book award flights using transfer partners
• Hotel strategies that work for families (Hyatt, IHG, vacation rentals)
• The Southwest Companion Pass secret (bring a family member for ~$6!)

Whether you're brand new to points and miles or ready to level up your strategy, this episode gives you actionable steps to start traveling more while spending less. Download your free ebook to jumpstart your journey today!

00:00 Introduction to Family Travel Unpacked

00:59 Challenges of Traveling with Family

01:55 Earning Points: The Basics

03:17 Maximizing Credit Card Benefits

07:10 Booking Flights with Points

14:40 Hotel Strategies for Families

17:50 Practical Tips for Traveling with Kids

19:20 Conclusion and Resources

Resources:

Chase Sapphire credit cards

Best Travel Credit Cards for Families

Southwest Companion Pass

Four Reasons I LOVE Award Travel

How to get discounted rental cars

Chase Freedom credit cards

Chase Ink Business credit cards

Capital One Venture X credit card

Hosted by Melissa Conn, founder of The Family Voyage, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, and mom of two who proves family travel is achievable for everyone.

Blog The Family Voyage

Get your free ebook The Busy Mom's Guide to Free Travel

Check out my favorite travel gear and my Etsy shop!

Chase Sapphire credit cards

Best travel gifts for teens: our teen gift guide with ideas they'll actually use! From experience gifts to luggage and tech essentials.

Struggling with holiday shopping for your teen traveler? In this quick episode, I share my teen gift guide featuring the best travel gifts for teens and tweens – vetted by my own 14 and 11-year-old! From experience-based gifts that create lasting memories to practical gear they'll use on every trip, these are the gifts traveling teens actually want.

In This Episode:

• Experience gifts that connect teens to destinations (street art tours, zip lining, cooking classes)
• Real luggage recommendations that will last through college
• Portable comfort items like travel blankets and sunglasses
• Low-tech entertainment: puzzle books and travel journals
• Tech essentials: headphones, gaming consoles, and action cameras

Whether you're shopping for birthdays or the holidays, these travel gift ideas will delight the teen or tween traveler in your life!

Best travel gifts for teens

Hosted by Melissa Conn, founder of The Family Voyage, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, and mom of two who proves family travel is achievable for everyone.

Blog The Family Voyage

Get your free ebook The Busy Mom's Guide to Free Travel

Check out my favorite travel gear and my Etsy shop!

Chase Sapphire credit cards

Planning your perfect Costa Rica family vacation? Learn essential tips, itinerary ideas & how to pivot when travel goes wrong!

Join Melissa from Family Travel Unpacked for a complete guide to Costa Rica with kids—from cloud forests and coffee farms to zip-lining adventures and beach resorts. After an unexpected flight diversion forced a complete itinerary change, this family of four discovered amazing destinations most visitors skip entirely.

In this episode:

• Essential tips: car seats, souvenirs, feeding kids & must-have travel gear
• What to do when your flight gets diverted mid-air (yes, really)
• Hidden gems in Costa Rica's Central Valley most tourists miss
• Best family activities in La Fortuna including zip-lining and hot springs
• Honest Andaz Papagayo resort review with points & miles strategies
• Money-saving tips using credit card rewards and travel insurance
• What worked (and didn't) for kids ages 11 and 14

Perfect for families planning their first Costa Rica family trip or looking for adventure-plus-relaxation itinerary ideas. Includes specific recommendations for wildlife spotting with kids, maximizing points and miles and more.

00:00 Welcome to Family Travel Unpacked
00:44 Essential Costa Rica Travel Tips
04:12 Unexpected Travel Challenges
07:43 Exploring Costa Rica's Central Valley
10:51 Adventures in La Fortuna
14:97 Relaxing at Papagayo Peninsula
19:50 Trip Highlights and Reflections
24:08 Final Thoughts and Farewell

Resources:

Our travel binoculars

Perfect 7 Day Costa Rica Itinerary for Families

Andaz Papagayo Review

La Fortuna with Kids Guide

Costa Rica Central Valley Day Trip

The Wildest Flight Diversion Story

Travel Insurance Comparison Tool

Best Travel Credit Cards for Families

Southwest Companion Pass

Hosted by Melissa Conn, founder of The Family Voyage, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, and mom of two who proves family travel is achievable for everyone.

Blog The Family Voyage

Get your free ebook The Busy Mom's Guide to Free Travel

Check out my favorite travel gear and my Etsy shop!

Chase Sapphire credit cards

Microvacations and weekend getaways don't have to be complicated! Learn how to plan the perfect 2-3 day family trip that actually refreshes you.

Melissa shares her proven formula for stress-free microvacations: finding affordable non-stop flights, choosing hotels with breakfast included, and picking compact destinations where you can maximize fun without the exhaustion of over-planning.

Episode highlights:

• The microvacation formula: short flights, easy logistics, compact destinations
• Best hotel chains for family weekend getaways (with points strategies)
• Top microvacation destinations from the Midwest
• Why shorter trips can be better than longer vacations
• Real examples: NYC, Chicago, and Florida beach weekends

Perfect for busy families juggling sports schedules, school commitments, and limited vacation days. Discover how to squeeze more travel into your year without breaking the bank or burning out.

00:00 Introduction to Micro Vacations

00:19 What is a Micro Vacation?

00:38 Keys to a Successful Micro Vacation

01:01 Affordable Flights

01:27 Choosing the Right Hotels

01:56 Ideal Destinations for Micro Vacations

02:40 The Benefits of Micro Vacations

03:15 Recap and Final Tips

03:53 Conclusion and Additional Resources

Resources:

All about the Southwest Companion Pass

Hyatt Regency Coconut Point

Hyatt Regency Lost Pines

Hosted by Melissa Conn, founder of The Family Voyage, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, and mom of two who proves family travel is achievable for everyone.

Blog The Family Voyage

Get your free ebook The Busy Mom's Guide to Free Travel

Check out my favorite travel gear and my Etsy shop!

Chase Sapphire credit cards

Get family travel planning tips from a mom who books 10-12 months ahead! Learn how to choose destinations based on your family's schedule, using points & miles, weather, flight routes and more. Family Travel Unpacked host Melissa shares her "Where to Go When" spreadsheet system, real examples from Costa Rica and Italy, and how to balance everyone's needs with you travel with kids - from outdoor adventure to resort pools. Perfect for families juggling school schedules, dietary restrictions, and multi-generational travel.

00:00 Welcome to Family Travel Unpacked

01:11 Understanding Travel Constraints

03:23 Flight Logistics and Planning

04:39 Balancing Family Needs and Preferences

05:26 Maximizing Points and Miles

06:34 Organizing Your Travel Plans

08:46 Weather Considerations

12:24 Making the Final Decision

14:44 Recap and Next Episode Preview

Hosted by Melissa Conn, founder of The Family Voyage, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, and mom of two who proves family travel is achievable for everyone.

Blog The Family Voyage

Get your free ebook The Busy Mom's Guide to Free Travel

Check out my favorite travel gear and my Etsy shop!

Chase Sapphire credit cards

Discover how to book award travel with kids by checking next year's school calendar NOW. Learn why planning 10-12 months ahead unlocks the best points and miles redemptions for family trips.

Host Melissa shares the one strategy that changed her family travel game: using next year's school district calendar to book award flights and hotels before availability disappears. Perfect for families wanting to travel on points without breaking the bank.

In this episode:

• Why your school's website holds the key to better award bookings
• How to book speculatively with cancellable point reservations
• Real example: booking Costa Rica with maximum flexibility
• When to start searching for award availability
• How early planning helps coordinate family schedules and PTO

00:00 Introduction to Quick Tip Tuesday

00:15 The Hidden Gem on Your School's Website

00:58 Why Early Planning is Crucial

02:01 Real-Life Example: Costa Rica Spring Break

03:16 Flexibility and Contingency Planning

04:04 Challenge and Action Steps

04:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Hosted by Melissa Conn, founder of The Family Voyage, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, and mom of two who proves family travel is achievable for everyone.

Blog The Family Voyage

Get your free ebook The Busy Mom's Guide to Free Travel

Check out my favorite travel gear and my Etsy shop!

Chase Sapphire credit cards

Travel with kids doesn't have to wait. Join host Melissa as she shares how her family travels MORE now than before having children—from Hawaii at 3 months old to a 2-year family gap year backpacking the world.

In this debut episode of Family Travel Unpacked, Melissa introduces her 8-year journey running The Family Voyage and reveals the surprising truth: family travel became intentional, frequent, and affordable after kids arrived. Learn how maternity leave trips evolved into full-time travel, why kids make you better travelers, and how strategic use of points and miles makes it all possible.

In this episode:

• How we took each kid on their first international trip at 3 months old
• Why leaving a stressful finance job led to 2 years of full-time family travel
• Our philosophy: travel doesn't have to be expensive, kids are more capable than you think, and travel is the best education
• Balancing challenging adventures with resort relaxation
• What to expect from this podcast: destination guides, points & miles strategies, and real family travel advice

00:00 Welcome to Family Travel Unpacked

01:17 Our Early Travel Experiences

02:23 Traveling with a Newborn

03:46 Expanding Our Horizons

05:03 The Big Leap: Full-Time Travel

08:26 Core Principles of Family Travel

11:09 What to Expect from This Podcast

12:15 Conclusion and Next Steps

Hosted by Melissa Conn, founder of The Family Voyage, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, and mom of two who proves family travel is achievable for everyone.

Blog The Family Voyage

Get your free ebook The Busy Mom's Guide to Free Travel

Check out my favorite travel gear and my Etsy shop!

Chase Sapphire credit cards