Travel Squad Podcast

In this episode the squad is taking you to Phuket, Thailand to spend two days enjoying its amazing beaches, exploring nearby islands by boat, eating amazing Thai cuisine and experiencing the ionic Phuket nightlife on Bangla Road. We share tips for visiting, navigating, and where to stay in Phuket.

Download our ⁠2 Day Phuket Itinerary⁠

We went to the ⁠Simon Cabaret Show⁠ and did the ⁠James Bond Island Luxury Sunset Cruise⁠ - both of which we highly recommend!

When you visit Phuket, we recommend staying at the ⁠Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach⁠ (we stayed here and loved it!), ⁠Memory Boutique⁠ or ⁠La Flora⁠.

Find great flight deals to Phuket, and everywhere else, by signing up for ⁠⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠⁠ to get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

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Planning the ultimate girls trip or Galentine’s getaway? In this Just the Tip episode, we’re sharing the best girls trip destinations from beachy Tulum to wine-filled Napa, adventurous Sedona, relaxing Austin, and nightlife-packed Miami. We break down what to pack (matching PJs included), where to stay, and exactly why each destination is perfect for bonding, relaxing, 

Beach Destination: Tulum 

• Stay at the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya - beachfront resort with an amazing pool
• Use our 7 day Tulum itinerary to make planning even easier

Wine Region: Napa 

• Stay at Elm house Inn - Mansion bnb vibes 
• Use our Weekend Napa itinerary to take the exact girls trip we did 

Adventure/hiking: Sedona 

• Stay at the The Wilde Resort and Spa for a big beautiful resort in the heart of Sedona, bonus spa onsite for extra relaxation after all the hiking 

Spa/Relaxation: Austin 

• Stay at the Lake Austin Spa Resort or Miraval - Both are beautiful situated on the lake and have daily activities for spiritual wellness, fitness, and outdoor activities, healthy food, luxe stays
• Or stay in Austin at Omni Barton Creek (which has a great spa!) but go to Ottine Mineral Springs

City & Nightlife: Miami

• Stay at Fountainbleu Miami for a gorgeous vibey stay that has nightlife of its own

Plus we share our favorite girls trip essentials to make it that much more special.

• Matching PJ’s: Short Sleeve and Long Sleeve options
• Atomizer Perfume Spray Bottle 
• Collagen Mask
• Sleeping eye mask
• Jewelry travel organizer 
• Portable steamer 
• Crossbody bag 
• Tripod 
• Matching fitness dresses

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Shop: Trip Itineraries ⁠& ⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠

Connect: ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Contains affiliate links, thanks for supporting Travel Squad Podcast!

We’re exploring the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York, a perfect fall destination known for dramatic waterfalls, scenic lakes, and world-class wineries. From hiking the iconic Watkins Glen State Park and chasing Ithaca’s best waterfalls to sipping Riesling at Sheldrake Point Winery and driving the Seneca Lake Scenic Byway, we’re sharing our full Finger Lakes weekend itinerary, travel tips, and must-visit stops.

Finger Lakes Episode Highlights: 

• How to get to the Finger Lakes 

• Where to stay in the Finger Lakes 

• Fingerlakes Wine Trail 

• Best state parks in the Finger Lakes 

• Best waterfalls in the Finger Lakes 

Our top recommended stays in the Finger Lakes:

• Watkins Glen: The Benjamin Hotel or Lakeside Resort

• Penn Yan: Hampton Inn Penn Yan or Best Western Plus Vineyard Inn

• Ithaca: Hilton Garden Inn Ithaca

• Or check out these hotels in Finger Lakes

If you want to take this exact trip, download our Finger Lakes Itinerary!

Find a great flight deal to Louisville by signing up for Thrifty Traveler Premium and get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

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Shop: Trip Itineraries ⁠& ⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠

Connect: ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Contains affiliate links, thanks for supporting Travel Squad Podcast!

On this week's Just the Tip, Kim is taking you along on a bucket list experience The Blue Lagoon in Iceland! This world-renowned steamy turquoise spa experience is as amazing as it looks. In this episode, we bust a few mistruths and share the full experience to get you excited to visit yourself!

You can book the same ⁠Combo Blue Lagoon & Transfer ticket on Viator⁠ that we used.

Since you are going to The Blue Lagoon, you'll want to check out our ⁠Sky Lagoon⁠, ⁠Winter Iceland Trip⁠ and ⁠Summer Iceland Trip⁠ episodes too and our ⁠Iceland Itinerary⁠ too!

Find great flight deals to Iceland by signing up for ⁠⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠⁠ and get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

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Come with us to the land of fire and ice for a week in Iceland - in the dead of winter! On this wintry adventure we go to Snæfellsnes Peninsula, The South Coast, The Blue Lagoon, on an epic Northern Lights chasing tour in the middle of the night, and even saw some real lava! This episode is full of tips for visiting Iceland in the winter, how to navigate stormy roads, and how to plan for this finicky destination during the dark, winter season.

We HIGHLY recommend: These two items from Amazon for your winter Iceland trip: ⁠Heated Jacket⁠ and ⁠Hand Warmers⁠, but check out our whole ⁠Winter Travel Packing List on Amazon⁠ for more suggestions!

Hotels we stayed at:

- Upscale stylish hotel downtown

- Great private room on Rainbow road

- In Hofn near Vatnajökull National Park - Big guest house with nice rooms and a restaurant (with a breakfast buffet!) on site

This trip was booked entirely off tours, check out our ⁠Iceland Experiences Viator list⁠ for all the tours we did + more we couldn't fit into our schedule!

Find great flight deals to Iceland by signing up for ⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠ and get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

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Connect: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

In this week’s Just the Tip, we’re breaking down whether the Amex Platinum Card is actually worth its $895 annual fee. We walk through the benefits, credits, points-earning potential, and personalized welcome offers, including how we’ve used real credits for flights, luxury hotels, lounges, and everyday perks. By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly who this card is (and isn’t) for, how to check your own offer without hurting your credit, and whether the Amex Platinum fits your travel style and spending habits.

If you are interested in applying for the American Express Platinum Card, be sure to use this link

One of our favorite benefits is flying business class with points and we often transfer our Amex points to airline partners. Take a listen to our ⁠Airline Reviews playlist on Spotify⁠ to inspire you to book your next flight with points!

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Shop: Trip Itineraries ⁠& ⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠

Connect: ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Contains affiliate links, thanks for supporting Travel Squad Podcast!

In this episode we chat with Jocelyn and Justin, the owners and captains of the historic Schooner J & E Riggin, for an inside look at life and travel aboard a nearly 100-year-old windjammer. We talk about what makes sailing the Maine coast so special, from wind-powered routes and themed sailings to cozy onboard life and fresh, locally sourced meals cooked on a classic wooden stove. We also dive into what guests can expect on a multi-night sailing, including fall foliage cruises, and why this one-of-a-kind adventure is unlike any other way to experience Maine.

View the 2026 sailing schedule for the Schooner J & E Riggin. Travel Squad Podcast will be sailing on the September 30 to October 4 fall foliage cruise - join us!

Find a great flight deal into Maine by signing up for Thrifty Traveler Premium and get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

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Shop: Trip Itineraries ⁠& ⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠

Connect: ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Contains affiliate links, thanks for supporting Travel Squad Podcast!

In this week’s Just the Tip, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about Afternoon Tea, from its royal British origins to how the experience works today, tea selections, tiered bites, etiquette tips, and the little luxury extras that make it special. Plus we share the unforgettable afternoon teas we’ve done around the world and the iconic ones still on our bucket list. 

A few places we’ve done afternoon tea and loved!

• Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City, Canada

• Claridges in London, UK

• Empress Hotel in Victoria, Canada 

• Café 100 by The Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong

• The Driskill in Austin, TX USA

• LondonHouse in Chicago, IL USA

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Shop: Trip Itineraries ⁠& ⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠

Connect: ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Contains affiliate links, thanks for supporting Travel Squad Podcast!

In this episode we spent four days in Cabo relaxing on the beach, adventuring out onto the water, sightseeing, and enjoying the amazing cuisine.

On this trip we did the classic Cabo Arch tour and a ⁠whale watching tour⁠ that was amazing and we saw multiple kinds of whales and other sea life. See the tours we did and others we considered in our ⁠Cabo Viator Shop⁠.

Episode Highlights:

• Visiting Medano Beach and baby sea turtle release
• Cabo San Lucas Marina
• Cabo Arch Tour with a visit to Lovers Beach & Divorce Beach
• ⁠Whale Watching Tour ⁠
• Where to eat in Cabo
• Where to get drinks in Cabo

We stayed at the ⁠Fairfield Inn Cabo ⁠and loved the rotating breakfast buffet! It was in a good location and it's part of the Marriott family so you can work with points here! However, if you prefer an all inclusive hotel, check out ⁠Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas⁠.

How to get from the airport into Cabo: Ubers are not permitted to/from the airport. You can get a taxi in the airport, arrange a private shuttle, or take the shared ⁠transportation shuttle⁠ like we did on this trip. You could also rent a car, but not needed for this trip!

Find a great flight and hotel deals to Cabo, or anywhere else, by signing up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

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Shop:⁠ Trip Itineraries ⁠⁠&⁠ ⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠⁠

Connect:⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠⁠, and⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Contains affiliate links, thanks for supporting Travel Squad Podcast!

On this week's Just the Tip, we share the must-pack items in your person bag for flights. With this checklist, you'll never forget your travel pillow, chapstick, ear pods, or any other flight essentials.

Find a great flight and hotel deals by signing up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

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Shop:⁠ Trip Itineraries ⁠⁠&⁠ ⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠⁠

Connect:⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠⁠, and⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠and contact us at [email protected] to submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising. Submit a question of the week or inquire about guest interviews and advertising.

Contains affiliate links, thanks for supporting Travel Squad Podcast!