Today we’re sharing our most recent cruise experience!  In July Kim took a family cruise! The 7-day Mexican Riviera Carnival cruise out left of Long Beach, going to Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan. This was Kim’s third cruise, and second Carnival cruise taking this exact same route. Joining her on this cruise were six family […]

Cruise vacations are SO much fun! We live for a good 3-7 day cruise on an ocean liner or on an amazing river cruise.  We answer all of your top questions in this episode including, “how much are cruises?” and “which vacation to go on a cruise?” We have had some really fun times on […]

In this episode we take you on a romantic honeymoon cruise along the Danube River. The second longest river in Europe, this cruise passes through Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Krems, Salzburg, and Passau. We did this cruise in December during the European Christmas markets season and had so much fun seeing the Christmas decorations, snacks and […]

Ashley from Ashley P Travels, guest interviews on the podcast today answering your questions on “what is it like to work on a cruise ship?” Ashley spent several years working on a cruise ship and in this episode she reveals what it’s really like to live a travel life and work on a cruise ship, […]

Today we’re celebrating Kim’s birthday with a series of hard-hitting and fun questions to get to know her a little bit better! Get to know our other cohosts in their episodes: Jamal’s Q&A and Brittanie’s Q&A Happy Birthday Kim – Episode Transcript 0:35 And get ready to embark on a new adventure with us around […]

We’re helping with your holiday shopping this year with our 4th annual best gifts for travelers list! We have unique lists of affordable gift ideas for every type of traveler in your life. You can view all our favorite Gifts for Travelers on our Amazon Shop! Note: We earn a small commission from links in […]

Today we’re sharing some job inspiration for those who want to travel as a part of work! Whether that’s working in the tourism industry, being travel adjacent or traveling to fulfill your other job duties – we have options if you want to turn your passion for exploration into a career path. This episode is […]

We’re sharing details about the Amex Gold credit card, listing all the perks and points rewards + giving our real-life experience and reviews as cardholders ourselves. About the Card Amex Gold Card Perks Check out our other travel credit card episodes! Amex Gold Card Worth It – Episode Transcript 0:51 Today you have just me, […]

We’re replaying out feature interview on the Sunshine Travelers Podcast giving you the scoop on how to get the group trip out of the group chat and out into the world. We share stories from our travels together and chat travel with Scott and Melissa. This episode originally appeared on Sunshine Travelers Podcast, we also […]

We’re taking you to Niagara Falls and sharing all the details to visit from either side of the border. What is Niagara Falls? Niagara Falls is a group of three powerful waterfalls—Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls—located on the border between Ontario, Canada, and New York, USA, known for their breathtaking beauty and […]

We’re sharing 10 amazing places you have to visit in Arizona! Arizona has impressive landscapes that allow you to immerse yourself in nature. It’s a gorgeous state with healing and incredibly special energy. Here are 10 places we love and the additional episode we have on each: In this episode we mentioned ice cleat crampons, […]

Special guests Melissa and Scott from Sunshine Travelers Podcast join the show to talk all things Caribbean – what islands and countries to visit, how to save money on Caribbean travel and which places you can skip. We also talk about their show, traveling as a married couple, and immersing yourself into the local culture […]

Today we’re sharing why China, Slovenia, and Ecuador are 3 underrated countries we highly recommend you visit! We absolutely loved these countries! Coincidentally, we did these three trips through Gate 1 Travel Tours – absolutely not sponsored! Whether you travel with Gate 1, with another tour company, or independently, you will be sure to enjoy […]

Today we’re sharing our top travel safety tips to be cautious and overly prepared for what can go wrong while traveling.  Check out our other travel safety episodes. Travel Safety Tips – Episode Transcript 0:35 And get ready to embark on a new adventure with us around the globe. Hey, Squatty’s Travel Squad Podcast is […]

This 20-page Door County, Wisconsin itinerary outlines every detail you need to enjoy 4 days exploring Door County including lighthouses, hiking, and exploring. 20-pages of expert advice to help you navigate your Door County, Wisconsin trip and maximize your experience. This guide includes recommended lighthouses, hikes, overlooks, as well as what to do in Door […]

Taking you to Iceland on a week-long trip exploring Southern Iceland. This was an absolutely amazing trip venturing through the natural landscapes, waterfalls, animals and hikes that were all so incredible. Download the Southern Coast Iceland Itinerary to take this exact same trip! Iceland – Episode Itinerary 0:35 And get ready to embark on a […]

This week we’re going to Ashveville, a unique art, nature and beer city in the western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Asheville has a little something for everyone. It has gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, tons of great hiking, has historic architecture and a cute downtown filled with galleries and museums, and was […]

Episode 140 is taking you inside the good, the great, the bad and ugly of bathrooms around the world. You know we can’t do an episode without talking about the bathroom experience so we dedicated a whole episode to it. Just try to listen without laughing! We take it country by country telling stories from […]

New Zealand  As a nature lover, New Zealand has been on our bucket list for a long time.  Where is New Zealand  New Zealand is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia. It consists of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, along with numerous smaller islands. Why It’s a […]

This episodes takes you a 5-day road trip through the Gulf Coast of America. We flew into New Orleans and drove to Orange Beach, Alabama then over to Biloxi, Mississippi before going back to NOLA to spend a few days before ending the trip. If you’re looking for a flight deal to the Gulf Coast, […]

We’re sharing our review of Thrifty Traveler’s credit card consultation, it’s a cool tool we recently discovered that recommends the perfect next travel credit card for your unique situation. We walk through how to use the tool, what credit cards it recommended for us, and how to get the most out of travel credit card […]

Get to know the hosts behind the podcasts! Way back in our podcast archive we have an episode introducing ourselves, sharing how we all met, what inspired us to start traveling, and giving you other bits of backstory on us to help you all get to know us. Since then we have had so much […]

13 amazing national parks that you can see and enjoy with just ONE day! In honor of National Park Week April 20-28, 2024 we wanted to share some of our favorites and encourage you to take a day to visit. National Parks to Visit in One Day – Episode Transcript 0:35 Welcome to this week’s […]

In this episode we’re taking a 5-day vacation to the Jersey Shore! We flew into Philadelphia and explored the historic sites of the city and its culinary delight known as the Philly cheesesteak sandwich before heading into New Jersey. In addition to Seaside Heights we also spent a night in the iconic beachside destination of […]

In this week’s mini episode we each share our #1 favorite destination. It’s hard to pick just one, but we managed to pick 3 hot spots around the country we love! Kim’s favorite destination: Greece Brittanie’s favorite destination: Uganda Jamal’s favorite destination: Japan 3 Best Countries – Episode Transcript 0:35 Hey, squaddies. We’re introducing a […]

We’re diving into the stunning landscapes and rich history of Berchtesgaden and Salzburg Germany. We continued on to Berchtesgaden after our time in Munich celebrating Oktoberfest to enjoy the stunning Bavarian Alps. Join us as we recount our adventures hiking through the national park, cruising on the crystal-clear waters of Konigssee Lake, exploring the iconic […]

Come with us on a week trip to Greece exploring ancient ruins in Athens, beach clubs and nightlife in Mykonos, and the luxurious experiences Santorini has to offer. We share Greece travel tips, the route to take, the things to do in Greece you have to experience on your trip and share why Greece is […]

We’re sharing a step-by-step guide on how to plane an international vacation. This episode will help ease the minds of newbie to international travelers with tips to make the planning process easier, how to navigate a new country, and tips for safety, saving money, and booking. If you have not yet traveled out of the […]

We’re recapping our year of travel and sharing the many trips and projects for the podcast that we already have planned for 2024! Best Places to Visit in 2024 – Episode Transcript 2 (44s):Welcome to this week’s episode of the Travel Squad Podcast. In today’s episode, we are giving you our annual travel year recap. […]

If you’re as fascinated with wildlife as we are, then you will love a Uganda vacation! We took a trip with Gate1 Travel to Uganda and were pleasantly surprised with how much wildlife we saw throughout the entire trip! We booked this trip for the main highlight: Gorilla trekking in Uganda in the thicket of […]

New York City is one of those travel destinations where you can go a million times and do different things every time. We take another New York City trip, this time in the summer to see the Statue of Liberty by bottomless mimosa brunch, see the skyline by rooftop, go to iconic NYC comedy clubs, […]

We welcome Brett, the creator of the Takon Life head prop neck pillow to the show to share how he came up with the most comfortable travel pillow on earth and how it’s helping fulfill kids’ dreams of travel and sports. Brett shares his memories of traveling and partaking in outdoor activities and how that’s […]

We’re sharing 14 of the coolest and most unique UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States! We’ve been to every one of these interesting sites and can personally vouch for how awesome they are! On the list we have sites that have major cultural or historic significance in the USA as well as many […]

We are sharing the best things to do in Guanajuato travel in this episode! Guanajuato is an artsy, colorful town in Mexico. There are so many fun things to do in Guanajuato Mexico that make for the perfect weekend getaway. Not to mention all the things to see in Guanajuato! Just walking around and looking […]

Ricky Zhang, CEO of Prince of Travel joins the Travel Squad Podcast to share the best travel hacking tips and reveal travel credit card industry’s best-kept secrets. What is travel hacking you ask? Simply, it’s the strategy of using points to pay for flights and hotels. It’s a bit more complex in that you strategically […]

On this week’s episode we celebrate our four year podcast anniversary by sharing where the show has been, where it’s going + our best travel tips, products, and destination recommendations. We’re also celebrating with a giveaway! Four lucky winners will take home some awesome prizes so be sure to listen to the episode and enter […]

We’re answering your questions and diving deep into one of our favorite topics: Guided tours! We have done several prix fixe vacations using guided tour companies like Gate1 Travel, Alpaca Expeditions, and Viking River Cruises. We are BIG fans of guided tours! We have yet to travel with G Adventures, Abercrombie & Fitch, or Here […]

We welcome Gavin McFall to the show this week to talk about his 14-month round-the-world backpacking trip. Gavin visited 19 countries across South America, Australia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. He shares how he saved for the trip, how to plan a round the world trip and how he did it with real […]

The squad sits down with Gary Arndt to talk about what it’s like to travel the USA and the world as a travel photographer, pivoting careers into travel adjacent media, and unique facts about some of the most unique corners of the earth. Gary is the host of Everything Everywhere, the world’s most popular daily […]

We’re sharing our 8-day guided trip to Ecuador with Gate1 Travel! Postponed due to COVID, we finally made the trip to Ecuador and it was more than amazing! If you’re considering an Ecuador vacation all we can say is do it!! We did not go to the Galapagos Islands on this trip, but Ecuador has […]

We’re taking you to a very unique national park in America – Gateway Arch National Park! This urban center has historic roots as the gateway to the West during the expansion era in America. This is the perfect day trip from Chicago or stop during a St. Louis trip. You can ride the tram, explore […]

We’re sharing America’s year-round free national parks that you can visit without spending a dime! This episode details several holidays throughout the year you can visit American national parks for free, we’re honoring national park week and inspiring you to get outdoors by sharing 10 national parks that are free 100% of the time. Are […]

This is a  fun one! The squad surprises each other with a Q&A session. Listen live as we hear the questions for the first time, recount hilarious stories, and reveal travel mishaps that have never been revealed before. If you’re looking for a good laugh, this is the episode for you Travel Squad Podcast Q&A […]

Friend twosomes and couples traveling together is one of the best ways to explore a new place. With our partner in crime and a full itinerary, a weekend trip or longer international getaway can be so much fun! But as with any kind of group, there can be issues! In this episode we talk about […]

In this episode we take you on a Cabo vacation! Cabo San Lucas sites on the southern tier of Baja California, Mexico and is one of the best places to take a vacation in Mexico! If you’re looking for clear blue warm waters, friendly people, delicious food, some of the best parties, and a fun […]

In this episode we bring back our friend and world traveler, Ashley V Travels who is fresh off her 3 month trip solo traveling through South East Asia. Ashley shares solo female travel tips for safety, managing costs, planning learnings, and what it’s like returning some such an epic trip back to everyday life. She […]

We’re giving you the top 10 winter vacation destinations if you want to be a snow bunny and enjoy crispy temperatures or if you want to escape the cold and travel somewhere warmer during winter months. The best winter vacations can be warm or cold depending on what you like and what kind of vacation […]

We’re exploring bucket list trips that we really, really want to do! Jamal, Kim, and Brittanie share three international iconic international bucket list trips of a lifetime that are on our list, plus we each share our bucket list trips in the US! We dream big in this episode, if you’ve been to any of […]

The best places to visit in 2022 looking back were Uganda, Savannah, Cabo, and finally Breckenridge. We’re recapping all the best trips we took this year and previewing some of the trips we have planned for 2023 and some of the podcast plans we’ll be bringing you in the new year! In 2022 we managed […]

We’re bringing you another full list of iconic national parks without hiking to see and enjoy. We love an “easy day” of 12 mile hikes to reach peak summit views as much as the next person, but sometimes you want to relax and sightseeing in America’s most beautiful natural preserves, and get that too! Some […]

We take you through another Gate1 trip, this time along the Adriatic Coast. We provide tips for exploring this part of Europe, currency exchange while visiting multiple countries, national parks, freakouts, and packing for varying weather throughout the tour. We cover A LOT of ground on this 10 day tour through the Adriatic Coast. You […]

A roundup of the 10 best places to visit in Summer if you want to escape the heat and humidity! When you hear the best summer destinations oftentimes you think of beaches, sunshine, and sweat. Not in this episode! Sometimes our definition of the best summer vacation destinations includes places like Glacier National Park which […]

This episode is dedicated to the best beaches in San Diego! With over 70 miles of gorgeous coastline, San Diego brings unique personality and draw to each of its beaches. No two are alike and all are worth a visit. We have the best beaches in San Diego for families – yes some are better […]

We’re bringing you a whole episode dedicated to what to do in London. We visited for the first time on a three-day trip and packaged as much as we could into this trip to London as possible. From afternoon tea and ancient encounters, to English pubs and royal sightings – London was amazing! We’re giving […]

We’re taking you on an adventure through the three wild and beautiful Florida national parks. Boat rides with alligators, snorkeling with sea turtles, diving and swimming in the ocean are all things you can do at the national parks in Florida. Florida’s three national parks are all within driving distance of each other so you […]

We are sharing how to plan a trip and save money along each step of the way, so you can do more within your budget! We give you our best trip planning tips and money saving hacks, and we have a lot of them! We take you step-by-step through our process for researching, booking, and […]

Reflecting on our travel stories from 2021 and giving a sneak peek at a few plans we have for travel in 2022. Despite the craziness with travel we managed to visit two  2 countries, 15 states, and 8 national parks. Countries: Mexico, Ecuador States: Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, Colorado, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Utah, Nevada, […]

We travel several times a month either on road trips, international vacations, or quick weekend getaways in a nearby state. We’ve learned a few ways to get more bank for your buck and optimize your time there so we’re sharing our best travel hacks. If you want travel life hacks that will ultimately make it […]

We’re taking you to the spicy city of Miami with the hottest things to do in Miami Florida. If you are taking a vacation in Miami you’ll be spending plenty of time in the ocean and on the beach, but there are so many things to do in Miami that don’t involve those warm Caribbean […]

We aired this episode on Kim’s birthday so we’re celebrating with an episode dedicated to birthday trip ideas! We share some of the best trips we’ve taken for our birthdays and recommend birthday vacation destinations for your next birthday trip. From hiking to partying to everything in between, these are the memories we’ve made on […]

Taking you just south of the Southern U.S. border to the best places to visit in Baja California, Mexico. These five cool places are just a few minutes drive from San Diego making it super easy to visit by land. We live in San Diego and love exploring Baja California, from Tijuana to the most […]

We have a special East Coast road trip to celebrate our 100th podcast episode! We used Williamsburg, Virginia as our hub to explore and went to several East Coast road trip stops on this week trip including Virginia, Washington D.C., Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and Ocean City, Maryland.  This action packed week includes amusement parks, food […]

In this episode we cover the latest headlines in international travel news and share a few of the best deals to save on your next trip. In this episode we talk about Canada reopening to Americans and the world, NYC requiring vaccinations for all indoor activity, COVID tests still required to fly back into the […]

We’re celebrating our two year podcast anniversary by giving you all of our very best travel recommendations, tips, and hacks to save money, plan better, see and do all the cool stuff and ultimately travel much more often!  In this episode we each recommend our top choice for international destinations, places to visit in the […]

In this episode we share our experience hiking Rainbow Mountain Peru and give our best tips for hiking at high elevation.  This was such a fun interview the Travel Squad did on the Ashley P Travels Podcast. In this fun episode we share stories from hiking at extremely high altitudes in Peru and the adventures […]

This one is a weekender in true Travel Squad style. We fly to Nashville for a honky tonk good time on Broadway, southern food, and a day trip to the amazing Mammoth Caves National Park for some large cave exploration on Mammoth cave tours. Highlights of Mammoth Cave National Park & Nashville- Episode Transcript 3 […]

Travel to the US Virgin Islands, particularly St John island from St Thomas to continue your US Virgin Islands vacation with a trip to the national park. We travel to St John in this part two continuation from our trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands. St John is famous for having the US Virgin islands […]

Diving into how travel affects mental health positively in various aspects of development and quality of life. In this episode we are announcing some major Travel Squad Podcast news! We’re changing the format of our podcast to include traveler and travel business owner interviews and bring you more deals and news in travel. We also […]

We’re going to the Caribbean with a week long St. Thomas vacation! St Thomas is beautifully located in the U.S. Virgin Islands and is one of the most beautiful islands in the “United States” In this two-part episode we explore Magens Bay Beach, Sapphire Beach, Coki Beach, and Lindquist Beach on St. Thomas. We also […]

We went on our first weekend road trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks over Easter weekend. We drove 5 hours from San Diego and did one park on each day of this April weekend. We share the best things to see in Sequoia National Parks, and adjacent Kings Canyon National Parks.  There are […]

We’re bringing you the 11 best solo travel for women tips from the expert herself. Zeina spent her early 20s traveling through Europe and living in Lebanon and is bringing you stories from her adventures, solo female travel safety tips, advice on how to make friends while traveling solo, and answer all your questions on […]

We are here to settle the debate one and for all: Is it better to stay in an Airbnb, a hotel, a hostel, or a timeshare? There are so many options and it depends on the place, who you’re going with, what you’ll be doing, and what you budget. If you’re comparing Airbnb vs hotel […]

We go south of the border to Valle De Guadalupe wineries in Baja California, Mexico. Valle de Guadalupe is known as Mexico’s wine region and produces some of the best wines in the world. We explore the rural atmosphere in this episode, tell you where to stay in Valle de Guadalupe, how to get to […]

We’re going tropical with our ten favorite places in the Caribbean and why we have so much love for Caribbean island vacations. Whether it’s a cruise or you’re going to the Caribbean for a staycation getaway, the islands bring so much different personality. We’ve been to some of the best places to visit in the […]

We’re getting romantic with 11 places to visit in the U.S. and worldwide that give off major love vibes. This episode comes just in time for Valentine’s Day. Each place on the list brings its own lovely atmosphere, charming views, and intimate settings that makes for a perfect couples getaway. Whether you’re celebrating the holiday, […]

Inspiring a year of global travel with our best international destination recommendation for every month of the year. We give you the best place to visit outside of the U.S. for each month of the year including the weather you can expect, sights to see, things to do, and the reason that month is the […]

This one is all about the trips we took in 2019 and a sneak peak of the trips we already have planned for 2020. Amongst the Travel Squad in 2019, we went on 21 adventures, visited 10 countries and 10 states in the US. The episode talks about how long each of the trips were, […]

Wrapping up a crazy year of travel and looking ahead to better travel days to come. Despite a pandemic we visited three countries, 11 states and 11 national parks and hit some major accomplishments on the podcast thanks to YOU, our listeners. In the second annual “year in travel” wrap up, we recount the trips […]

We’re going international with a trip Zeina took with her best friend, Nicole to do some of the best things to do in Belize.  You may remember Nicole from the Mexican wedding episode or any of the name drops throughout our episodes.  Nicole joins as our guest on this episode to talk about their best […]

We’re bringing you a whole episode dedicated to how to stay healthy while traveling. This year we have talked more about health and traveling – or not traveling – than ever before  and we want to keep you doing both! We’re bringing you our best tips to stay healthy while traveling including what to pack […]

We’re encouraging you to explore your own backyard with the best day trips from San Diego. We’re sharing 10 amazing places within driving distance of San Diego for a quick day trip out of town to explore Southern California and Baja California, Mexico. These fun day trips from San Diego are within just a few […]

This one is sharing the 10 best national parks we LOVE and know you’ll love to! In this episode we also announce the launch of our new trip itineraries! If you love nature, hiking, and traveling in the U.S. then this episode is for you! We have been to sooooo many national parks and have […]

This is a fun episode of the top 20 travel questions we have been asked, giving you our very best travel advice! We’re giving our tips and secrets for saving money on travel, advice for traveling smarter and better, and giving travel advice we’ve learned over the years of traveling. Plus a few funny stories […]

We’re sharing our best advice and recommendations for getting in a workout and staying fit while traveling! This episode gives you our tips and tricks for getting in steps and working up a sweat while on a trip. From the airport to the temple, we show you the world is your gym and that travel […]

We tell you how to pack for a trip the smart way, from fitting it all in to packing faster and easier where you can find everything easily. We share our tips for packing a carry on including folding techniques, what to put in your carry on, how to fit alcohol souveniers in your carry […]

We’re taking you to the opulent city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates! As always we are giving some tips for navigating the city, what you can expect from norms and cultural differences, the low down on the bathroom situation, and the inside scoop and all the best things to do in Dubai on […]

We took a squad trip to visit Lebanon, see the family, and tour this small, but mighty country. We go to ancient Roman ruins, blizzard mountains, have espresso on the Mediterranean sea, and eat SO much delicious Lebanese food. We actually did a whole episode on middle eastern food, you can listen to it here. […]

We’re giving all our best travel tips and advice to that first time traveler. We’re taking everything we learned throughout our extensive local and international travel experiences and sharing all the things we wish we knew when we started traveling. The top tips for first time international travelers and debunking the common excuses people give […]

Our 14-day African adventure was packed with sightseeing, African foods, safaris, nature, animals, and so much more! This was another epic adventure with Gate1 Travel. We talk bathrooms when there is a drought, ordering food in South Africa, the amazing natural scenery, and how moving it is to see rhinos, hippopotamus, lions, and more African […]

This is a HOT episode because we’re exploring the hottest place in the world and bringing you the best things to do in Death Valley National Park. The travel squad goes on a 48-Hour weekend trip to Death Valley National Park from San Diego. We provide tips for visiting Death Valley National Park and things […]

We’re sharing how to survive a long haul flight, long haul flight essentials to pack, what to wear on a long-haul flight, and general long haul flight tips to make it just a little more comfortable. We’ve had travel days lasting over 35 hours to get to some destinations and many flights that went 8-18 […]

We spent one amazing  day at Shanghai Disneyland and we could not be more obsessed! It truly is the happiest place on earth and this park is our favorite of all the Disney Parks in the world! We have been to all – except for Hong Kong – and this one still reigns supreme! This […]

We share our ‘how we met stories’ and give you a more in depth look at where each of us came from, our journey to becoming travel obsessed, and how we became a travel squad! We also give you advice on how to start traveling because as you can see from this episode, we weren’t […]

Cuba is a wild place with friendly people, classic cars everywhere, and tons of drinks! We share our Cuba travel guide for Americans looking to visit and curious on the best things to do in Cuba and the best places to see in Cuba. This beautiful, cultural country should be on everyone’s bucket list. In […]

In this episode we’re giving you all our “secrets” for how we take trips every month, and how YOU can travel more often too.  We share how we schedule travel around work and other life priorities and the tips and hacks we use to travel for free to travel cheaper so we can afford to […]

In episode #3 we’re traveling to China and sharing all our tips and experiences so you can too! We took a 10-day guided tour with Gate1 Travel to China visiting three vacation spots in China: Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai China is such an interesting place! In this episode we talk about what you need to […]

Aloha! In this episode we share our Kauai travel stories from a week trip to this beautiful island. Kauai is absolutely gorgeous from hiking in the Grand Canyon of the Pacific to sailing the sunset seas along the Napali Coast, there are so many things to do and see in Kauai. We stayed in the […]