Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

Samantha Brown on Places to Love, Route 66, and the Travel Habits That Save You Money

07 Jan 2026

Audio

Description

Travel TV icon Samantha Brown shares tips for finding hidden gems, saving money, and dodging airport stress. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle sit down with Samantha Brown, host of Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, to talk about how she keeps travel feeling fun, affordable, and deeply local after decades on the road. But first, Sally and Meghan swap recent trip highlights, including a car-free weekend in Oceanside, California, and the growing trend of nighttime “glow” events at zoos and botanical gardens. Then, Samantha Brown shares what she looks for when she’s wandering side streets, how “travel like a local” changed after COVID, and where she actually splurges (and saves) on trips. She also gets real about points and miles for inflexible schedules, her approach to airline loyalty, the airport habits that help her manage travel anxiety, her favorite airport, a controversial boarding tip for families, and the Route 66 stops she thinks deserve way more love. Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel. In this episode, the Nerds discuss: side street travel strategy, supporting local small businesses while traveling, Ted Drewes frozen custard concrete, badminton hall Zurich, Dolly Parton bar decor, Vienna intergenerational cafe Vollpension, retirees baking cafe Vienna, hotel night before early arrival, red-eye early check-in strategy, fourth night free hotel points, fifth night free hotel points, Hilton fifth night free, Marriott fifth night free, hotel no-show policy late arrival, call the hotel front desk late arrival, last-minute award seats, protected backup flight strategy, booking backup flights on different airlines, Lufthansa last-minute availability, Delta Sky Club LaGuardia, Tampa International Airport, Washington Dulles people movers, Dulles mobile lounge story, duty free perfume shopping, checked bags vs carry-on debate, what to pack in case luggage is lost, Abu Dhabi vs Dubai travel value, Disney park Abu Dhabi, Oman travel, overtourism fatigue, avoiding “look-at-me” destinations, and travel and human connection vs AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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