About
Unpacked is back! For season three, Join us every Thursday as we unpack tricky travel topics, from the best places to spend your vacation days in 2024 to navigating the changing world of travel loyalty programs and everything in between.
Follow Unpacked
Episodes
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, four AFAR editors—all parents—share their tips on traveling with kids, from how to deal with jet lag to one brilliant packing hack.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, Delta flight attendant—and parent of two—Andrea Davis shares her tips on flying with children, from how to cope with jet lag to what to pack (and what not to pack) on the plane.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we dig into the Rick Steves’ Europe Climate Smart Commitment—a self-imposed carbon tax—with one of the program’s masterminds.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we speak with travel legend Rick Steves about ethical travel and his climate smart commitment.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, the three members of AFAR’s mighty destination team tackle all things summer travel.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we explore the travel impacts of the world’s fastest-growing consumer technology: ChatGPT.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we talk with conservationist Kris Tompkins.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we talk with comedian Youngmi Mayer.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we talk with actor and writer Andrew McCarthy, author of the new book Walking With Sam, about his 500-mile Camino de Santiago pilgrimage with his teen son in tow.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we dive into the surprisingly curated world of hotel music.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we’re debuting “If These Walls Could Talk,” which shares the secrets behind iconic hotels, beginning with New York City’s legendary Hotel Chelsea.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, conservationist M.Sanjayan shares the secrets behind season two of his ground-breaking PBS show, Changing Planet.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, journalist Liz Beatty—host of the North Americana podcast—explores the Viking hearts of New Icelanders, from Gimli, Manitoba to Mountain, North Dakota.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, journalist Emily Pennington—author of the memoir Feral—shares what it was like to spend a year road-tripping to (nearly) all the national parks in the United States.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we journey to Kerala, India, to explore what tourism looks like when it truly benefits a local community—and travelers.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we hear from Tom Turcich, who—along with his dog, Savannah—spent seven years walking around the world.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, Erin Hynes—host of the podcast Curious Tourism—shares the ways that travel can help us navigate the difficult moments in life.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, senior news editor Michelle Baran explores how we can travel safely, smartly, and compassionately in a climate-changing world.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we lace up our boots and enter the wide, wide world of forest bathing.
In this week’s episode of Unpacked by AFAR, three editors share tips on how, when, and where to travel in 2023.
In our sixth episode of Unpacked by AFAR, we discuss the best ways to engage with all the different cultures we encounter during our travels.
In our fifth episode of “Unpacked by AFAR,” we hear from travelers with disabilities about what it’s like to embark on trips, and explore how a more accessible world benefits all travelers.
In our fourth episode of “Unpacked by AFAR,” we define and demystify what “regenerative travel” is and explore how travelers can integrate sustainability into their journeys beyond carbon offsets.
In our third episode of “Unpacked by AFAR,” tips on how to be a better observer, and how embracing our “outsider” status can help us travel better—and empathize more.
In our second episode of “Unpacked by AFAR,” wildlife journalist Byron Pace shares tips on how to have magical animal encounters that protect the creatures (and places) we visit.
In the first episode of Unpacked by AFAR, a traveler explores how we can be better to the places we visit (and why we should save the concept of revenge for the movies).