Top 10 Episodes of 2025: YOUR Favorite Travel Topics of the Year

As we close out 2025, join travel advisors Ryan and Julie as they reveal the top 10 most downloaded episodes of the year—as voted by YOU, our listeners! From solo travel adventures to European getaways, river cruises to budget-friendly tips, this year-end roundup showcases the destinations, advice, and inspiration that resonated most with travelers in 2025.

Top 10 Episodes of 2024:

1. Solo Travel: Top Tips, Destinations, and Why You Should Try It (March 12) - Our #1 episode! Discover why solo travel is gaining popularity and get expert tips for planning your first independent adventure.
2. Europe Travel Tips: Essential Guide for First-Time Visitors (July 9) - Everything first-time Europe travelers need to know, from packing to currency to staying connected.
3. Exploring the Danube River with AmaWaterways, Part 1 (April 23) - Ryan's river cruise experience that inspired countless listeners to consider this vacation style.
4. Shoulder Season Travel: Insider Tips for Budget-Friendly and Less Crowded Vacations (April 2) - Maximize your travel budget by discovering the best times to visit popular destinations.
5. How to Plan Your Travel Dreams: Mapping Out Trips for the Next Five Years and Beyond (January 15) - Perfect for this time of year! Learn how to strategically plan multiple dream vacations.
6. What NOT to Do on Your Cruise: Top Mistakes to Avoid (May 14) - Essential advice for first-time cruisers and veterans alike.
7. Alaska Adventures Await: Land, Sea, and Everything In Between (May 21) - Explore all the ways to experience Alaska, from cruise tours to land adventures.
8. Around the World Vacations: Three Incredible Global Travel Experiences (April 9) - Dream big with Adventures by Disney private jet, Uniworld river cruises, and Royal Caribbean world cruises.
9. Off the Beaten Path: Hidden Travel Gems in North America (August 6) - Discover lesser-known destinations perfect for road trips and weekend getaways.
10. Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas Review (August 13) - Ryan and Julie's families sail together on this brand-new ship, comparing multi-generational and adults-only experiences.

Whether you're planning your next adventure or just dreaming about future travels, this episode offers valuable insights into what fellow travelers are most interested in learning about.

Have episode suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us through our Facebook group "All Things Travel" or at WonderAndBeyondTravel.com.

Transcript

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 0:00

Hello and welcome to All Things Travel we wrap up the year, Julie and I wanted to look back at the most popular episodes as voted by you, the listeners. We've got destinations, we've got tips, and we've got some travel inspiration all in today's yearly roundup.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 0:15

in with travel advisors and destination experts, Ryan and Julie. He is your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. I am a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 0:40

happy New Year's Eve, Julie.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 0:43

Happy New Year's Eve.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 0:45

what is New Year's Eve like for you? I, I've heard you talking about maybe like a little Friendsgiving type, uh, situation going on at your house on New Year's Eve.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 0:54

So the week bef Christmas and New Year's is like a little nutty for us. oldest daughter's birthday is December the 30th, and you know, New Year's is the 31st, and it's usually like. first couple years that we had kids, we were like, can't do anything on New Year's. couple years ago we decided like, let's just do like host like an a very casual, we call it like an open house. like invite some friends over.'cause like it's hard to get together with people, you know,

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 1:20

Yeah.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 1:20

everyone's got stuff going on and kids and whatever. So that's what we're doing. We, you know, a couple friends coming and going. I always have. you know, some stuff for the kids to do, some food to munch on, and we just kind of chill. It's very,

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 1:35

I love it.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 1:36

it's at like four o'clock in the afternoon, which is even better'cause nobody, all have kids. I gotta go to bed. So,

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 1:41

yeah. Yeah,

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 1:42

it for us. What about you guys?

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 1:44

absolutely nothing, and that's the way I like it.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 1:46

Tracks. I

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 1:47

new Year's Eve has not ever really been anything too big. growing up we would do stuff, but as an adult, I've never really gotten into doing anything on New Year's Eve. So to be honest, it's like I love Christmas and kind of the Christmas messy busyness, and by New Year's I just want to chill. We've got some good food we're gonna make, I'm sure we'll watch some movies. we're just gonna relax and, and that's Akay. There's nothing wrong with that.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 2:14

Yeah, I agree. We I will say the 26th and the 27th, like right after Christmas, like nobody got dressed, I dunno what we were eating, whatever you could scrounge from the fridge, you know, were ultimate relaxation, which literally never happens. And reason it could happen is because it was the day after Christmas and the kids were busy playing with literally

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 2:37

Yeah. Yeah. I love it though. I love it. I mean, that, I remember those days with kids that age you hunker down and you, enjoy the time and the space that's great.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 2:49

I think told you I was in a winter break time warp.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 2:52

well, I am super excited to talk about today, our top 2025 episodes based on downloads. So in the intro, that's why I said as voted by our listeners. they vote with their downloads. Right? I was really surprised by this list and I'm excited to get into it. but first, before we do that, if you did not listen to last week's episode, Julie discussed going to Walt Disney World with her family in December and what the holidays are like at Walt Disney World. All right, Julie, so our number one episode, I, I didn't do a countdown. I actually just did the top 10. so we're starting with number one. our number one episode was from March 12th of this year. It was episode 2 56, and it was solo travel top tips, destinations, and why you should try it. This really surprised me as our number one show, Julie.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 3:45

Agree. I feel like we have some pretty solid episodes. Not that this wasn't one, but this is just like in its own category of topics and it's just so random to me that this was number one.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 4:14

I don't wanna say I was proud of myself, but just the ability to get all the pieces in place and do everything by myself. And obviously I have a little bit more, knowledge in the average bear, but it was a really, really cool experience. So it was fun to see this at the top of our list'cause I think a lot of people should try it at least once.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 4:33

Yeah, agree. That's pretty cool.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 4:36

Number two was from July 9th, episode 2 73, Europe Travel Tips Essential Guide for First Time Visitors and. I don't know about you, Julie, but I actually send this episode to a lot of my clients who are going to Europe for the first time because it covers so many topics when it comes from packing to currency to what things should you bring with you specifically for this type of trip to staying connected to people on the trip? It's just kind of really a greatest hits of how to travel in Europe right now.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 5:08

Well, it is an essential guide,

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 5:12

True, the title kind of gave it away, didn't it?

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 5:14

but you're right, I have a lot of clients that it's their first time to Europe and I do recommend this episode to them I can send them a tip sheet, like a PDF or something that I mail out to clients and I still send that. But I just think it's different when you hear it rather than just reading it. I think maybe it like a little more when you hear it. So I do love to send this one out and I think, this being top of the list, this one does not surprise me. so number three aired on April the 23rd is episode 262, and I really love this coming in at number three, and it is exploring the Danube River with Alma waterways, part one. And this was a recap of Ryan's river cruise. And to me, the best part about this episode being on the list is that part two does not make the list.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 5:59

I guess people, PE people got tired of the trip or had heard enough to know that they wanted to book a river cruise. I'm not exactly sure. to give you a little bit of information, part two was actually number 11 on the list. So not in our top 10 but up there. but yeah, I mean anything, you know me, I love river cruising. I love Amma waterways. So, I was glad to see this episode on the list'cause I just think this is the best vacation ever.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 6:25

did you then think, what about part two?

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 6:28

People are like, I am assuming that Ryan got home. We don't really need to listen to the second part.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 6:33

Number four aired on April the second, episode 259, and this was Shoulder Season Travel Insider tips for Budget Friendly and Less Crowded Vacations. This does not surprise me at all that it's a top 10 episode because we know travel, especially in today's economy, everyone's trying to, you know, find the best option for them. And I think this episode shows clients where to go when and the benefits of doing some more shoulder season travel,

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 7:02

I think this kind of falls in the same bucket as the solo travel where people are looking for different ways to vacation, different ways to plan their trip. and I think that's one of the things I really like about this list is it's a good balance of destinations, travel tips, And experiences.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 7:19

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 7:20

So number five. Then, goes right along with that from January 15th, one of our first episodes of the year, episode 2 48, how to Plan Your Travel Dreams, mapping out trips for the next five years and beyond. And I know, Julie, this was something that you led us through in this episode, talking about how your family maps out the trips that they want to take over multiple years I think this is such a neat way to do it as a family.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 7:47

My husband and I definitely sat down and did this last year thinking like, okay, what is on the horizon for travel? And it just a really good way to think about how can we make these bigger trips that we really wanna do happen?

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 8:03

and I think for folks, if you did not listen to that episode or you don't really remember the topic, this is the perfect time of year to go back and re-listen to that because, we're in that mode, right? It's the beginning of a new year, everybody's planning this, that, and the other thing. Why not start thinking about those trips?

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 8:19

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 8:20

All right, Julie, we are gonna talk about six through 10, but before we do that, we wanna discuss where in the world is wonder and beyond travel. I wanna share, a current project that I'm working on now. This is not somebody who's traveling yet, but they're actually gonna be traveling the next couple months, I had a college roommate who is stationed in South Korea, reach out and him and his fiance want to go on a romantic trip to Japan. I've been going back and forth with him and I'm starting to put stuff together. He wants a really good balance Of tourist things, seeing the big sites, but then also spending time together, making sure she gets time at the spa, they're gonna be going to Tokyo, they're gonna be going to Hiroshima. They might even try to do Kyoto as part of that. So I am super excited to work with them on this trip. It kind of took me back to a few weeks ago when we discussed Japan. I'm super excited to be working on this trip, Julie, because, I just love it when somebody gives me the picture of what they want their trip to be like, and I can help them meet those goals.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 9:26

I agree. That's really fun. And then it's even more fun hearing about it when they come back.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 9:32

Absolutely. We love celebrating where our clients are headed. It inspires curiosity in both them and us, who knows if you work with Wonder and Beyond Travel. We might be talking about your trip on the next episode. number six on the list was from May 14th, episode 2 65, and it was what not to do on your cruise top. Mistakes to avoid before, during, and after your vacation. this is a really important topic especially for folks who have never cruised before.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 10:04

Yeah. Because there is so much to know about cruising. You know, there's things that you can't bring on board. You need to know that you need to arrive the day before. Like there's just so many things that will help make that cruise vacation go a little more smooth. And this is another one of those episodes that I will send to my first time cruise clients.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 10:24

What about number seven?

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 10:26

All right. Number seven aired on May 21st and it's episode 266. This is Alaska Adventures Await Land, sea, and everything in between. And this was an episode where we introduced listeners to what you're Alaska vacation options are. You know, you could go and do just a land trip. You could do as. Uh, a cruise trip or you could do the cruise tour. And this was a really fun way to highlight all the different ways to see Alaska and give you those options.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 10:56

Very good. Alaska is always on people's mind, and I think this episode really gave you a lot of ways to check it out.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 11:03

number eight aired on April the ninth, episode two 60, around the world vacations. Three incredible global travel experiences, and this was such a fun episode share with listeners.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 11:17

really cool. We did the Adventures by Disney, private jet. We did Uniworld, river cruise around the world. And we also did a world cruise by Royal Caribbean.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 11:27

Yeah.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 11:28

these are trips we're dreaming about, aren't they?

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 11:31

these are just amazing vacations and we really wanted to share, like, Hey, you can do this, you can make this happen. These vacations exist. And I'm hoping that that's why it made this list at number eight inspiring clients to dream about that type of vacation.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 11:46

Number nine then was from August 6th, episode 2 77 off the Beaten Path, hidden Travel Gyms in North America. And I really liked this series because it allowed us to dive into places that people don't usually talk about. And we started with North America, so we were talking about US destinations, Canadian destinations, and some really neat places to think about.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 12:12

Yeah, I agree. That was a really fun one, and especially basing it in North America because these are places you could get to somewhat easily and, add to a road trip or, a weekend getaway, something like that.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 12:24

So number 10 was one that was near and dear to both of our hearts. Julie, it was August 13th. Episode 2 78, which was our Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas Review. that was your family and my family traveling on Utopia of the Seas. And we discussed all about the trip, um, and had a great time reminiscing.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 12:46

Yeah, this was a fun episode and I just loved how we could share that true multi-generational aspect of an adults only trip versus a family trip and,

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 12:57

Yep.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 12:57

Royal can offer both of those at the same time.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 12:59

Well, I think since this episode made it to the top 10, Julie, that means people are excited to hear about us traveling, and so I think we need to plan a trip like this again, where our families and hopefully our listeners too, will come along and enjoy some vacation time together.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 13:16

Oh, that sounds fun. I wanna share one takeaway, Ryan. Okay.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 13:19

Okay.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 13:20

What's missing from the list?

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 13:23

Anything having to do with Walt Disney World

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 13:26

Right?

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 13:27

is missing from the list, which, this is kind of uh, inside baseball here. as we kind of plan out or episodes, we have a rotation and usually. Every fourth episode or so has to do with theme parks or Disney or Universal, and to not see it on the list, is really kind of surprising.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 13:45

I agree. I'm kind of shocked by that,

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 13:48

But I will say for folks, if you have a suggestion for a podcast episode, Do not hesitate to reach out to us. You can do that on our Facebook group. all things Travel, by emailing us directly or going to Wonder and beyond travel.com. We would love to take your suggestion I promise you there have been suggestions from listeners that have turned into episodes in the past.

j_1_12-29-2025_141258: 14:13

The world is full of wonder and your next great adventure is waiting at Wonder and Beyond Travel. We work with you to create a one of a kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. If you're ready to start planning or just wanna dream a little bigger, head over to Wonder and beyond travel.com. We'd love to help you get started.

ryan_1_12-29-2025_141258: 14:36

We look forward to talking to you next week on All Things Travel, when we discuss everything foodie and Epcot,