Smarter travel without the gloss.
The Travel Guys turns weekly travel headlines into useful advice for ordinary travelers. Mark Hoffmann and Tom Romano cover airfare rules, airport security, hotel fees, rental cars, cruises, scams, luggage tracking, and offbeat destinations with a steady radio rhythm.
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The Travel Guys is a practical weekly travel program built for people who still care about the details of getting there. It treats travel as a lived experience, not a glossy fantasy. The show spends time on the rules, fees, habits, and surprises that can decide whether a trip feels smooth or exhausting. One week may bring airline consumer rules, Canadian travel trends, and Apple AirTags for lost bags. Another may focus on AI deciding upgrades, rising visitor costs, noisy plane passengers, and flyers rights. The recurring travel-news format gives the show a clear structure. The Smarter Traveler segments do much of the useful work, turning airport security, lithium batteries, rental electric vehicles, scams, Real ID, and luggage tracking into practical conversation. Mark Hoffmann and Tom Romano keep the pacing conversational and direct. Their exchanges often sound like seasoned travelers comparing notes after seeing the same problems repeat in airports, hotels, rental counters, cruise ships, and tour coaches. The show has a consumer-watchdog streak, especially when it discusses airlines, hidden prices, warehouse-club vacations, rental-car add-ons, and rule changes that may not favor passengers. It also keeps room for lighter detours. Cruise-ship fads, cold weather in Key West, spring training in Arizona, bowl-game travel chaos, and a piano at O'Hare all sit beside the policy talk. California and Sacramento-area references give the show a regional flavor without making it only local. Fort Bragg, the Skunk Train, San Francisco's Maritime National Historical Park, and Fleet Week fit naturally into its map. Guests and outside sources add range, including Charlie Leoka on flyers rights, Annie Fitzsimmons on notable hotels, and Sacramento TSA guests on checkpoint changes. The appeal is cumulative. After a few segments, the listener gets a running checklist of what to watch, ask, carry, avoid, or confirm before leaving home. The Travel Guys is best for travelers who prefer plain advice, candid opinions, and enough current news to understand why the rules keep changing.
Made for: For travelers who want plainspoken help with flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars, security lines, luggage, scams, and changing rules. It fits planners, frequent flyers, tour travelers, and anyone who likes consumer advice with local-radio warmth.
What sets it apart: The show pairs weekly travel headlines with specific, everyday fixes: what to pack, what fees to question, how to handle shared-space etiquette, and which rule changes matter. Its mix of Sacramento-rooted radio pacing, consumer advocacy, and practical destination talk sets it apart from more aspirational travel shows.
Hosted by Mark Hoffmann and Tom Romano. The show airs EVERY Sunday, from 3-4pm on News 93.1 KFBK in Sacramento, CA.
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
The Travel Guys weigh Costco travel packages against the limits of its curated selection.
The Travel Guys ask what a warehouse club can offer someone booking a vacation. Christopher Elliott's report gives them a starting point: buying in large quantities can help stores secure favorable prices.
Flight manners, AI upgrade decisions, rental car charges, and flyers' rights.
A sleeping seatmate on your shoulder is one kind of flight discomfort. Someone playing a video aloud is another, and it can turn into an argument.
Check the return charge terms before renting an EV on a trip, and leave time to charge.
Renting an EV on a trip can be a way to try one, but the return takes some planning. One host says Budget requires at least 70% charge at return or charges a $35 fee. After a long drive to the airport, a renter with little time to charge could end up paying it.
Deep Disney parks talk, right down to the signage.
Everyday curiosities, explained with a sideways grin.
Real family routes, practical travel stories.
The Travel Guys opens with TSA's planned ID checks for Clear members, a Maui return advisory, a Chris Elliott fall-price update, and a Las Vegas cake-vending-machine warning.
The Travel Guys Podcast 090625 covers Southwest Airlines' plan to provide unlimited free Wi-Fi to Rapid Rewards members on more than 800 domestic aircraft beginning October 24.
Dale Keller and Sid Hanna say standard passengers can now keep their shoes on at Sacramento TSA.
Mark Hoffman says his quoted $425.31 rental became $506.36 after taxes, facility charges, and fees.
The Travel Guys Podcast July 26th 2025 covers a proposed $250 visa integrity fee, United Airlines’ connection saver notifications, and airport mobility changes.
The Travel Guys cover Carnival’s credit-card-linked loyalty changes, a reopened Waldorf Astoria in New York City, and shorter summer trips averaging $3,000 per family.
The Travel Guys cover airport security, airline disruptions, destination trends, and emergency technology, including shoes staying on at TSA and a $59.99 panic button.
A weekly radio show providing travel tips, destination recommendations, and advice for travelers.
A travel radio show covering airline news, luggage tracking tech, airline rankings, and a California coastal destination.
A travel radio show covering news about Marriott's potential housekeeping charges, a heartwarming piano story, AirTag tips, travel scams, and an interview about top hotels.
The Travel Guys discuss travel news, including top dating destinations, cruise illness, spring training, and new fees, along with listener questions.