Podcasts are a traveller’s best friend – both on and off the road. Personally, I learn so much from Podcasts and they keep me company on many a gruelling journey!
Long-ass flights, delays, sleeper buses… there’s a podcast for that!
I love the company, I love the ideas, the inspiration, the storytelling. I love being transported to a different place in a different time.
And I love the community too. I’ve been involved a lot over the past years and I’ve met some really wonderful and inspiring individuals who I’m excited to point you guys towards today.
So this short article serves both as an idea bank for you as well as a celebration of awesome people leading awesome projects.
PS: most of the podcasts in this article can be found across all major listening platforms, so you can pick whichever you prefer!
11 BEST Travel Podcasts
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1. TRIPOLOGY
Alun and Adam are great and right now they’re in India, so you’re bound to hear plenty of wonderful and weird tales from their times upon the road! These genuinely talented wordsmiths truly delight with ever-engaging choices of prose, and travel themes being discussed in their podcast episodes!
Alongside engaging banter and impressive yet often hilarious vocabulary, there is a lot of really useful stuff in this podcast focusing on long-term sustainable travel, cultural exchanges, and the joys of backpacking. TRIPOLOGY encourages you to quit the mundane in search of adventure.
Alun and Adam have been travelling the world independently for the last decade, and have now joined forces to share their experiences and interview exciting guests from around the globe.
Their podcast is loaded with extraordinary travel stories, inspirational guests, backpacking tips and travel advice. Definitely my favourite travel podcast of 2024.
These episodes are a great place to start:
- Interview with Travel Blogger and Serial Entrepreneur Will Hatton 😉
- Tipping Culture: Has the World Gone Crazy?
- Travel & Mental Health: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
2. Zero to Travel
This epic travel podcast is inspiring folks to get out on the road and get OFF the beaten path.
Jason, the host, has been travelling the world for just about as long as I have, and he brings on guests to dive into REAL travel tales.
Zero to Travel tackles the tough questions about travel and gives you real, actionable tips to take your adventures to the next level, whatever that may mean for you!
These episodes are a great place to start:
- How to Plan a Gap Year (at Any Age)
- Top 5 Reasons For “Slomading” + The Benefits Of Boredom
- Travelling on $10/day to Building a 7-Figure Business with The Broke Backpacker
3. Winging It with James Hammond
James and I share a maxim that speaks deeply to my core and that is rooted in the belief that travel has the power to enhance any human being on the planet. It’s something I speak about a lot and it is a central piece of The Broke Backpacker manifesto.
I sat down with James once and had a great time on the show (you can listen to my episode here). I loved it!
The pod is pretty casual so listening to it feels like you’re just in the middle of two friends talking. Tips are shared, stories are told, and laughs are had.
These episodes are a great place to start:
4. Travel With Rick Steves
The Rick Steves podcast is one of the most popular in the game.
The American travel writer and explorer is known for his expertise on European travel particularly, though the podcast covers a wide variety of countries.
Tune in weekly to hear him discuss travel, culture, food and anything else that makes up this wacky world of perpetual wandering. As a fellow offbeat travel enthusiast, you’re sure to snag a few bucket list destinations you may never have heard of otherwise from Rick and his guests.
These episodes are a great place to start:
- Touring Bath; Joy of Travel Writing; Ghost Dance in Berlin
- Travel Writers; Autumn Light in Japan; Swedish Values
5. Hardcore History
OK, so this isn’t really a travel podcast but I simply have to put it in here because Dan Carlin is a real hero of mine and his podcast is absolutely freaking amazing, especially if on long journeys.
I learn so much more about a place when I’m reading or listening to content on the HISTORY of where I’m at, I strongly recommend starting with the King of Kings episode, it’s epic stuff.
These episodes are a great place to start:
6. Digital Nomad Experts by Beach Commute
Beach Commute talks about EVERYTHING digital nomady – from NOT working on the beach to the best careers to do from the road.
There’s so much more to being a digital nomad than just hitting the road with your laptop. The logistics and practicalities are often forgotten about until they hit you slap, bang in the face.
The hosts, Jeff, Marisa, and Diego, are all completely remote themselves, and will speak from experience when they tell you what to try, and what not to do on your digital nomad journey.
These episodes are a great place to start:
7. Travel Goals Podcast
British journalist Portia Jones interviews travel experts and adventurers from all over on a whole host of intriguing topics.
From the wide world of travel writing to the big questions that surround the act of travelling itself, you’ll come away from her episodes feeling inspired and ready to quit your job and book the flight.
Portia and her guests also dish out actionable insider tips that will help you make your dream trips a reality.
These episodes are a great place to start:
8. The Thought Card
Every other Thursday, Danielle not only brings on guests to discuss all things adventure, BUT her top-rated travel podcast also gets into a topic The Broke Backpacker knows pretty well: financing travel.
Her episodes take things even further by delving into the fantastic niches of travel hacking, becoming debt-free, and building wealth.
Danielle’s guests often take on topics infrequently covered on travel podcasts – such as costly road trip mistakes, stacking income by teaching abroad, and a wide variety of entrepreneurship how-to’s that intersect with life both on and off the road.
These episodes are a great place to start:
9. TravelPulse Podcast
Hosted by Travel Pulse’s very own Eric Bowman, this podcast is where you’ll find travel tips, news and inspiration from industry experts and other intriguing guests.
Though it has a slightly more business-oriented edge compared to some of the other travel podcasts on the list, Eric ensures a hefty dose of deep thought is put into each episode.
From discussing hot topics regarding travellers vs. tourists to inclusivity in travel and trending news, you’ll find a new upload just about weekly.
These episodes are a great place to start:
- Solo Travel Tips
- The Tourist vs. The Traveller
- Budget Travel Tips (with yours truly)
10. Deviate
Author of the legendary book Vagabonding, Rolf Potts now hosts the fantastic podcast Deviate, which seeks to talk about the type of travel topics most podcasters just don’t talk about.
Perhaps one of the best podcasts for road trips, Deviate is exactly the kind of vibe that you’ll need as you trundle along down lonely, far-flung highways.
You can expect semi-regular uploads every few weeks where Rolf dives into topics like using travel as a tool to revisit childhood, finding community as a traveler, and how travel can allow us to see both into the future and the distant past.
These episodes are a great place to start:
11. Amateur Traveler
One thing I like about this one is that each episode features a local expert who has either lived in or has spent a SIGNIFICANT amount of time in the featured location.
The Amateur Traveler podcast is one of the most popular travel podcasts today – which isn’t a surprise: it’s destination-focused and will take you on a wild journey to a new country, city or state with each listen.
Having started all the way back in 2005 (nearly a decade before I hit the road myself) you’ll find more than 600 episodes to spur up some travel plans and wanderlust.
Out of all of them, it’s this one that is the most practical if you’re looking for solid, specific information on a particular destination.
These episodes are a great place to start:
Final Thoughts on the Best Travel Podcasts
Travelling can be a lonely road, so having someone in your ear to tell you some reassuring stories and funny tales from their own adventures can make your time a little more enjoyable at times.
Get some new wanderlust, learn some amazing travel tips and just take a break from the hectic social expectations to have some time to yourself in a corner.
These travel podcasts offer a little bit of everything for all kinds of travellers!
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