Travel Tips & Ideas

15 Best Travel Podcasts on Spotify for Tips and Travel Inspiration

best travel podcasts to listen

Travel podcasts (and podcasts in general) have gained massive popularity in the last years. No wonder why: with the help of a good travel podcast, you can discover new destinations and get inspired, as well as gain some real knowledge and insider tips from more experienced travelers.

Podcasts are one of the best mediums to consume while planning a trip because they don’t require extra time. You can listen to a travel podcast while driving to work, in a gym, cleaning, or doing other household chores, and there’s no need to be attached to a screen.

Here are 15 of the best travel podcasts on Spotify that will satisfy your wanderlust.

Zero to Travel

Jason Moore, the host of “Zero to Travel” has over 15 years of traveling experience which he kindly shares with his audience in weekly hour-long episodes. Together with his interviewees, Jason digs into various subjects related to travel. From useful tips on traveling to specific countries, thrilling travel stories, to discussions about ethical and sustainable travel, the universal content of this podcast makes it appealing to all sorts of listeners.

Where to start? Here are two of Jason’s podcasts, both very different but worth listening:

“TOP 20 Most Beautiful Places We‘ve Been to in the world”

“How To Retire Early and Travel the World”

Spotify:

IG @zerototravel

We Travel There with Lee Huffman

If you’re more interested in authentic experiences and hidden gems rather than the usual touristic landmarks, try out the “We Travel There” podcast. Hosted by Lee Huffman, each episode features interviews with locals from different parts of the world and their insights on the things to see and do, the best places to eat, and other hidden treasures of their city. The listeners of this podcast have a rare chance to learn things that won’t be listed in any travel guide.

Where to start? Get to know Mumbai through the eyes of a local:

„Mumbai, India| Exploring the Taj Mahal Hotel and Watching Cricket“

Spotify:

IG: @wetravelthere

The Travel Diaries

One of the best travel podcasts out there, and the most popular in Britain, “The Travel Diaries“ talks about the most significant travel experiences of one’s life. Journalist and podcast host Holly Rubenstein interviews her guests about the earliest childhood travel memories, the first solo trips, most memorable adventures, visited places, people met along the way, and other travel experiences that have shaped their lives and who they are as people.

Where to start? “The Travel Diaries” featured lots of famous guests, one of them being Richard Branson, the founder of “Virgin Group”. Here’s a chat with him:

“Sir Richard Branson – Short Haul“

Spotify:

IG: @hollyrubenstein

You Should Have Been There

Listening to “You Should Have Been There” feels like sitting in a bar with a couple of good buddies while exchanging travel stories. Hosted by two great travel experts, journalist Simon Calder and former BBC producer Mick Webb, this podcast talks about travel simply and sincerely, with a hint of some subtle British humor.

Where to start? Here’s a great episode about traveling in Central Asia: “Getting to Know the Stans“

Spotify:

IG: @simon_calder

The Offbeat Life

Ever thought of leaving that dull 9 to 5 job and starting traveling full-time? Try listening to “The Offbeat Life” for some motivation! Host Debbie Arcangeles interviews travelers that not only travel but also manage to make a living while working remotely. This podcast is full of useful tips and tricks, as well as inspiring real-life stories.

Where to start? One of the success stories is featured here:

“Episode 168. How This Former Teacher Became a Successful Food Vlogger”

Spotify:

IG: @theoffbeatlife

She Explores

“She explores” is a travel podcast for women and about women that get inspired by traveling, hiking, and exploring the outdoors. It not only talks about the practical aspects of travel but also touches on unique experiences and emotions related to traveling. For instance, how do we feel after successfully overcoming challenges or on the contrary, after experiencing failures? What lessons can we bring back home?

Where to start? Listen to this interesting discussion on how spending time outdoors influences our mental health:

“Episode 23 – A Safe Space: Mental Health & the Outdoors”

Spotify:

IG: @she_explores

Armchair Explorer

In his documentary-style podcast, a famous travel journalist and writer Aaron Millar chats with the world’s most interesting adventurers and travelers. Every podcast is a new thrilling story: be it diving with the great white sharks, climbing Mount Everest, or a walk in space. “Armchair Explorer” stands out with its high-level production values and cinema-like sound effects that make you feel like you’re living a great adventure yourself.

Where to start? Either with this great episode for adrenaline junkies:

“Great White Shark Ocean Floor Cage Diving in Australia with James Stewart“

or an interview with an astronaut “John Herrington Astronaut: Space Walk on Board the International Space Station”

Spotify:

IG: @aaronmwriter

JUMP with Traveling Jackie

Podcast host Jackie Nourse invites the audience to set on adventures. While interviewing her guests or telling her personal travel tales, Jackie inspires you to leave your comfort zone and start exploring the world. This travel podcast has a clear focus on off-the-beaten-track travel and hidden gems and is packed with useful insider tips. In her regular “Ask Jackie” sessions, Jackie also gives in-depth answers to her listeners.

Where to start? With this episode about Camino de Santiago: „JUMP 113: Walking the Camino de Santiago”

Spotify:

IG: @travelingjackie

Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet

“Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet” is not your regular travel podcast, but will definitely impress listeners with a good sense of humor. Hosted by Alex and Christine Schiefer, this podcast features readings of the most absurd and ridiculous one-star reviews written by travelers. For instance, those that complain about finding too many fish in the sea, or the fact that the locals in Cuba speak Spanish.

Where to start? Listen to some ridiculous traveler complaints about Italy:

„84: Historical Sites in Italy” 

Spotify:

IG: @beachtoosandy

The Skift Podcast

“The Skift Podcast” is great for those who want to better understand the tourism industry. In the weekly sessions, tourism experts, journalists, executives, and entrepreneurs come together to discuss the latest travel-related news, trends, and travel behaviors. For instance, what are some of the challenges for low-cost airlines, what are the ways to tackle over-tourism or how is the travel industry changing in the face of Covid-19?

Where to start? Here‘s a great in-depth discussion about over-tourism: “Finding Solutions for the Overtourism Dilemma“

Spotify:

IG: @skiftnews

Eye on Travel with Peter Greenberg

Emmy award-winning journalist and one of the most influential Americans in the travel industry, Peter Greenberg hosts his podcast from a different location every week (or at least that’s how it was up until the start of Covid-19). “Eye on Travel” is a travel news show where Greenberg interviews fellow travel experts about the latest news from the tourism industry, while also sharing some useful tips and engaging travel stories.

Where to start? There‘s a ton of great content on this podcast, for example, one of the latest shows talks about the future of road tripping:

“Why We Drive“

Spotify:

IG: @petergreenberg

Amateur Traveler

One of the longest-running and best travel podcasts (started back in 2005!), “Amateur Traveler” has accumulated a collection of over 700 episodes. Every week, host Chris Christensen and his guests talk about a specific travel destination and reasons why it appeals to visitors. Each episode is like an in-depth guide that includes travel itineraries, information on what to do and see, places to eat, and other useful recommendations.

Where to start? You can start with any destination that interests you. Here‘s a great episode about Bosnia:

“AT#711 – Travel to Bosnia“

Spotify:

IG: @chris2x

The Dish Food Travel Show

This culinary travel podcast will appeal to travelers that enjoy eating and food-lovers that love to travel. In each episode, hosts Tommo and Megsy present either a specific cuisine or one of the world’s most famous dishes and stories behind them. From burgers and fish &chips, Vietnamese street food, to cheesecake and apple cider – this podcast features all kinds of mouth-watering delicacies.

Where to start? Depends on what you like. “The Dish Food Travel Show” features well-known dishes as well as various strange foods. Here’s an episode about one of the strange ones:

“44 Strange Food II: Balut (Philippines)“

Spotify:

IG: @thedish_podcast

The Big Travel Podcast

In her travel podcast, writer and filmmaker Lisa Francesca Nand chats with fascinating people – politicians, Paralympians, philanthropists, journalists, musicians, writers, or athletes – about their travel experiences. The discussed topics are very broad but usually also include ridiculous and absurd incidents, funny anecdotes, and misunderstandings that happen while traveling.

Where to start? Here’s an inspiring chat with a blind Paralympian Millie Knight and her travel experiences:

“16. Millie Knight; Blind Paralympic Skier on Russia, South Korea, Travel Photography and Crashing at High Speed”

Spotify:

IG: @thebigtravelpodcast

The Thoughtful Travel

“The Thoughtful Travel” is a podcast for real travel lovers. Hosted by Amanda Kendle, each episode features several travelers telling their personal stories revolving around a specific topic. For example, it can be experiences meeting the locals, getting lost or losing your passport while being abroad, what it means to travel while being disabled, the pros and cons of organized tours, etc.

Where to start? This episode features three different stories about a lost passport and how everything got resolved:

“196 When Your Passport Goes Missing“

Spotify:

IG: @amandakendle

 

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