The 10 Best Travel Podcasts

Need a break from true crime or news podcasts? How about taking a virtual escape instead? Here are 10 of the best podcasts devoted to travel, whether you’re looking to find your next vacation destination, save some money on the road, or live vicariously through someone else’s trip. All you have to do is put on your headphones and start exploring the wide world with these audio series. 

Best Podcast for Disney and Universal Travel: Very Amusing

Carlye Wisel might have the coolest day job: she’s an amusement park journalist. Follow along with her podcast “Very Amusing” as she travels to Disneyland Paris, talks to the pros who build rides and rollercoasters, and obsesses over the tiniest details about the Happiest Place on Earth.   

Best Podcast for Travel Points: Miles to Memories

Whether you’re a seasoned pro at racking up airline miles or you want to figure out the best credit card for travel deals, you’ll want to listen in to the “Miles to Memories.” The podcast airs weekly to discuss the best deals and strategies for loyalty rewards programs.

Best Podcast for the Golden State: California Now

California dreaming about your next vacation? The “California Now” podcast is hosted by  Soterios Johnson, a former NPR Morning Edition host in NYC who made the move out west and now interviews Californians about their state’s food, history, landscape, and more.   

Best Podcast for Meaningful Vacations: Thoughtful Travel

Amanda Kendle talks about cool trips on “Thoughtful Travel,” but she gets into the deeper reasons why we want to leave our homes and experience new cultures. Tune in for episodes on topics like responsible animal tourism, how to meet locals, and traveling with kids.

Best Podcast to Feel Like You’re There: Field Recordings

If you can’t travel right now, “Field Recordings” lets you drop in on destinations virtually to hear what it sounds like in spots all over the globe. This podcast is a collection of recordings that illustrate what it sounds like when toads sing in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park or a thunderstorm hits in the Congo basin, for example.

Best Podcast for Inclusive Travel: Let’s Go Together

The “Let’s Go Together” podcast from Travel + Leisure is hosted by Kellee Edwards and focuses on showcasing diverse voices in the travel world. Recent episodes include chats with globetrotting single moms, Marriott executives, and an adventure traveler who has climbed Machu Picchu while in a wheelchair.  

Best Podcast for Female Travelers: Women Who Travel

The “Women Who Travel” podcast from Condé Nast Traveler will make you want to plan a trip with your best female friends. Episode topics include advice on how to save money for travel, answering practical travel tips, or interviewing female authors about their favorite vacations.

Best Podcast for Fitness Vacations: Active Travel Adventures

If you’re not one for laying around by the pool on vacation, the “Active Travel Adventures” chronicles trips devoted to hiking, biking, and paddling—whether that’s in Iceland, Nepal, or Costa Rica. It’s not just for Olympic athletes, either. Host Kit Parks is in her sixties, albeit quite fit, and she only picks activities she could do as well. 

Best Podcast to Find a Destination: Amateur Traveler

Since 2005, the “Amateur Traveler” podcast has zeroed in on different places across the globe to travel to on your next vacation, talking to locals and travelers about why this city or landmark is worth your precious PTO. Listen to episodes on destinations like Benin, Turkmenistan, or Virginia’s Blue Ridge Parkway, and you are bound to broaden your travel horizons. 

Best Podcast for Curious Travelers: Overheard at National Geographic

If you wish you could give it all up and become a photographer for National Geographic magazine, you’ll want to tune into “Overheard at National Geographic.” Each episode digs into a different fascinating topic, like tracking cheetah smugglers in Somaliland or peering into the darker corners of the drug war in Manila.

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