The 10 Best Travel Podcasts To Give You Itchy Feet (2024)

With the restrictions in place surrounding Covid-19, many people around the world are experiencing an unprecedented lack of freedom to roam. Cue rampant wanderlust, as most people’s imaginations run wild with big dreams. Whether it’s relaxing with the sun, sea and sand or bushwhacking through a tropical jungle, exploring European cities by day to soak in the architecture and culture or exploring European cities by night on the dance floor. We’re all getting itchy feet right now. Scratch the wanderlust itch with the best travel podcasts and get some big ideas for your next adventure.

1. The Travel Diaries With Holly Rubenstein

The UK’s most popular travel podcast has presenter Holly Rubenstein discussing travel life with her celebrity guests. The Travel Diaries is like a Desert Island Discs, but instead of discussing the songs that shaped their life, it uses travel as a way to build mini-biographies for the podcast’s guests. Michael Palin, Dev Patel and the explorer Ranulph Fiennes are just some of the globetrotting guests Rubenstein has on the show. It always produces fascinating, inspiring tales.

2. Zero To Travel

Zen To Travel is one of the best podcasts out there for those with an adventurous spirit. Host Jason Moore builds these insightful and exciting interviews with the most go-getting guests you can imagine. From round-the-world sailing to pony-trekking across the Gobi desert, these aren’t your typical weekend getaways. The podcast is always packed with tips for the practical traveler too – exciting and informative.

3. Travel Genius

Travel Genius, co-presented by Nikki Ekstein and Mark Ellwood is an incredible resource for the world traveler. Each episode features with tricks and tips to help you get more out of traveling. It’s a user-friendly podcast whose mission to turn its listeners into travel geniuses makes it endlessly valuable. Unmissable travel hacks such as flight upgrades or letting your pet tag along will change the way you adventure forever.

4. You Should Have Been There

Laid-back tales of traveling adventures! This podcast is co-hosted by respected journalists Simon Calder and Mick Webb. They’ll have you laughing along as they regale you with their travel adventures. It’s got that conversational tone that’ll make you feel like you’re down the pub catching up with old friends. You’ll wish you had been there, and start planning your own adventures.

5. Our Americana

It’s a well-known fact that the majority of Americans don’t have a passport, but with the diversity of the USA on your doorstep, why leave. Our Americana is the podcast for the domestic traveler, as you follow host Josh Hallmark on a six-month road trip through the heart of the USA. Inspiring stuff in here! Getting stuck into these podcasts from the comfort of your armchair will be sure to have you planning your next adventure, and with the tips and hacks and hidden gems you’ll find within them they’ll take you further than ever before.

6. The Big Travel

The Big Travel Podcast draws in incredible people from all walks of life, from amazing authors to soldiers and ordinary people, to tell the stories of their extraordinary adventures. Discover how some short trips have turned into a lifetime love of specific places and make even stubborn globetrotters finally settle. Hosted by Lisa Francesca Nand, you’ll enjoy the roller coaster ride of emotions you’ll get when listening to this podcast. Learn to love, cry and laugh in every story as if you’re living them yourself. 

7. The Thoughtful Travel

Traveling is good for your mental well-being and contributes to a happier and meaningful life — that’s what you’ll discover more in The Thoughtful Travel Podcast. Meeting new people is one of the magic of wandering to unfamiliar places. Each episode of this podcast is packed with narratives from travel addicts, sharing their tips on using foreign languages to mingle with locals and build meaningful connections. Get some strategies on turning acquaintances into long-term friendships by listening to Amanda Kendle as she takes you on unique travel experiences each week. She’ll make you enjoy getting lost in a new city. 

8. Amateur Traveler Travel

Since 2005, Chris Christensen has been sharing valuable stories nonstop to tickle the travel bone of every aspiring adventurer. In his podcast, he explores unvisited gems, uninhabited islands, and other off-the-beaten-path locations, allowing you to make an intimate connection with the places you’ll go, the wildlife you see and the nature you encounter. 

Learn the best way to get started with traveling if you’re a newbie and how to plan getaways on a budget so you can take road trips around the world.   

9. The Offbeat Life

In the earlier episodes of The Offbeat Life podcast, Debbie Arcangeles recounts her experiences of ditching the cubicle to pursue a digital nomadic lifestyle and become location-independent. Her interviews are a treasure trove of information for anyone wanting to travel while working online, becoming remote entrepreneurs and creating passive income streams from your passions. Meet other people who bravely quit their corporate careers to find their life’s purpose and pursue their lifelong dreams of traveling the globe. This podcast will give you itchy feet and a barrel of inspiration to go after what ticks your heart.  

10. We Travel There with Lee Huffman

Join Lee Huffman as he shares the hidden treasures of every city with details right from the locals themselves. The We Travel There podcast advocates for traveling like a local — not a tourist. Guests share hacks on the best places to visit, dine and relax — and skip the typical activities tourists do. This insider knowledge will allow you more immersive experiences during your getaways, giving you opportunities to connect with residents, eat local dishes, and understand their way of living. Get tips on making the most of your every vacation with a wealth of travel tips that may apply to your next destination. 

Bookmark These Travel Podcasts to Inspire You

Whether you’re looking for a nudge before finally packing your bag or want to learn some hacks before dipping your feet into this new lifestyle, these travel podcasts are a gold mine for everything you need and want to know about globetrotting. Learn tips and hacks to survive while on the road. Bookmark these pages and listen to them any time. 

Original Publish Date: July 22, 2020 — Updated June 25, 2024