12 podcasts you absolutely have to listen to

This post probably contains affiliate links from which I earn a small commission if you buy from them, at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much for stopping by!

I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately and to be honest I think it’s turned into an addiction. Instead of spending my time on the train to work scrolling through Instagram or aimlessly staring out the window, I’m finding myself excitedly searching through podcasts.

They offer the perfect little bit of escapism and I’ve actually learned quite a bit through listening to them. I find myself feeling inspired, enthralled and quite often cracking up to myself. What a better way to spend some spare time. And best of all, they’re absolutely free!

My idea of a good podcast tends to jump around quite a bit. I love a comedy, and I love a good real-life story and I also like a true crime, and of course, I love a travel inspired podcast. But there really is something out there covering every topic you can imagine.

Here are 12 brilliant travel podcasts I can’t get enough of at the moment and I would love to hear about any other ones you love too!

Serial

From the famous This American Life, this is the podcast that got me really into podcasts. It’s a huge one and it has quite literally changed someone’s life. In case you don’t know, this podcast tells the story of Adnan Syed who is in a maximum security prison in Baltimore, serving life for killing his ex-girlfriend when they were at school. The fantastic Sarah Koenig looks into the case leaving no stone unturned and so much is uncovered. All I can say is that you have to listen to it, just to find out what she achieves!

Rough Guides

Hosted by Greg Dickinson, one of the writers for the amazing Rough Guides books you can pick up, these podcasts are interviews with some of the most amazing people who have the best stories to tell. It’s light hearted but so inspiring.

Indie Travel Podcast

As you can see, this podcast has won an award from Lonely Planet, so it’s gonna be a good one. It’s hosted by full-time travelling couple Craig and Linda Martin and is full of their travel stories, interviews with other travellers and some fantastic tips for life on the road.

S-Town

This podcast has been formed by Serial and This American Life so you know it’s going to be a good one. It’s hosted by Brain Reed and tells the story of the life of a man called John from Alabama who hates his hometown and starts when John contacts Brain on his radio show to discuss a murder that’s being covered up, but the story ends up taking a completely different path. It’s sad, thought provoking and just a brilliant listen.

The remote podcast

This is my ultimate go-to when I feel like I need some motivation. It features in-depth interviews with digital nomads as they share their experiences about what they do and how they got to where they are. It’s a great eye-opener!

My dad wrote a porno

Honestly, I think this is one of the best things since sliced bread. And to be honest, the name of this podcast says it all! But imagine if your dad wrote a dirty book… yeah ok, you probably don’t want to, but for Jamie Morten that’s exactly what’s happened! Jamie along with 2 friends (James Cooped and Alice Lavine) literally go through reading out the book chapter by chapter and basically hilariously rip it to shreds. It’s laugh-out-loud funny and a great thing to listen to on a boring day.

As Told by Nomads

Hosted by Tayo Rockson, this podcast is similar to the remote podcast. It’s full of interviews with global nomads who are top of their game as they share what they have gone through to become the top leaders today.

Crash on my couch

This podcast is completely different to all the other ones I have listed here. It’s hard to explain but it’s kinda about everything and nothing in particular. It’s been created by couple Arden Rose and Will Darbyshire who are YouTubers who literally just talk through anything that interests them from Pixar conspiracy theories, used underwear machines in Japan, bad dates and a $2 million treasure hunt that people have died trying to find. It’s weird, whacky and I’ve been completely sucked in.

Living Unconventionally

In this podcast, Britany Felix holds interviews with a variety digital nomads and entrepreneurs who have ditched the 9-5 to travel the world. It’s full of tips on how these people manage to travel full time and how getting away from the conventional jobs has changed their lives.

Convicted

I have just stumbled across this little gem and I’m excited to see where it goes. It’s another real life crime story, and what makes in more exciting is that the story revolves around another inmate at the Baltimore maximum security prison where Adnan Syed is from the Serial podcast. Investigated by Brooke Gittings, this is the story about a man called Richard Nichols who has been sentenced to life without parole for killing his daughter, but there’s the big question of whether he did actually do it. I’m excited to see what could come of this!

The World Wanderers

I think there are going to be a lot of people out there who can truly relate to this one. Amanda and Ryan are 21 somethings who have the travel bug bad. They tell their stories and experiences as well as hold interviews with other travellers who have made travelling into a career.

The Budget Minded Traveller

This is the perfect inspiration if you’re one of those people who worries about money. Jackie Nourse has created this podcast to share her tips and inspiration to show that you don’t need to have a tonne of money to make international travel a reality.  Something that I definitely believe in too!

If you have any podcasts that you love, tell me about them!