TOP 25 Travel Podcasts of 2020

With over 800,000 podcasts out there in 2020, it can be difficult to sift through them to find the shows you want to listen to.  Below is a list of the 25 Best Travel Podcasts for 2020, listed in alphabetical order.  Some shows discuss destinations, others teach budget travel and travel award tips, while still others teach specific travel tips and thoughts on travel and culture.  Some, like mine focuses solely on adventure travel.  Did I miss one of your favorites?  Write me so I can check it out to consider it for next year’s list!

1. Active Travel Adventures

This show inspires you to live a bigger life through adventure travel. In each episode you hike, bike, paddle or otherwise move your body as you explore different cultures and landscapes of the world. Yours truly hosts and either I do the adventure myself or interview someone who has done it, from climbing Machu Picchu to a calming walking holiday through the British countryside.  The companion podcast, the Adventure Travel Show podcast, teaches you the How To’s of adventure travel.. Active Travel Adventures

2. Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast

Host Chris Christensen has been interviewing folks since the early years of podcasting and has a massive catalog of destination shows from which to choose. In fact, in July of 2020, Chris celebrates FIFTEEN YEARS – incredible!!!  His interviews help you determine what to see, eat and do in a given destination. If there’s someplace you want to visit, no doubt Chris has done an episode on it.  I was interviewed by Chris about my own NC Crystal Coast. You can listen to it here. Amateur Traveler

3. America’s National Parks

Get the back story and history of the more than 400 units managed by the US National Park Service in this well produced show. Produced, created and hosted by the co-founders of the RV Miles Network, Jason Epperson and Abigail Trabue.  Great story telling.  America’s National Parks

4. Andy Steves Travel Podcast

A podcast for students, teachers, digital nomads or anyone who wants tips on how to travel cheaply, Andy brings on interesting guests who share their adventures.  Andy Steves Travel Podcast

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5. Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase

Flight attendant Betty shares often humorous travel stories about passengers and fellow crew members, often behaving badly, from 50,000’.  Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase 

6. Culturally Ours

Host Karthika Gupta, demonstrates in this compelling podcast, how we are all very much the same around the world, even if we look, dress and talk differently.  Most enlightening!  Culturally Ours

7. Dis After Dark

This is everything Disney (including movies), but for adults, and over a beer. Definitely not for children. The hosts have a great time and so will you.  Dis After Dark

8. Extra Pack of Peanuts

Affable hosts Travis and often Heather share travel hacks and destinations on this engaging show about how to travel on a budget. The show features destinations, tips and often lists of their favorite whatever, from restaurants to locations.  Extra Pack of Peanuts

9. Flight of Fancy

Aussy Ben Groundwater talks travel from places to visit to tips to make sure you have a safe and great time.  Flight of Fancy

10. Girls Talk Travel

The hosts don’t hold back when discussing the in’s and out’s of traveling as a female as it encourages girls to achieve their travel dreams.  Girls Talk Travel

11. Globetrotter Lounge

Jet Set Lisette hosts a wonderful show that showcases all things travel and is a travel award points expert.  Globetrotter Lounge

12. Indie Travel Podcast

Full time travelers Craig and Linda share their and their guest’s experiences along with the things they’ve learned, often on a budget, on this long running show.  Indie Travel Podcast

13. JUMP with Traveling Jackie

[Formerly the Budget Minded Traveler] Jackie, who lived nomadically for years, shares her tips and inspiration, plus destination ideas on this engaging show.  JUMP with Traveling Jackie

14. On She Goes

Focuses on travel from the perspective of women of color.  This podcast encourages these women to travel more often and with confidence.  On She Goes

15. She Explores

Interviews with inspiring women who travel, especially those who explore the outdoors and learn more about themselves and life.  She Explores

16. The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

Amanda does an interview based show that shares travel stories to inspire and delight you. Amanda gets her three guests’ take on whatever the show’s topic is.  The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

17. This Week in Travel

The co-hosts Chris Christensen from the Amateur Traveler, travel writer Jen Leo and Gary Arndt from the Everything-Everywhere blog and usually a guest, banter about whatever is new in the world of travel.  This Week in Travel

18. Travel Tales Podcast

Comedian Mike Siegel interviews fellow travelers who share their favorite travel stories of their adventures that went right – and often humorously wrong.  Travel Tales Podcast

19. Travel Stories Podcast aka Backpack Digital

Hayden’s rambles are engaging and make you feel as if you are sharing a beer while he discusses his thoughts and stories of life on the road.  THis podcast started years ago as Travel Stories and I still think of it as such, but Hayden rebranded as Backpack Digital.  Backpack Digital

20. Travel Today with Peter Greenberg

This veteran travel expert and Travel Editor for CBS News interviews locals at each destination about things to do so you get the inside scoop.  Travel Today with Peter Greenberg

21. Travel with Rick Steves

From Public Radio to podcast, Rick shares advice on travel, especially to Europe.  Travel with Rick Steves

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22. WDW Today

Get the latest in tips, news and events going on at Walt Disney World.  WDW Today

23. Women Who Travel

Join Conde Nast Traveler’s Lale and Meredith as they discuss the issues that affect women who travel.  Women Who Travel

24. The World Nomads Podcast

Explore the world with Kim and Phil from the travel insurance company, World Nomads.  World Nomads is an affiliate of ATA and if you use my link (please and thank you:) at no additional cost to you, you help support this show.  Here’s my Travel insurance affiliate link.  The World Nomads Podcast

25. Zero to Travel

Jason shares ways to bring travel into your life, even if you don’t have much or even ANY money. Jason also teaches those who wish to become a traveling ‘digital nomad’.  I was interviewed by Jason about how to cruise Alaska’s coastline on the cheap. You can listen to it here.  Zero to Travel 

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Transcription

For those of you who prefer to read your information, here’s a machine generated transcription.  There may be some boo boos in it, but you’ll get the jist:

00:07 This is the time of year that we all think about traveling. Where are we going to go in the coming year? And for some reason, 2020 has a special ring to it that I want to make it a really epic year. So what I thought I would do is put together some inspiration for you. I’ve listed what I consider to be the top 25 travel podcasts for 2020 and these are in alphabetical order. Which aren’t I clever: Again, Active Travel Adventures happens to be number one because it starts with an “A”. So hopefully since you listen to this, you agree that this is a great travel podcast to give you the inspiration and encouragement for you to get out there and stretch your courage muscles and build a little grit and, and get outside of your comfort zone to see our wonderful planet and the great outdoors by biking, hiking, paddling. It’s just a wonderful way to explore our planet. So I hope that you continue to listen to Active Travel Adventures, and consider it one of your top travel podcasts.

01:07 Number two in the list is the Amateur Traveler Podcast. This is a podcast about specific destinations. In fact, I’ll put a link to when I was interviewed about my own home area, the Crystal Coast of North Carolina to give you an idea of what this podcast is all about. Chris Christensen, the host, will interview somebody about a destination and gives you a feel of what kind of itinerary you should do if you want to explore that town.

01:31 Up next is America’s National Parks. This is a great way to get the backstory in the history of some of more than 400 units that are managed by the national park service. It’s got some great storytelling and gives you a little bit of inspiration and encouragement to see some of our beautiful national parks here in the US.

01:49 After that number four comes in at Andy Steve’s Travel Podcast. You might recognize the last name Steves. This is the son and he gears this more towards the students and teachers and digital nomads or anybody who wants to learn how to travel cheaply. Andy brings on some interesting guests on a show who share their adventures.

02:10 A fun one up at number five is Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase. Flight attendant Betty shares some really, really funny travel stories about passengers and fellow crew members often behaving badly from over 50,000 feet in the air. It’s kind of fun.

02:27 A new one on my list this year is Culturally Ours and I first learned about this when I met the host Karthika Gupta, who I met at one of my travel conferences. And she’s got a very compelling podcast that basically, through her interviews with people from around the world, diagnosing different segments of travel and and and thought about travel. We’ve ended up realizing how we are pretty much the same no matter where we come from. We may look different, dress different, talk different and even act different, but the bottom line is we all pretty much want the same things in the world and after listening to this podcast, it makes you feel closer to people that are completely different than you from parts of the world. It’s a wonderful podcast. Again, that’s called Culturally Ours.

03:13 At number seven if you are a kid at heart is Dis after Dark. This is everything Disney including movies, but it’s geared towards adults and this is done over a beer. And so it’s definitely not for children. The hosts have a great time and so will you listening to it.

03:30 Coming in at number eight is Extra Pack of Peanuts. You can’t help but like the affable host Travis and often his wife Heather. They share travel hacks and destinations on this very engaging show of how to travel on a budget. The show will often feed your hodgepodge of destinations, sometimes travel tips. They might list their favorite beer places in Philadelphia or their favorite coffee shops in Chiang Mai, whatever they’re interested in that week. It’s just kind of a fun show.

03:59 Coming in at number nine is Flight of Fancy. The Aussie host Ben Groundwater talks to you about travel from places to visit and tips to make sure that you have a safe and a great time wherever you go.

04:15 New to the list this year at number 10 is Girls Talk Travel. I love seeing all the women that appeared on this year’s list. The women are starting to really make some inroads in the podcasting world, so keep that up!

04:24 On Girls Talk Travel, you learn about the ins and outs of travel – no-holds-barred. So they are trying to empower women to get out there and travel and get the courage to do so. So it’s, it’s definitely worth the listen.

04:36 Coming in at number 11 – also new on the list- is the Globe Trotter Lounge with Jet Set Lizette. Lizette is an awards points expert, so you learn a lot about that as well as all things travel.

04:47 Looking for ways to save money while traveling? Check out the long running Indie Travel Podcast. Coming in at number 12, Linda and Craig often with guests, explore great places to explore around the globe.

05:01 And one of my favorite travel podcast – remember this is in alphabetical order, not in order of the ones that I like – coming in at lucky 13 is Jump with Traveling. Jackie. Jump used to be called the Budget Minded Traveler, but Jackie has been doing this for a while and over time her travel style has evolved. And so now it’s not necessarily budget minded: It may still have some budget tips in there, but for the most part it’s about travel in general and so the show itself has evolved. It’s the most engaging show and one that I listen to every episode that comes out. I like it for her tips, her inspiration, and sometimes the way that some of her topics make me think about myself and about travel in general. It’s a very engaging show.

05:44 New on the list this year at number 14 is On She Goes, I think this is an important show because often when I travel, I don’t see many women of color and often any people of color out there traveling, so I love that this show is out there giving women of color, not just a voice, but encouragement to get out there and have a ball.

06:01 And coming in at number 15 another woman powered show called, She Explores. This program interviews inspiring women who travel, especially those who explore the outdoors and they learn more about themselves and life in general. It’s one of my favorites.

06:19 I bet you’re wondering when I have time to listen to all these podcasts, but I make it work.

06:23 Anyhow, coming in at number 16 is another one of my favorites that I always listen to. This one’s called the Thoughtful Travel Podcast. I love this. Each episode, Amanda picks a topic and then interviews three guests about their take and experiences and stories about that topic.

06:41 Coming in at number 17 is This Week in Travel. This show is co-hosted by three of the heavy hitters in the travel content creator sphere. You’ve got Chris Christensen of the Amateur Traveler, Gary Arndt, a fabulous photographer who does the Everything Everywhere blog and Jen Leo, formerly of the LA times and now a freelance travel writer. So it’s these three and usually a guest.

07:03 So This Week in Travel is usually the week that they’re doing it. It doesn’t necessarily come out each week, but whatever week they do produce a show, they banter her about whatever was in the news that week: whether somebody did something crazy on a plane, if there’s some radical change in the travel industry or something that we need to know, they kind of give us an insider’s look at what’s going on in the world of travel.

07:25 And let’s move on to number 18 the Travel Tales Podcast with Mike Siegel.

07:29 Mike is a comedian and each episode he interviews a guest. And it’s like you’re just eavesdropping in on a really fun conversation where they discuss where the guest has been, some of their favorite stories, often the things that go wrong and it’s just a lot of fun to listen to.

07:45 And if you love stories, check out the travel stories podcast with host Hayden Lee. Hayden often rambles, but they’re always fun rambles about whatever he’s engaging inand rocking his boat that week. And you feel like you’re sharing a beer with the guy.

07:58 He talks about his life’s and thoughts and stories of his life on the road. Just because I say rambles does not mean the show is a sloppy show. It’s actually a very highly well-produced show, and unless I’m mistaken, I believe that’s what Hayden does for a living because as you may or may not know, podcasting is a labor of love. You definitely don’t do it for the income.

08:16 Prefer something less rambly? Check out our number 20 Travel Today with Peter Greenberg. On this podcast, you’ll listen to a travel veteran and the travel editor for CBS news, interview guests about various travel locations. Peter’s guests are the locals that live there, so you get the inside scoop.

08:33 Another well-produced show is number 21 Travel with Rick Steves, who I’m sure you’ve heard of. Rick takes his PBS broadcast and brings it to podcasting. Rick’s main focus is his beloved Europe.

08:45 Our number 22 is WDW for a Walt Disney World. Learn about everything you need to know before you head to Orlando.

08:51 At number 23 we’re back with the women again this time with Women Who Travel. You’re going to join Conde Nast travelers, Lale and Meredith as they discuss issues that affect women who travel

09:05 As we come near to the end, number 24 is the World Nomads Podcast. This show is produced by the World Nomads Travel Insurance company of which I am an affiliate. So if you buy travel insurance, please use my link. It helps pay for some of the costs of putting on my podcast. I’d appreciate it – thanks!

09:21 And don’t think this shows is all boring, boring, boring travel insurance. They talk about all sorts of things regarding travel, including destinations. It’s quite an engaging show.

09:29 If you listen closely, you might recognize the voice of Phil, one of the cohosts who I featured on my travel insurance episode on my companion podcast, the Adventure Travel Show Podcast, episode number 13. I’ll put a link in the show notes. You would not believ what we have no clue about about travel insurance! It is well worth a listen.

09:48 And finally, last but not least, one of my favorite hosts is Jason at Zero To Travel. Jason will share ways to bring travel into your life even if you don’t have much money or sometimes even any money. He often provides tips in interviews, guests who are digital nomads (people that are location independent. They can work from anywhere in the world as long as they have the internet.)

10:10 I will put a list of all these in a downloadable PDF with active links to their websites that will go out in the next newsletter. So be sure to sign up for that by going to Active Travel Adventures.com/newsletter to make sure that you get that. My goal is to send you a once a month email with information that you can use, whether in the future or at the present that you can either print out or just keep on file in your email account so that you can search for it whenever you need it. That way you’ll get whatever free downloads and travel planners I offer for that month.

10:42 So that’s my list of the top 25 travel podcasts. But podcasts are a very personal thing, so things I might like you may not like. Did I miss some of your favorites? Write me at Kit at active travel adventures dop com and let me know so I can listen to them and consider them for next year’s list.

10:57 There are over 800,000 podcasts out there. Could you please do me the favor and your friends a favor and share this episode so that your travel loving buddies will know what are the best travel podcasts they should be listening to in 2020 we all thank you for that. I really appreciate all your support and I love your emails because they make this a two way conversation, so let’s keep that up and with that, I wish you a happy new year. I’ll be back in two weeks with another great adventure. Until then, this is Kit Parks Adventure On!

 

 

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