20 Best travel podcasts for long bus rides and boring layovers

What is the best way to spend your time on a 16-hour bus ride or a 4-hour layover? If you’re tired of laptop screen glare and sitting on the floor next to a power socket, give podcasts a chance! A whole new world will open up for you, and there is something for everybody that is looking to get entertained. You can easily download these podcasts onto your phone for offline listening, and because you don’t use your phone’s screen your battery will last much longer! I made a list of the best travel podcasts (podcasts for your travels) I have listened to, and I will add more podcasts when I listen to new ones.

Best travel podcasts for long bus rides and boring layovers

Best travel podcasts for curious geeks

1. Reply All

2. 99% Invisible

3. Freakonomics Radio

4. The Allusionist

5. Note to Self

6. Hidden Brain

7. Everything is alive

Best travel podcasts for true crime and mystery lovers

8. Criminal

9. In the Dark

10. Serial

11. S-Town

12. Mystery Show

13. Homecoming

Best travel podcasts for entrepreneurs

14. StartUp podcast

15. The Tim Ferriss Show

Best travel podcasts about music

16. Mogul

17. Song Exploder

18. All Songs Considered

Best travel podcasts for LOLs

19. My Dad Wrote a Porno

20. Comedy Bang Bang

Best travel podcasts for curious geeks

Reply All

A podcast about the internet that is actually an unfailingly original exploration of modern life and how to survive it. – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

If you’re generally interested in the latest news from the “world” that is the internet, you will love this podcast. Alex and PJ have the kind of contagious enthusiasm that won’t make you stop smiling (and listening to their podcasts). It’s hilarious, interesting, and easy to listen to.

Average length: 30-45 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episodes #102 and #103 Long distance (part 1 + 2)

A telephone scammer calls Reply All host Alex Goldman, but instead of hanging up the phone and forget about it, he decides to find out more about the scammer, his story and that of the fraudulent company behind it all. The rabbit hole goes much deeper than you would expect…

Download part 1: listen on iTunes

Download part 2: listen on iTunes

99% Invisible

99% Invisible is about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting podcasts out there. It focuses on the things you see, hear, and experience every day but never really think about. It talks about architecture, history, design, society, objects, technology and much more. The host, Roman Mars, is a great storyteller, has a good sense of humor and has a nice voice to listen to.

Average length: 20-30 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #219 Unpleasant Design & Hostile Urban Architecture

Benches in parks, train stations, bus shelters and other public places are meant to offer seating, but only for a limited duration. Many elements of such seats are subtly or overtly restrictive. Arm rests, for instance, indeed provide spaces to rest arms, but they also prevent people from lying down or sitting in anything but a prescribed position. This type of design strategy is sometimes classified as “hostile architecture,” or simply: “unpleasant design.”. This episode dives into this subject to find out why and how these objects are the way they are.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Freakonomics Radio

The really ace thing about Freakonomics is that there are so many episodes to choose from, episodes that unpick gossip, violence, exercise – all from an economic perspective – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

Freakonomics radio is all about seeing things in a different light. Hosts Steven D. Levitt (an outstanding economics professor) and Stephen J. Dubner (an award-winning journalist, author and tv personality) discuss a wide range of topics like cheating teachers, bizarre baby names, self-dealing Realtors, and crack-selling mama’s boys. They wrote the worldwide bestseller called Freakonomics, of which this podcast is a follow-up. Freakonomics radio will baffle you with weird statistics, interesting anecdotes and insights.

Average length: 45 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #286 How Big Is My Penis? (And Other Things We Ask Google)

On the Internet, people say all kinds of things they’d never say aloud — about sex and race, about their true wants and fears. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz has spent years parsing the data. His conclusion: our online searches are the reflection of our true selves. In the real world, everybody lies.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

The Allusionist

The podcast that speaks to the word nerd in everyone – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

The Allusionist is a fast-paced, witty podcast. It’s one of those podcasts that you might have to listen to an episode to catch all the wordplay and subtleties. The topics are fun and range from a dive into the over-used word “Namaste” to the secret language of people that work on Antarctica during the winter (starring “Sandwichgirl” whom I wrote an article about). If you like to know all about language, words and everything remotely connected to these subjects, this is your podcast.

Average length: 20 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #41 Getting Toasty

When you choose to spend the winter in Antarctica, you’ll be prepared for it to be cold. You know that nobody will be leaving or arriving until springtime. And you’re braced for months of darkness. But a few weeks after the last sunset, you might find you can’t even string a sentence together. And even if you can, that sentence may only make sense in Antarctica.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Note to Self

The show explores everything from Lego kits to government surveillance to reading on paper versus a screen. Note to Self is geek meets everyday life, making it accessible to techies and noobs alike. – Wired

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

Note to Self finds a nice balance in being witty, knowledgeable, and eye-opening. It revolves around the fascinating impact that technology has on our every-day lives. It covers topic such as “has online dating killed romance?” to “how much screen time is too much for kids?” and from “mean things people say online” to “an app that makes you talk to yourself”. It’s the slightly more serious (and less dark) version of the British/American near-future miniseries Black Mirror, which explores situations that could happen with technology we already have.

Average length: 30 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode 14 feb 2018 Have Dating Apps Killed Romance?

“I walked into this bar. Every single guy was on their phone, on dating apps. Every single one.”

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Hidden Brain

NPR’s science correspondant Shankar Vedantam goes deeply into social sciences in a fascinating quest to explain why people behave the way they do

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

While some podcasts tend to entertain, tell a story, or report on anomalies, Hidden Brain tends to give you a better understanding of why people behave the way they do. This results in very interesting pieces of audio that make you see things from a different perspective. Have you ever thought about the discrimination that some people face while using Airbnb? Or why some people stick to their beliefs even though there is plenty of information that disregards it? Hidden Brain host Shankar Vedantam dives into these fascinating questions and answers them with the help of experts in the field.

Average length: 30 to 45 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode 28 #AirbnbWhileBlack

Airbnb has come under fire in the last year following reports that hosts are less likely to rent to African-Americans compared to whites. New research looked at ways to address the discrimination.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Everything is alive

Ever wonder how a can of cola might feel about its life? Ian Chillag interviews inanimate objects, like lamp-posts, on Everything Is Alive – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

I didn’t really know in which category to put this podcast; it’s weird enough to be in the “curious geeks” category, but it’s funny too. The weirdness won. In this podcast, Radiotopia producer Ian Chillag does interviews with coke cans, lamp-posts, and other inanimate things. No, it isn’t just a monologue, there is actually an actor (Louis Kornfeld in the first episode) representing the object. The best things: the whole interview is unscripted. It gets, weird, intimate, existential, funny and interesting, as the facts mentioned in the interviews are actually all true.

Average length: 30 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode 1 Louis, Can of Cola

Louis has been on the shelf a long while, so he’s had some time to think.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Best travel podcasts for true crime and mystery lovers

Criminal

No matter how strange or ghastly the crime, the voice of the host Phoebe Judge somehow remains implacable and oddly soothing. – The New York Times

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

You either love or can’t stand true crime podcasts. Criminal host Phoebe Judge does a great job diving into sometimes gruesome crime stories with an unbiased, neutral tone of voice (literally, her voice is really soothing). Every episode has a bold theme that explores crime in every single aspect, from money laundering to stolen road signs and from serial murderers to child abuse.

Average length: 20-30 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #64 420

The Colorado Department of Transportation says the 420 mile markers on the state’s highways were stolen so often, they had to replace them with 419.99 mile markers. Many people know that “420” represents marijuana – hence the popularity of the mile markers – but very few know why. It’s not a police code, it’s not the number of chemical compounds in cannabis, and it’s certainly not Bob Marley’s birthday. Today on the show, we try for the real story.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

In the Dark

It took nearly 27 years to solve a notorious child abduction. Why?

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

Another true crime podcast worth listening to. The first and only season (the second season is being produced at the time of writing) is about one single child abduction case. It looks at the case from all different aspects and interviews the family, friends and law enforcement involved. It’s a case with lots of twists and turns, and it kept me hooked from the first to the last episode.

Average length: 45 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #1 The crime

For 27 years, the investigation into the abduction of Jacob Wetterling in rural Minnesota yielded no answers. Reporter Madeleine Baran reveals how law enforcement mishandled one of the most notorious child abductions in the country and how those failures fueled national anxiety about stranger danger, led to the nation’s sex-offender registries and raise questions about crime-solving accountability.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Serial

The greatest murder mystery you will ever hear – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

As far as true crime podcasts go, Serial might be the most hyped and most popular podcast out there. It consists of two seasons, both telling a completely different story. The first seasons is about a murder at a high-school in Baltimore and takes twists and turns in many different directions. It’s one of those stories that truly stick, and you won’t be able to think about anything else for the whole day. If you love “Making a murderer”, you will love this.

The second season is about US soldier Bowe Bergdahl who, while on watch at an outpost in Afghanistan, decides to simply walk off. Why did he do it? What happened to him? How did his fellow soldiers and the US government respond to this? These and many other questions get answered in this incredible 11-part story.

Average length: 45-60 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #1 The alibi

It’s Baltimore, 1999. Hae Min Lee, a popular high-school senior, disappears after school one day. Six weeks later detectives arrest her classmate and ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, for her murder. He says he’s innocent – though he can’t exactly remember what he was doing on that January afternoon. But someone can. A classmate at Woodlawn High School says she knows where Adnan was. The trouble is, she’s nowhere to be found.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

S-Town

From the moment the much-anticipated S-Town was released, it became the most bingeable pod of 2017, surpassing the intrigue of Serial – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

Listening to S-Town was a true rollercoaster. You think you know what the story is about but then it sidetracks, catches you off guard or just gets plain weird. It was nonetheless one of the most fascinating podcasts I have listened to; you can really feel a bond between the characters in the show and the presenter as they start to open up more and more about what’s happening in the small town in Alabama. As you can see I’m not trying to give anything away; just download the first episode and thank me later!

Average length: 60 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #1 “If you keep your mouth shut, you’ll be surprised what you can learn.”

John despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it. He asks a reporter to investigate the son of a wealthy family who’s allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But then someone else ends up dead, sparking a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man’s life.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Mystery Show

Mystery Show: the podcast that has amateur Columbos hooked – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

Life can be one big mystery when you find something out of place on the street, or you see something happen that just doesn’t make sense. Mystery Show host Starlee Kine takes on these kinds of everyday mystery “cases” and doesn’t stop until she has figured out every single detail. It results in beautiful pieces of audio with unexpected twists, turns, and interviews, and Starlee Kine’s thorough investigation makes sure that you will feel satisfied after every episode.

Average length: 45 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #3 Case 3: The Belt Buckle

A young boy finds an enchanting object in the street.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Homecoming

Homecoming: a starstudded psychological thriller in podcast form – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

I’m normally not a huge fan of fiction, either in book format or audio, but Homecoming kept me interested until the end. It’s a story about an American “homecoming” program for soldiers which doesn’t seem to be what it is supposed to be. Heidi Berman, one of the employees of the program, sets out to find the truth about the bosses’ real motives. It’s fun to hear David Swimmer’s (Ross, from Friends) voice in a serious role.

Average length: 30 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #1 Mandatory

New clients arrive. A customer asks for the bill. The airport signage needs a lot of work. A bird wakes up in the Everglades.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Best travel podcasts for entrepreneurs

StartUp Podcast

Blumberg is among the best, most successful radio producers out there, and he’s made the editorial decision to let us hear him fumble and bomb. It’s disarming, and refreshingly sincere. It’s what makes him a trustworthy protagonist and a superb storyteller – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

If you are an entrepreneur or have ever thought about starting your own business, the StartUp podcast is an amazing resource. Alex Blumberg, founder of Gimlet Media that produces shows like Reply All, Mogul and Homecoming, tells the brutally honest story of starting up Gimlet Media before it even had a name. He records meetings with investors, brainstorm sessions, his honest feelings, fears, and dreams, and basically the whole path from coming up with an idea to set up a leading (podcasting) business. I learned a lot from listening to Alex’ struggles and persistence to make his vision a reality, and I can recommend it to anyone that has an affinity with entrepreneurship.

Average length: 30-45 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #1 How Not to Pitch a Billionaire

Alex explains how he got the idea to document the starting of his own company. He talks with his wife about what shoes to wear to his first investor pitch. And he meets Chris Sacca, silicon valley legend, an early investor in Twitter, Uber, Instagram, and Kickstarter. Chris talks about the first 25 thousand-dollar check he wrote to Twitter, explains the importance of conviction when pitching to investors, and discusses FOMO, the fear of missing out, which lurks in the hearts of all investors.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

The Tim Ferriss Show

The guests Tim brings on his show are the best of the best and indeed a mixed bag. From celebrities such as Jamie Fox, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Tony Robins, king-pin entrepreneur’s, recently Sir Richard Branson, to grand master chess, players, poker players, people who specialise in the fields of neuroscience, physical fitness and mindfulness and everything in-between – The Hidden Why

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

Ever since Tim Ferriss wrote The 4-Hour Workweek, I’ve been a fan of his way of writing. Rather than sharing his own opinions, he shares insights and lessons from top-performing people in many different fields. Whether it’s sportspeople, politicians, businessmen, writers, top performers in the military, actors, Tim has probably interviewed them in his show. He is great in asking uncommon questions that others haven’t asked yet, which ensures dynamic conversations and honest answers. The episode below made a big impression on me, as I could really picture the person getting interviewed as an intimidating figure.

Average length: 60-120 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #107 The Scariest Navy SEAL I Have Ever Met… And What He Taught Me

He is a lean 230 pounds. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert who used to tap out 20 Navy SEALs per workout. He is a legend in the Special Operations world. His eyes look through you more than at you. He rarely does interviews, if ever. But, a few weeks ago, Jocko ended up staying at my house and we had a caffeinated mind meld.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Best travel podcasts about music

Mogul

“Mogul” tells the story of hip-hop—and stories about friendship, ambition, depression, creativity, and the American Dream—through the life of the late Chris Lighty. – The New Yorker

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

If you know a bit about hip-hop history, or if you are interested in hearing more about it, this is a great podcast to start. It tells the story of hip-hop mogul Chris Lighty, who committed suicide at age 44 and at the height of his career where he represented artists such as Nas, Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Missy Elliot, L.L. Cool J, and many more. Host Reggie Ossé (who sadly died of cancer in December 2017) not only tells the story of Chris’ rise to fame, but you will also be taken on a journey through the highs and lows of hip-hop history and culture.

Average length: 30 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #1 That beat, that beat right there

All the brightest stars in the hip-hop universe are gathered to mourn the death of Chris Lighty. He was their friend, their brother, their late-night confidant, the man who discovered them, or saved their careers, or made them millionaires. He was a hip-hop legend. But to understand how we got here, we have to go back to the beginning—back to a time before hip-hop even had a name.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Song Exploder

The podcast that lifts up the hood on musical motors – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

If you’re interested in the stories behind famous and not so famous songs from musicians like The Roots, R.E.M, Nine Inch Nails or Fleet Foxes, Song Exploder is a great podcast for your fix. It dissects the songs and tells the story on how each of the layers was produced, which often leads to something totally different than you might have thought. You’ll never listen to the same songs again after listening to Song Exploder.

Average length: 15 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #84 Peter Bjorn and John – Young Folks

In 2006, Swedish trio Peter Bjorn and John released their third album, Writer’s Block. For months and months after that, it felt like you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing the first single from that album, “Young Folks.” It was on top 10 lists for song of the year in places like Pitchfork and NME. It’s been covered by James Blunt, and remixed by Kanye West, along with countless other versions out there. Now, ten years later, Peter Bjorn and John break down the song and how it all came together, and how it almost didn’t come together at all.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

All Songs Considered

One of the 25 essential podcasts for music lovers  – Pigeons and Planes

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

The name of the podcast pretty much says it all: this is a podcast for people who are looking for new music in any genre. The hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton discuss new albums, mixes, and artists, do interviews, and occasionally have a guest DJ on the show. The podcasts are typically around 25-30 minutes but go in-depth about the subjects, sharing interesting background stories and inspiration.

Average length: 25-30 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #114 New Mix: Missy Elliott, Sampha, Mount Eerie, Young Fathers, More

This episode of All Songs Considered covers the very ends of spectrum, from carefree celebration to soul-baring sadness. Hear new tracks by Missy Elliott, Mount Eerie, Young Fathers, and more.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Best travel podcasts for LOLs

My Dad Wrote A Porno

Jamie Morton was handed a pornographic novel by his father – and decided to read it out to millions of people. As the second series of his hit podcast begins, its team unpack how topless sales meetings and ‘labial pinkness’ are spun into comedy gold – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

The My Dad Wrote A Porno podcast is one of the best recommendations I have gotten in a while. It’s hilarious, cringy, witty and simply a joy to listen to. Its content is exactly what the title suggests: podcast host Jamie Morton’s father wrote a pornographic novel that he decided to read page by page on this podcast, while his fellow hosts Alice Levine and James Cooper comment on the wording, physical activities described and just the general plot. I was unable to contain my LOLs on public transport while listening to this podcast on multiple occasions. Having a bad day? Listen to this podcast and you will face the rest of the day with a smile, guaranteed.

Average length: 30-45 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #1 The Job Interview

In the very first episode, we meet our heroine, Belinda Blumenthal, as she interviews for the job of her dreams – worldwide sales director of a pots and pans company.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Comedy Bang Bang

It’s silly, it spoofy – it’s the very definition of a hidden gem – The Guardian

Why is this one of the best travel podcasts?

Comedy Bang Bang is complete comedy mayhem, there isn’t really another way I can explain it. There are many different characters on the show, each with their own characteristic shenanigans. It’s a fast-paced show with a focus on the dynamic between the guests on the show; every slip of the tongue is turned into a joke, song or soundbite. Although this kind of comedy isn’t my favorite kind (I like the observational type), I can see why others would like it. Hence, it’s added to the list.

Average length: 1 hour 30 minutes

Best episode to start with:

Episode #533 Is That Chocolate, Or What? “Weird Al” Yankovic, Mary Holland, Mano Agapion

Musical star ‘Weird Al” Yankovic joins Scott to talk about his upcoming concert series The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour! They discuss sports and Al’s philanthropic causes before being joined by pageant consultant Debbie Creepy. Then, body modification hobbyist Jergen Tavikya stops by to explain the motivation behind his latest transformation.

Download podcast: listen on iTunes

Share your travel podcast recommendations in the comments!