Best Travel Podcasts

"With the growing number of informative podcasts about travel, this popular new medium merits its own section on our website. There is a wide range of travel podcasts, from professionally produced programs by magazine and book publishers to home-made podcasts by enthusiastic travelers. The program length varies from about 5 to 30 minutes, and the formats range from documentary to talk show. Most of the large, popular travel websites now have regular podcasts that are available for free subscription (they are downloaded automatically whenever you open your podcasting software) or individual download of programs. Here is a list of my favorite podcast series that provide entertaining and useful programs for travelers. All of them offer free subscriptions." —Travel and Living Abroad Contributing Editor Volker Poelzl

Amateur Traveler Podcast by Chris Christensen, www.amateurtraveler.com, is a weekly travel podcast, with travel stories, news, tips and resources. For subscription, use this URL with your podcasting software: feeds.feedburner.com/AmateurTravelerPodcast.

Frommer's has a Podcast section with information about news from the travel industry as well as programs about popular destinations. The podcasts are intended for a mainstream audience, but some of them also provide information useful for independent travelers. For subscription, use this URL with your podcasting software: www.frommers.com/rss/frommers_podcast.xml.

Geography for Travelers and Travelography Travel News, travelgeography.blogspot.com, a website hosted by Alan A. Lew, a geography professor in Flagstaff, Arizona,  has a regular podcast, titled 'Travelography', which discusses travel and tourism related news. For subscription, use this URL with your podcasting software: podcasternews.com/feeds/travelography.xml.

Hostelworld.com offers City Guide podcasts from around the world. For subscription, use this URL with your podcasting software: www.hostelworld.com/podcasts/hostelworldpodcast.xml.

The Indie Travel Podcast, indietravelpodcast.com, is is a weekly show with travel ideas and advice for independent travelers and backpackers. For subscription, use this URL with your podcasting software: feeds.feedburner.com/IndieTravelPodcast.

Lonely Planet has a Travel Podcast section, with regular programs about travel topics and destinations. For subscription, use this URL with your podcasting software: www.lonelyplanet.com/podcasts/travelcast.xml.

National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com, offers several podcast and video podcast series, most of which are updated weekly. For subscription, use this URL with your podcasting software: www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/index.html.

Rick Steves' Europe through the Backdoor, www.ricksteves.com, now offers Rick's new public radio show, "Travel with Rick Steves" as a podcast. For subscription, use this URL with your podcasting software: podcasts.ricksteves.com/ricksteves.xml.

Rough Guides offers the monthly Rough Guides Podcasts, providing information about travel destinations worldwide. The podcasts are available for subscription on iTunes: phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=153873296.

Podcast Directories

To search for travel podcasts on your own, try the iTunes Music Store, which lists a huge number of podcasts, including a section on Travel. The iTunes software program can be downloaded for free (for both Macintosh and PC) at www.apple.com/itunes. In addition to iTunes , you can also use other popular podcasting software programs, such as iPodder.

There are also podcast directories, where you can search for travel podcasts such as Podcast Directory.com, www.podcastdirectory.com, which has a Travel Section listing a number of travel podcasts.