Six inspiring travel podcasts

If you’re in the mood for atmospheric fiction, you can’t do better than this. Some of our greatest writers read short stories inspired by their stays in Mandarin Oriental hotels: think former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman in Paris, William Boyd in Tokyo and Sarvat Hasin in London.

TV’s favourite ‘chatty man’ set up this lovely podcast for some pandemic escapism, and it’s certainly working. Guests including Judge Rinder, Romesh Ranganathan and Mel C share their favourite places, with laughter and gossip along the way.

Another 2020 launch, this immersive podcast from adventure journalists Ash Bhardwaj and Pip Stewart has field recordings from their travels alongside interviews with some of the world’s keenest travellers, such as Monisha Rajesh and Levison Wood.

This series of evocative interviews from journalist Holly Rubenstein will have you plotting your next adventure, as big names such as Heston Blumenthal, Jo Malone and Simon Reeve share their eight most memorable adventures – think Desert Island Discs, but with travel.

This thoughtful podcast from Alastair Humphreys always leaves you better than when you found it thanks to interviews with fascinating people about what adventure means to them, from four mums rowing the Atlantic to a pro sandcastle builder.

If you really want to get under the skin of a specific place before you travel, Lee Huffman’s podcast is the way to do it. Each episode focuses on one city, and Huffman speaks to locals to get the insider scoop on the best places to visit to experience it from a local perspective.