Trail of Ants

Hands up if you have hearing. OK, now hands up if you own an MP3 player. Hands up if you own a computer. Hands up if you like travel. If both your arms are aching, then you’re the target audience for the following collection of free audio travel podcasts.

I subscribe to them all, because I find the medium to be one of the most exciting, consistent and convenient formats available to today’s traveller. I listen to podcasts over breakfast, while on the bus, and an OCD dictates I listen to one to fall asleep.

I hasten to add, not purely on the subject of travel. I listen to podcasts about sport, current affairs, technology and comedy, as well as some slightly more obscure and offbeat shows. As some of you know, I’ve been known to try my hand at producing my own podcasts, and so I know first-hand how much time and effort goes into producing, editing and marketing a show.

It is incredibly tough. Apple’s iTunes Store provides an extremely narrow window for new travel podcasters to be heard, often pitting them head-to-head with the likes of ubiquitous Disneyland resort podcasts, lowly celebs or established online travel brands. If you want to be a successful podcaster, you need to be dedicated.

Unless you have a sizeable budget you’re going to have to become a designer, a producer, an articulate communicator, a marketeer, a sound engineer and a technophile. It’s like blogging on speed. Because lest we forget, for every episode you produce, you’ll need an accompanying post. You’ll need independent RSS feeds, a unique SMO (Social Media Optimization) approach and a progressive attitude.

So it’s all credit to those that dangle below this sentence, and despite whether I agree that their show is all they hoped it to be — I applaud their effort, for braving the harsh plains of new media, to bring me my daily dose of audio.

Travel Podcast Reviews

This Week in Travel
Launched: August 2009
Frequency: Weekly
Approx Length and Size: 1 hour; 40mb
Presumed Target Audience: 40+ Tech-Savvy Americans
In Fifty Words: The Elders of online #travel; Chris, Jen and Gary invite a guest to discuss current topics. It’s opinionated, and hearing them type while they talk is irritating. Imagine you’re seven and earwigging on your parents conversation — mostly uninteresting, but for some reason you keep listening, and eventually learn something new.
Rating: 5/10
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The Indie Travel Podcast
Launched: Early 2007
Frequency: Weekly
Approx Length and Size: 20 mins; 9mb
Presumed Target Audience: <35 Budget Travellers
In Fifty Words: A useful resource, discussing a diverse range of topics. Strong Kiwi accents resound, and they can come across slightly lovey-dovey. Above all, they succeed as an informed voice for today’s budget travellers, and they’re constantly improving. Topics vary from on-the-road experience to interesting interviews.
Rating: 7/10
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Excess Baggage
Launched: February 2009
Frequency: Weekly
Approx Length and Size: 28 minutes; 13mb
Presumed Target Audience: 30+ Armchair travellers
In Fifty Words: An enthusing travel podcast from BBC Radio 4, presented by Sandi Toksvig or John McCarthy. Often featuring extraordinary travellers’ tales and hot travel topics, in the entirely approachable BBC style. Authors of travel books are regularly interviewed, as well specialists in various fields. An altogether accessible, and educational travel podcast.
Rating: 8/10
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PRI’s The World: Talking Travel with Lonely Planet
Launched: December 2009
Frequency: Biweekly
Approx Length and Size: 18 mins; 8mb
Presumed Target Audience: 25+ Culturally Aware
In Fifty Words: Short and sweetened with insight. Presented by Clark Boyd and usually featuring two of Lonely Planet’s well-informed authors, Robert Reid and Tom Hall. They mostly discuss the unique travel aspects of current news headlines. The combination of UK and US personas results in an amiable, down to earth and educational show.
Rating: 8/10
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Amateur Traveler Podcast
Launched: July 2005
Frequency: Weekly (Sunday)
Approx Length and Size: 30 minutes
Presumed Target Audience: 25+ Experienced and Aspiring Travellers
In Fifty Words: Chris Christensen presents a kindly, ‘Dad in the Shed’ style show. A Californian internet-junky, Chris succeeds in delivering a well-structured show which features an unpredictable and exciting range of destination podcasts, by interviewing experienced travellers. Sometimes know-it-all, with some annoying vocal ticks (“uh huh”, “interesting”) but overall, enlightening and informative.
Rating: 8/10
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Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase
Launched: August 2005
Frequency: Sporadic
Approx Length and Size: 30 minutes; 30mb
Presumed Target Audience: The Living Dead or the Airline industry.
In Fifty Words: Presented by veteran air attendent, ‘Betty’ (a pseudonym) this travel podcast is excruciating. I’m pretty sure she’s literally high. Betty loves to laugh at her own non-jokes, and I truly pity those who have to fly with her. Her saving graces, are her irregular and interesting stories, from a unique perspective.
Rating: 3/10
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Heather on her Travels
Launched: October 2009
Frequency: Sporadic
Approx Length and Size: 30 minutes; 16mb
Presumed Target Audience: 30+ Women
In Fifty Words: This podcast fits into the ‘glass of vino on the terrace’ genre. A new production with an articulate and honest approach from Englishwoman, Heather. As an easy-listening, informative programme it’s quite BBC and possibly a bit long-winded for the current format, but definitely one to keep your ear out for.
Rating: 6/10
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Travel Rants Podcast
Launched: December 2009
Frequency: Sporadic
Approx Length and Size: 6 minutes; 5.5mb
Presumed Target Audience: B2B, or Savvy 25+. Industry Insiders.
In Fifty Words: Cheery consumer blogger, Darren Cronian presents a swift, thought-provoking podcast providing a vocal extension to the Travel Rants blog, rather than a stand alone product. His voice can be distracting — possibly trying to iron out his friendly Yorkshire accent, to appeal to a global audience. A worthy, on-topic first foray.
Rating: 6/10
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Have I missed one? Do you have an opinion? Share your thoughts in the comments below.