Best Road Trip Podcasts
Emily Forsythe
Hitting the open road this summer? We’ve curated a list of our favorite podcasts to help pass the time. From true crime stories to a look into the minds of some of the worlds most popular musicians, we’ve got a little something for every interest. Have a favorite podcast that we didn’t list here? Tell us about it in the comments!
When we were on the road driving those long stretches or in South America where we weren't getting any phone service, the podcasts that we downloaded helped make the drive even more of an adventure! You better believe that Sarah Koenig of Serial and This American Life was our narrator while driving on the treacherous, unpaved Pan American Highway!
And don’t forget the tunes — our Summer Van Jams Spotify playlists will set the mood for an unforgettable road trip.
Long distance besties: this podcast is for you! Follow along with BFF's Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman as they keep their long distance relationship alive through recorded phone calls every other week. These ladies are hilarious — from relationships to pop culture and politics, nothing is off limits.
This podcast makes you feel things. You’ll either belly laugh until it hurts or be moved to tears by these real stories recited by real people at Moth StorySLAMs. Learn how one man set out to find the perfect girlfriend by reverse engineering OK Cupid’s match algorithm, the way one woman found salvation in swing dancing after her husband’s death, and so much more.
Calling all music lovers! Listen to musicians like Phoenix, Gorillaz, Sleigh Bells, Chvrches, The Lumineers and Norah Jones pick apart some of their most popular songs and explain how and why they were made. You may just find some new fave tunes to jam on your trip.
Admit it — you love a juicy murder mystery! Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are true crime fanatics, and every episode they discuss a different murder tale and hear hometown crime stories from their friends and listeners. Don’t worry, it’s not all dark and depressing — Karen and Georgia find a way to twist a little humor into each story.
Comedian Pete Holmes interviews actors, musicians, and fellow comedians about the things they’d feel uncomfortable discussing with their parents. Things get hilariously weird, to say the least! They’re long, too — each episode is at least 1.5 hours long, making it the perfect listening material for your next road trip.