Best Podcasts for Road Trips (2026)

The best road trip podcasts aren't just background noise — they're the ones that make you sit in the car park for ten minutes because you need to hear what happens next. Here are 10 shows built for long drives: serialised stories, deep dives, and conversations so good you'll wish the journey was longer.

Waking up with a podcast on iOS

Podcast Alarm is a fully featured podcast player and alarm. You can set up queues of your favourite episodes and listen to them whenever you like. Why not subscribe to your favourite podcast and have the latest episode wake you up every weekday morning. There are lots of screenshots and videos in our "How to set a podcast as an alarm on iphone?" blog post.

1. S-Town

S-Town podcast artwork

Brian Reed investigates a tip from a man named John B. McLemore in small-town Alabama, and what unfolds is one of the most extraordinary stories ever told in audio. All seven episodes dropped at once, which means you can burn through the whole thing in a single long drive. It's gripping, heartbreaking, and completely true.

2. Casefile True Crime

Casefile True Crime podcast artwork

An anonymous Australian narrator walks you through real criminal cases with meticulous research and zero sensationalism. Some cases span multiple episodes, others fit into a single hour — either way, you won't notice the miles ticking by. Nearly 400 episodes deep, so you'll never run out.

3. Radiolab

Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser explore science, philosophy, and the strange corners of human experience with some of the most creative sound design in podcasting. Episodes run 30-60 minutes and cover everything from the nature of colour to the ethics of gene editing. Perfect for sparking a conversation with whoever's in the passenger seat.

4. Heavyweight

Heavyweight podcast artwork

Jonathan Goldstein helps real people resolve unfinished business from their past — a stolen high school painting, a falling out between brothers, a regret that's been eating at someone for decades. Each episode is funny, tender, and surprisingly moving. The kind of show that makes everyone in the car go quiet at the end.

5. Revisionist History

Revisionist History podcast artwork

Malcolm Gladwell re-examines things we thought we understood: forgotten events, misunderstood people, overlooked ideas. Episodes run about 40 minutes and are self-contained, so you can dip in anywhere. His recent multi-part series on the 1936 Olympics is worth the drive alone.

6. 99% Invisible

Roman Mars explains the hidden design decisions behind everyday things — why hospital gowns look the way they do, how a font ended up on every street sign, why revolving doors exist. Episodes are around 30 minutes, tightly produced, and endlessly interesting. Stack a few and the hours disappear.

7. Armchair Expert

Dax Shepard and Monica Padman have long, honest conversations with actors, scientists, and authors. Episodes run nearly two hours, which sounds like a lot until you're three hours into a drive and realise you've listened to two back-to-back without noticing. The chemistry between the hosts makes everything feel relaxed and real.

8. No Such Thing As A Fish

The researchers behind QI share the most bizarre facts they've found each week. Episodes are about 50 minutes of four funny people trying to one-up each other with increasingly absurd trivia. It's light, it's quick, and you can rattle through five or six episodes on a decent road trip.

9. Stuff You Should Know

Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant have been explaining how things work since 2008, and they've covered nearly everything — from how landfills work to the history of LSD to the science behind quicksand. Episodes run about an hour, the tone is like two mates chatting, and with over 2,700 episodes you'll never hit the end of the back catalogue.

10. The Rest Is History

The Rest Is History podcast artwork

Historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook make history genuinely entertaining. Their multi-part series on the fall of the Roman Empire, the French Revolution, and the Titanic are perfect for eating up long stretches of motorway. Over 20 million monthly downloads for a reason — it's the most popular history podcast in the world.