5 Great Plane Ride Podcasts
After a much-needed vacation, I spent much of my plane ride sitting back with some lovely podcasts to pass the time. I’d had a recent conversation about what makes for a great “car podcast”–the kind of podcast you don’t listen to on headphones, but instead over car speakers on a commute. On the plane ride, it occurred to me just how different the kind of podcasts that work well for car rides are from the ones that work for plane rides.
On plane rides, you have relative quiet with a prolonged span of time to focus–and not much else to focus on. On a plane ride, you want something with a captivating story, rich sound design, and a marathon-worry story. Plane rides are, however, not the time for high-stakes thrillers or horror stories. Airports and planes are already stressful enough as it is, so you’ll want something beautiful, lush, and engaging, but ultimately not too stressful.
The following list is written with that criteria in mind. They’re not listed in any particular order, but instead are just a collection of podcasts that will help make your plane ride a little more bearable.
Related: 5 Great Road Trip Podcasts
1. 36 Questions
36 Questions is a three-part mini series about a husband and wife who, due to initially mysterious situations, are separated. It’s also a full musical with gorgeous, interesting, moving songs in each episode. The plot should be experienced with as little known about it as possible–for what initially sounds like a standard romantic drama, there’s a shocking amount of twists and turns along the way. What makes 36 Questions great for a plane ride is not just its self-contained story that can be listened to in full, but also its music and its sound design. The songs are gorgeous and help bring something different to a listen. The sound design is beautiful and lush, allowing you to really immerse yourself in the world, and a plane ride will allow you to focus and take in every detail.
Listen: Apple | Google | Stitcher
2. The Far Meridian
The Far Meridian is an audio fiction that follows Peri, an introvert whose lighthouse starts appearing in a a new location every day. The Far Meridian is an incredibly tender work of fiction that has stakes and moments of peril, but it won’t make you feel more stressed out than you already will be while traveling. Like 36 Questions, The Far Meridian is beautifully designed with an immersive setting each episode; like 36 Questions, The Far Meridian also has some variety: each episode is a character study, whether it’s through someone Peri meets or with Peri herself. Peri’s story is one about what confidence and courage can look like outside of a traditional extroverted hero, and it’s one that will stay with you long after you land.
3. Join the Party
Join the Party is a Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast–as in, a group of friends actually playing D&D. The podcast is split between the players and the characters. The listener gets the story of what’s happening in the D&D campaign, complete with character voices, sound design, and a fantastic original soundtrack. The listener also gets the players talking out of character, whether that be discussing their next moves and ideas or making jokes with each other. The story is long and ongoing, but has specific arcs that make for great marathon listens. If you don’t know anything about D&D, don’t worry; in their first arc, they have a track for beginners where they break down the rules as they play so you can follow alone.
3. Within the Wires
Within the Wires is the most stressful and unsettling podcast on this list, but it’s also one of the most interestingly woven together pieces of audio fiction I’ve ever heard. Each season of Within the Wires follows a different character and a different framing device for their audio. The first season is a set of relaxation tapes that slowly unveil the strange, worrisome, science fiction inspired world in which they were created. The second season follows recordings to accompany art pieces and museums that becomes a story about love, frustration, art, and memory. The third and current season follow dictation tapes for a bureaucrat that tie the first two together. Within the Wires is beautifully written and performed, and a plane ride will afford you the concentration you’ll need to follow these stories as closely as they deserve.
5. This Is Love
This Is Love is a nonfiction podcast about all of the different sides of love. Created by the makers of Criminal in partnership with Radiotopia, the first season features beautiful, true stories about what love is. Intimacy is a hallmark of podcasting, but This Is Love feels especially close with its interviewees, largely thanks to the sincere care and respect the producers have for each episode’s subject. As a warning, this podcast might get you a little misty-eyed during travel, but each episode has an arc that feels so heartwarming and rewarding once you’re done. It’s a great plane listen for people who don’t mesh well with most fiction but still want something literary and lovely to steep themselves in.
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