Travel Tales by Afar

What can Amtrak offer a perpetually rushed traveler? Author Eric Weiner takes to the rails to find out. Resources Buy Eric's latest book, The Socrates Express: Life Lessons From Dead Philosophers. And sign up for his newsletter. Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

Contributing writer Chris Colin travels to Tokyo to rent a friend. Sounds kitschy, right? But as he navigates his newly forged—and reasonably priced—relationships with Miyabi, Yumi, and Yusuke, Chris discovers the truth beneath the seeming wackiness. What he learns changes the way he views Japan—and his own friendships. Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore

She thinks it’ll be great. Contributing writer Emma John loved the trip she took to Venice as a teenager with a worldly family friend. So when it comes time to return the favor—to introduce that friend’s 13-year-old daughter to the wonders of the Floating City—Emma jumps at the chance. What could possibly go wrong? Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our

Comedian and Fake the Nation host Negin Farsad is a native New Yorker. So we figured, why not send her on a quick trip to America’s Heartland, aka Kansas City? Listen as Negin befriends strangers, eats ribs, and talks her way onto a comedy club stage where she tries to find out what makes the city laugh—and what makes it a little uncomfortable. Oh, and did we mention she was nearly seven months pregnant? Resources Read Negin's original story. Explore Negin's other work. Follow Negin on X. Be

What can a blind man get out of a safari? That was the question we posed to AFAR contributing writer Ryan Knighton, who lost his sight years ago, but not his sense of adventure or his sense of humor. We sent him to Zimbabwe, where in search of an answer, Ryan follows his nose like a rhino, eats like an elephant (well, kinda), and shows how memories are made in the mind’s eye. In the episode, you'll get a better sense of what it's like to go on safari in Zimbabwe, how Ryan navigates being blind in a

Welcome to the strange, wonderful, and sometimes life-changing world of travel. Each week, we'll hear from someone who took a trip—and came home transformed. Take a ride through a slice of the United States we call Amtrakistan. Find out how a blind man on safari learns to track a rhino. And discover what happens when a pregnant, Muslim, stand-up comic from New York takes a spontaneous trip to America's Heartland. Though COVID-19 has stalled many travel plans, we hope our stories can offer