Zero To Travel Podcast

What are millions of travel searches telling us about where people will go in 2027?

Laura Lindsay is the Global Travel and Destinations Expert at Skyscanner, based in London. She has spent 15 years working in the travel industry and has been to 47 countries, a habit that started as a kid when her parents would snap up cheap flights to places they knew almost nothing about.

In this conversation, Laura breaks down Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2027 report, covering the fastest rising destinations, the best value places to fly, and the top travel trends for 2027.

Most travel predictions are educated guesses. This one is built on millions of Skyscanner searches and a survey of more than 28,000 travelers, so it shows where people are actually looking before the crowds show up. The bigger story is a shift in why we travel, away from escaping our lives for a week and toward trips that reflect how we want to live. If you like getting somewhere before everyone else, or you’re still deciding where to go next year, this is a good place to start.

Which of these trends feels most like you, and where might it take you in 2027? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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Italy is famous for Rome, Florence, and Venice, so why are so few travelers making it to the towns just a short train ride away?

Katerina Ferrara has been traveling in Europe for more than 25 years and is fluent in Italian. She’s the author of the Travel Italy series, a set of Ultimate Festival and Travel Guides that explore Italy region by region through its festivals, food, and traditions. She also hosts the Immersion Travel Italy podcast.

In this conversation, Katerina shares seven hidden gem towns in Italy, from Sicily up to the northern lakes, along with the local festivals, food traditions, and pilgrimage routes that make each one worth the trip.

Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world, and most travelers end up in the same handful of cities, shoulder to shoulder with everyone else. Katerina plans her travel around something different: the days small towns are at their most alive, when centuries-old traditions fill the streets and locals are thrilled you showed up. Many of these places sit less than an hour from the crowds, yet they feel like a different country. If you’ve ever wanted Italy to feel less like a checklist and more like being let in on something, this is a good place to start.

Have you ever stumbled into a local festival while traveling, or planned a whole trip around one? I’d love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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What if the best place for you to travel or live next isn’t on any of the “best of” lists?

VerDarLuz is a locational astrologer and business coach who has spent 20 years helping people use astrology to make decisions about work, relationships, and where to live. Through his consultancy, Destination by Design, he uses astrocartography to help travelers, digital nomads, and retreat leaders figure out where and when to go. He also offers Human Design consultations and coaching through Divine Timing Coaching.

In this conversation, VerDarLuz explains what astrocartography is, how it can help you choose destinations and timing for travel or relocation, and how to stay open to the signs and synchronicities that show up on the road.

Travel has gotten more expensive, more complicated, and busier than ever, so picking the wrong place costs more than it used to. Astrocartography has gone from niche to mainstream in the last few years, and VerDarLuz has been living by it for two decades. Whether you’re a skeptic or already know your rising sign, this is a practical look at how to use astrocartography for travel, starting with what you actually want instead of what everyone else is chasing. And it wanders into bigger territory too, like what it takes to let a trip lead you somewhere you never planned to go.

Have you ever landed somewhere that felt like it was meant for you, or somewhere that just never clicked? I’d love to hear your story, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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What does hell on earth look like? Science writer and explorer Erika Engelhaupt takes us on a unique journey to “awesomely awful” destinations to explore the history, culture, and science behind seven of the most otherworldly locations around the world.

Erika Engelhaupt is a science journalist and expert on all things macabre. Her work in National Geographic, Scientific American, and elsewhere has revealed the spooky science behind many taboo topics, including rotting corpses, bodily fluids, and other things that make her popular at dinner parties. She is the author of Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science and her newest book, Go to Hell: A Traveler’s Guide to Earth’s Most Otherworldly Destinations.

We thought this previously released episode was the perfect one to share this week for Halloween! Erika shares insights into how cultures worldwide have visualized the afterlife, explores the natural phenomena behind these lesser-known “hellscapes,” and discusses her own experiences visiting places that challenge and redefine our sense of wonder.

What’s the eeriest or most otherworldly place you’ve visited? I'd love to hear about your experience, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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Why does Wales so often get left off the itinerary while England, Scotland, and Ireland soak up the attention?

Eugene Fogarty grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and studied history before earning a master’s in journalism. After two years living and traveling across the Americas, a year in Brussels, and a stint managing a walking tour operation in London, he moved to Cardiff and launched Fogo’s Free Tours in 2018. He has since led around 2,000 tours of Cardiff and South Wales, from free city walks to Doctor Who filming locations and the darker side of the city’s past.

In this conversation, Eugene shares how travel led him to tour guiding and walks me through his favorite hidden gems in Cardiff, Wales, plus the day trip he recommends most.

Cardiff has only been the capital of Wales since 1955, and plenty of visitors still treat it as a one-night stop to tick off another country. Spend an hour with Eugene, though, and the city starts to reveal layers most people walk right past, along with a playful streak you wouldn’t expect from a place built on coal. There’s also a quiet reminder in his story about what can happen when you take the trip before you have the plan. If you’ve ever rushed through a place and wondered what you missed, this conversation might change how you build your next UK itinerary.

Is there a place you rushed through and later wished you’d given more time? I’d love to hear about it, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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What does it actually take to step away from work, home, and your phone for five months to walk from Mexico to Canada?

Nina Butler is originally from South Africa and is the founder of InRetreat, a boutique travel and wellness company that runs small-group and private retreats in eco destinations around the world. A yoga teacher with a PhD in philosophy, she spent several years living in Oslo, Norway, before moving back to South Africa. In 2025, she and her husband, Chris, thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, spending 150 days walking from Mexico to Canada.

In this conversation, Nina and I talk about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and the planning behind it, from permits and visas to stepping away from work, budgeting, trail culture, and what five months off grid did for her mind, her marriage, and a big life decision.

Most of us will never walk 2,650 miles, but plenty of us dream about carving out a real chunk of time to step away, and the logistics are usually what stop us. Nina’s story is a reminder that the planning phase can be its own kind of journey, and that the work of getting ready can leave your life better organized than you found it. There’s also something here about what happens to the mind when the noise falls away for long enough, and why a couple of weeks might not get you there. If you’ve been sitting on a big decision or a big trip, this conversation might be the nudge.

Have you ever taken a big chunk of time away from everyday life? What did it change for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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Why have more people been to outer space than to every country in the world?

Ric Gazarian grew up in Boston and spent years in financial services before a 2008 layoff sent him on a year-long trip and into a remote real estate business that has funded his travels ever since. He has now visited around 190 countries on his quest to reach all 193 UN member states. Ric hosts the Counting Countries podcast, organizes the Extraordinary Travel Festival, and has turned his tuk-tuk and rickshaw road trips through Cambodia and India into films.

In this conversation, Ric and I talk about what traveling to every country in the world really involves, less crowded destinations worth visiting, unorthodox road trips by tuk-tuk and rickshaw, and how to get comfortable traveling to less visited places.

Only around 500 people have ever been to every country on Earth, and Ric spends a lot of his time with them. That gives him a rare view of where the world's most traveled people actually go, and which places deserve far more visitors than they get. It's also a reminder that the best travel stories rarely come from the smoothest trips. If you've been craving something a little less mainstream for your next adventure, Ric makes a strong case for stepping a bit further outside your comfort zone.

If you built a road trip around something you've never tried before, what would it be? I'd love to hear your ideas, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message.

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Can you be culturally religious without being religiously religious? What if happiness had less to do with what you believe and more to do with what you notice?

Hiroko Yoda is a Tokyo-born author, translator and folklorist who first came to the US at 17 as an exchange student in rural Indiana. She went on to earn a master's degree in international peace and conflict resolution and co-founded AltJapan, a localization company, with her husband. A former Tokyo editor for CNN Go and a certified Shinto cultural historian, she has coauthored several books on Japanese folklore and is the author of Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan.

In this conversation, Hiroko and I talk about the Japanese idea of 8 million kami, how spirituality became part of everyday culture in Japan, and how travelers can visit Japan's shrines and temples with more understanding.

Most of us grew up with the idea that you either believe or you don't. Hiroko offers a different way of seeing it, where Japanese spirituality and happiness grow out of a worldview that treats the sun, the wind, and even the words we speak with quiet respect. It's a worldview that shapes everything from how people eat to how they relate to nature, and it's hiding in plain sight for anyone traveling through Japan. Hiroko is honest that none of this makes life easy, which is exactly what makes her perspective feel useful.

What's one small thing in your everyday life you could start noticing, and appreciating, a little more often? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message.

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Norway is already known for its fjords, Northern Lights, and wide-open nature, so what makes Northern Norway an even better place to have it all to yourself?

Joël Schwalenstöcker is a Northern Norway native who grew up in Tromsø with a German father and a French mother. For about 15 years, he has worked as a music agent, booking tours and shows for artists across Norway and Scandinavia. He is also the founder of Noraventura, which designs tailor-made trips through Norway for travelers who want to see the country beyond the usual tourist stops.

Joël shares seven hidden gems in Northern Norway that most visitors miss, and why the region’s best-known spots have become so crowded. We also share Northern Norway travel tips on renting a car, packing for changing weather, and choosing when to go.

Northern Norway is bigger, emptier, and wilder than most people expect, with the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights in winter shaping the rhythm of life there. It’s also a region where a short drive can change the entire feel of a trip. If you’re planning a visit, or you like the idea of seeing Northern Norway off the beaten path, this conversation gives you plenty to think about.

Have you ever skipped the famous stop on a trip and found something you liked even better? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.

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