Zero To Travel Podcast

• 5 Unexpected Things to Do in Paris and 3 Hidden Gems in France with Paige McClanahan

  What does it really mean to get beyond the clichés in Paris?  Paige McClanahan is a journalist and author of The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel. She’s spent years reporting for The New York Times and has lived in France for seven years. Her work explores tourism’s power to shape communities and how we can all travel more consciously.  In this episode, Paige shares five unexpected and meaningful things to do in Paris that you’re not likely to find in a guidebook. We also talk about three offbeat places in France that are worth exploring if you want to go beyond the usual stops.  You’ll learn how small things like saying “bonjour” can shift your whole experience, and how curiosity can lead you into everything from revolutionary history to North African hammams to street art scavenger hunts. Paige brings that perfect mix of local insight and traveler perspective that makes these suggestions feel not just interesting, but personal and lived-in.  What are the most unexpected places you’ve discovered while traveling, and what made them stand out to you? I’d love to hear about them, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.  Tune In To Learn:  Why Paige’s favorite Paris park feels like a secret escape in the city  How a hammam visit near the Grand Mosque can open your eyes to Arab culture in France  Why “bonjour” and “au revoir” might be the most important words you say in Paris  How to explore the French Revolution using a free app on your phone  Advice to uncover Black history in Paris through immersive tours  Tips for engaging with France’s diversity and colonial history through travel  How to join a real-life street art scavenger hunt across Paris  Where to go in the French Alps besides Chamonix  What makes La Rochelle an underrated coastal gem  Why Lille is a culture-rich city most tourists skip  And so much more  Resources:  Sign up for our FREE newsletter   Paige McClanahan on Instagram  Paige’s website and The New Tourist book  Parc des Buttes-Chaumont  Rosa Bonheur Bar  Grande Mosquée de Paris  Parcours Révolution App  Black Paris Tours (Ricky Stevenson)  Le Paris Noir Tour (Kevi Donat)   Flash Invaders street art app  Want More?  How To Be a “New Tourist,” the Powers and Perils of Tourism, Embracing Tourist Traps, and the Impact of Travel With Paige McClanahan  3 Travel Trends You Should Know w/ Paige McClanahan  How To Explore Paris Like a Local, Working on Hospital Ships, and Becoming an Expat on a Mystery Visa With Jay Swanson  Thanks To Our Sponsors  Apple Card – Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card.  Moon Travel Guides – Use code ‘ZERO’ for 20% off your order.

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• Digital Detox: Downsizing Your Digital Life to Create Freedom + Reboot Your Lifestyle Business with Corbett Barr

  Have you ever considered doing a digital detox, but were unsure where to start or how it would impact your life or business?  Corbett Barr is an OG in the lifestyle business world, being a seasoned entrepreneur, creator, and technologist. After stepping away from the startup grind in search of a more balanced life, Corbett did a complete digital reset. He wiped away all the digital noise, keeping just one social media platform, which helped him refocus and recommit to ONLY the things that genuinely brought him joy.  In this episode, we explore the concept of a “digital reboot,” how our online lives impact our real-world experience, and what it looks like to live more intentionally in the digital age, especially if you're building a business.  Corbett opens up about the stress of entrepreneurship, the emotional weight of maintaining an online presence, and how minimizing his digital footprint helped him reconnect with what matters. You’ll hear real talk about creative burnout, finding balance between work and life, and how to rethink your relationship with social media and technology without burning it all down. We also talk travel, sabbaticals, pickleball, and how to design a business that fits your life, not the other way around.  Did this episode inspire you to do your own version of a digital reboot? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share sending me an audio message.  *This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen.  Tune In To Learn:  Why putting "lifestyle first" should always be the foundation of your decisions  What Corbett learned from the high-stakes world of Silicon Valley startups (and why he walked away)  How to communicate effectively with your partner when making major life or career changes  Why managing your “runway” (aka your savings) is essential  How to rethink your digital habits and start your digital reboot from a lifestyle perspective  What happened when Corbett deleted all his social media, and what he learned about identity, presence, and pressure  The unexpected power of visualizing a better future and recommitting to work you thought you might leave behind  A simple framework you can use to make any decision with more clarity  Where Corbett lands on the “pursue your passion vs. chase the opportunity” debate  What makes life in Mexico so magical  And so much more  Resources:  Sign up for our FREE newsletter  Want More?  The Location Free Lifestyle With Melody From Black Digital Nomad  Saying "Yes" to Full Time Travel with Christina McEnvoy  7 Pro Tips For Finding A Perfect Work/Life/Travel Balance w/ Kelly Claus & Jeremy Enns  Thanks To Our Sponsors  Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card.  Moon Travel Guides - Use code ‘ZERO’ for 20% off your order.

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• How to Plan Your Camino + Going Beyond the Camino Frances (Secret Routes, Donkey Highways, and Spain’s Hidden Village Network) with Shawn and Lainey

  What is hiking a camino really like? Can you do it even if you’re not a hardcore hiker, or don’t have a big, life-changing quest in mind?  Shawn and Lainey are the husband-and-wife team behind Days We Spend, where they share stories and videos about their experiences walking Caminos and slow traveling across Europe. Both are experienced travelers -Lainey is a swing dance teacher who once built a global dance tour from scratch, and Shawn is a writer and creative whose love for "not hiking" somehow led him to walk over a dozen pilgrimages. Together, they’ve built a lifestyle around the kind of travel that slows you down, invites connection, and helps you hit the reset button on life.  In this episode, we explore the modern pilgrimage lifestyle and why walking across Spain (or Portugal… or France…) might be the most human thing you ever do.  Shawn and Lainey share an honest, down-to-earth look at what it’s actually like to walk a pilgrimage route, from navigating albergues to letting go of itineraries. You’ll hear what draws people to walk hundreds of kilometers (sometimes again and again), how to plan a Camino no matter how much time you have, and why these long walks are more about transformation through stillness than any big dramatic revelation. Whether you're craving community, solitude, or just a break from the algorithmic noise of modern life, this one will leave you thinking about what it means to just… walk.  What kind of reset are you craving right now, and do you think a slower, more intentional kind of travel could help you find it? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.  Tune In To Learn:  Why Lainey’s first Camino de Santiago completely changed how she viewed Spain  How Lainey and Shawn went from New York hustle to full-time pilgrims  Advice to anyone who thinks they’re “not a hiker” (and why Shawn still doesn’t identify as one)  What makes the Camino different from other travel experiences  How walking helps you reset physically, mentally, and emotionally  Why the Camino doesn’t have to be life-changing to be meaningful  How to plan a Camino if you only have 1 or 2 weeks off  Why the Camino Primitivo might be your perfect first (or second) pilgrimage  Logistics tips: booking, WhatsApp hacks, and when to ditch your plans  How to avoid crowds and find less-traveled but equally beautiful routes  What it’s like to walk with a partner (and even a donkey!)  And so much more  Resources:  Sign up for our FREE newsletter  Days We Spend website  YouTube  Instagram  Buen Camino App  Wise Pilgrim App  Gronze  Los Pueblos Mas Bonitos de Espana  The Chemin du Puy (Via Podiensis, Le Puy Camino, GR65)  The Way of Compostela  Want More?  Hiking the Camino De Santiago, Painting Your Travels, Letting Curiosity Rule, and Tiny House Living with Kari Gale  How to Plan a Trip to Europe in 2025 with Lynne Nieman  Walking Europe’s GR5, Mindful Self-Compassion, and Wise Strength With Kathy Elkind  Thanks To Our Sponsors  Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card.  Moon Travel Guides - Use code ‘ZERO’ for 20% off your order.

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• What Is “Happiness”? Discovering Meaning on the Silk Road with Will Rickard

  What if chasing happiness meant giving up everything you thought you wanted?  Will Rickard is the author of The Silk Road to Happiness, a book born from his solo journey through the “Stans" - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan - on a quest to explore happiness through travel, conversations, and culture. After leaving a prestigious corporate career in Sydney, he hit reset, taking only a backpack and a big question on the road: What is happiness?  In this episode, Will and I unpack the complex relationship between travel and happiness, and what he discovered by going off-grid in some of the world’s least-visited countries.  If you’ve ever felt torn between being grateful for what you have and craving something more, this conversation might hit home. Will doesn’t offer a tidy formula for happiness, but instead, he shares five powerful themes that emerged during his journey - from purpose and minimalism to gratitude and detachment. We talk about how travel can shift your perspective, why sometimes you just have to book the flight, and how embracing discomfort can lead to deeper meaning. Plus, we explore how moving abroad redefined my own ideas about happiness.  What’s something you’ve learned about yourself while traveling that changed the way you define happiness? I'd love for you to share your thoughts by sending me an audio message.  *This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen.  Tune In To Learn:  Why Will walked away from a “dream” corporate job to explore the Silk Road  How a photo on Instagram sparked a life-changing decision  What the “anti-bucket list” is and how it might reshape your goals  Advice to anyone stuck in a career rut and wondering what’s next  Why pursuing “more” isn’t always a bad thing—and when it is  How five schools in Afghanistan changed Will’s view of purpose  Why these little-visited countries offer some of the most generous hospitality  Insights from ancient philosophy (and a scary night on the Pamir Highway)  The difference between enthusiasm and passion when it comes to career  How practicing gratitude—especially while traveling—can shift your mental state  And so much more  Resources:  Sign up for our FREE newsletter  Will's book The Silk Road To Happiness  Follow Will on Instagram, LinkedIn  Want More?  The power Of Death In Life with Gentle Rebel Bronnie Ware  How To Add More Play Into Your Life w/ Jeff Harry  Sweet Ass Strategies For Achieving Anything Fast w/ Heath Armstrong  Thanks To Our Sponsors  Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card.  Moon Travel Guides - Use code ‘ZERO’ for 20% off your order.

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• The Real Scotland: Ancient Traditions, Secret Valleys, and Why You Shouldn’t Cut Your Haggis with Andy McAlindon

  Are you craving an adventure that’ll connect you deeper to Scotland’s wild places, warm people, and timeless legends?  Andy McAlindon, better known as Andy the Highlander, is a Scottish tour guide, author, actor, and storyteller whose passion for Scotland’s history and culture has captivated millions online. From learning to sword fight on the set of Outlander to guiding travelers through hidden villages and ancient rituals, Andy’s journey is all about bringing Scotland’s living traditions to life.  In this episode, we explore Andy’s transformation from electrician to beloved Highland guide and content creator, and his best advice for experiencing Scotland beyond the tourist traps.  Andy shares the raw story of how he found purpose through grief, what he learned about work and resilience from his dad, and how stepping into the Highlander role helped him fall deeper in love with his homeland. We dig into the lesser-known places to go, local festivals to plan around, cultural traditions you’ll want to bring home, and the magic of slowing down to connect with real people. Whether you’re planning your first trip or just want to daydream about wild glens and cozy pubs, you’ll come away with practical tips and a new perspective on what travel in Scotland can really mean.  What’s one local tradition you’d love to borrow from Scottish culture and weave into your own life? I'd love to hear what they are, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.  Tune In To Learn:  Why Andy swapped a career as an electrician to become Scotland’s most recognizable Highlander  How a tragic loss unexpectedly led him to the stage and ultimately to the screen   What it was like sword fighting for Outlander and how that shaped his tours  The lesser-known places that need to be on your Scotland list  How Andy balances sharing Scotland’s hidden gems while protecting them from overtourism  Advice on hiking the West Highland Way without the rookie mistakes   Why staying in a bothy or croft helps you experience Scotland like a local  How handfasting ceremonies and sharing a ‘quake’ cup reveal the heart of Scottish connection  What local foods, drinks, and live music spots make your trip unforgettable  How to support local communities and keep Scotland’s spirit alive when you visit  And so much more  Resources:  Sign up for our FREE newsletter  Highlander Tours  Lochs and Legends book  Andy the Highlander on Instagram  TikTok  YouTube  Want More?  Hiking the West Highland Way in Scotland with Lynne Nieman  Bike-Packing Scotland and Breaking Free of Cultural Expectations with C.D. Seventeen  Lessons From Running Every Street In Glasgow, Scotland w/ Michael Shanks  Thanks To Our Sponsors  Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card.  Moon Travel Guides - Use code ‘ZERO’ for 20% off your order.

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