In our very first Community Spotlight, we’re featuring
Below, Kevin shares from his own perspective on how TravelCaster came to life and what he’s discovered along the way.
As a radio reporter for over 25 years, I like to think I know how to tell a good story. And after over a decade of travel blogging as a hobby, I decided to add sounds to the pictures. TravelCaster was born after my first Eurail trip in Spring 2023; I had been bitten by the rail pass bug and wanted to do more. So in September that year I set off once again, but this time making short audio recordings on my phone. I commented on everything – how easy or challenging my rail connections were going to be, the price of reservations, the standard of my accommodation and, of course, the sights I saw as well as the sounds I heard.
For that trip I took my phone and an iPad Mini, equipped with a basic editing app. I had always written my blogs as I went along, so it seemed logical to try and edit the audio too. It was a little rough and ready, but what I discovered was that the soundscapes of locations – on a train, in a city, waiting for a boat – naturally wove their way around my commentary. This was a travel podcast unlike other, because it wasn’t recorded in a boring studio.
As a solo traveller, it can sometimes be a bit daunting arriving in a new place. But the podcast gave my curiosity a purpose. I’ve always enjoyed veering away from the obvious tourist traps to places where the locals go. With TravelCaster, I was uncovering spots you don’t find in a guidebook. It also struck me that during train journeys, I was meeting a lot of older people discovering the rail pass for the first time. Again, this is something I could tap into with the podcast – a ready made market of adventurous people who wanted to see something different.
I say “solo” traveller, but I do have one companion. NewsMutt (my own nickname as a journalist) is a stuffed toy dog who adds a whole additional personality to the blog side of things. In some cities, I am stopped by people asking for a selfie with him!
For me, it’s all about sustainable travel. Hopping by ferry from Marseille in France, via Corsica, and the on to Italy was a real highlight. Another was a short weekend in Riga, where I took the train to the stunning Gauja National Park – just a couple of hours from the capital.
It’s also about trying something different. It’s a well-trodden route between Vienna and Bratislava, for example. But how many people visiting Malmo in Sweden bother to explore the beautiful university city of Lund, a short journey away?
This was part of my most recent trip – TravelCaster’s tenth season (some are quite short). I covered the 6,000km from Bodø in Norway to Barcelona in Spain, ticking off some of the lesser visited places like Narvik and Bremen. When in bigger cities like Stockholm, I made a point of having a night out in Söldermalm, a vibrant district often ignored by visitors.
The podcast is, for now, a passion project. If it attracts sponsorship that would be a bonus. But I’m more than happy sharing my travels with a growing audience, and turning storytelling into an immersive experience.
💬 Join the conversation:
Does any part of Kevin’s experience resonate with you? Have you had a similar rail experience or discovered a place that surprised you along the way?
Are you working on something inspired by your love of train travel or Interrail? We’d love to hear about it—share your project with us and be part of the stories we’re highlighting in our community.
