20 TV SHOWS TO BINGE WHEN YOU'RE DYING TO TRAVEL
What do you do when you are dying to travel but you can’t physically go anywhere and you're stuck inside your house? If you pay for a streaming service (or borrow a friend's login) now is the perfect time to put it to good use and find inspiration for your next dream trip. You may learn something new about your dream destination. You may discover a location you didn’t even realize you wanted to visit. You may just expand your travel bucket list.
Just because your current travel plans may be thwarted for the time being, that doesn’t mean your wanderlust has to also be put on hold. Here are 20 binge-worthy shows you must watch to stream some wanderlust into your life.
NETFLIX TRAVEL SHOWS YOU MUST WATCH
Narcos (Central & South America)
What first started as “the Pablo Escobar story” has evolved into so much more. It’s going to be hard to find a show that will make you want to travel to Central and South America more than this one. From Columbia to Peru to Mexico it’s a learning experience that will add to your bucket list.
Outlander (Scotland) — also on Hulu
Confession: Prior to the show I only read one and a half of the books in the series. I loved the first book but had the hardest time getting into the second. Hence only finishing half of it. But I’m not going to lie, the combination of the first book I read, with the visuals in the tv series, made me want to visit the stones at Craigh na Dun and teleport myself to the Scottish Highlands ASAP.
If for no other reason you have to watch this show for the insanely STUNNING visuals. You can definitely tell this is the most expensive show on Netflix. Once you get past how gorgeous the show is, you then fall deep into the history and love for England’s royal family.
Another one of those magical historical fiction series, Versailles is set during the construction of the Palace of Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV. Full of drama, sex, intrigue and scandal this is a series that will immediately make you want to book a plane ticket that both goes to Paris and goes back in time.
Scenes from Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, via From The Grapevine
Follow the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, Phil Rosenthal, as he brings a love of food coupled with make you drool food from all around the world. Phil’s utterly infectious joy and energy about the places he visits is what we all need in our lives, and his end of episode Skype sessions with his parents back in NY is one of the major reasons this is a must watch.
Restaurants on the Edge (Global)
Don’t let the name of the show fool you. This is no ordinary restaurant recovery show. This is a show about making restaurants in the most incredible locations the best versions of themselves while celebrating local cuisine to the fullest. My favorite episode moved Malta even further up towards the top of my bucket list.
Whether you’ve seen Planet Earth and Planet Earth II, or not, get your David Attenborough fix in this visual feast taking you from North America to the Arctic tundra to the depths of the ocean.
Conan Without Borders (Global)
You want more humor and more travel, this is the show for you. In classic Conan fashion you’ll get awkward antics coupled with adventurous destinations from Greenland to Haiti.
AMAZON PRIME TRAVEL SHOWS YOU MUST WATCH
If you’ve always wondered what it would be like to live in another time period, be fabulously wealthy, and experience British society then look no further. The juxtaposition between the Crowley’s upstairs and the staff downstairs pulls at your heartstrings, you can’t help but get invested in these characters lives. It’s one of those shows that perfectly transports you to both another time period and another country.
Are you like me and have a deep love of history? Do you have a deep love of history so old that it starts to feel like a fairy tale rather than a real thing? This is the history of the Vikings. Those fierce farmers and warriors from the region now known as Scandinavia. Although not entirely accurate, the History Channel’s show (which is available on Amazon Prime) perfectly blends historical elements with Norse mythology. Plus, the actors are so bad to look at, in a scruffy Viking sort of way.
The Durrels in Corfu on Amazon Prime Video, via That’s Normal
The Durrells in Corfu (Greece)
Have you ever wanted to just pack up, leave and start over? Take that ideaology, add in a little British humor, and you’ve got the story of a widow who makes the somewhat spontaneous decision to pack up her entire family (which includes teenagers) and relocate them from England to Greece.
If you dream about fixing up your own home someday, or are an HGTV fanatic Room to Improve will be right up your alley. Not only will it make you wish you lived somewhere with cheaper real estate, you may just want to pick up a move to Ireland after experiencing 6 seasons of towns across the isles.
HULU TRAVEL SHOWS YOU MUST WATCH
House Hunters International (Global)
Although not technically a “documentary” this home show is the perfect way to get an small inside look of what it would be like to live in another country — when it comes to your budget. I can’t tell you how many times I have been shocked watching that show. Shocked at both some people’s budgets (the huge ones are always the best to watch), and shocked at some of the ridiculously cheap housing costs in some of the most amazing countries. Now I just need to figure out how to get a visa…
Anthony Bourdain with President Barak Obama in No Reservations, via Food Republic
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Global)
He’s blunt, bold, holds nothing back, and has been able to travel and eat in some of the most interesting places with some of the most fascinating people. If there is one OG food and travel show this would be it!
Rick Steves’ Europe (Europe) — also on RickSteves.com
When you think about the people who trail-blazed the travel editorial industry does anyone else come to mind? Rick Steves has been doing this longer than most people, and his friendly, yet approachable, twist on every location he visits is what has made him a staple for over 10 years. He thrives on highlighting the local experience in every place that he visits, while also highlighting the budget friendly options.
Gaycation With Ellen Paige and Ian Daniel (Global)
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to travel the work as a member of the LGBTQ+ community? What are the things people in this community worry about? How are their experiences different, or the same? What does the world of travel mean for someone who isn’t in the “privileged majority”? This is an eye-opening new take on the world of travel. A perspective everyone should watch and learn from.
Do you love wine? Do you love visiting wineries and vineyards? Do you plan your trips around wine experiences and visiting some of the best wine regions around the world? This show is for you (and me)!
TRAVEL SHOWS YOU MUST WATCH (ON HBO, PBS & DISNEY+)
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (Disney+)
I love seeing Gordon Ramsay out of the kitchen and out of his element. One of the best things about this show is all of the local cooking tips and tricks you can pick up.
Samantha Brown’s Places to Love (PBS) — also on Samantha-Brown.com
I remember watching Samantha Brown’s Passport to Europe years ago. She is the person who really brought the joys of being an empowered female traveler to the mainstream. Her infections personality, ability to always find something to celebrate, and relatable dialogue made places far away seem even more accessible. I can’t wait to discover even more off-the-beaten path places in her newer PBS series.
Game of Thrones, via ELLE
Yeah, sure Westeros may not be a real place, but Iceland, Croatia, Spain and Ireland are real places. Couple them with a fantasy storyline and you will be hooked. Not only is GOT something you probably should have watched when it was on air, but the celebration of the beauty of its filming locations could not be more binge worthy.
One of my mom’s favorite sayings is “it is what it is” aka sometimes life’s not fair, but many times the circumstances are out of our control and we kind of just have to roll with it. So when you’re stuck inside your house with nowhere to go and a tinge on wanderlust pulling at your heartstrings, let these shows transport you.