Satisfy Your Wanderlust by Streaming One of These Excellent Travel Shows

Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse in Ushuaia, Argentina (Photo: Dennis Fidalgo)

Regardless of what you had planned at the beginning of 2020, it’s pretty likely you’ve traveled far less this year than you originally thought you would. Maybe you got a quick trip in way back in January or February — maybe you even risked it for the biscuit in the spring, when things seemed to cool off for a little bit — but now it’s been months since you’ve gone anywhere, and you’re about to go completely bonkers if that isn’t soon rectified.

Well, I’m not here to give you an all-expenses-paid trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands or anything, but what I can give you is the equivalent of a band-aid for a gaping, bleeding wound. Sound satisfying? Of course not! But hey, it’s better than nothing, and in this godforsaken year, you might as well take it.

Go ahead and keep daydreaming about that trip to Fiji, but when you finally get tired of manufacturing images in your head of all the places you wish you were right now, maybe give one of these excellent travel shows a shot? It’s obviously not the same as the real deal, but it’s the next best thing for the time being. And who knows, these selections could even give you some ideas for 2021 and beyond.

1. Long Way Up (Apple TV+)

From the guys who brought you “Long Way Round” back in 2004 and “Long Way Down” in 2007 comes a brand new adventure that’s equally lengthy and equally directional. While the previous installments saw actor Ewan McGregor and traveling companion Charley Boorman through Europe, Asia and a portion of North America, as well as the African continent, “Long Way Up” follows the duo as they tackle South and Central America.

Riding from Ushuaia, Argentina — the proverbial “end of the world” — all the way up to Los Angeles on electric motorcycles, with hijinks and hilarity along the way, the show has “Motorcycle Diaries” vibes written all over it, in my opinion.

2. Travel Man (Hulu)

First hitting the airwaves in spring 2015, “Travel Man” follows the comedic travails of British funnyman Richard Ayoade as he and celebrity pals hit up major cities across the globe, providing 48-hour itineraries for the likes of Istanbul, Marrakesh, and Budapest. Fans of Bridesmaids will instantly recognize actor and comedian Chris O’Dowd in the season two visit to Vienna, but he’s not the only familiar face to appear on the series.

One episode in season three features Ayoade and Paul Rudd gallivanting around Helsinki, while the 2016 and 2017 Christmas specials include appearances from Rebel Wilson and Jon Hamm, respectively.

3. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (Amazon)

Any person who loves to travel should consider “Parts Unknown” must-see T.V. The show stars the late Anthony Bourdain traversing the globe multiple times over, visiting lesser-known places and giving viewers a look into their cultures and cuisines. Airing two seasons a year from 2013 through 2018, “Parts Unknown” saw Bourdain literally criss-cross the world, stopping in familiar American cities like Detroit and his hometown New York, but also traveling much further afield to places like Tehran, Tbilisi, and Antananarivo.

Of course, there was also that season eight episode where he famously met with then-president Barack Obama in Hanoi to eat $6 noodles, as well.

4. Gaycation (Hulu / Vice TV)

A short-lived series running for just two seasons in 2016 and 2017, “Gaycation” stars actor Ellen Page and her friend, film director Ian Daniel, and follows their travels around the world exploring different LGBTQ+ cultures. Though the show comprises only eight episodes (as well as two specials), viewers are treated to the realities of gay and queer communities across four continents, including stops in places like Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Kingston, and Kiev.

“Gaycation” has its fun moments but also comes packed with the reality that members of the LGBTQ+ community face in different parts of the world. As such, get ready for an emotional rollercoaster ride.

5. Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father (Netflix)

It’s never too late for a gap year, right? That’s part of the premise behind “Travels With My Father”, a Netflix original series that premiered in 2017. The first season of the show follows British comedian Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael, as they trek across Southeast Asia, finishing Jack’s incomplete “gap year”, eight years after the fact. The pair travel through Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, playing elephant polo (yes, you read that correctly), visiting with Buddhist monks, and getting matching tattoos along the way.

Seasons two through four see the father-son duo tackle Eastern Europe, the American west, and Australia, in that order, with the latest season having premiered in September 2020. If you love hijinks and witty banter, this is the travel show for you.

6. The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+)

While not exactly a travel show under the conventional definition, “The World According to Jeff Goldblum” does see the actor make his way around the U.S. while exploring the universe’s “big” questions. Goldblum dives deep into today’s most pressing topics — coffee, ice cream, sneakers, and denim, to name a few — while visiting Hawaii, Las Vegas, Houston, and other destinations. Regardless of your affinity for travel, if you love Goldblum, you’ll want to check this out.

-LTH