Tag: travel
14 Travel shows to binge watch when you can’t travel
I didn’t travel much in the traditional sense that first year of the pandemic. And any traveling I did, I kept pretty local and low-key. Instead, I stayed home for the most part, binge watching too many travel shows on Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu, adding to my bucket list daily.
Now, here we are, almost 2 years later. We’ve all lived and re-lived through multiple stages of lock down, variant after variant. While some of us became experts on safe-travel-in-the-time-of-COVID, others of us became professional social-distancing channel surfers.
So whatever your situation, here’s a comprehensive list of travel shows to safely scratch that itch for adventure from the comfort and safety of your own couch. I’ll even tell you where to find them. Happy binge-watching!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small fee from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Rick Steves
Tour guide Rick Steves is one of the first resources many people think of when they’re looking for travel advice. His shows are highly informational and cover many major tourist sites, a bit of history, and where to eat and sleep.
Although I may not sit and binge watch this series for entertainment sake, I have gotten some good tips here when planning trips in the past. For example, we stayed at Hotel Europa on Rick Steve’s suggestion. The price was very reasonable, the service good, and the location amazing!
Available on: Amazon Prime
Length: 25 minutes
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain’s best known travel shows have become quintessential holy grails of their genre—the gold standard of everything a travel show can and should be.
I’ve listed Anthony Bourdain travel shows (plus a movie) in the order I would suggest watching them. First, I’d start with No Reservations and Parts Unknown. These two travel shows will give you insight into the host’s philosophies and a respect for his work.
Next, I’d check out A Cook’s Tour. The contrast between this show and No Reservations really highlights his beginnings and growth through out his career. Lastly, I’d watch Roadrunner.
So many of the good times traveling this world relate directly to finding a human face to associate with your destination, the food you eat, and the memories you’ll keep with you forever. The best times are when it’s impossible to be cynical about anything. When you find yourself letting go of the past, and your preconceptions, and feel yourself and your basic nature, the sneakiness and suspicion, the irony and doubt, disappear, at least for a time. When, for a few moments or a few hours, you change.
Anthony Bourdain
No Reservations
On the surface, Anthony Bourdain seems a bit rough around the edges with a bad-boy reputation. In his series No Reservations, he explores other cultures through their cuisine. He gives a raw and honest look at other countries , both the good and the bad, all while expressing a deep respect and sensitivity. And he doesn’t shy away from the difficult topics.
No Reservations originally aired on the Travel Channel and the Discovery Channel. This series ran for 9 seasons, from 2005 to 2012. My favorite episodes of No Reservations were of places I never would have thought to visit.
Available on: Discovery+
Length: 45 minutes (60 minutes with commercials)
Parts Unknown
Anthony Bourdain isn’t the type to show you all the major touristy sites. Instead, he will take you into the homes and the lives of people all around the world. His series Parts Unknown originally aired on CNN and ran from 2013 to 2018. Being a CNN show, this series focuses more on civil and political topics, with food more as a side note.
Available on: Buy on Amazon Prime, or coming soon on CNN+
Length: 60 minutes
A Cook’s Tour
Anthony Bourdain’s first travel show, A Cook’s Tour, originally aired for two seasons on the Food Network, running from 2001 to 2002. We quickly learned while watching this that he wasn’t a natural born travel guru. Anthony Bourdain fumbles a bit in this series with the newness of other cultures. This is not the well-traveled Tony we all came to know, who is shocked by nothing!
Available on: Free on Amazon Prime
Length: 20 minutes
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
Ok, be prepared to cry with this one. This biographical film was released in 2021, and it does Anthony Bourdain a great honor. Like his later travel shows, this movie examines both the good and the bad. His loved ones discuss his genius without glossing over his struggles.
Roadrunner references all of Anthony Bourdain’s travel shows. And although the movie easily stands on its own, I did feel having watched his shows gave us deeper insight.
Available on: Rent or buy on Amazon Prime
Length: 2 hours
Somebody Feed Phil
With a theme song reminiscent of a ‘90’s sitcom, this travel show will give you all the feel-good vibes. The host, Phil Rosenthal, exudes a child-like wonder and excitement about new foods and cultures. Four seasons of Somebody Feed Phil are currently available for streaming, with rumors of a fifth season.
Available on: Netflix
Length: 45-60 minutes
Travel Man
Richard Ayoade, the host of Travel Man, gives off a somewhat jaded, are-we-done-yet vibe with a dry British humor. In this show, he explores new cultures in whirlwind 48-hour weekend visits. Many of the activities they highlight in this show are a bit quirky and off the beaten path. This show has eight seasons currently.
Available on: Free on Amazon Prime
Length: 20 minutes
Restaurants on the Edge
This inspirational show is what would happen if a cooking show, a travel show, and a home remodel show got together and made a baby.
The three hosts of this show discover struggling restaurant owners in breathtaking locations all over the world. And then they give these restaurants an unbelievable make over.
Karin redesigns and redecorates, Nick finds locally sourced ingredients, and Dennis reviews the menu. All the while, they remain mindful to highlight and accentuate each restaurant’s cultural ties. Two seasons of this series are currently available.
Available on: Netflix
Length: 40 minutes
Dark Tourist
Warning: This one-season travel show is definitely not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. And even the not-so-easily-offended may find themselves, well…offended.
An oddly upbeat, quirky, and dissonant theme song sets the tone for this travel show quite accurately. The show feels a bit like a train wreck that you just can’t look away from. And although I’m not exactly jumping to add this show’s “tourist sites” to my next travel itinerary, it is extremely interesting.
Available on: Netflix
Length: 40 minutes
Street Food: Asia
This inspirational documentary series is narrated in the protagonist’s own voice, dubbed over by an interpreter in English. The narrators tell their stories full of pride, of how they overcame adversity through sharing their culture and their food. Travel to locations including Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. One season is currently available.
Available on: Netflix
Length: 30 minutes
Street Food: Latin America
Street Food: Latin America is produced in the same style and format as Street Food: Asia. These series give you a glimpse of what daily life looks like for people in the food industry in countries around the world. In the Latin America series of Street Food, they travel to countries including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. One season is currently available.
Available on: Netflix
Length: 30 minutes
World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals
The hosts of this show, millennials Megan, Jo and Luis, explore vacation rental homes around the world. The three categories they investigate include budget friendly options, interesting designs, and luxury homes. You can find many (if not all) of the vacation homes they highlight on VRBO and AirBnB.
Available on: Netflix
Length: 30 minutes
Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father
English comedian Jack Whitehall hosts this irreverent travel show, in which he convinces his upper-class, stuffy father (who’s never traveled before), to get outside his comfort zone.
The two men have very different ideas about how this is going to go down, though. Jack wants to rough it and backpack through their travels. His father wants only the highest luxury hotels and restaurants. It’s a bit absurd at times, and clearly scripted, but it did get a few laughs out of me.
Available on: Netflix
Length: 30 minutes (seasons 1&2); and 45-60 minutes (seasons 3-5)
We Speak Dance
This unique, one-season travel show is hosted by a dancer and former UN advisor, Vandana Hart. She travels all over the world, exploring cultures through learning and performing street dances. In season one, she travels to countries like Vietnam, Nigeria, and Indonesia.
Available on: Netflix
Length: 20 minutes
Further Reading
Watching these travel shows inspired in me a desire to visit places I may not have considered otherwise. Check out my bucket list here!
Have a favorite travel show I didn’t mention? Tell me about it so I can check it out.
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15 Best Things to do in Barcelona, Spain
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small fee from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
We landed in Barcelona after our long Amsterdam layover. We started and ended our Spanish adventure in Barcelona. I immediately loved the city. But at first I couldn’t tell if I actually loved the city, or if I just loved being on vacation. After seeing a little more of Spain, I can definitely tell you, I love Barcelona.
Barcelona is located in Catalonia on the eastern coast of Spain. Something to be prepared for – Catalonia has its own identity apart from Spain! First of all, their primary language is Catalán, not Spanish. And you will not find any bullfights in Catalonia.
But don’t let any of that scare you off. We were still able to get around using our Spanish, or rather, my husband’s Spanish. We found Barcelona to be a very welcoming city. It is highly wheelchair accessible, very bike friendly, and filled with motorcycles and museums.
There were a few things we knew we wanted to see in Barcelona, like La Sagrada Familia and the Picasso Museum. But there was a lot we were able to wing as well. Barcelona just has so much to offer, it was hard to decide what we wanted to do most!
So if you’re planning a trip to Spain and looking for things to do in Barcelona, here’s just a brief description of a few must-see sights you can’t pass up.
1. La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia is simply breathtaking. And a must on the list of things to do in Barcelona. To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed by what I saw in photos. La Sagrada Familia is…different. And no matter how good a photographer you may be, photos just cannot convey its beauty adequately enough. But every one who had been there raved about it. So I figured, “Sure, why not? Let’s check this place out.”
Built in the Modernista style, La Sagrada Familia has a surreal feel to it. At times I felt like I was under sea in King Triton’s palace from Disney’s Little Mermaid. Other times I felt like I was gazing up at a canopy of trees or at the cordae tendinae of some great giant’s heart. Gaudi definitely met his aim in imitating nature.
TIP: There were many things we planned spur of the moment on our trip. This wasn’t one of them. Be sure to book your tickets in advance, as they sell out quickly!
2. Cathedral of Barcelona
The Cathedral of Barcelona, built in the Gothic style, is worlds different from La Sagrada Familia. If you choose to pay for the tower access <which I highly recommend>, an elevator takes you up to the roof top for a stunning view. You can see all the way out to the ocean on a clear day. For those of you who are worried about accessibility, once you get to the roof top, there are a few steps to navigate.
TIP: The cathedral entry lines were much shorter in the afternoon. Instead of waiting in long lines in the morning, hop on over to the Gaudi Exhibition next door first.
3. Gaudi Exhibition Center at the Museu Diocesa de Barcelona
The Gaudi Exhibition stands right next to the Cathedral of Barcelona in the Gothic quarter. We spent maybe an hour and a half here as an audio guide led us through the museum. We learned about Antoni Gaudi’s life, inspirations, and innovations in his architecture.
TIP: If you’re able to, I would visit the Gaudi Museum before visiting La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, or Casa Mila. You’ll have a much deeper appreciation and understanding of his work.
4. Park Güell
Park Güell sits on a hill overlooking the city of Barcelona. Designed by Gaudi, it was originally intended to be an upscale, exclusive neighborhood, but was never completed. Park Guell is actually quite large. There are two sections – one with free entry, the other with paid entry.
TIP: If you want to see the iconic Gaudi lizard at Park Guell, that requires paid entry. Booking tickets ahead is a must.
Click here to check availability for Park Guell
5. Picasso Museum
I know nothing about art, but I do enjoy it…sometimes. I expected the Picasso Museum to be a bunch of modern expressionist work that I would not be able to understand. However, I was quite pleasantly surprised. We got to see a wide range of Picasso’s work over his lifetime, including pieces from his Blue Period and a study of Velasquez’ Las Meninas. Quite honestly, I did not realize what a wide range of skills Picasso possessed. It gave me a far better appreciation and respect for Picasso’s work. I suppose you have to understand the rules of an art to be able to break them, right?
6. The Chocolate Museum
I am of the strong opinion that chocolate should be the sixth food group. So it should come as no surprise to you that I dragged my husband to the Chocolate Museum. I had heard that Barcelona was known for its chocolate, but I didn’t know why until we visited the museum.
SPOILER ALERT: Barcelona is who introduced chocolate to Europe. “Europe, meet Chocolate. Chocolate, meet Europe.”
The Chocolate Museum is a bit small <an hour was plenty of time>, and it isn’t overly flashy or high tech. Unbelievable chocolate sculptures stood on display in one room. In another room, displays depicted the history of chocolate and chocolate production. Did I mention your entry tickets are actual chocolate bars?!
7. Enjoy Churros con Chocolate
While we’re on the topic of chocolate, you cannot pass up the churros con chocolate in Barcelona! It’s the best you’ll find anywhere. Just be aware, the hot chocolate is more for dipping than for drinking. It is dark, thick, and strong!
8. Passeig de Gràcia
The Passeig de Gràcia, or passage of grace, is an avenue in the Eixample district of Barcelona. You can visit several beautiful buildings from the Modernista architectural movement here, including Casa Batllo and Gaudi’s Casa Milà, or “La Pedrera”. For an entrance fee, you can take a roof top tour of many of these beautiful buildings. Or you can also just enjoy them from the street.
9. La Boqueria
La Boqueria is an open air food market, located just off La Rambla. It has a buoyant atmosphere and is a great place to wander around during the lunch time hour or if you’re looking for a quick snack. It was also a fun and inexpensive way to try a variety of Spanish foods. We tried jamon iberico con queso (Iberian ham with cheese), empanadas, and some fresh juices that were just delicious.
10. La Rambla
La Rambla is a thoroughfare bustling with pedestrian and tourist traffic, shops, and restaurants, from morning to late at night. You’ll probably catch a street performer or two, but don’t be surprised if they run at the first sight of law enforcement! You can also follow La Rambla all the way to the beach.
11. Columbus Column
The Columbus Column stands at the end of La Rambla, just before the beach. There’s a small museum or exhibit inside at the bottom of the monument. There’s also an observation deck you can visit at the top, but it was unfortunately closed for maintenance the day we visited.
12. Go to the Beach
You can follow La Rambla all the way down to the beach. There are hawkers selling beautiful beach blankets and intricate sand castles to check out. It was a little cool on the beach when we visited in early May, but still full of life and activity.
13. San Felipe Cathedral
We wandered into San Felipe Cathedral while aimlessly exploring the city one night. Although not as impressive as the Cathedral of Barcelona, it had its own charms. Not a big tourist attraction, the atmosphere was more peaceful. Entrance was free, and they were hosting a concert the following night I wish we could have made. I would not call this a must-see, but just know there are other cathedrals in the city that are fun to explore and much less touristy.
14. Explore Barri Gotic
One of our hotels was in the Barri Gotic. It was amazing – we were just a thirty second walk from the Barcelona Cathedral. The narrow, twisting, intimate streets of Barri Gotic hide secret courtyards and beautiful architecture that’s fun to explore.
This is where you’ll find the Cathedral of Barcelona, Carrer del Bisbe Bridge (pictured above), and ancient Roman towers that mark where a gated entrance to the city once stood. In Placa Nova there’s a fun sculpture that spells out “Barcelona” in geometric shapes which makes for a fun photo op.
15. Hop on Hop Off Bus Tours
The Hop on Hop Off bus tour was a convenient form of transportation and nice way to see more of the city. We used it to see the Eixample neighborhood, and to stop in at Park Guell for a short visit. You can also use the Hop on Hop off bus tours to get to La Sagrada Familia and Camp Nou, Barcelona’s soccer stadium.
We did the hop-on hop-off bus tour on one of our last days in Barcelona. But I would highly recommend doing it towards the beginning of your stay and here’s why: we received a coupon book with our bus tickets. The book included discounts for many noteworthy sites around Barcelona, such as the Gaudi Exhibition, several of the Modernista buildings, and the Columbus Column. Plus, the buses have free WiFi! Which helped in planning our next move.
TIP: Barcelona has two different companies that run the hop-on hop-off bus tours. Their bus stops will be marked with a sign matching their brand – do not confuse these bus stops with each other or with the city bus stops.
What We Want to Do Next Time
We have three main things on our agenda for our next visit to Barcelona. First, I hope to plan our next visit after La Sagrada Familia is completed, sometime after 2026. Second, we plan to check out Camp Nou. Camp Nou is Spain and Europe’s largest soccer stadium, plus there’s a museum and tour you can check out there! Lastly, I hope to visit more of Barcelona’s 55 museums on my next visit.
Next post I’ll share some ideas for visiting Barcelona on a budget. Until then, buen viaje!
For more vacation ideas, check out my post about a long Amsterdam layover.
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