The Top Travel Movies and TV Series to Binge-Watch
Travel from the comfort of your home with these adventure-inspiring movies and television shows that you can stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime and more.
The Trip
You have myriad options for how to watch this silly British series starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as caricatures of themselves. There are four television series: The Trip, a restaurant tour of north England; The Trip to Italy, a grand tour of Italy and its restaurants; The Trip to Spain; and The Trip to Greece. The first three have also been cut into feature films, with the movie-length version of the latter on the way.
Where to watch: Stan
Eat, Pray, Love
This movie gave thousands of people the courage to leave dead-end relationships and go on a solo tour of the world. This adaptation of the book of the same name, starring Julia Roberts, takes you to Italy, India and Indonesia.
Where to watch: YouTube; Google Play
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
This iconic Australian film will have you dreaming of exploring the outback. Tick, Bernadette and Felicia journey from Sydney to Alice Springs for a four-week drag show slot, stopping at Broken Hill and encountering locals along the way.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Pictured above. Image credit: Screen Australia
Under the Tuscan Sun
Vicariously live your dream of giving up your life to renovate a dilapidated Italian villa with Diane Lane as your guide in this wish-fulfilling film. Acquiring a property in Italy as a foreign national isn’t as seamless as the movie makes out but watching the restoration of the property in the lemony light is soul-soothing.
Where to watch: iTunes
Roman Holiday
Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn (who won an Oscar for this movie) spin around 1950s Rome on a Vespa in Roman Holiday, stopping by pleasingly uncrowded spots including the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
One of the best ways to understand a new place is by sampling its local cuisine – and who better to take you on a virtual tasting tour than the late chef. There are 12 seasons of this show, taking in locations as varied as Detroit, the Congo and Beirut.
Where to watch: Netflix
SEE ALSO: Amazing Film & TV Locations Around the World
The Amazing Race
Admit it: every time you catch an episode of this reality series, all you can think is how you would definitely win if you were a contestant. There are 31 seasons of the American version, each episode taking you to parts unknown for a crash-course in the country’s key cultural touchpoints.
Where to watch: 7plus; Amazon Prime
Outlander
So Outlander isn’t strictly a travel-focused series but it does involve travel through time and the vistas of the Scottish mountains, lakes and moores will have you planning a road trip through the Highlands before the first episode is over.
Where to watch: Seasons 1-4 on Netflix; Season 5 on Foxtel.
Our Planet
Narrated by – who else? – Sir David Attenborough, this eight-part series zeroes in on key ecosystems of the world and how our actions are affecting them. It’s truly moving viewing, especially when animals are involved, and highlights why it’s so important for each of us to do our part in sustainability.
Where to watch: Netflix
Wild
Based on writer Cheryl Strayed’s epic quest to walk the Pacific Crest in the US, this film is an examination of fortitude, perseverance and accepting help when you need it. Though Strayed originally completed the 1770-kilometre hike in 1995, since the film’s release in 2014, thousands more people have attempted the solo trek too.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Before Sunrise
The film that inspired a million gap-year travellers to spend the night wandering around with a stranger they met on a train. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy’s twilight exploration of Vienna is impossibly romantic; be sure to watch sequels Before Sunset (set in Paris) and Before Midnight (set in Greece) when you’re done.
Where to watch: iTunes
SEE ALSO: 45 Spectacular Game of Thrones Locations to Visit
Lost in Translation
What does Bill Murray whisper to Scarlett Johansson at the end? We will never know so instead of frantically Googling an answer, lose yourself in its frenetic depiction of Tokyo from the perspective of two outsiders.
Where to watch: Netflix
Out of Africa
Meryl Streep and Robert Redford’s chemistry in this gorgeous movie, based on the true story of Karen Blixen (Streep), is sizzling. It follows Blixen’s move to Kenya to establish a ranch, where she encounters game hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Redford). Romance ensues, as does her appreciation for the nearby Ngong Hills and Great Rift Valley.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
The Beach
The beach where this tropical island fantasy (Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi) was filmed was destroyed in the years after its 2000 release as fans came to reenact Leonardo DiCaprios’s adventure – which makes watching it as close as you’ll get to the real thing.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
The Bucket List
While travel bucket lists have been a “thing” for years, this movie cemented them as a near-necessity. With money no issue, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman set out to explore the world’s wonders before their final day on earth, including seeing the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and the North Pole.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
A somewhat esoteric film, it follows Ben Stiller as he tries to track a photographer through Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas to discover a shot that showcases “the quintessence of life”. It’s dreamy, bizarre and beautiful.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
SEE ALSO: 21 Incredible Locations That Inspired Disney Movies
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Two friends plan to spend a sultry summer in this Spanish city and are left questioning how well their choices serve them when Juan (Javier Bardem) arrives on the scene. A sexy, beautiful movie that will have you dreaming about spending an unplanned months-long adventure abroad.
Where to watch: Netflix
Thelma & Louise
The ultimate road-trip story. The two friends make their way around Texas towards Mexico as they flee the law, including one of the most iconic scenes set near the Grand Canyon in movie history.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Easy Rider
On the way to New Orleans, the ritual easy riders (played by Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda) rev their motorcycles through much of America’s South and Southwest.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
The Darjeeling Limited
The film follows three brothers travelling through India with the usual Wes Anderson touches: sets that look like paintings, vintage details and idiosyncratic characters. It was shot on location in Jodhpur, Udaipur and Narlai.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Up
If you’re after a family-friendly travel film, Up is the top choice – provided you can handle the gut-wrenching opening scene. Though animated, much of the film takes place in a fictional wilderness in Venezuela, near Paradise Falls, a cascade inspired by formations in Canaima National Park.
Where to watch: Disney+
SEE ALSO: Look Familiar? These are the Most-Filmed Locations Around the World
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