How Top Travel Shows Can Help You Plan a Dream Trip

Dreaming about your next big trip? Turn your research into entertainment and plan your next trip by watching some fascinating travel shows. Not only will you learn more about some amazing places to visit, but you’ll also love kicking back at the end of a long day and living vicariously through the camera operator.

Let these shows (which you can look for on DIRECTV channels in Philadelphia) take you on a tour of all the places you want to see one day — and all the places you don’t yet know that you want to see. Here are some of the top travel shows to watch to plan your dream trip:

Madventures

In this show, Riku and Tunna, two Finnish adventurers, visit some of the most exotic places around the world, trying out the local customs and cuisine. They check out shamanic rituals in the Amazon and explore nuclear fallout, as well as eating dishes like monkey brain and human placenta.

Riku and Tunna travel without a camera crew or support vehicles, so you get a real sense of what these experiences are like as an individual. You can replicate the same trips if you like — if you have the guts.

Aerial America

Looking at stock photos of landmarks like the Great Wall or Petra may make these places start to seem stale, even commercial. Aerial America aims to inspire your wanderlust by giving you a whole new look at some of the most traveled places.

This show takes a look at famous places from the air, showing you views that no one else will get on their family vacations. You’ll feel inspired to explore the hidden gems in these locations, learning and experiencing more than the beaten path offers.

By Any Means

Skip the tour buses and the taxis if you really want to get to know a place. This show follows travelers who go by tuk-tuk, jeepney, elephants and more to move from place to place. Along they way, they really get to know the local customs and learn about the best that each community has to offer.

You can get inspiration for your next trip whether you are visiting a rural area or you just want to get some of the local flavor when you are going to a big tourist destination.

Rick Steves’ Europe

Europe is a  popular travel destination for a reason: It has some of the most beautiful places in the world, as well as some of the best food, some of the most important art and architecture, and some of the most important historical sites.

Rick Steves’ shows you some of the most interesting cities and villages off the beaten path in this popular television program.

Departures

You don’t have to have a huge budget to have an unforgettable trip. Staying in hostels and traveling by bus with nothing more than a backpack of essentials is a great way to save money and become immersed in the local culture at the same time.

Departures follows two friends and one camera man as they travel the world as backpackers. The show goes to places like Siberia, Papua New Guinea, and Ethiopia, and the travelers do things like go diving in Zanzibar, climb volcanoes, and ride reindeer. Even if you don’t decide to visit any of the places on the show, you will definitely pick up some tips for getting the most out of your trip without spending a lot of money.

Art Mann Presents

There is plenty to see and do right here in the United States, and Art Mann Presents shows off some of the best festivals and events around the country.

Hosts Art Mann, Mark Cuban and Nick Miller go to events like Mardi Gras, The Kentucky Derby and The Indy 500 and explore a bit of the town while they are there. You can learn about some great things to do on your next road trip, and you are sure to find events that appeal to everyone in your family.

Explore 22

Travel can be about much more than your own recreation or entertainment. You can combine your travel with activism, helping the communities that you visit while you learn about a new place.

Explore 22 looks at how travelers can help in communities around the world, such as building new schools in South America or contributing to relief efforts in areas ravaged by earthquakes and other natural disasters. You’ll get inspired to find ways that you can do good on your next trip — which will also give you the opportunity to learn about a place in a way that you wouldn’t as a simple tourist.

The next time you start dreaming about getting away from it all, switch on one of these shows and start planning your next big trip. Whether you want to take a road trip with the family or you are looking for something more unusual and daring to do, you will find ideas with these shows.