Streaming tips

Travel shows for reluctant couch potatoes...

Long Way Round

Movie star Ewan McGregor and pal Charley Boorman hatch a plan to circumnavigate the globe on all-terrain motorcycles, but are quickly humbled by mostly mundane complications. And that increases the journey’s appeal. Apple TV+

Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father

Whitehall, a British comedian, talked his dad into a gap year–like tour of the world, and the old man turned out to be a prickly great companion. Parts feel too staged, but great unscripted father-son moments fully compensate. Netflix

The Luxury Travel Show

Nurture your five-star travel dreams in 60-second bursts with this ad-like but often beautiful series that tours fine hotel properties from Chiang Mai to Barbados. Amazon Prime

Expedition With Steve Backshall

Naturalist and explorer Steve Backshall is a real-life Indiana Jones who packs each of his expeditions with thrills and thoughtful commentary. The awe-inspiring “Suriname, Lost World” is a good episode to start with. PBS.org

Dark Tourist

Tired of luxury and beauty? Follow David Farrier for a few episodes. The documentarian and journalist journeys to places no sane traveler would, from nuclear fallout zones to authoritarian capitals to scenes of ritual exorcism. Netflix

Samantha Brown’s Places to Love

Brown has been in the travelhosting game since the early days of the Travel Channel. She’s a fun, familiar companion in this series that mostly explores North America, with an exceptional jaunt to New Zealand. PBS.org