Best YouTube Channels for Travel Lovers

Jet Lag: The Game

If you asked me to give you just one YouTube channel to watch right now, Jet Lag: The Game is the one I would send you to. When the algorithm recommended this to me I was hooked IMMEDIATELY. This is such a unique, creative, and entertaining channel; it’s only been around for a little over a year and has almost 600k subscribers and I think it can become one of the biggest channels on the platform but the content is just that excellent.

The premise of the channel is best explained by its own self-description: “We play games where the world is our board.” The channel is kind of like a TV show with “seasons” where each season covers a game that the creators are playing. The games vary each season and include creative twists on things like Connect 4, Tag, Capture the Flag, Ticket to Ride, and, most recently, Hide and Seek.

The channel is run by three people: Sam Denby, Adam Chase, and Ben Doyle. All three compete on every season, but many seasons also include a guest competitor. In those seasons the guest teams up with Sam while Adam and Ben compete against them.

While the show runs slightly differently each season since the game is different, there are some core components that are included in every competition. Competitors always have some challenges that they have to complete to travel further in the game. These challenges vary wildly and make up a lot of the strategic and entertainment element of the games. Some examples of challenges done in past seasons are making a go-cart, touching a bird, and running a “milk mile”.

What makes the channel so great is the interpersonal dynamic between the three mainstays of the show. They have great banter, strategic discussions, and a camaraderie that is apparent on camera. The show is edited in a way that gives you a great mix of dramatic competition, comedic outtakes, and beautiful travel shots. It’s well paced to keep you intrigued the whole way through and there’s never a dull moment.

So far the show has competed all over the United States, Western Europe, Japan, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Season 10 which, has yet to be released, is set to take place in Australia, adding another new location to the show.

My favorite seasons so far have been the two seasons of “Tag EUR It” where the competitors play a game of tag throughout Western Europe. Given that this is the only game they’ve repeated so far, it’s safe to say I’m not the only one with that opinion. Although, I have to say that the current season of “Hide and Seek” might just give the Tag seasons a run for their money.

Overall, Jet Lag: The Game never ceases to amaze me and has yet to disappoint. The content is creative, unique, and massively entertaining. The competitors have a wonderful dynamic that really brings the show to life and keeps it entertaining over and over again.

Drew Binsky

By my, very unofficial, count Drew Binsky has the biggest travel YouTube channel on the platform. He has at time of writing 4.14M subscribers and it doesn’t take long to see why he’s gained such a following. Binsky has the most cinematically excellent videos I’ve seen anywhere on YouTube; they are extremely well done.

Most of Binsky’s content is medium-length videos ranging between 15 and 30 minutes long. He aims to tell unique stories from around the world that nobody else knows or talks about. He’s been to every single country and never runs out of unique and interesting topics to share with us.

In addition to these regular videos, Drew and his team have also created a number of full-length documentaries that are 1.5-2 hours long and give in-depth looks at countries such as Mexico, Venezuela, and the Philippines.

One thing I admire about Drew is his ability to connect with people from all cultures and walks of life anywhere in the world. He comes across as a genuinely kind, respectful, and friendly person and it makes his videos a joy to watch. He often puts himself in positions where other people would likely be judgmental or rude, yet he never reacts that way.

Some of his recent videos have had him meeting a man who claims to be Jesus, a cannibal, and a man who worships rats. Like I said: they’re incredibly interesting. You won’t find his stories anywhere else and when you combine these unique stories with high quality camera work and editing you end up with a product that really stands out.

If you’re looking for some interesting stories that will take you, quite literally, all over the world, look no further than Drew Binsky’s channel.

Simon Wilson

Simon Wilson is a Welsh vlogger who documents a wide variety of travel experiences all over the world. He got his start by doing “No Money” challenges where he would visit places or take long trips without spending any money because at the time he really didn’t have any! His content has changed quite a lot now that he actually has a budget to work with and I think it’s changed for the better.

Wilson does a combination of videos on specific travel experiences as well as various travel challenges he sets for himself. For example, he’s done video series attempting to visit 7 continents in 7 days and playing Monopoly Travel Edition in real life. He’s also done videos of glamorous experiences such as the Lapland Express train in Finland, and less glamorous ones such as a sleeper train in Pakistan.

While the travel content is great, what really makes this channel so great is Simon himself. In his videos Wilson is always upbeat and incredibly friendly to everyone he meets. He’s always making friendly conversation with people he meets on his travels and has a personality that makes it seem like he could make friends with anybody.

Whenever Simon releases a new video I’m always excited to go and watch it. His content is upbeat and entertaining and he is too. There’s nothing not to like.

Wolter’s World

Wolter’s World is a channel that falls more under informational than entertaining. It is the most well-done channel I’ve found for that kind of content. The Wolters have been traveling all over for years and have plenty of useful tips and advice to share.

Wolter’s World does a great job of making their videos clear and concise. They’re simple and to the point which helps the viewer easily digest the information being given. Their videos cover a range of topics and often include things like do’s and don’t of a location, common tourist mistakes, places to eat, and other helpful tips.

While I don’t typically watch this channel purely for leisure purposes, I’ll always check it out when I’m planning a trip. The content is helpful and easily digestible making it easy to get actionable takeaways from their videos.

Away Days

This one is for my fellow soccer fans out there. While this isn’t strictly a travel channel I think that there’s enough travel related content to warrant a mention here.

AwayDays is a channel all about traveling around to different soccer venues and matches and documenting the experience. While there is of course plenty of soccer footage in all the videos, they also usually include plenty of scenes from whatever town they happen to be filming in.

Most videos consist of the channels founder, Ellis Platten, and one of his friends partaking in some kind of themed soccer experience. This can range from going to particularly exciting or interesting games, to trying out the cheapest and most expensive luxury seats across the UK and Europe. Over the course of the video Ellis typically films part of the journey to the destination as well as some of the non-soccer activities he does while visiting. Then, he’ll cover the soccer match itself and at the end does a quick wrap-up with his thoughts on the experience.

This channel does a great job of documenting an authentic experience of visiting various stadiums around the world. Ellis doesn’t take himself too seriously and creates content that is interesting and often humorous as well.