It’s summertime, which means vacation – the beach, road trips, camping and all sorts of other travel shenanigans. Not all of us can be jet-setters though, so if you’re planning a staycation or just need something to do when its raining or when you are so sunburned that going outside is out of the question, here’s a handful of vacation episodes from your favorite TV shows to enjoy.
This list is in no way comprehensive, but it is organized by destination and vacation type so if Disney is your thing, try any 1990s/ABC family sitcom. If camping is more your style then there are a few episodes of Parks and Recreation that may do the trick. Also, I chose not to include any episodes that included travel for weddings, so I apologize in advance to any Friends fans out there.
Not Your Travel Channel – Fictional TV Vacations
The Hamptons:
- Gossip Girl – “Summer, Kind of Wonderful” (2×1), “Never Been Marcused” (2×2)
- Sex & The City – “Twenty-Something Girls vs. Thirty-Something Women” (2×17), “I Love a Charade” (5×8)
Las Vegas:
- Angel – “The House Always Wins” 4×2
- Friends – “The One With Joey’s Big Break” (5×22), “The One In Vegas, Part 1” (5×23), “The One In Vegas, Part 2” (5×24), “The One After Vegas” (6×1)
Hawaii:
- The Brady Bunch – “Hawaii Bound” (4×1), “Pass the Tabu” (4×2), “The Tiki Caves” (4×3)
- Full House – “Tanner’s Island” (3×1)
- Cougar Town – “Something Good Coming” Part 1 & 2 (3×21 – 3×22)
- Saved By The Bell – Hawaiian Style (4 episodes)
- Modern Family – “Hawaii” (1×23)
Disney World / Disney Land:
- Modern Family – “Disneyland” (3×22)
- Boy Meets World – “The Happiest Show on Earth” (3×21)
- Full House – “The House Meets the Mouse” Part 1 & 2 (6×23 – 6×24)
- Roseanne – “We’re Going To Disney World” (8×17), “Disney World War II” (8×18)
Tropical Islands (i.e. The Caribbean & Bahamas):
- Scrubs – “My Soul On Fire” Part 1 & 2 (8×15 – 8×16)
- Ugly Betty – “The Bahamas Triangle” (4×8)
Mexico:
- The OC – “The Escape” (1×7), “The Gringos” (4×2)
- What I Like About You “Girls Gone Wild” (3×18)
Paris, France:
- Gossip Girl – “Belles de Jour” (4×1), “Double Identity” (4×2)
The Beach (unspecified, fictional, or real):
- Saved By The Bell – Malibu Sands Beach Resort (various season 3 episodes)
- Friends – “The One at the Beach” (3×25), “The One With the Jellyfish” (4×1)
- Greek “Spring Broke” (1×22)
Road Trip:
- Boy Meets World – “You Can Go Home Again” (4×1)
- The Good Wife – “Net Worth” (2×14)
- The Adventures of Pete & Pete – “King of the Road” (1×1)
- Parenthood – “Roadtrip” (3×12)
- One Tree Hill – “It Gets the Worst at Night” (4×17)
- Parks & Recreation – April and Andy Roadtrip Webisodes
Camping (tents or cabins):
- One Tree Hill – “When it Isn’t Like it Should Be” (3×18), “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” (8×21)
- Parks & Recreation – “Hunting Trip” (2×10), “Camping” (3×8), “Pawnee Rangers” (4×4)
- Spongebob SquarePants – “The Camping Episode” (3×17)
- New Girl – “Cabin” (2×12)
Summer Vacation:
- Daria – “Is It Fall Yet?”
Bonus – TV Shows based in tourist hot-spots:
- Burn Notice
- Royal Pains
- Wonderfalls
- CSI: Las Vegas
- Point Pleasant
- Hidden Palms
- Revenge
- Hawaii Five-0
