"The Simpsons are going to," is a long-running catchphrase of Homer Simpson, and whatever adventure follows that phrase rarely disappoints. Fire up a Disney+ subscription and pick any one of their vacation episodes as evidence, and trust me, there's no shortage of episodes to "choo choo choose" from.
Whether The Simpsons is traveling abroad or staying within the United States, the family has never failed to find fun on their various adventures. Below, we'll break down some of the best trips they ever took, for anyone hoping to take a walk down memory lane and check those episodes out.
Japan
"Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo" shows the family make an impromptu trip to Japan after stealing tickets from the Flanders family. It blows up in their face when Marge has to bail Homer and Bart out of jail, and they have to go on a crazy game show in an attempt to win money to go back home.
The Yellow Lotus
In what's meant to be a not-so-subtle parody of The White Lotus, The Simpsons travel to a luxury resort they've been paying for since Bart's birth, only to learn they've only accumulated a short amount of time. They find a way to sneak in anyway and get caught up in some wild rich person drama. Oh, and Sideshow Bob is there.
Brazil
When Lisa runs up a huge phone bill making a call to Brazil to speak to an orphan she's sponsoring, the family makes a trip to go and see him. There, they get a taste of life in South America, including questionable children's television shows, and Speedos. We also learn that children taste like sugar to monkeys.
Mr. Burns' Summer Estate
In what is without question one of the best movie parodies The Simpsons ever did, "Treehouse Of Horror V" shows the family watch over Mr. Burns' vacation home during the winter. Unfortunately, the lack of television and beer drives Homer insane, not unlike what happens in The Shining. They call it "The Shinning," as no one wants to get sued.
Dude Ranch
When Homer writes a hit song hating on Ned Flanders, the family flees to a Dude Ranch to escape its success. "Dude, Where's My Ranch" shows Lisa fall for a cowboy teen, while Bart and Homer wage war with some aggressive beavers. Moe also kidnaps producer David Burns and writes his hit song "Moe, Moe, Moe."
Australia
"Bart vs. Australia" features The Simpsons taking another trip based on a phone bill, as the family travels to the continent so that Bart can apologize for running up a large phone bill. As fans might guess, Bart doesn't give in, and the family ends up escaping the country by helicopter.
New York
Barney goes on a bender and is missing with Homer's car for two months, the family finally learns the car is in New York. While Homer struggles with the obscene amount of tickets the car received and a boot hooked to the tire, the rest of the family sees the sights. "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" is a classic, and one of the show's many references to C.H.U.D.
Tanzania
A bag boy strike ultimately results in the family heading to Tanzania in "Simpson Safari," after Homer bites into a decades-old golden animal cracker. There, they journey everywhere from the jungle to a chimp sanctuary, and find the country in the midst of political strife as they board the flight home with its former leader.
France
The Simpsons has done a few episodes set in France, though "The Crepes Of Wrath" seems to be one that fans remember the most. Bart is sent to France as part of a foreign exchange program and ends up being taken in by winemakers spiking their product with antifreeze. Bart ends up getting them arrested and gains widespread acclaim in the country for doing so.
London
"The Regina Monologues" features The Simpsons in London after Bart gifts the family a trip to London, England, with the proceeds he earned from showcasing a $1000 bill. Grandpa Abe goes in search of his long-lost love, Edwina. This episode is notable due to the voice appearances by Sir Ian McKellen, Tony Blair, J.K. Rowling, and Evan Marriott, all playing themselves.
Iceland
Homer and the guys at the bar pursue Carl (one of The Simpsons' most amazing characters) in his homeland of Iceland when they learn he fled the country with money he obtained from a shared lottery ticket. Check out "The Saga Of Carl" for a lot on the character's backstory, and why he would seemingly betray his friends.
China
"Goo Goo Gai Pan" is a travel episode that also centers around a side character in The Simpsons, and features Marge's sister Selma attempting to adopt a child in China. Selma lists Homer as her husband because she believes being a single parent will lessen her odds of adoption, but ultimately comes clean and still gets her daughter, Ling.
Israel
"The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" takes The Simpsons to Israel, as Ned Flanders makes a desperate play to try and save Homer's soul. Suffice it to say the Simpson family isn't on their best behavior in the country, Homer ultimately impresses in the end, however, and Flanders realizes his neighbor might be better than he might've thought.
India
When a TV series lasts over ten seasons, it's going to go a lot of places. Even so, I find it odd that it took seventeen seasons for The Simpsons to make it to India! Homer mistakenly ends up in the country when he hears the Springfield power plant is being relocated, thinking he's moving to Illinois or Indiana. Homer soon becomes a "god" to his employees, though they later reveal they were just humoring him and grateful he gave them American luxuries like coffee breaks on the job.
Toronto
Bart breaks up with actor Rainier Wolfcastle's daughter, but after realizing he still likes her, sets off with the family to Toronto, Canada, in an effort to win her back from Milhouse. The boys fight over her and end up interrupting a curling match, and both end up losing the girl and rekindle their friendship.
The Grand Canyon
The death of Maude Flanders is one of the darkest episodes of The Simpsons, but she returns in "The Fland Canyon," where Homer recalls when the Simpsons and the Flanders family made a trip to the Grand Canyon. While the families are classically at odds, they find a way to come together and bond when getting stuck at the natural wonder.
Antarctica
Bart takes the family on a luxury cruise by selling his possessions, but as the trip winds down, he creates a fake message warning the entire ship of a pandemic, encouraging them to extend the cruise until further notice. "A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again" ends with everyone learning of Bart's prank, and the family being left behind in Antarctica while the ship returns home.
Space
In a classic case of The Simpsons predicting something, Homer Simpson was one of the first private citizens in space long before Gayle King was looking panicked about taking her own space flight. "Deep Space Homer" is nothing short of a disaster for the astronauts forced to take Homer in space with them, but they make it back alright.
Utah
Lisa makes a documentary on her family, and surprisingly enough, it gets accepted for a screening at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. "Any Given Sundance" is a great episode to watch for those who have never been to the popular movie event, and even more enjoyable to watch if you have.
Italy
"The Italian Bob" sends the family to Italy on a trip to retrieve a classic luxury car for Mr. Burns. While there, they run into Sideshow Bob, who has rebuilt his life in Italy and has a family and reputable status in the community. Unfortunately, Lisa inadvertently exposes his past, and it takes an assist from Krusty to protect him from his former co-host.
Michigan
"Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" presented an early shocker in Grandpa Simpson, revealing Homer had a half-brother. While Herb Powell never became a meaningful character in The Simpsons in the long run, he did invite the family to his mansion in Detroit, where the family was impressed with the life he built for himself.
Scotland
"Monty Can't Buy Me Love" may be a reference to The Beatles, but this Scotland adventure in The Simpsons was all about tracking the Loch Ness monster. In one of the more hilarious endings to an episode, the monster ends up getting a job at a Las Vegas casino.
Ireland
Homer gets into the pub business during "In The Name Of The Grandfather," all in hopes of restoring a bar in Ireland that his father used to drink at during the war. Star Trek actor Colm Meaney is a guest star in this one, which is fitting as he's the most accurate representation of Ireland in the sci-fi franchise.
Aruba
This is a bit of a weird one, considering this is a trip that Marge took with Moe. Yes, despite it being an odd pairing, the two were linked at the hip in "Mommie Beerest" when she became a business partner in the tavern. Who would've thought they'd ever be friends, considering the number of times he called her "Midge."
Las Vegas
"Viva Ned Flanders" might be the most notable vacation episode of The Simpsons, as Homer and Ned have a night on the town that ends with them marrying two Las Vegas showgirls. Unfortunately for the two, what happened in Vegas did not stay in Vegas, and they had to do some work to get out of that.
Hawaii
Bart and Homer are sent to an isolated colony in Hawaii after they believe they contracted leprosy, though I'm not sure many will remember "Little Big Mom" for that. More fans of The Simpsons may better remember it for the scene in which we get a great view of Ned, where it's like he's wearing "nothing at all."
Los Angeles
Considering how much The Simpsons deals with Hollywood and movies, it's a wonder it took. It finally happens in "Angry Dad: The Movie" in which Bart and Lisa have to distract Homer so they can attend the screening of Bart's successful short film that his father keeps taking all the credit for.
Vancouver
The Simpsons has an episode about just every topic imaginable, and if you don't believe that, look no further than this episode that took place at the Vancouver Winter Olympics and centered entirely around the sport of curling. This episode only became more relevant years later, when the show correctly predicted the men's U.S.A. team winning a gold medal.
Morocco
This one may be a bit questionable, considering the family trip took place in a dream. "Treehouse of Horror II" featured the family in Morocco, where Homer happens upon a monkey's paw. The family uses it to attempt to make their wildest dreams come true, but as many are familiar with how a monkey's paw works, it all comes at a price.
Pennsylvania
After public humiliation, Ned Flanders quietly relocates his family to Pennsylvania and find a town more wound tightly than he is at his most unbearable. Meanwhile, Homer gets harassed by an aggressive new neighbor, and "Home Away From Homer" ultimately ends in both men realizing they love being neighbors far more than they don't.
Mexico
"The Bob Next Door" ultimately leads the family to Mexico, thinking Sideshow Bob kidnapped Bart and took him to the country to murder him. It all ends up being a deception as he actually went to the Five Corners, but that's not important to this story. What is important is that while Bart is in danger, Homer somehow gets caught up in arguing with someone in Mexico about what the word "taco" is in Spanish.
Cuba
"The Trouble With Trillions" sends Mr. Burns and Homer to Cuba, where they flee the government after Homer agrees to help his wealthy boss evade them. Unfortunately, their attempt to buy the island is unsuccessful, as Fidel Castro asks to see the bill and then refuses to return it.
Hong Kong
"Bart On The Road" takes the little hellion a lot of places, as he obtains a fake driver's license and takes his friends on a road trip. When that plan goes south, Bart is forced to become a courier for money and has to board a plane to Hong Kong to deliver eyeballs so he can make it back to Springfield.
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