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34 Movies That Will Make You Want to Get Off the Couch and See the World

From "The Holiday" to "Romancing the Stone" to "Eat Pray Love," these travel movies will inspire some serious wanderlust.

There's nothing like an epic on-screen adventure to get you acquainted with some place new and dreaming up an enviable vacation itinerary. For me (and basically all my childhood friends), this first happened following a viewing of Disney's "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" back in 2003, when Hilary Duff's character traveled to Rome to live out every teen's parent-free European fantasy. Though I've graduated to more mature travel movies over the last 18 years, one thing hasn't changed: films with gorgeous backdrops give me an unruly case of wanderlust.

From classics like "Around the World in 80 Days" and "Roman Holiday" to modern masterpieces such as "Wild" and "Crazy Rich Asians," travel films tend to ignite a longing for freedom and excitement. Maybe it's the sight of beaches on your screen triggering a phenomenon known as Blue Mind , or maybe watching a couple of pals take to the open road for a life changing road trip just makes you want to feel unconfined. Whatever it is, sometimes a travel film is all you need to provoke that feeling. That's why we've rounded up, in no particular order, 34 of the best travel movies that inspire wanderlust. Maybe they'll be cause for a change of scenery — or maybe they'll incite the adventure of a lifetime.

'Thelma & Louise' (1991)

Widely regarded as one of the best road trip movies of all time, this buddy film follows best friends Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) as they drive through the American Southwest after Louise kills a man in Arkansas.

'The Holiday' (2006)

A Hollywood movie trailer producer (Cameron Diaz) and a London reporter (Kate Winslet) decide to switch homes for a few weeks after finding out their respective boyfriends have been cheating on them. The results offer enough glamor shots of Los Angeles and cozy footage of England's countryside to make you want to pack up and head to either city immediately.

'Crazy Rich Asians' (2018)

Though this movie revolves around the conflict between New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and her boyfriend's wealthy family, "Crazy Rich Asians" could pass as a tourism film for Singapore . If the Southeast Asian country wasn't on your bucket list before, this film's dazzling shots of Singapore, specifically the acclaimed Marina Bay Sands Hotel , may convince you.

'Wild' (2014)

Based on a true story, "Wild" sees Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) hike more than a thousand miles from California to Washington on the Pacific Crest Trail following her divorce and the death of her mother. On her journey, Cheryl treks through the Mojave Desert , the Sierra Nevada, and Mount Hood National Forest while reflecting on her life.

'Eat Pray Love' (2010)

After her divorce, Elizabeth (Julia Roberts) sets off to explore the world with hopes of finding herself in the process. Elizabeth's inspiring and uplifting journey takes her — and viewers — to Italy , India , and Indonesia where she discovers the pleasure of nourishment, prayer, and romance.

'La La Land' (2016)

Admittedly, this musical doesn't feature much traveling (save for a brief road trip to Mia's hometown in Nevada), but the dreamy, oversaturated shots of Los Angeles in nearly every scene are enough to make anyone want to book a flight to the City of Angels.

'Before Sunrise' (1995)

Two strangers meet aboard a train from Budapest. Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is hoping to catch a flight home to the United States while Céline (Julie Delpy) is en route to Paris. Instead of sticking to their plans, the two disembark in Vienna and spend the entire night exploring the city and falling in love. A viewing of this movie will leave you longing for an epic adventure in the picturesque Austrian capital .

'National Lampoon’s Vacation' (1983)

National Lampoon 's classic comedy series is now six films strong, but it was 1983's "Vacation" that started it all. Unlike the franchise's most famous film, "Christmas Vacation," the original movie sees the Griswolds actually hit the road for a trip to Walley World, an amusement park several states away. After you watch Chevy Chase's hilarious hijinks unfold in this film, let sequels "European Vacation" and "Vegas Vacation" inspire further travels.

'The Darjeeling Limited' (2007)

After the death of their father, three estranged brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman) decide to hop aboard a train in India called The Darjeeling Limited to reconnect and experience spiritual self-discovery. Viewers catch glimpses of the Indian countryside, Hindu temples, and eventually the Himalayas — but not without a few jokes along the way.

'Up' (2009)

Arguably the most heart-wrenching animated film of all time, "Up" earns a spot on our list thanks to adorably grumpy widower Carl Fredricksen's determination to fulfill his own wanderlust. With the help of thousands of balloons and a young sidekick named Russell, Carl and his house soar across the world on an incredible journey that culminates at Paradise Falls (based on Angel Falls in Venezuela).

'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981)

"Raiders" kicks off the iconic Indiana Jones series with a quest to find the fabled Ark of the Covenant. On his journey, Indy (Harrison Ford) makes stops in Nepal , Egypt , and the Aegean Sea , and, of course, famously runs from a giant rolling boulder in a temple in Peru . Follow up this film with its sequels, "Temple of Doom" (1984), "Last Crusade" (1989), and "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008), to see Indy travel to Jordan , the Amazon jungle, and beyond.

'Mamma Mia!' (2008)

Few movies offer the kind of gorgeously colorful beach imagery "Mamma Mia!" and its 2018 sequel, "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" provide. If you haven't seen the films, you likely know them as "the movies with all the ABBA songs." But if you have seen them, you know they're actually about three men who travel to the impossibly beautiful, albeit fictional, Greek island of Kalokairi, each believing they're the father of a young bride-to-be.

'Nomadland' (2020)

After losing her job in the town of Empire, Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) decides to sell her belongings, buy a van, and drive across the country working odd jobs. Fern travels through deserts, small towns, and nomad communes where she works, makes new friends, and learns about life. If you've ever fantasized about dropping everything and taking to the open road, "Nomadland" will probably either convince or deter you.

'Romancing the Stone' (1984)

When New York City-based romance novelist Joan Wilder's sister is kidnapped in Cartagena , Joan (Kathleen Turner) ends up on a rescue-mission-turned-treasure-hunt with adventure-seeking Jack T. Colton (Michael Douglas). Don't be surprised if a viewing of this movie makes you want to trade in your annual beach vacation for a wild ride through the Colombian jungle .

'Paris, Je T’aime' (2006)

Paris, Je T'aime is different from the other films on this list in that it's not one film — it's 18 short films that all feature Paris as a central theme. Because the project is made up of 18 different stories in 18 different arrondissements around the city, viewers get a true, unfiltered sense of Paris, and may even find themselves inspired to visit lesser-known locales in the City of Light.

'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' (1994)

If you've ever longed to take a laughter-fueled road trip with your best friends, this film is worth a watch. In the flick, pals Tick (Hugo Weaving), Adam (Guy Pearce), and Bernadette (Terence Stamp) head out on a cross-country road trip through the Australian outback to perform their successful drag act in a new town. The trio takes up residence in an oversized tour bus called Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in this fun, ahead-of-its-time dramedy.

'RV' (2006)

While plenty of road trip movies have been made over the years, "RV" might be the only one that takes place in, well, an RV . Though the main characters in this movie face more bad luck than fun, family bonding, the film does feature generous desert , mountain , and wilderness scenery, as well as an all-star cast (Robin Williams, Kristin Chenoweth, Cheryl Hines, and Josh Hutcherson are just a few that appear).

'Point Break' (2015)

Yes, we're talking about the "Point Break" remake rather than the original film from 1991, but hear us out: the imagery in this movie inspires some serious wanderlust. The story takes viewers to several of the wildest places on Earth (Mexico's Cave of Swallows, Venezuela's Angel Falls, etc.) and though the plot is slightly different from the original (think eco-terrorism rather than bank robberies), it is quiet possibly the most visually stimulating travel movie ever made.

'Girls Trip' (2017)

When was the last time you took a trip with just your core group of girlfriends? A quick watch of this comedy will have you planning your next gal pal getaway faster than you can say "PTO." In the film, a group of friends (Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, and Jada Pinkett Smith) head to New Orleans , but you'll be ready to travel anywhere with your best buds after watching "Girls Trip" — even if it's just to the next town over.

'The Way' (2010)

After his son is killed walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route to Galicia, Spain, Tom Avery (Martin Sheen) sets out on the trail himself to retrieve his son's body. Along the way, Tom meets several other travelers who are walking the trail in hopes of changing their own lives for one reason or another. This inspiring film may just persuade you to make the famed pilgrimage yourself, or to book a similarly reflective trip.

'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' (2005)

If you were a teen or pre-teen in 2005, you have likely seen this movie and its 2008 sequel, and can attest that both inspire major wanderlust. The first film follows best friends Carmen, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby (who share a magical pair of jeans that fits them all perfectly) as they spend a summer in different parts of the world. Lena (Alexis Bledel) travels to Santorini, Greece , which makes for some seriously dreamy backdrops. In the sequel, the whole gang heads to Greece, but not before Bridget (Blake Lively) spends some time in Turkey .

'Up in the Air' (2009)

This George Clooney-led comedy-drama makes business travel and airports look glamorous — hospitable, even. Boasting just as many cityscape shots as it does plane scenes, "Up in the Air" will have you longing to be in the skies, jet setting off to some place new. Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga also star in this critically-acclaimed film about a man who lives out of a suitcase.

'Around the World in 80 Days' (1956)

If this classic adventure film doesn't inspire daydreams of traveling somewhere new, we're not sure what will. In 1872, Englishman Phileas Fogg makes a bet with several members of his gentleman's club that he can travel around the globe in just 80 days. On his journey, he and sidekick Jean Passepartout bring viewers along as they travel by gas balloon to France , Spain , Italy , India, Hong Kong , the United States , and more.

'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' (1992)

The Home Alone movies usually fall under the comedy or holiday categories, but if you think about it, the second installment in the series is totally a travel movie. The film does a fantastic job of showing off the glamorous side of New York City, the place young Kevin McCallister accidentally ends up while the rest of his family vacations in Florida. From shots of the Rockefeller Christmas tree to the Manhattan skyline, this film is sure to inspire a trip to the Big Apple.

'Under the Tuscan Sun' (2003)

You won't find shots of northern Italy as serene as the ones in this feel-good film about independence, love, and friendship. After losing everything in her divorce, American writer Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) suddenly finds herself beginning a new life in the small Tuscan town of Cortona. And if you're anything like us, Googling "Tuscan villas for sale" will become a regular part of your life after watching this film.

'Angels & Demons' (2009)

Though "Angels & Demons" is classified as a thriller, it'll definitely make you want to head to Rome and dig up some history, both figuratively and literally. Based on the Dan Brown novel of the same name, the story follows Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) as he discovers secrets of the Vatican and faces off against the supposed Illuminati. If you're a fan, check out other Dan Brown adventure travel films, "The Da Vinci Code" (2006) and "Inferno" (2016).

'Easy Rider' (1969)

Our list features travel by plane, train , RV, and even hot air balloon , but "Easy Rider" is the only movie that follows a journey via motorcycle. In the film, drug smugglers Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) ride from Los Angeles to New Orleans in hopes of reveling at Mardi Gras to celebrate their latest score. On their journey, they stop in several small towns, make a few friends, and unsuccessfully try to evade trouble.

'Out of Africa' (1985)

If Africa doesn't currently have a spot on your bucket list, this film might make you rethink that. Meryl Streep and Robert Redford star in this true story about Karen Blixen, a Danish woman who moves to Nairobi with her new husband, and builds a life there despite their many marital issues. "Out of Africa" features sweeping panoramic shots of Nairobi in nearly every scene, leaving it no wonder the drama won seven Academy Awards, including one for Best Cinematography.

'Johnson Family Vacation' (2004)

This family comedy starring Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, and Solange Knowles follows the mildly dysfunctional Johnsons as they road trip to their family reunion in Missouri. On the drive, the family hilariously encounters just about every road trip cliché, from picking up a problematic hitchhiker to running out of gas, before making it to the reunion and performing a musical number to nab the coveted Family of the Year trophy.

'Midnight in Paris' (2011)

Set in present-day Paris, this Oscar-winning film is typically a favorite among art and literature lovers. At midnight each night, screenwriter Gil (Owen Wilson) is transported back in time through different eras of Paris, where he befriends Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Pablo Picasso, and even strikes up a romance with a 1920s woman named Adriana. The film offers plenty of inspiration for a culturally rich trip to France.

'The Parent Trap' (1998)

"The Parent Trap" is another film that may not immediately stand out as a travel flick, but once you take into account the film's many settings ( London , San Francisco, Napa Valley , and the northeastern U.S.), it's easy to see that this family classic has been a travel film all along. Plus, the main characters spend lots of time on planes, boats, and camping trips throughout the movie.

'The Talented Mr. Ripley' (1999)

Carefully spliced between disturbing revelations and suspenseful plot twists are luxurious shots of Italian beaches in this Matt Damon-led film. When Tom Ripley (Damon) is paid to travel to Italy and bring Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) back to the States by Dickie's father, Tom ends up befriending — and later becoming obsessed with — Dickie. Despite the plot quickly darkening, viewers are treated to bright, colorful scenes in Rome and glamorous seaside villages .

'Roman Holiday' (1953)

Romance? Check. Stunning visuals of Rome? Check. Audrey Hepburn? Check. This classic travel comedy lands at the top of many movie buffs' all-time favorite lists, and for good reason. Bored with her mundane life as a European princess while on a trip to Rome, Ann (Hepburn) ditches her duties and hits the town with journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck). The two take viewers on a tour of the Eternal City and fall in love in the process.

'Pee-wee’s Big Adventure' (1985)

Before you roll your eyes, take a moment to acknowledge that this film essentially sends happy-go-lucky Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) on the great American road trip in search of his stolen bicycle. In this comedy for adults and children alike, Pee-wee stops at the Alamo, the Cabazon Dinosaur park in California , and Hollywood . Traveling by car, truck, and train, Pee-wee befriends a biker gang, competes in a rodeo, and of course, famously dances to "Tequila" before his journey is through.

Hillary Maglin is a digital editor who splits most of her time between New York City and Pittsburgh. You can find her on Instagram @hillarymaglin , where her DMs are always open to discuss travel gear, wine bars, and Taylor Swift's latest record.

Related Articles

21 Best Travel Movies That Will Inspire Your Wanderlust

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: September 8, 2023

Are you looking for some good movies about travel to kindle your wanderlust? This article has some great suggestions and some of the best travel films of all time . Find out!

Have you ever found yourself inspired to travel to one or the other location just because you saw it in a movie? It happens to me all the time! So in this article, I share some of my favorite travel movies , the ones that got me googling the filming location and planning a trip before the movie was even over.

If you are looking for a good story or some travel inspiration, then you’ll definitely find it in these films. These are one by one great travel movies and stories that will get you out of the couch and booking a trip to discover new destinations.

Below is my personal selection of some of the best travel movies of all time. Take a look!

Click on the title of the movie to see reviews, get a DVD, or watch it on Amazon Prime . Some of these movies are also available on Netflix.

These are the best travel films:

Into The Wild

Into The Wild is an unbelievable true story of a top student and athlete who abandons everything he has and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. This movie will probably stay with you forever.

It’s an inspiring story taking place in the most incredible landscapes of Alaska. If you choose just a few movies to watch from this list, definitely include this one in your selection!

The Way is a heart-warming story of a father who heads overseas to retrace the last days of his son’s life who passed away while traveling the Camino de Santiago trail in the Pyrenees (France – Spain). Once he gets there, he decides to take the pilgrimage himself.

This movie is about family, friendships, and life choices. And of course, the beautiful places along Camino de Santiago. It’s a powerful story that will make you think deeper about the difference of the life we live and the life we choose.

Under The Tuscan Sun

Under The Tuscan Sun is a romantic story that takes place in rural Tuscany . Lovely landscapes, an Italian lifestyle, and a heart-warming life story make it a perfect choice for a relaxing evening.

This beautiful light-hearted movie will get you planning a trip to Tuscany in Italy sooner than you think.

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty   is a light-hearted story for a movie night with friends. The movie features some of the most incredible travel destinations all over the world.

A lot of the scenes (even the ones from the Himalayas and Afghanistan) are filmed in Iceland and some in Greenland . The unbelievable adventures of Walter Mitty will leave you longing for an extraordinary adventure of your own.

This film is so good that it has inspired thousands and thousands of people to travel more and discover new places. If you watch just one movie from this list of the best travel films, make it ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’. You’ll love it!

A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods movie is based on a true story and a book by Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail .

The famous writer who never hiked much sets on the Appalachian Trail. With a total length of about 2,200 miles (3,500 km), this famous American hiking trail stretches through 14 states along the east coast of the United States, from Georgia to Maine.

I haven’t read the book and the reviews are somewhat mixed (it seems that people either love or hate Bryson and his writing style). But I find that the movie is really funny, entertaining, and the scenery will definitely inspire you to get outdoors and take a hike of your own.

Out of Africa

Ok, I know it’s an old one, but Out of Africa definitely deserves a place in the all-time favorite travel movies list.

Filmed in Kenya and the UK, this classic that has won 7 Oscars and countless other prizes will definitely get you dreaming of Africa. It’s one of those movies that you can watch again and again.

The Motorcycle Diaries

The Motorcycle Diaries is an awe-inspiring film that is based on the memoirs of Che Guevara.

It will take you to the most beautiful places in South America. A beautiful story in an incredible setting.

In Bruges  is very different from all the rest of the travel movies on this list. But I just had to include this movie in the top-20 of the best travel films because it’s filmed in Belgium, where we live.

It’s a hilarious dark comedy and a great performance by all three main characters in the most fantastic setting in Belgium’s most beautiful fairytale town.

If you haven’t been to Bruges, you’ll definitely want to visit it after watching this movie! Here you can find some inspiration with our insider tips for the best things to do in Bruges .

Before Sunrise – Before Sunset – Before Midnight

If you like Europe and deep meaningful dialogues with a good dose of humor, you’ll love this trilogy called Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight . We only discovered these films recently when we accidentally saw the first one, Before Sunrise, on TV. 

Regarded as one of the most significant films of the ’90s, Before Sunrise, was followed by two more sequels. We watched all three films and loved every second of it.

The first movie takes you to Vienna, Austria, the second one – to Paris, and the third – to the Greek Islands.

These travel films are probably not for everyone, but if you can appreciate this style, you’ll love them all!

Amélie

If you haven’t been to Paris yet, you will definitely want to plan a trip after watching this movie. If you have, you’ll want to return.

Amélie is a beautiful example of French cinema. It will also take you to the most inspiring locations in Paris. The film is set in the Montmartre neighborhood in Paris and shows you the more local side of living in this fascinating city.

This travel movie is based on a true story of a young woman who sets on a journey of over 1,000 miles hoping to recover after the passing of her mother.

Wild  is full of beautiful scenes throughout the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. This is one of those travel films that remind you that often the journey is more important than the destination.

Lost In Translation

A beautiful film that shows the fun and unexpected side of traveling in a new country. Lost In Translation is about the many little random travel experiences that stay with you long after you return back home.

The sights and the energy of Tokyo will get you planning a trip to Japan.

‘Lost in Translation’ is considered a real classic and one of the best travel films ever.

Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris is a bit different travel film than all the rest in this selection. And it’s probably not for everyone…

But if you like Woody Allen, Paris, and the artist lifestyle, then you’ll love this surreal story that takes you back to Paris of the 1920s.

A Good Year

A Good Year is a light-hearted romantic story that takes place in the most beautiful setting in the Provence region in the South of France.

This movie will not only inspire you to visit France but might also make you reconsider your life choices. It’s a story about leaving the rat race, getting back to your roots, and enjoying the simple things in life.

A truly great film!

The Way Back

The Way Back is inspired by an incredible true story of seven prisoners from very different backgrounds who try to escape from a Siberian prison in winter.

This movie is filmed in some amazing locations in India, Morocco, and Bulgaria and features some great actors.

The Beach is a great film from the ’90s that has a little bit of everything: good story, beautiful music, and amazing scenery from Thailand. Oh, and the young Leonardo DiCaprio, who once again proves that he deserves the Oscar he finally got recently.

For a while, Thailand even had to close Maya Beach on Koh Phi-Phi due to its increasing popularity which has been attributed mainly to this film. So if you feel inspired to visit Thailand after watching ‘The Beach’, you may want to look for some alternative beaches and beautiful islands.

You can find some inspiration in our Thailand island hopping itinerary .

Tracks is a beautiful adventure film of a young woman who crossed 1,700-miles over the deserts of West Australia with four camels and her faithful dog.

It’s based on a true story and featuring some amazing Australian landscapes. A beautiful film that will inspire you to visit the Australian Outback !

Encounters At The End Of The World

Encounters At The End Of The World is an incredibly beautiful and funny travel film about the people and animals who live in Antarctica.

If Antarctica was not on your travel list yet, it will be after watching this great documentary!

The Bucket List

The Bucket List is sentimental, predictable, and yet a very heart-warming story that will inspire you to tick off your bucket list sooner rather than later.

Filmed in various locations in India, China, Egypt, Tanzania, France, and the U.S., this movie will definitely give you some new ideas for the next trips.

Photos: IMDb

So, this is a list of some of my top travel films and favorite movies about travel. Have you seen any of these films? Which one is your favorite travel movie of all time?

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin this image!

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Monday 18th of September 2023

When I’m always about to go on an adventure I keep coming back to this page to get inspired to travel to somewhere new

Thursday 21st of September 2023

What a great way to find some trip inspiration, Joshua. Happy travels!

Sunday 5th of March 2023

They aren’t travel movies, but The Lord of the Rings trilogy inspired me to go to New Zealand! How could those scenes in the mountains not inspire everyone?

Monday 6th of March 2023

Agree! (and New Zealand is absolutely stunning ;))

Thursday 2nd of March 2023

Thank you for sharing! This list is awesome!

Saturday 22nd of October 2022

If you wanna know one more... U can watch "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara". It means "U won't have a second Life again". It's soo good and so inspiring...thank me later.

Sunday 23rd of October 2022

Thanks for the recommendation, Asif! Will see if we can find this movie.

Sunday 10th of April 2022

Thank you for the awesome movie recommendations

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25 travel films that will make you feel like you're on holiday

By Antonia Quirke

The best films don’t just inspire us to travel, or even make us feel like we have – they are much more. They are time travel. Taking us directly into other eras. Some recreate a different epoch with set-dressing and costumes. Others are actual documents of worlds now lost, such as Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s unforgettable Gabbeh from 1996, about the rural carpet weavers of Iran, capturing with spectacular colour and romance a landscape and community that no longer exists. With such a film we go where we otherwise literally cannot.

We make friends with characters in films similar to the way we make friends on our travels – intensely, fleetingly. We take trips to revisit those people and places when we rewatch our favourites. We travel in our own heads whenever we think of them. That’s where the movies actually live. In our minds, reorganising images and location. The marvellous, muddled movie brain. It’s deeply poetic. Here are 25 films to transport the viewer.

Into The Wild (2007)

Some of the best travel films are based on a true story and Into the Wild , which follows the Alaskan adventure and ultimate demise of Christopher 'Alexander Supertramp' McCandless. Sean Penn's take follows McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, kayaking the Colorado River, summiting snowy peaks, and embodying unchecked wanderlust. It's adventure travel at its best and most reckless, which of course makes for a great film.

Stream it on NOW TV

MAMMA MIA! (2008): THE GREEK ISLANDS

When it was released in 2008, this sunny tribute to ABBA was the most successful movie musical ever. But the onslaught of Scandi pop from Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep is somehow less central to the film’s success than its location. It’s set on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi, and the cast and crew set up in the Sporades island of Skopelos. Amanda Seyfried (Sophie) and Dominic Cooper (Sky) romp about in unspoiled Mediterranean coves such as Kastani Beach. In bad news for fans making the pilgrimage to the island, though, the jetty – where we see Sky’s stag-do mates memorably dance in flippers – was temporarily added for the film. Perhaps most striking is Agios Ioannis, where Sophie and Sky are due to be married. This dinky church sits precariously above a 100-metre cliff face in the north of the island, with 202 steps leading to the summit. Sarah James

Stream on Netflix

Where was Mamma Mia! filmed in Greece?

REBECCA (2020): CORNWALL

The 2020 Netflix adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s Gothic classic Rebecca travelled all across England to recreate Manderley, arguably the most famous fictional house ever dreamt up. The vast Cornish estate belonging to Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer) is said to be one of the most beautiful properties in the country – but in real life, the crew took elements of several locations to create a composite of this impressive mansion. The exterior was shot at 17th-century Cranborne Manor in Dorset, while most of the interior was filmed at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire (also used in The Favourite and The Crown ). Back in Dorset, Mapperton House’s 15 acres of gardens stand in as Manderley’s grounds. Away from Manderley, we see Lily James (Mrs de Winter) and Armie Hammer strolling the wild Cornish coast, actually filmed in Devon’s Hartland Quay. And further afield, Monaco’s Jardin Exotique and the Belle Epoque Ancien Hôtel Régina in Nice also make star appearances. Sarah James

Where was Rebecca filmed? A locations guide

MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (2018): CROATIA

While its predecessor made use of a thriving Greek isle for its sunny location shots, the sequel – filmed a whole decade later – moved the production to a sleepy Croatian outlet, Vis. This rugged 35 square-mile island, one and a half hours from mainland Croatia , was home to the cast and crew for six weeks. Lily James, who plays a young Donna (played by Meryl Streep in later life) strolls around Srebrna Bay with her lover Sam (Jeremy Irvine), while Vis harbour also stars. Kalokairi’s famous jetty from the first film appears again in the sequel, this time set up on the western tip of the island, Barjaci. Greek food was even imported to the island, to add to the all-important authenticity. Sarah James

Where 'Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again' was filmed

Carol (2015)

The film follows a young clerk at a department store (Rooney Mara) who falls for the titular Carol (Cate Blanchett), a glamorous older woman who comes into the shop one day and leaves with more than a new scarf. The two embark on a tentative affair which leads them through Fifties New York and on a road trip across America.

Stream it on Amazon Prime

THE DARJEELING LIMITED (2007): RAJASTHAN

Three brothers head across Rajasthan by train, truck and scooter in a film that feels it’s in perpetual motion; a flick-book of vividly coloured paintings of Hindu gods, and people in their multitudinous safas and ghagra cholis . Even the dust of the Rajasthani plains looks infused with pale saffron – in one scene the sand almost seems to be aflame, while the soundtrack plays Debussy’s ‘Clair de lune’: moon and fire combined. Ice and heat. The best scenes, on a cross-country train, take place in an antiquated, super-florid luxury dining car that seems fantastical but might very well be an immaculate reconstruction of the real thing. Anybody who’s been to this part of India knows it’s more than possible. Chandeliers hugger-mugger with those intricate paintings of princes hunting gazelles or Shiva bringing the Ganges down from heaven or Vishnu Vaikuntha defeating the king of Kangra. All the while, carriage windows flash past camels and scared cows, parakeets, doves and crows, old tombs and thorn scrub and the ruins of temples, to the rattle of Raj-era cutlery and the boiling of perpetual chai.

Stream on Amazon Prime

ROMA (2018): MEXCIO CITY

Director Alfonso Cuarón has a thing about beaches – they represent liberty and potency to him. His adored 2001 road movie Y Tu Mamá También , about two randy teenagers heading down Mexico ’s southern coast, shows a beach so analgesically romantic it’s since become a very specific and celebrated destination for fans (Bahías de Huatulco, about 70 miles east of Puerto Escondido, in case you’re interested). In the movie, that cove with sand like cool velvet looks like a defining image of excitement tinged with vital regret. All summers must end. The director’s autobiographical mega-hit Roma is mostly set in Seventies Mexico City , where he was raised, and the scenes when the family at the centre of the story head to the beaches at Tuxpan for a holiday completely knocks our heads off. Huge breakers, salt and wind, children’s voices bouncing hard across the water, enlivening both the family on screen and the audience. Beaches: beautiful and dangerous. In full view of your loved ones you can be eaten by a shark. Or drown. Get swept away. When I interviewed Cuarón a couple of years ago and mentioned the beaches in his films, he hooted and nodded. And said there was nothing in his childhood like that thrilling, nervy sensation of leaving Mexico City and heading towards the sea: ‘I longed for those moments.’

Where was Roma filmed?

LITTLE WOMEN (2019): NEW ENGLAND

On the subject of beaches, if there are better seaside scenes in a recent movie than the ones shot along Crane Beach in Massachusetts for Greta Gerwig’s cherished new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel, I’d like to see them. The rest of the film centres mostly on the house of the March family: a near-cloying mirage of heritage clapboard, open fires, American quilts, dried-flower swags, lanterns in the snow, Christmas feasts, Marmee hurrying forth with still-warm bread in a wicker basket. But when the girls head to Crane Beach for a picnic one spring day, the camera tracks the grass-fringed dunes and waters of one of north-east America’s most spectacular shores, studded with rare piping plovers – just outside the town of Ipswich and along towards the Essex River Estuary and salt marshes. Suddenly the film gulps in fresh air. Laurie flirts madly with an oblivious Jo all along the water’s edge as the sun throws armfuls of pure light across white sand out from the screen right across us.

Where is the new 'Little Women' filmed?

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019): LOS ANGELES

Tarantino’s lauded love letter to late-Sixties LA, and a semi-fantasy version of the city, now (natch) a popular bus tour all of its own. The seductive and enthralling locations are countless – the 1938 Aquarius Theatre, the Puerco Canyon in Malibu , Casa Vega on Ventura Boulevard... How well Tarantino captures the sense of the sprawling movie lots, the vacant extras, the catering trucks, the everyday strangeness of it all. The tone of the movie is phenomenal, capturing not just a fascinating place in time but a newly famous, and doomed, woman in that specific place in time: Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), filmed bowling down the freeway in her convertible, or watching herself in a movie in amazement, or just dancing and laughing at a party in a modernist bohemian enclave of the Hollywood Hills (away from ‘the tired old men and tired old money,’ as Raymond Chandler once put it to describe other Californian neighbourhoods). A woman at the high point of her happiness. ‘Good air, and a view of the mountains,’ Chandler also declared, was the best LA (ie, life) could offer. What more could any of us want?

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood locations – the LA filming spots

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MUD (2012): MISSISSIPPI

‘This way of life ain’t long for this world…’ A story set today but with a woozy, antique feel – from its opening moments you suspect it’s a remake of a much older movie (it’s not). Or at least inspired by something written by Mark Twain, especially when one of the characters turns out to be called Tom Blankenship, the name of Twain’s childhood friend and the real-life Huckleberry Finn. The characters live along the Mississippi in wooden houseboats that crouch low along the water, hand to mouth, fishing for crawfish and mussels, and occasionally bringing up pearls. Two kind children meet Mud, an unfrightening convict hiding out on an uninhabited island in the river – Matthew McConaughey, the most handsome of Magwitch types, despite being drenched in perpetual sweat and wearing unlovely dentures. It’s filmed in the Arkansas Delta Lowlands and an island outside Eudora, and the Mississippi itself is ever-present, verdant and varied. Mystical, historical, aesthetic. Sometimes big as a sea, other times full of winding creeks and inlets edged in low-slung trees and the soft furze of mossy stones. In one scene in the morning, a dreamlike mist hovers and a snake curls through the water, geese languidly flying in a crescent overhead. You want to enter the frame as the river’s slow green flow crinkles in the occasional breeze.

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CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017): ITALY

Teenage Elio falls for handsome doctoral student Oliver, who’s spending the summer with his family. It’s not that the Italian town and its surrounds here – Crema, in Lombardy – is devastatingly gorgeous. Or that the villa where it’s set is headturningly historic. Or any of the too-unctuous things that usually oversell locations in movies: it’s the weirdly accurate sense of time and milieu that it grasps. Of being just ‘somewhere in Italy’, in 1983, seeing out the summer. The cardboardy towels. The wrong-sized bike. Nesquik on the breakfast table. Plates of over-bruised cherries. The endless cigarettes, and clanging of church bells. You’ve been to that town during an unreliably warm July. You’ve sat in a Fiat picking at the door-catch. Endured evenings in the living room while someone has a go on the piano and others watch telly. Gone to bed early, listless. Had a cold swim in a local river. Crushed on the exchange student’s middle brother. And even though it’s a film about love and passionate sex and quashed dreams – and so upliftingly sad – it’s also the safest and familiar-feeling movie of all time. Like Wordsworth’s bright ‘spots of time’, it could be your own memories.

Where was Call Me By Your Name filmed?

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011): Paris

‘How is anybody ever going to come up with a book or a painting or a symphony or a sculpture that can compete with a great city?’ Specifically, Paris . So many shots in Woody Allen’s relentlessly charming amusement about an American writer (Owen Wilson) accidentally travelling back in time to Paris in the 1920s and meeting such panjandrums as Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll, incandescent) show the city drenched in rain. Absolutely pelting down. Rain racing in the gutters. Rain hammering on the Seine, turning it white. The shots, though brief, seem to go on for long moments. The narcotic beauty of it! The insatiable longing that descends on us as the movie goes on – to be negotiating some café chair yourself, under an awning off the Pont Neuf, with your coat collar up, ordering coffee swilling with Armagnac while your shopping bags dissolve in the deluge. ‘How drop-dead gorgeous this city is in the rain!’ says Wilson. The same might be said for all cities, really – they magically turn into mirrors in the rain. Street puddles reflect light glimmeringly back upon itself. But Paris, being rain-coloured to begin with (those silver-grey apartment buildings), does rain best.

PHANTOM THREAD (2017): London

A masterpiece, especially for the way it conjures London . Rarely is the city filmed in wide-shot (we never see a whole street), and yet you come away completely immersed in the place and era. It’s set circa 1953, with Daniel Day-Lewis playing a couture designer living and working in a smart London square off the Marylebone Road. His house is a high-stretching, late-Georgian caress of a building: polished parquet, stucco, white shutters, immaculate cupola and a vaulted staircase that winds into infinity past rooms filled with assiduous seamstresses. Here is the air of wealth. European royalty come and go, immaculately lipsticked, being fitted for weddings. And yet at the same time there’s something very close and secretive and quintessentially Fifties to the movie – it has the tone of a Muriel Sharp novel. The city reveals itself in alluring details only. Doors slightly ajar reveal shadows of the square beyond. Through tall sashed windows, as a countess is swathed in tulle and pinned, we see plane trees and sky and elegant brick. Perhaps the red blur of a London bus. You marvel that this is all we need to so successfully locate us in a place. A certain corner. A statue. Beautiful Sanderson wallpaper. Whenever I’m in the area I find myself walking out of my way especially to sit in Fitzroy Square where it was filmed, thinking about Daniel Day-Lewis eating a plate of porridge with cream for breakfast and drinking his lapsang, frowning and sketching while London wakes up beyond his casement.

INTO THE WILD (2007): ALASKA

‘I love not Man the less, but Nature more,’ Byron wrote. This movie is as much as anything about travelling alone. Christopher McCandless was a restless young American seeking personal revitalisation by hitching towards Alaska in the early 1990s, inspired in part by Walt Whitman (‘I take to the open road’). Emile Hirsch’s McCandless grows ever thinner in leaky boots, his rucksack brimming with guides to edible plants, his hair a dustbowl, scrawny arms eternally on the brink of throwing each meagre item in his possession off a bridge just to ensure he won’t lose the focus of his ideals. Living on what he can forage, he strikes up brief friendships – in that intense, addictive way that any backpacker will recognise – with a catalogue of characters en route. The suspiciously buoyant Swedish campers. The caring older couple keen to offer their advice. The watchful girl with a guitar and a sheaf of sad songs. From the wheat fields of South Dakota and the blue water of the Topock Gorge, everything we see looks gorgeous. Especially the very guts of Alaska itself when we get there – huge skies of winter sunshine. It’s a landscape that eventually consumed McCandless, and its vigour and immensity feel overwhelming.

UNCUT GEMS (2019): NEW YORK CITY

The most exciting crime thriller in years, about a New York City jeweller (Adam Sandler) perpetually on the crazed lookout for the next big score. It’s a movie completely charged by a desire to evoke the thrum of the diamond district and all the stories that the directors – the obsessive, hard-working Safdie brothers – heard their father tell about that part of the city. Stories that sounded to them like irresistible mini pulp-genre flicks as teenagers. It’s mostly filmed on 47th Street. An outdated, antiquated world; a cash-based economy of gemstones and bartering. The movie comes at you yelling. There are scenes where you feel like every argument, every deal, every scam is being drilled right into your head, the sound mix is so chaotic and vivid. Layers and layers of conversation and alarms and traffic and mobile phones. The Safdies didn’t close the area off for their exterior shots – they just went right out on the street, real pedestrians mixing unknowingly with extras (in that way of other indelible New York movies including Marathon Man , or Tootsie , when Dustin Hoffman, dressed as Dorothy for the first time, totters with prim perfection past unsuspecting members of the actual public). But more than anything, it’s the way that 47th Street itself is clearly utterly alive for everyone involved, a living thing that they just can't stop thinking about. A knockout.

TRACKS (2013): DESERTS

Of all films shot in the desert , this one feels most saturated in a hypnotic, sunbaked, slow-blooded yellowness. A thirsty, seductive amber. It is perhaps the ultimate cinematic dream of aloneness. Mia Wasikowska stars in the true story of Australian writer Robyn Davidson , who, aged 27, walked 1,700 miles across bone-dry west Australia – for the hell of it, for the thrill, the peace – with just a few doting camels for company. ‘I’d always been drawn to the purity of the desert. The hot wind and the wide open spaces,’ she says. Occasionally she’s followed by a Time magazine photographer (played by a then-unknown and thrillingly idiosyncratic Adam Driver), who gazes at Mia’s upturned freckled frown approaching through heat-shimmers with a kind of existential longing we all share by the end of the movie : Tracks makes you want to be a different sort of person. Happier with solitude. Braver.

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY (1999): ITALY

The look on Matt Damon’s face says it all. His character, Tom Ripley – low-born American charlatan, villainous but compelling impersonator – has come, in the late 1950s, to ‘Mongibello’, an amalgam of southern Italy’s Positano , Procida and Ischia , to spy on Jude Law’s Dickie Greenleaf, a WASP trust-fund brat. It’s not just Law’s startling eyes (blue as borage) and insolently expensive caramel curls that Ripley desires. Everything Tom sees, he covets. The candy-coloured houses clambering up the sparkling coast. The scooters and tans, the rattan bags and sandals. Espresso taken under citrus trees whilst playing at writing novels in the cobbled Amalfi afternoons; to the sound of Chet Baker and swifts and clapping masts in the bay below. But here’s Rome , too, at Christmas , with fairy lights swagged across chilly fountains. And Venice on a vivid blue day out of season, boats transporting socialites in cashmere. The freedom, the glamour and history of Italy! Away from the ‘subways and taxis and starched collars’ of America . All captured in Damon’s expression.

A BIGGER SPLASH (2015): PANTELLERIA

This movie, about a British rock singer hiding from the world on a Sicilian island, and wrangling her troublesome lovers, is pretty much perfect. Sexy, hilarious and, absurd, it’s shot on a large, elegant old estate dotted with traditional houses (called dammusi; they look like scarab beetles), crimson hibiscus and Maiolica ceramics. A vivid yellow and blue swimming pool sits by a walled Arabian garden with a citrus tree that catches the movement of the light throughout the day like a sundial. In some of the best scenes, Matthias Schoenaerts drives an old Citroën Méhari (they’re everywhere here), sexily negotiating the pitted tracks and potholes of the roads, flooring the clutch in trodden-down deck shoes and blasting Captain Beefheart while Tilda Swinton hangs off his neck. Flowing fields of capers give way to sudden swathes of amber flowers that look like waving hedgerows of Champagne. There’s a lagoon in the opening scene that islanders call the Mirror of Venus – an ancient caldera coloured the outlandish blue of a Himalayan poppy, where Swinton and Schoenaerts spend the morning crusted in skin-softening mud, snogging and sleeping. Where is this? you ask just about every time the scenery changes. The location glowers and shadows, and by the end you’re wind-blasted, ensnared. Interviewing the director, Luca Guadagnino , once, I told him I’d visited Pantelleria in tribute to the movie . ‘When you were there, did you dream?’ he asked. ‘Oh the dreams on Pantelleria! So dramatic. So tempestuous. Oh, the dreams….’

BOY ON A DOLPHIN (1957): HYDRA

Leonard Cohen would have put the Greek island of Hydra on the map when he made it his home in 1960, if this film hadn’t pipped him to the post. Sophia Loren stars as a sponge diver in a patently ridiculous tale of skulduggery and salvaged ancient statues, and many of those still living on the island appeared in the film as children, and talk about it like it all happened yesterday. However foolish the plot, the film is mesmeric, the camera capturing so much of what makes Hydra (then, and still) a kind of paradise. Sere thistles and Judas trees punctuate the shore as we swoop past grand villas and smaller overhanging-flowered cottages, water glistering off rocky shores, sponges in the underwater shots the colour of caramel, coming up from abyssal depths. And up comes Sophia too, time and again, clutching one to her historic décolleté after a dive (‘Her double was even more beautiful!’ the harbour master here once told me.) Watching the movie you see how little the island’s one main town has changed. Shaped like a horseshoe, the port backing into a natural amphitheatre dotted with russet and citrine, 18th-century, Genoese-designed millionaire-mariner’s mansions; coiling around these houses, intensely warm coloured in the sun, are white labyrinths of high steps and streets which take on a honeysuckle glow in the pale evening shadows. They sometimes show the film in the port during the summer , and people shout ‘There’s my house!’ and whoop and applaud.

IN BRUGES (2008): BRUGES

A movie that seems to have been made in part as an advert for its location, In Bruges simultaneously – so cleverly, so irresistibly – offers a challenge to any prospective visitor. Writer-director Martin McDonagh knows that we are all sitting there silently earmarking the city as a MUST VISIT IMMEDIATELY, as he sends his two antiheroes, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson – soft-hearted, doomed Irish hitmen both – to hang out in the medieval capital of the County of Flanders, waiting for instructions from their nutty, Bruges-fanatic boss (an incandescent Ralph Fiennes ). Where Farrell is furiously bored by the town (history is ‘all just a load of stuff that’s already happened’), Gleeson is completely charmed (‘all those canals and bridges and cobbled streets…’) and the camera flits down the waterways and through the squares, picking out glowering swans and moonlight reflected off leaded windows as Farrell rants and Gleeson goes assiduously to museums. Oh, the bloodied wintry sunsets over 13th-century stone belfries. Bruges is famously photogenic – but what the film comprehends is its more menacing thrum and darkness, its greater sense of fate. The film’s a taunt to the traveller, an enticement.

KING KONG (1933): NEW YORK

The only film to have debuted simultaneously at the two largest movie theatres in NYC , the Roxy and Radio City Music Hall – 10 screenings a day, each sold out. And not just because of the magnificent scenes of the giant ape, cinema’s favourite misfit, uprooted from his prehistoric Skull Island lair, where he had lived in roaring disharmony with dinosaurs. But it’s loved more, I think, for the scenes in New York , where his co-star Fay Wray is first discovered, pale under a little cloche hat, stealing an apple from a stall off Broadway. The lights of Times Square – ads for Pepsodent and Chevrolet – glisten in a winter fog. The Manhattan skyline is seen from the New Jersey side of the Hudson, with the sharp jag of the Chrysler Building looking like an arrow to the heavens. It seems to impersonate the slimness and sparkle of Wray herself. And when Kong hangs off the top of the Empire State at the end of the movie, a furious dawn sun breaks through the clouds as in Titian’s painting of Goliath, and we spot Central Park below, a patch of wild space in this most designed and thrusting of cities. With this backdrop, Wray struggles in the monster’s grip in a powerful image of unrequited love.

BRIGHT STAR (2009): HAMPSTEAD HEATH

‘The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild…’ wrote the incomparable Romantic poet John Keats, in a verse composed while sitting under a plum tree in a garden on Hampstead Heath in 1819. Then, Hampstead was his adopted locale, in a house that still stands up by the Spaniards pub, when the village was a day’s march from the city of London. The heath area there today remains 800 acres of ancient parkland, woodland and meadow. This film, about Keats’s time in Hampstead, might send you directly there – and the reality won’t disappoint. ‘I’ve explored all these paths,’ explains Ben Whishaw’s unbearably tender, dying Keats to his beloved neighbour and betrothed Fanny Brawne, ‘which are more in number than your eyelashes…’ Moments in the film are so sad and beautiful that audiences openly wept. Here’s drama and plot and love and tragedy, and yet sometimes the whole thing feels like a super-feminine, drowsy montage of sensations and beauty; a spring bower of magnolia buds and bluebells, butterflies and dew-drenched poppies. High reeds around the swimming ponds, blurred dragonflies, the occasional glimpse of St Paul’s in the grey distance reminding you that a whole city beckons below, with all its hardness and reality. Death is inescapable. If only we could dawdle forever in this high Hampstead dell.

FINAL PORTRAIT (2017): PARIS

To the Montparnasse studio of the great Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti, in 1964. This wasn’t even filmed in the city and yet still manages to give that most charismatic, celebrated of terrains – the Left Bank of the Seine – more than its due. Director Stanley Tucci used to joke that this was the easiest job he’d ever had – walking to the Twickenham set to film, from his home by the Thames. On those walks he would think about how to bring Paris to the audience, in this cluttered, grimy art-studio setting that its owner once called ‘the prettiest and humblest of them all’. Magically, Tucci pulls it off. The belted macs on the hurrying extras in the street, the cigarettes and cigarettes, Geoffrey Rush as the artist with his tremendous uprush of grey curls, head held in concentration and then growing impatience over red wine and espressos gulped in neighbouring cafés. The bells of – is it? Yes… – Notre-Dame pealing eerily as the grey winter light ekes its way through the glass while Giacometti works with frozen hands. ‘Everything is about to dissolve, everything is floating,’ noted the writer Jean Genet once, of the studio that Tucci has recreated with such spirit. ‘And yet it all appears to be captured in an absolute reality.’

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000): CHINA

Ang Lee’s swooning Chinese martial-arts fable involving two sets of lovers, a missing sword and the theft of an ivory comb, is set under the Qing dynasty, during the 19th-century – and yet the story feels far, far older. It seems to inhabit some indefinite, painted past, with a teeming hinterland of Mongol invaders and a heart-poundingly romantic closing scene showing steps leading up a forested, moss-bursting mountain towards an ageless temple. The characters literally float when in combat (the actors were hoisted frighteningly high on wires), silk robes streaming, and what we see and hear beneath them makes us twitch to be there: pink-throbbing cherry blossom , the whistling of fighters in vast woodlands, horses tearing across the Gobi Desert. Paper lanterns in the dusk of antique Chinese courtyards, the sort of architecture that seems to unfold in the dim light, like a delicate paper scroll, while Yo-Yo Ma bursts the life out of his cello on the soundtrack.

HOTEL SALVATION (2016): VARANASI

It could be morbid: a film about the hostels in the holy city on the Ganges where elderly Hindus take themselves off to die, having decided enough is enough. They buy their time-slot and simply prepare, seemingly unquestioningly, for the end – families visit, pyres are built along the riverbank, the days tick by. Such hostels exist. And yet… young director Shubhashish Bhutiani, with little to no budget, moves with instinctive swagger and tenderness amongst the crowds with his cinematographer – especially in the scenes along the river, which are pure vérité, catching faces in rhapsodic moments of grief and humour and wonder. There’s a scene during a mass prayer ceremony where many celebrants have been drinking lassi laced with mango and marijuana, singing on the steps of old temples, boats hugger-mugger, flares lit, stars hanging like lamps over green-blossomed champak trees, voices rising in urgent unison. Such wit in every shot, but love, too, and also that sense of a film learning new and quite mystical things about an old, old religion – and an even older country.

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60 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Wanderlust

Written By: The Planet D

Travel Movies

Updated On: February 14, 2024

What makes for great travel movies? We feel it is when the destination becomes the star. A movie that showcases beautiful cities , landscapes, and culture is a movie that inspires us to visit a destination or relive our time there when we get home. Dave and I love movies. We worked in the film business in our previous careers and lived for the cinema. So when we chose our list of the best travel movies, we took it seriously. 

Table of Contents

The Best Travel Movies

Our choices for the best travel movies are probably very different than yours, so leave a comment and let us know what you think the best travel movies are. We are always looking for new travel films to ignite our wanderlust. To rent or buy one of these travel films to inspire wanderlust right now, check out Amazon Instant Video

The Best Travel Movies to Inspire Wanderlust

1. in bruges.

This is by far the best travel movie. One of the characters actually carries around a guidebook! If you love a good caper set in an exotic location, you’ll love In Bruges. Collin Farrel and Brendan Gleeson star as two hit men who are sent to Bruges, Belgium to hide out after a job goes bad.

The more Colin Farrell’s character complained of hating Bruges (in Belgium), the more you took in the surroundings of Bruges and noticed just how picturesque the city is. While the film is primarily a crime drama and dark comedy it intertwines the city’s picturesque locations and cultural aspects with the narrative seamlessly.

Rent or Buy In Bruges on Amazon

2. banshees of inisherin trailer

I was so excited to see Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reunite and this time, they share screen time in one of the newest travel films on our list, the Banshees of Inisherin. The movie takes place on the Aran Islands of Ireland and showcases the beauty of that destination as two friends go through some very dark times.

Gleessan’s character Colm decides he has wasted his life and cuts ties with his lifelong best friend Pádraic (Farrell) and all kinds of darkness begins. It had some of the best acting I’ve seen in years, and every one of the four main cast was nominated for Acadamy Awards.

3. One Week

One of our favorite travel movies of all time. And not because it is set in Canada. One Week follows a young man driving a motorcycle on a cross-country road trip across Canada after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. No movie has made me want to explore a country more than One Week. It showcases Canada beautifully.

I didn’t want to see this movie because of its morbid subject, but it ended up being an uplifting and enlightening film of self-discovery. It truly is the ultimate Canadian road trip movie. Rent One Week Here on Amazon

4. Secret Life of Walter Mitty

I had to watch this most popular of all travel films twice before deciding I liked The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and I can understand why it is at the top of most lists of best travel movies. This movie takes you from New York, to Iceland, Greenland and the Himalayas.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty shows how taking a risk and getting out of your comfort zone can lead to great things. The ending was my favorite, but I won’t spoil it for you. Rent it now .

5. Before Sunrise Trilogy

We have three of our favorite travel movies in one package! And each showcases the destination they are in. The Before Sunrise movies are about love but they are also very much travel films. They were filmed 10 years apart and they take place in three different locations around Europe – Vienna , Paris , and Greece .

The Before Sunrise trilogies capture the essence of each destination. And here’s a cool fact – Dave and I stayed at  Costa Navarino  in Greece where After Midnight took place!

It is probably the best of all romantic travel movies out there that literally spans three decades. (They film a movie every 10 years). Watch Before Sunrise and Sunset on Amazon Prime

6. Planes Trains and Automobiles

John Candy and Steve Martin take an unexpected cross country road trip from New York City to Chicago. This is Dave’s pick for the best travel movie.

This is considered one of the great comedy travel movies, but I look at it as a drama. John Candy’s character breaks my heart. You may think of it as a holiday film but it is also one of the funniest travel films out there. If you’re in the mood for a good heartfelt comedy,  rent it today.

7. Julie & Julia

Not only does Julie and Julia star the great Meryl Streep but this travel movie is based on blogging. It’s like it was made for us! I was surprised by how much I loved this movie based on the true story of Julia Child and I didn’t go in expecting much.

Julie & Julia follows the life of Julia Child during her time in Paris and cuts throughout to the present day in New York . It makes you crave French cuisine and a life of decadence in France. When it comes to choosing a  favorite travel movie this one is right up there. Rent it now

8. The Big Year

The Big Year follows Jack Black (who doesn’t love Jack Black?), Owen Wilson, and Steve Martin traveling around the United States with hopes of becoming the number 1 bird watcher in the world. It ended up being one of the most surprising travel films I’ve seen.

They are obsessed with spotting more species of birds than any other person in 365 days. I related to this movie because it is more about the journey and how having a great adventure can change a life. Rent it Now

Best Travel Movies for Adventure Lovers

9. into the wild.

The real-life true story chronicles the journey of  Christopher McCandless who went on a cross country road trip through the US and ended up in Alaska .

I read Into the Wild years ago and was mesmerized trying to figure out how someone could give up everything to go and live off the grid. John Krakauer dug into the psyche of McCandless and what motivates people to take risks.

Things don’t turn out as he hoped, and it is a lesson learned for would-be adventurers. Enjoy it now !

Wild is an adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s travel memoir, From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail. Based on a true story, it follows her journey about putting a life back together after it all falls apart.

Pushing the limits physically on the Pacific Crest Trail and stepping out of her comfort zone take her on a journey of self-discovery. A struggle and journey can change a life and Reese Witherspoon is excellant as usual. Check it out on Amazon

11. Everest

Everest by John Krakauer is the true story of the catastrophe that happened on Everest in 1996. It’s a first-hand account by Krakauer who was on Everest at the time. While the movie focuses on the events, it does showcase the psyche of why people climb mountains and it shows the culture and beauty of the Everest Region.

As far as travel movies go, even though it is based on a dark subject, it does make me want to go to Everest. So we did! Plus, it stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Brolin, so how can you go wrong?

• You can rent this movie made in Hollywood
• You can also check out the documentary.

Tracks is another travel movie base on a true story and I really enjoyed it. It’s a film about a young woman who walks across Australia from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean with four camels and her pet dog.

What I really liked is how the lead character Robyn Davidson learns the skills needed to survive. She is visited by a photographer from National Geographic who shared her story and was led through the sacred lands of the Outback by an Aboriginal elder. Watch this Amazing true story on Amazon ! 

13. World’s Fastest Indian 

From New Zealand to America, Anthony Hopkins takes his Indian Motorcycle to the salt flats to see how far he can go. The World’s Fastest Indian is one of my favorite performances by Hopkins and it is one of the great underrated travel movies.

He is vulnerable, lovable, and inspiring. This true story takes you on a fun road trip along the way until he reaches the Salt Flats of California and that is when you really start rooting for him to win! Rent it on Amazon Prime

14. Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert

Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert follows a group of drag queens taking a cross country road trip in a van named “Pricilla” from Sydney to Alice Springs where they are going to perform their drag show.

They meet a lot of characters along the way and this film introduced us to superstars Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce who joined the already-established Terrence Stamp.

15. Motorcycle Diaries

Ever since watching one of the best travel movies about South America, (you guessed it, the Motorcycle Diaries) wanted to do a road trip through South America. (PS. I’m still dreaming of that road trip through South America one day)

Gael García Bernal stars as Che Guevera and it follows his journey on a motorcycle trip through South America before he became a part of the revolution. This movie is based on a true story where Che traveled through the continent and I believe it was traveling through South America that Che saw what people were going through and that is what sparked him to take action in his own way.

• Check it out for yourself
• Rent it on Amazon

16. The Way

Dave and I have always wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain. This movie is a bittersweet tribute to the epic hike. Acting legend Martin Sheen walks the trail to honor his son Emilio Estevez (also director) who died on the walk. This movie explores themes of grief, regret, and understanding.

Sheen’s character finishes what his son started helping him connect and understand his son while examining his own life and is one of the most moving travel movies on our list. You can watch it on Amazon

Best Classic Travel Movies

17. lawrence of arabia.

Lawrence of Arabia made us dream of the Arabian Desert and that is what travel films are meant to do. I would say that this is often considered one of the best travel movies of all time. It’s the original travel movie for sure and it really does capture the majesty of the Arabian Desert.

When we got the chance to visit Jordan and walk in the footsteps of the real Lawrence of Arabia, we couldn’t believe we were living our own travel movie. This will make you want to go on an adventure and spend the night in a Bedouin tent. Rent it on Amazon Prime Now

18. Out of Africa

If you want another Meryl Streep vehicle that is often considered one of the best travel movies, you should try  Out of Africa. Out of Africa takes place in a different time, but it captures the heart of Africa beautifully.

Based on a true story, Meryl Streep stars as a married baroness in love with big game hunter Robert Redford. Their chemistry is unmistakable. She falls in love with Africa and you will fall in love with it too.

The cinematography is outstanding. It won 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Cinematography. Rent Out of Africa

19. Romancing the Stone

Who didn’t fantasize about an adventure in Colombia after watching Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas in Romancing the Stone? As a kid I always thought about the line “ I need to get to Cartagena ” and while I had no idea where Cartagena was,(It’s in South America by the way) I knew it was exciting.

In the most romanticly fun of travel movies, Kathleen Turner transformed from a scared writer who merely writes about adventure, to a woman encountering an adventure and meeting a rugged mysterious man in exotic Columbia. Watch Romancing the Stone today

20. The Bucket List

With two of my favorite actors and a message to live life to the fullest, the Bucket List is one amazing movie and one of the best travel movies. I think it actually invented the term, The Bucket List. The phrase has been overused in recent years, but the message never gets old. The Bucket List is the original “live your dreams now” travel movie.

It’s beautifully acted, heartfelt, and showcases how life should be lived to the fullest. Rent or buy it here!

Most people say that Amelie is one of the best travel movies of all time. So this list wouldn’t be complete without it. I did love the views of Paris and the everyday life showcased in Montmartre.

I also enjoyed the uplifting message of a quiet young woman named, Amelie helping the people around her in the lovely district of Montmartre in Paris. If you want to watch sweeping scenes through Paris streets and if you love Paris, you can’t help but like Amelie. So check it out !

22. Roman Holiday

This did not age well in our opinion. We watched it recently and it is just downright bad. Many people will probably disagree. But as far as travel movies go, it is fun to see a princess posing as a regular young Woman zipping around Rome.

They should remake Roman Holiday, it would be fun. Rent it on Prime

23. Sideways

I admit it. After this movie came out, I didn’t drink Merlot for years! Sideways takes us on a road trip through California wine country and it really is filled with amazing performances by Paul Giamatti, Sandra Oh, Virginia Madsen, and Thomas Hayden Church.

We have been to Santa Maria, California, and this movie captures the feel of wine country perfectly. Rent or buy on Amazon Prime 

24. Up in the Air

Up in the Air makes you love the idea of travel but it shows the emptiness that the life of a vagabond can lead to if you don’t stay grounded with your family and friends. It’s not in the genre of typical travel films out there, but travel is the main theme.

I cannot go through airport security anymore without thinking of George Clooney as his character has the art of travel down to a science.

This movie also has a great message that Dave and I can relate to. We all become so consumed with our careers and our lives that we forget about what is important. Get it on Amazon Instant Video

Best Travel Movies Highlighting Destinations

25. ticket to paradise.

Our newest addition to our travel movies is from two legends, George Clooney and Julia Roberts who take us to Bali for their daughter’s wedding. The two divorced years ago, but agree that their daughter is too young to get married and decide to sabotage the wedding.

This movie showcases the culture and beauty of Bali while showing us once again how travel can be transformational and can change your life.

I love these two together, George and Julia, and great friends in real life and have amazing on-screen chemistry.

26. The Beach – Thailand

The Beach is the original backpacker slacker travel film. The Beach captures what Thailand was like before tourists started flocking to it en-masse. At one time, it was an off-the-beaten-path backpacker destination. We enjoyed the book more, but you can never go wrong with Leo.

If you want to get a sense of what it was like to travel to Thailand before mass tourism, this is a good movie for you. Plus it is beautiful and as far as travel movies go, it will make you want to go to Thailand. Not only are the people beautiful, but the scenery of southern Thailand is also out of this world.

Take in the journey as they search for a hidden beach that is pure perfection.

27. Lost in Translation – Tokyo

Tokyo is a bit strange. It is unlike anywhere else on earth, and Lost in Translation showcases the culture shock that one feels when staying in a different city.

There are different customs in Japan and the culture is much different than anywhere else and this movie captures that odd feeling you get when traveling there. Lost in Translation highlights some of the best spots in Tokyo.

The hotel where the movie takes place still has one of the best views in the city! And who doesn’t love Bill Murray? He is priceless and it’s one of Scarlett Johanson’s best performances. Check it Out

28. Slumdog Millionaire – India

We traveled to India in 2010 and Slumdog Millionaire seemed to capture the true slums of India while showcasing the heart of the people. Many of the rich cities are modern, but when traveling through rural India and the poorer areas, this is what it’s like.

Dev Patel stars as a young Indian boy who gets on a game show that could change his life. It’s heartbreaking, raw, and sometimes uncomfortable which is exactly what travel can be too hence why it made the list of our favorite travel movies. Download it here on Amazon

If you are a fan of Dev Patel (as we are) you will love him in another of our favorite travel films, Lion. Lion is based on a true story and is an emotional journey that takes audiences across India and Australia spanning cultures, and decades.

Patel plays Saroo Brierley, a young Indian boy who gets lost on a train in India at the age of five. After surviving several challenges on the streets of Kolkata and eventually being adopted by an Australian family, Saroo, as an adult, uses Google Earth to find his birth mother and the journey begins. The movie also stars Nicol Kidman.

30. Vicky, Cristina Barcelona – Spain

Admit it, we all want to go to Spain and run into beautiful people like Penelope Cruz and Javier Barden. I think this movie did so well because it inspired everyone to go to Barcelona. (That’s our criteria for choosing the best travel movies, how they inspired travel)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona makes us dream of the cities in Spain , the passion of the Spanish people and getting away for a summer in Spain.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona definitely is an inspiring travel movie and one of the best travel films out there. It really captures the energy and passion of Spain in Barcelona . Rent Vicky Christina Barcelona on Amazon

31. Under the Tuscan Sun – Italy

For the romantics out there, Under the Tuscan Sun is one of the best travel movies. Wouldn’t you just love to buy a villa in Tuscany and fall in love with a stranger?

This is one of my favorite romantic travel films and Under the Tuscan Sun based on a true story. After a bad divorce, her character takes a trip to Italy courtesy of her best friend, (The incredible Sandra Oh!) and buys a house!

This travel movie is based on a true story where our star shares the trials and tribulations of renovating a Tuscan villa. You can rent Under the Tuscan Sun on Amazon

32. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – India

We always preach that you are never too old to try something new and you are never too old to travel and that is the premise of one of the most beloved travel movies, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It’s chock full of great legendary actors including Dame Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and Maggie Smith.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows a group of retirees who travel to India to live out their days at a crumbling retirement hotel. All mayhem and madness ensue as things can only in India. There’s romance, tragedy, and hope. Rent it now

33. A Good Year – Provence France

A Good Year made me want to go to Provence and live a simple life…on a multi-million dollar vineyard estate. That’s reasonable, right? And that’s what travel movies make you want to do…Pick up and go somewhere.

A Good Year makes life in Provence look like the Garden of Eden and I want a piece of it. Everyone is beautiful, everyone is a wine connoisseur, and everyone is pure and good. Who wouldn’t want to go to the south of France after seeing A Good Year? Rent it now.

34. Midnight in Paris – Paris

Looking for travel movies that combine time travel this movie night? Midnight in Paris captures the golden years of Paris as Owen Wilson walks through the streets at night in search of that romantic nostalgia of the city.

Blending time travel with traditional travel, this film showcases Paris’s rich history and examines how different eras appeal to different people.

He ends up meeting the famous patrons of the 1920s including Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and more! This travel movie makes me want to hop on a flight to Paris every time! Watch it on Amazon Prime or get it on DVD

35. Australia – Australia

This movie was crucified by the critics, but I loved it and its one of the best travel movies showcasing the beauty of Australia’s landscape. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman take her cattle across the Outback.

It also touches on the injustices of how Australia treated the Aboriginal People, reminding me of what Canada did with residential schools to our own indigenous communities.

It’s beautifully shot and is a love letter to Australia while highlighting the true story of the Aboriginal struggles. I think it deserved more love than it got. Check it out on Amazon

36. The Impossible

It took me forever to finally watch the impossible because it is based on the true story of surviving the devastating Tsunami in Southeast Asia. It follows a family from England who are vacationing in Thailand and are impacted by the Tsunami.

It showcases the huge hearts that the Thai people have. Even while going through their own trauma, they play a huge role in helping this family get back together and survive.

The movie stars Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland and it is one of the best performances I think Naomi Watts has ever done.

Lighthearted Travel Movies

37. eurovision.

This is one of the funniest travel movies out there. The movie kicks off (after a brief flashback) in Iceland showcasing its beautiful landscapes and waterfalls with sweeping drone shots of the stars performing.

It has all the stereotypes and cliches of Iceland, but it is done with heart and fun. It really is a love letter to Iceland. Follow Lars and Sigrit as they try to fulfill their dream of competing in Eurovision in Edinburgh. The movie gives a nice showcase of that city too making it two travel movies in one. Rent it on Amazon

38. Darjeeling Limited

This quirkiest of travel movies takes Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Adrian Brody across India one year after their father’s death starting on the Darjeeling Express train. It’s strange, heartbreaking, hilarious, and pure Wes Anderson.

When they visit their mother in an Ashram, it makes me think of the strange people that run away to India to find themselves. Oh yeah, he gets it. Check it out on Amazon Prime

39. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Set in the very real Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu this pick on our travel movies list stars Jason Seigel as a Hollywood Writer who goes to Hawaii to heal his wounds after getting dumped by his girlfriend Kristen Bell. It turns out, she is there on vacation with her new boyfriend and shenanigans ensue.

This movie makes you want to book a plane to Hawaii and have your own stay at Turtle Bay which has now become very popular. Rent it on Prime

40. Last Holiday

If you are searching for comedy travel movies, this should be at the top of your list. This is the ultimate fairytale on how travel can change a life. And how we should all strive to live a better life. It’s too short to wait.

Queen Latifa is priceless as a woman who is diagnosed with a terminal disease, so she takes her life savings to enjoy her final holiday at a luxurious resort. She does everything from base jumping to snowboarding and indulging in decadent French cuisine.

If everyone took a holiday like this, we’d all live happier lives. Rent, Buy or Watch on Amazon Prime

41. The Holiday

It may be a Christmas movie, but The Holiday is one of the best travel movies out there. We watch it every year and it shows how travel is transformational. Starring Kate Winslett, Jack Black, Jude Law and Cameron Diaz, The Holiday flips back and forth between Los Angeles and England.

The two female stars have very different vacations as they house swap, but both have their lives changed through travel.

42. French Kiss

Meg Ryan plays a woman named Kate who is afraid to travel. When her fiance falls for another woman in France, she vows to win him back and travels there despite being terrified. Hilarity ensues when she meets con man Kevin Kline and they venture across the country together following the formula of travel movies galore.

My favorite scene is when she is indulging in cheese on the train. It’s that French moment that made me daydream about traveling by train across the French countryside. Watch French Kiss for yourself

43. My Life in Ruins

While not as good as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Life in Ruins is a nice comeback for Nia Vardalos in a fun-loving travel film.

She plays a tour leader taking stereotypical tourists through the sites of Greece. It’s fun, it’s romantic and the setting is beautiful. It’s not going to win any Academy Awards, but for a fun Saturday afternoon movie, this will transport you to Greece. Rent it or buy it on Amazon

44. The Hangover 2

The First Hangover was far better and it too is a travel movie taking you to Vegas. But when choosing travel movies from this trilogy, I had to choose the setting of Bangkok. It captures the crazy energy of the city.

My favorite scene is when Bradly Cooper has to go to the hospital and comes out with an absurdly low hospital bill. Dave and I have been to the hospital in Thailand and can attest, it is cheap. Rent it now! 

Blockbuster Travel Movies

45. star wars: the rise of skywalker & the last jedi.

One wouldn’t think of a movie based in outer space to be a travel movie that inspires wanderlust, but the last Star Wars Trilogy featured one of our favorite destinations on Earth, Skellig M ichael

This 6th-century monastery was a star unto itself as Luke trained Rey in the ways of the Force. It has now inspired many travelers and film buffs to take the hair-raising boat ride out to these rocky islands 12 km off the coast of Ireland. Check it out

46. Mama Mia

We actually learned where Mama Mia takes place while visiting the location where it was filmed, Pelion, Greece. The Greek islands are paradise, and Mama Mia follows the story of Meryl Streep who runs a hotel on the coast. We thought it was filmed somewhere like Santorini or Mykonos.

When her daughter becomes engaged, she invites three men who might be her father. It’s a rip-roaring good time of music, fun and beautiful scenery.

The Santorini blue and white houses, the crystal clear blue sea, and the music of Abba become those who watch to travel to Greece! Watch it on Prime today

47. Once Upon a Time in Mexico Trilogy

How sexy are Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayak together? You must watch the entire trilogy to really appreciate this series by Robert Rodrigues. Once Upon A Time In Mexico ends the trilogy with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, and Cheech Marin. El Mariachi started it all starring Carlos Gallardo. My favorite of the 3 is Desperado , but they are all entertaining.

Once Upon A Time In Mexico is a fantasy and it is a stereotype of Mexico, but it makes you want to go to Mexico and have a great adventure. The scenery is gorgeous, the film is filled with cool style, and the music is fabulous. Watch the Trilogy today!

48. The Legend of Tarzan

The $180 million dollar budget makes sure to showcase the beauty of the African Savannah, the dense jungles, and the majestic wildlife. You feel as if you have entered the heart of Africa. Seriously, rent it, you’re going to like it a lot more than you think! Rent it on Amazon

49. The Tourist

It’s a little indulgent, and Angelina Jolie is a bit annoying to watch with how amazing she thinks she is in this, but it does capture taking an international trip to Europe beautifully.

It makes you want to have a romantic tryst in Venice . It makes you want to ride a train and have a mysterious encounter. It gives you a glimpse into how the rich live and travel the world.

50. The Thing

Recently we had someone write to us with a list of their favorite movies about travel. He mentioned the first Alien vs. Predator took place in Antarctica and I remember that being a pretty entertaining film. Then I thought about the classic Kurt Russel movie, The Thing .

This thriller takes place at a scientific base camp in the Antarctic and really lets you feel how claustrophobic and isolated researchers must feel when spending the winter at the bottom of the world. Watch it now!

51. Thelma and Louise

Who would have thought that Thelma and Louise would be heralded as one of the best travel films of all time, but it has. When researching this article, I saw that everyone had it on their list, so I had to include it. Besides, I love this film. I saw it at the theatre when it came out and it blew me away.

Brad Pitt makes his debut in this dark road trip adventure. Susan Sarandon and Geena Dave about female empowerment, friendship, and the transformative power of travel.

52. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Yes, this was a blockbuster film for teenagers. I remember working at YTV and this movie was going mad in the teen realm so I had to add it to my best travel movies list. The premise of the story revolves around four friends—Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen—who find a pair of jeans that, despite their differing body types, fits each of them perfectly. They decide to share these “magical” pants as they embark on their separate summer adventures, thus maintaining their connection with each other.

Where does the traveling come in? Well, Lena travels to Greece , Bridget goes to Mexico , Carmen visits her father in South Carolina, and Tibby stays in Maryland.

While not a “travel movie” in the traditional sense—where the main characters are often journeying together or the narrative revolves solely around their travel experiences—”Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” embodies elements of travel movies by incorporating different cultures, locations, and the concept of journeying (both physical and emotional) into its narrative.

53. Bourne Movies, James Bonds, Mission Impossible & Indiana Jones Movies

The Bourne movies, James Bond, Indian Jones, and Mission Impossible take us around the world with each movie and really are the best travel films to showcase the globe. These epic travel movies take audiences to a whole new level of taking an international trip with decadence, wealth, espionage, and romance.

I wanted to include them because if you are looking for some beautiful scenes from Europe and the Middle East, these travel films fit the bill. They are so good at taking you away to exotic places .

Our Favorites of These Epic Travel Movies are

54. the bourne identity.

The original takes us on an international trip from Switzerland through Paris. It’s the car scene in Paris that really captures the city but the entire movie is one big travel movie.

55. Casino Royal – James Bond

This makes us dream of living with the high rollers in Montenegro the beautiful people in the Bahamas. It’s as epic as epic travel movies get riding on trains, planes and yachts and it’s the best James Bond with Daniel Craig.

56. Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol

It’s not often that sequels are better than the original, but when it comes to the Mission Impossible series, each one out does the other. Tom Cruise loves to travel and push the limits creating the most epic travel movies on the planet. I chose Ghost Protocol because of its setting in Dubai and Cruise scaling the walls of the Burj Khalifa. (The tallest structure in the world)

Best Travel Movies in Fictional Settings

57. grand budapest hotel.

I can’t help it, I love Wes Anderson movies. He is offbeat and quirky. Grand Budapest Hotel is one of the best travel movies that isn’t set in any real place. This is all in a fictional setting.

I like this for a travel movie because it reminds me of the grand old hotels from another era. Well, it should because it is set in another era. The hotel is fictional, but it does take you away to another world. Rent it on Prime

58. Black Panther

Wakanda may be a fictional place in Africa, but this movie captures the spirit of East and South Africa. It embraces the African culture and many of the movie’s scenes were filmed in Africa.

We have been to Africa numerous times and this movie transported us there again. It may be fictional, but Black Panther is one fo the best travel movies to make you want to discover the culture and beauty of Africa. watch it now!

59. Lord of the Rings and Hobbit

They may be set in Middle Earth, but the Lord of the Rings movies are a love letter to New Zealand. As far as setting go, the trilogy makes for epic travel movies! Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit Movies make us want to go to New Zealand and these films capture its beauty perfectly.

Rent the trilogy on Amazon today

60. Eat Pray Love

And let us end with the mother of all travel movies, Eat Pray Love. Who doesn’t love Julia Roberts? However, Eat Pray Love wasn’t my favorite travel movie at all. But The book was okay but the movie starring Julia Roberts is dreadful. If you liked it, let me know. Maybe I’ll give it another watch in case I missed something. Rent it on Amazon

We’ll be updating this list regularly and we love finding new travel movies to watch. So, if you have suggestions for your favorite travel movies, leave them in the comments below and we’ll be sure to give them a watch!

Tell me what you think are the best travel movies and we will compare notes.

You May Enjoy these other inspiring posts:

• 44 of the Best Road Trip Songs
• Best Travel Songs Playlist
• Best Travel Books to Inspire Travel
• 60 of the Best Road Trip Songs to Rock the Long Drive
• 101 Best Travel Quotes in the World with Pictures

Disclosure:  The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We receive affiliate commissions, but it’s no extra cost to you!

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Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine , the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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107 thoughts on “60 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Wanderlust”

Very interesting and thought-provoking list. Another film I think belongs in this company is “A Month by the Lake,” a 1995 work starring Vanessa Redgrave, Edward Fox, and Uma Thurman. Its setting, at the Villa del Balbianello on a peninsula in Lake Como, was used in scenes from a number of other movies, but here it gets starring role.

one of my favorite travel movies is “If it is Tuesday it must be Belgium”. it captures the travels and travails of some very uninformed American tourists on a guided tour. One of the wives, tired of the endless strings of cheese shops they visit heads back to their tour bus. The problem is it is the wrong tour bus. Hilarity ensues …

Thanks for the thoughtful list. Might I add a few more wanderlust-inducing movie recommendations/destinations that I have a hunch you will love?

Enchanted April (Italy) Shirley Valentine (Greece/Mykonos) Everything is Illuminated (Russia/Ukraine) Summer Lovers (Gene Siskel’s ‘guilty pleasure) (Greek Islands/Santorini) The Hundred Foot Journey (India/France) Local Hero (Scotland — and perfectly depicts how an enchanting location can change your view of what’s important in life) Anne of Green Gables — Kevin Sullivan version (Price Edward Island) Outsourced (India) Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (Provence France) The Quiet Man (Ireland) A Passage to India (India)

These are fantastic suggestions, thank sfor sharing! I’ve been wanting to see The Hundred Foot Journey. I think that will be my weekend watching!

Hi , thanks for sharing the best travel movies.

I love to watch 72 hours is my best travel movie all time.

Brilliant! Some of my teal favourites and now a list to watch. …many, many thanks. Allison

Great movies list all movies are best and all movies have a good rating on IMDb actually my favorite movie is LORD OF THE RINGS AND HOBBIT. and next, I would like to watch Star wars series.

Great choices of movies you have given a big list a great work

Great article! I will definitely choose a few movies that I haven’t seen yet. I could add a movie called “The Hundred-Foot Journey”. This film is about a Hindu family who moves to France, where they open a restaurant.

I’ve been meaning to watch that one. I think I will have to check it out this weekend and add it to the list! Thanks for the reminder.

Very comprehensive list! lots of great movies, and some of my favourites such as Seven Years inTibet and Walter Mitty.

I have to disagree with you about The Darjeeling Limited though: “When they visit their mother in an Ashram, it makes me think of the strange people that run away to India to find themselves. Oh yeah, he gets it.”

I felt the most important scene in the movie is when the guys rescue the boys in the river, and one doesn’t make it. They take part ion the family grieving and funeral, and have a very life-changing, profound experience. I felt the movie actually validates people “running away to India.”

In these difficult times especially, finding a sense of purpose, or meaning, or spirituality, or whatever you want to call it, is more important than ever. I think we will see a lot more people “running away to find themselves” and in fact, I am working on offering spiritual itineraries.

How about Red Eye and Flight Plan? I think they both portrait (fear of) commercial flying experience pretty good!

We have already watched quite a few of these ? gotta love a great movie night! Thanks for a great list, that we will start to work our way through ?

Great choices for movies! Others that come to mind are “Before Sunrise” and “Into the Wild.”

LORD OF THE RINGS AND HOBBIT is my favourite. i had watch so many times but always loved

This list couldn’t have come at a better time as we currently shelter in place and travel only through our TVs! Thank you.

All movies are great and my fav <3

great films..i watched some movie

OOH Julie and Julia is one of my all time favorites! And Eat Pray Love…It’s a good time for movies at home for sure!

Love the list. Thank you for sharing. As a classic movie buff, however, you are so wrong about Roman Holiday. This movie is a classic. I recently saw it on the big screen for the millionth time and it was amazing. How can you not love Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn?! His voice alone is worth a listen! And the old scenes of Rome are wonderful. Have to truly disagree about this one. LOVE this movie.

Anyway, thanks again!

SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY movie motivates people to dare to make a decision.

I love this list!! You hit some of my favorite movies. I’ve watched a lot of these but I have a feeling I’ll be rewatching some of them in the coming weeks. Thanks for remind me!

GREAT list, thank you! I’ve seen some Bollywood films and loved them, and would love a best of list of them!

Great site for everything

Great list, guys — you really dug deep. If you love The Sounds of Music, you have to visit Salzburg, where you can see the actual places where they shot many of the scenes, including the palace in the middle of town. You can even stay in the Von Trapps’ house. And I may have missed it in your list, but The Year of Living Dangerously absolutely captures the exotic atmosphere and the beauty of Southeast Asia — the gamelan music stays in your head for days. Also, Gandhi for a virtual trip to India.

Very well collections, Really some of the names are not heard. This type of movies are oxygen for any traveler.

Great list of movie i like slumdog millionaire once upon a time in mexico

Secret Life of Walter Mitty for sure, this movie made me so pumped to travel while ‘into the wild’ made me a little depressed and not wishing to become a mentally ill person who goes eating dead animals and rejecting society

Lovely idea, great movies! Love your blog!

I really love this movies.

Each movie is an exciting adventure, felt from the film, emotions, as well as an impressive moment. Thanks for your collection!

Thank you for your list! Lawrence of Arabia for certain, but almost any film by Werner Herzog, especially Aguirre:The Wrath of God. But I am partial to “art” or “foreign” films over Hollywood.

I loved a movie I watched and I can’t remember the name and I can’t find it. It was about a woman, maybe in her 40’s maybe 50’s that traveled to India to meet up with her husband. Her husband was detained by work and sent his male Indian assistant to meet her. While waiting for her husband to arrive, the assistant showed her the sites of India. A romance developed with the assistant over many days, but never crossed the line. Would love to watch this again….

Maybe you’re thinking of the movie ‘Cairo Time’. It’s set in Egypt, not India, but has the exact plot you’re referring to.

All are attractive and I will watch each movie

I shared the movies I shared. The movie content is very interesting and interesting, I like it very much.

This is also a very good post which I really enjoy reading

For me Motorcycle diaries is best.Thanks for list. I will check other movies too.

Nice list, you got almost all of my favorite travel films! A couple additions I would make are “The Sheltering Sky”, and “Voyager”.

The Painted Veil – gorgeous!

I hope it will be show at CGV

Definitely a great list of movies that gets us thinking about travel. Everest was one that really took our breath away and told an amazing story. In Bruges is still one of my favorite. Thanks for sharing!

Loved the post and the films. I still didn’t see 9 films and already want see. Will try found they for this weekend. But the best is to see Indiana Jones in the list.. it’s my prefer film of life <3

the beauty of this movie list is that this in includes movies in Malayalam, Hindi English and believe me these movies are the very best travel movies I have seen . kudos?

Great Choices !

Always on the lookout for movies to watch on the plane!!! Thanks for the recos!!!!

Great choices for movies

I hate you after watching only 2 of these movies from your list i feel like travelling but unfortunately my my academics. By the way best list of travel movies I have seen on internet. Good going brother. wish to see more content in future.

Mr. Bean’s Holiday. A very ridiculous movie, but the cinematography is amazing, and it’s very inspiring.

Great article and awesome collection of movies. Red balloon is my favorite movie and it’s amazing storey

Film is called Before Midnight. Not after.

Thanks for the correction. I mixed up the Trilogy in my head, thinking “the one after Before Sunset.” – There is Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight.

Great article, many good informations

I love watching movies ahead of travelling and often find them inspirational. For Western Australia I found ‘Rabbitproof Fence’ a very good movie. You’ve chosen some good ones!

Great collection of movies to watch. I absolutely loved The Bucket List. As usual Morgan Freeman was awesome. Great movies about travel and for when traveling.

Can you believe that I never saw Stealing Beauty? Now I am going to have to check it out. I agree with Sideways too. Loved that show. It made me want to drink Pinot Noir.

Wild is a great book and the movie is pretty true to the book. Reece Witherspoon is really good in it. Based on true story of a troubled woman who decides to hike one of Americas longest trails with little money and not enough experience. Humbling and left me feeling the wanderlust pretty hard.

The Bucket List and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty are the best travel movies in my opinion. Iceland is on my travel bucket list, hope I can visit that place.

Best Movie Collection. my favorite movies also include in these. love to see the collection of movies thanks to sharing this information with us.

Nice article! inspiring people for Traveling

Thanks for compiling this list. It’s interesting to know the place where the movie was shot. I absolutely agree on what you said about James Bond movies.

Thanks for the post. Some I have seen and some I haven’t, and looking forward to (Especially ONE WEEK)

I’d like to add LOCAL HERO. There are some melancholic moments in the film accompanied by Mark Knopfler’s beautiful soundtrack. Would make anyone jump off the couch, dump all the COMFORTS OF CITY and visit rural Scotland and walk the beaches and witness the Aurora Borealis. One of my favourites alongwith The Motorcycle Diaries and Into the Wild.

Great choices

Excellent list, but Indiana Jones really is a wonderful trip. Note 1000.

Under a Tuscan sun is my favorite!!!! Been to Tuscany because of that movie!! 🙂 Jotted down a few to watch from your list! Thanks!

thank you guys. Into the wild is my favourite one on the list.

You named quite a few of my favorites but the two I’d like to recommend are Hector and the Pursuit of Happiness starring Simon Pegg, and The Way starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez.

The Way inspired me to walk the Camino de Santiago which turned into an incredible trip.

Great list of best all time travel movies. I must admit that there are still so many movies I have not yet seen. I need to work on that sooner rather than later!

Great list but would certainly add :

– The way (with Martin Sheen) , very inspiring movie about Camino de Santiago – Motorcycle diaries, simply a great movie about travel and life

Fantastic films, thanks for making this kind of film! Many people should watch it! Thanks for sharing this list.

Wow! This list is great! I will surely add these in my playlist. Hopefully, I will be able to watch most of these travel movies. I plan to travel soon, I’m juts looking for more inspiration and travel tips. Glad I came by your blog!

Whoa! You gave me a completely new set of movies to add to my list here! Into the Wild is one of my favorites and the Everest is a spine-chilling movie. A great list Dave & Deb!

Check out Maindentrip, the story of the youngest girl to sail around the world, Laura Dekker. I think my wife finally believed we could do it if a 13 year old can.

Thanks for the recommendation!

These ultimate travel tips for when they have a desired of lust.

What about “Blue Hawaii” and any of the Jurassic Park videos for Hawaii?

Thank you for your list – I am constantly looking for good travel movies.

Till the date bucket list is one of my favourite movie 🙂 Thank you for the information about other movies too

Thank you for this great list. I see some old favorites on the list but also a number of movies I need to see. I’ve added them my list. You’re right about movies inspiring travel. After seeing, Under the Tuscan Sun, I’ve always wanted to visit Tuscany. I’m finally making it there soon.

What a fantastic list full of excellent movies! There’s no doubt that these titles can help to light the spark of wanderlust in anyone. I was actually lucky enough to stumble upon the making of Ridley Scott’s upcoming Alien Covenant movie in New Zealand’s Milford Sound. I’m very much looking forward to its release so I can see the spectacular panning shots of that breathtaking landscape. Movies are a great medium to translate the beauty of travel.

No way! That is so cool. I’m such a fan of Alien, it would be amazing to see them filming it. I love seeing landscapes of places I’ve been in movies.

Slumdog Millionaire and Secret Life of Walter Mitty are Good Movies

Nice list – a few of my favourites there: Everest, Into The Wild, Slumdog Millionaire, The Bucket List, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Nothing like a good movie for inspiring travel.

A few others to consider: The Beach, Midnight Express, Kundun, Seven Years in Tibet…

“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain

Hi, Oh wow I really love this list, seriously is so right! Holidays is another good one that invites you to discover surrey :), I enjoyed so much Amelie, unfortunately I cannot say the same of Paris, Je t’aime, which is other of the “must seen movies”, honestly… overrated… anyways, nice list I really enjoy it.

Great list… something a lot of people leave off the list is Julia and Julia. That movie is HUGE to foodies, chefs, etc… Makes me want to hop on a flight every time I see it! Julia Child was a machine, so glad you guys included that movie on this list!

I am a movie addict person, and I loved to travel. I enjoyed all of these films. Very Inspirational lists. Thank you, Dave, for this excellent Article. Loved it:)

A lots of movies that needed to add here. I watched a few of then not all and find very inspirational and heart touching. Slumdog millionaire is one of my favourite and very heart touching.

I love this list, but I’d add almost any movie filmed in San Francisco, even if they weren’t that good (like “The Wedding Planner” or the “The Rock”). They’d actually have to be filmed there and not just set there, like the last “Godzilla” movie 😉

Thanks for the additions. I loved the wedding planner. Although I just watched it again recently and realized what a schmuck Matthew Macoughnay’s character is. He totally led Jennifer Lopez’s character on and was a jerk to his fiancé. haha. But it’s a good lighthearted romantic comdey. They don’t make enough of those anymore..

I came to this article to ensure you had Romancing the Stone..and you didnt let me down. I used to love that movie growing up. I am totally with you, on thinking about Cartagena as some exotic far away place that I had to visit. I eventually found out the movie wasn’t actually filmed in Cartagena or Colombia because of the dire security situation at that time…but when i finally visited Cartagena, i found it even more magical and exotic than the film…love the film, and love the city even more now.

I am so glad we didn’t let you down! I am also so glad that you felt the same way about Cartagena. I always envision Kathleen Turner saying “come to Cartagena with me” It was such a grand adventure. We need more movies like that!

Cool list! I would add:

– Before Sunrise (Vienna) – Waking Ned Devine (Ireland, though filmed in the Isle of Man) – Lost in Translation (Tokyo)

Great additions. I loved Before Sunrise, I can’t believe I forgot about that one. I saw it in the 90s and then watched the whole trilogy. I haven’t seen Waking Ned Devine, I’m going to check that out and yes, Lost in Translation is a good one for Tokyo. I have to watch that again. I barely remember it, but I do remember loving Bill Murray

Just what I needed, thank you guys. Into the wild is my favourite one on the list.

I don’t think any movie has made us want to travel more than Amelie.

2 Days In Paris, on the other hand, was kind of a turn off.

Amelie celebrated Paris, but 2 Days kinda made fun of it. .-= The Jetpacker´s last blog .. UFO Hotspots — 11 Best Places To See UFOs In The World =-.

I don’t need a movie to inspire me to travel. I always want to travel, but some movies make me want to travel more I guess is how to put it. BTW. I thought Up in the Air stunk and don’t get why it was so popular. I loved In Burges which many people have never seen. Guess I’m just weird. .-= Gwen´s last blog ..Kids Grease Costumes =-.

You’re not weird at all! That is what makes watching movies so great. Everyone has different opinions on them all. We didn’t love Amelie and I have never met another person that didn’t like it. We were more into the quirkiness of Two Days in Paris and nobody liked that one:-)

Great choice, I never really fancied visiting Bruges until watching the hilarious In Bruges (and I agree the film also did Colin Farrell a huge favour). Tuscany is still on my must see list after the gorgeous ‘Stealing Beauty’ and being from the UK, Sideways and Swingers always made me want to go to California.

OK, I obviously need to get myself to the nearest pirated DVD place since I’ve only seen 3 of these movies! Thanks for the advice. .-= Audrey´s last blog ..Couch Surfing with KGB Agents =-.

Fantastic post, though most of these movies I haven’t seen (yet) but Vicky Christina Barcelona has really made me want to see Barcelona. I’m really bad for being easily suggestible when it comes to travel. If a place is featured on a movie or tv have a sudden desire to go there. Like I watch a John Waters movie and I wanna go to Baltimore, or the way Shirley Valentine made me really want to go to Greece. Even places that were never really on my travel to do list, like watching Dexter has made me want to visit Miami (even though most of the show is filmed around LA). .-= Alouise´s last blog ..List 9 – How To Have A Cheesy Time At West Edmonton Mall =-.

Wonderful list! I’ve seen a few of these and just loved them (Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Julie & Julia, In Bruges, Up in the Air, and Romancing the Stone)…..and I still dream of someday going to Cartagena, Columbia because of that movie! There are so many great movies that inspire travel that I’m sure it must have been hard to winnow it down to just eight. The rest of your list I’ll have to add to my Netflix queue! .-= Trisha´s last blog .. PR-Blogger Relations Manifesto =-.

I love that you think of Cartagena because of Romancing the stone. There were so many movies that I had on a list. I could have just listed about 50 and that could have been good enough. Maybe I will do that for a post one day when I am out of ideas:) It was very difficult to narrow it down to eight, we were trying to be a little unique in our choices, but then again, it is hard to be unique when it comes to choosing great travel movies. I guess, it was more of a reminder post. Everyone thinks of the choices like The Beach, The James Bond Movies and the Bourne Movies, but we haven’t thought about Romancing the Stone or Once Upon a Time in Mexico in a while.

Great list! We think movies and books add so much to travel that we brought a bunch with us on our open ended world tour. We’re in France now, so tend to watch French ones here and ones that are family friendly since we travel with a kid. 😉 I think we love the Red Balloon and Chocolate best for France.

Two that really stick out on our trip were Troy ( watched again and again through out Greece while reading Homer, including also while we were in Troy in Turkey) and “The Medici, Godfathers of the Renaissance” a thrilling PBS special series that we watched in Florence before we toured. .-= soultravelers3´s last blog .. Captivating Colliore- France on Bastille Day =-.

Thanks for the additions. I forgot about Chocolate. I loved that movie and Johnny Depp and Juliet Binoche were both so charming. I haven’t seen Red Balloon, I will check it out. It is wonderful to watch movies for inspiration before, after and while you are at that place.

Great choices for movies! Others that come to mind are “Before Sunrise” and “Into the Wild.”

The Travel Sisters

Best travel movies that inspire wanderlust.

by The Travel Sisters | Nov 16, 2020 | Travel Inspiration | 23 comments

And if you are looking for more travel inspired things to do at home, here is a list of best travel shows to watch on TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services and fun ways to travel the world from home .

Related:  Best Credit Cards for Streaming Services

Best Travel Movies of All Time to Inspire Wanderlust

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a movie that wowed me. The story of a really boring guy that had always daydreamed about adventure (almost too much) gets the opportunity to take the adventure of a lifetime – and it changes him forever. The story, the imagery, the adventure, will make you quit your job, buy a ticket, get a tan, fall in love and never return.  – Megsy Collins, Travel Freedom Network

I love Wild for the stunning scenery. From the deserts to the mountains, watching it made me want to visit the regions featured in the film. It also has a powerful message. How Strayed dealt with fear and the perceptions made about women made me feel inspired. It can be summed up best in this quote from the movie – “I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent is born of a story we tell ourselves, and I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe, I was strong, I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me”.  – Jen, The Trusted Traveller

Along the way, he faces challenges and meets other walkers with different backgrounds from all around the world. I highly recommend The Way as for me it promotes the Camino de Santiago but also the story is very inspirational with a powerful message that shows the difference between “the life we live and the life we choose”. – Dominic Down, Flashpacking Duo

I love this movie, as it is like a moving postcard on Italy. From the rolling hills of Tuscany, to the pretty seaside town of Positano, the visuals fill me with wanderlust and the heart-warming stories in the movie compliment the stunning scenery. We love Italy and often dream of moving there, buying a villa and doing it up, so until our dreams come true, it’s nice to live vicariously through this movie! – Kim-Ling,  Travel-Ling

This film resonates with me because, whether physically or mentally, we have all taken, or will take, a journey to discover what makes us happy. My favorite quote about travel : “Happiness is not a destination. It’s a state of being.” – Colby Holiday, World of a Wanderer

The movie is centered around an Eastern European tourist, Navorski, who was visiting New York City but was denied entry because of a sudden outbreak of civil war in his home nation of Krakozhia. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security didn’t recognize this as a ‘valid’ nation so refused him entry and made him stay inside the airport terminal.

The movie continues to highlight the struggles that Navorski faces, while at the same time offers a very relatable experience to anyone that has spent a considerable amount of time in an airport. I personally enjoy the experience of waiting around in the terminal, whether I am catching up on work or simply people watching, there is always something to do. If I had a similar experience to Navorski, well perhaps I wouldn’t be saying the same thing!  – Chris Boothman,  A Brit & A Southerner

The North Shore of Oahu Island in Hawaii is prominently featured and the cinematography shows off the island’s beauty. Many scenes were filmed at Turtle Bay Resort, which is gorgeous. The surfing scenes were filmed at Hale’iwa beach in Waialua Bay. Perhaps most stunning, are the cliffs where Rachel dares Peter to jump in after her. This was filmed at Laie Point, a dramatic coastline with 30 foot cliffs. With the stunning scenery, this movie gets my wanderlust focused on Hawaii!  – Natalie, Blissmersion

Roman Holiday is a 1953 Audrey Hepburn classic. This romantic comedy follows the adventures of a crown princess who escapes from the restrictions of her scheduled tour of Europe to explore Rome alone and incognito. She meets an American reporter and during various adventures around Rome, they inevitably fall in love.

Although most people think of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s , Roman Holiday was in fact her first major role – and won her the Academy Award for Best Actress . Although Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck are the Hollywood stars of the movie, the real star of the show is the city of Rome. The city provides the perfect backdrop to a very stylish Audrey Hepburn, with all major sights featured, such as the Spanish Steps and the Bocca Della Verita. A gorgeous feel good fairytale! – Marianne,  Mum on the Move

One scene says it all – On a deserted beach in France, a young Joanna muses, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just clap our hands and a drink would appear.’ She claps her hands and the scene cuts to the same beach years later, now a crowded construction site for condominiums being built by Mark. As a waiter hands a jaded and unhappily married Joanna a drink she says ‘ Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just clap our hands and make all these people disappear.’ – Lyn Lindfield,  The Travelling Lindfields

I love this movie because it is not just about friendship but also about travelling to find that special place in your life. A coming of age story. There is a great deal of escapism here, and absolution is not necessarily what you will find at the end of the journey. Even though I don’t like snow and winter, the remote landscapes of northern Sweden and Finland are just beautiful, the people are tough and full of warmth, and the contrast to the grey Irish hometown couldn’t be more striking. A beautiful film throughout and not just your usual Hollywood fare. – Silke Elzner,  Happiness & Things

Watching Crazy Rich Asians would inspire anyone to visit Singapore as it showcases the wonderful and lush lifestyle and the wondrous places in the country. The movie shows the grand Changi Airport about which Rachel comments “looks like an upscale tropical resort”. It then shows popular attractions from the hawker centers to the top of the Marina Bay Sands . Instagrammable places in Singapore like Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Botanic Garden, and also the beautiful Sentosa Island are a part of the Crazy Rich Asians movie. – Sarah,  Hungryoungwoman

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.”  – Paula McInerney,  Contented Traveller

Do you agree that these are the best movies about travel ? Did your favorite travel movies make the list?

23 Comments

Excellent list and some inspiration just before the big holidays start!

Thanks! We were looking for some inspiration before the holidays too!

Thanks for publishing this great list. Some of the movies are very close to heart and some other I had not even heard of. 🙂

Now time to watch some.

Same here, excited to check them all out!

So much choice! Excellent idea, thanks for featuring our Scottish contribution (subtitles may be advised!)

Thank you for your contribution! And will take your advice on the subtitles:)

Great list! I will definitely use it next time when looking for some more inspiration to travel. “Eat, Pray, Love” would be my next choice. I watched it once but I liked it so much I could gladly watch it once again. Thank you for including us here and greetings from China :)x

Yes, some movies you can just watch over and over again!

Such a lovely list! Now I have some major movie inspiration to go watch. Thanks for including me 🙂

Thank you! We can’t wait to watch all the awesome contributions too:)

Great list, perfect for a snowy weekend. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve also submitted your article to StumbleUpon.

Of course we don’t mind! Thank you!

That’s a great list, thanks for the inspiration, ladies! There are many movies in it that I love, like the Walter Mitty one!

Woow.. That is an amazing list. Just the thing I needed before the holiday season for some binge watching sessions 🙂 Few of my own favorites to which are worth adding: The leap year, The Holiday. Under the tuscan sun, Life of Pi and Cast away are my favorites too.

Great it’s! Walter Mitty made me put Iceland almost at the top of my bucket list.

Love this list. I have some serious winter watching here! 🙂

Awesome list!!! I have seen a lot of these, but have immediately started downloading a few of the new ones!

Can I also add the African Queen?

Great list of movies! Not so sure about the Revenant inspires travel. I mean yea, great scenery though look out for the bears. 🙂

Great list! Some of them are worth watching several time. I’d suggest watching and adding A Good Year (Russell Crowe). You will be packing your bags for Provence before it is over.

There are some great suggestions here. One of my favorites is the 100 Foot Journey. Also with the Holidays almost here it is almost time to watch Love Actually!

I’m amazed how many of these I haven’t seen. The beach is the one I remember that first triggered wanderlust in a way back a long time ago. (i just realized how old that movie actually is). As for other comments the Revenant did inspire travel for me since i’m fascinated in exploring history and the “wild west”

Great list!

Definitely check out LE WEEK-END.

A few other travel recommendations: – The RED BALLOON – short film, beautiful views of Paris through eyes of a sweet little boy. – WHITE MANE – short film, capturing the wild horses of Camargue, France. (Same director as Red Balloon.) – AMELIE! – BLOW UP – 1960s London.

Thank you so much for all these inspirations!! Now we´re ready for the next rainy day!

Happy Thursday Girls!

Lots of love from Germany

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The 40 best travel movies

Hit the trail with some of cinema’s most magical destination films

Photograph: Paramount Home Entertainment

There’s loads to be said for the transportive power of cinema – that magical ability to whisk us off to places we’d never otherwise go – but we’re often glad of its power to bring us back again. It’s fun to pay a visit to Mos Eisley or Twin Peaks but you probably wouldn’t want to linger too long. Occasionally, though, a movie will leave you with itchy feet and an urge to hit the trail (or at least, low-cost airline website) for real. Here are 40 films that’ll have you reaching for your passport.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

Sideways (2004)

Destination: Santa Ynez Valley, California, USA

They may be insufferable wine bores cursed in perpetuity by merlot producers the world over, but it’s hard not to kinda love pent-up Miles (Paul Giamatti) and laconic Jack (Thomas Haden Church) in Alexander Payne’s Oscar-winning comedy-drama. For one thing, the hapless roadtrippers are never dull; for another, they introduced the moviegoing world to California’s lush Santa Ynez Valley and its array of sun-kissed valleys, bountiful vineyards and roadside staging posts. If you’re ever following in their footsteps, be sure to stop in at Miles’s favourite restaurant, The Hitching Post II . PDS  

Into the Wild (2007)

• Action and adventure

Destination :  Denali National Park, Alaska, USA

Things go south when Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) heads north in Sean Penn’s moving biopic of the young hiker’s journey from comfortable middle-class life to the vast Alaskan wilderness. This true-life adventure may have a heartbreaking ending but the journey there is pretty special, backdropped by unforgettable American landscapes and life-changing encounters in the spirit of all great road-trip movies. The vast solitude of Alaska’s Denali National Park, five hours’ drive from Anchorage and overshadowed by North America’s highest peak, Mount Denali (aka Mount McKinley), leaves a haunting impression. PDS

Wild (2014)

Destination: The Pacific Crest Trail, USA

There was a reason thousands of solo hikers set off on the Pacific Crest Trail IRL after seeing this movie. Based on Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling memoir of the same name and starring Reese Witherspoon, ‘Wild’ paints a vivid picture of life off-grid and on-foot on the PCT, an equal parts gruelling and stunning hiking route which weaves through the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges on America’s west coast. The urge to pack up your water purifier and your emotional baggage and hit the trail as the credits roll is hard to ignore. EWA

The Sheltering Sky (1990)

Destination: Aït Benhaddou, Morocco

Paul Bowles’s bohemian account of post-war life in north Africa is hardly the greatest advertisement for tourism – the jaded American couple at its heart aren’t the most open-minded pair – but Bernardo Bertolucci’s visually rich adaptation makes it all seem well worth the trip anyway. It has Debra Winger and John Malkovich as the pair of slightly insufferable roamers (‘We’re travellers,’ they’re at pains to point out, ‘not tourists’) but the real stars of the show are the Saharan landscapes, Tangier souks and dusty villages. One of those villages, the ancient fort of Aït Benhaddou, is a film star in its own right, having appeared in ‘Gladiator’, ‘Babel’, ‘Kundun’ and ‘The Mummy’, among others. PDS  

Lost in Translation (2003)

Destination: Tokyo, Japan Sofia Coppola’s classic is one of the quintessential travel movies, not just for its Japanese locations, both postcard-famous and off-the-beaten-track, but in perfectly capturing that unmistakable sense of dislocation that can come with hitting the trail. Here, it’s magnified by deeper life crises for Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray’s two lonely travellers, but their existential woes spark a powerful connection – and we’ve all been there. As far as the travelling goes, they’re doing it the luxe way, staying in the now-very-famous and expensive Park Hyatt Tokyo and taking day trips to Kyoto soundtracked by Air. Other hotels (and Spotify) are available. PDS

A United Kingdom (2016)

Destination: Serowe, Botswana

This true-life love story between Bechuanaland royal heir Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) and Londoner Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) plays like a cross between a Disney fairy tale and a bracing slug of social realism. The couple are subjected to prejudice and disapproval in all its guises – straight-up racism in post-war Britain and prescriptive protocols in Africa – but coolly face it down to make history. The story is inspiring and the backdrops scarcely less so. Director Amma Asante filmed on location in Seretse’s home village of Serowe, so head there for a two-in-one cinematic and historical pilgrimage (and check out the rhinos while you’re there). PDS

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Destination: Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

This comedy-drama is at once an Aussie classic, a road trip gem and a glorious celebration of difference – all crammed on to a bus called Priscilla and driven across Australia’s Outback to a gig in Alice Springs. The movie’s spiritual home – as its website proudly points out – is The Palace Hotel in hardscrabble Broken Hill, where a night in the tacky-flamboyant Priscilla Suite will set you back around A$200. It’s here that Bernadette Bassenger (Terence Stamp), Mitzi Del Bra (Hugo Weaving) and Felicia Jollygoodfellow (Guy Pearce) stay over en route to the Northern Territory. Or if you want to keep things strictly underground, head for the subterranean White Cliffs motel in the bizarre town of Coober Pedy– another port of call for the trio. PDS

A Room with a View (1985)

Destination: Florence, Italy

What’s most charming about this 1980s Merchant Ivory classic, which follows the  first visit to Italy of the young Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter)? It’s a tough call between the sun-soaked streets of Florence and all those becoming Edwardian ruffles. Though it does a very good job of capturing England’s bucolic countryside too, it’s the first half of the film, full of glorious views of the languid Arno river, the city’s terracotta rooftops and ochre-coloured landmarks that lingers in the memory. EWA

A Walk in the Woods (2015)

Destination: The Appalachian Trail, USA

According to the Bill Bryson memoir from which this warm-hearted outdoorsy adventure is adapted, 2,000 people attempt the 2,200-mile-long Appalachian Trail every year, but only 10 percent make it. Attempting to beat the stats are Robert Redford and Nick Nolte’s old-timers. The trail – the longest hiking-only path in the world – runs from Maine to Georgia, with glorious, Ansel Adams-esque scenery and killer hills all the way. Will our grizzled heroes make it? Do bears shit in the woods? Finally, a movie that can answer both questions. PDS

Monos (2019)

Destination: Chingaza National Natural Park, Colombia

The brilliant ‘Monos’ sometimes feels like a war film, sometimes like a sci-fi and sometimes like some new genre we’ve never encountered before. Its high-altitude locations are guaranteed to have intrepid types reaching for their passports. Rising to more than four kilometres above sea level, Colombia’s Chingaza National Natural Park, where it is filmed, feels like the roof of the world and director Alejandro Landes gives its cloud forests, waterfalls and rocky outcrops the full widescreen treatment. Within range of Bogotá, it’s catapulted straight on to our bucket list. PDS  

Journey to Italy (1954)

Destination: Naples, Italy

This influential Roberto Rossellini film follows discontented marrieds Katherine (Ingrid Bergman) and Alex Joyce (George Sanders) as they drive to Naples and bicker their way towards something that looks likely to involve eye-watering legal costs and a painful conversation about who gets to keep the Frank Sinatra LPs. Watching these sophisticated travellers slugging it out can be an emotionally arduous ride, but they find calm and beauty amid the city’s archaeological treasures. For her, it’s the volcanic Phlegraean Fields and the ancient artefacts of the Naples Museum; for him, a ferry ride to Capri. For us? A trip to the EasyJet website.  PDS

The Way (2010)

Destination: El Camino de Santiago, Spain 

Whether it’s to the football, the pub or just to Homebase for something to de-grease the barbecue, a father-and-son pilgrimage is a special thing. It’s arguably even more special when there’s an actual pilgrimage involved, as is the case in this touching 2010 drama directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his dad, Martin Sheen. The movie follows the path of Galicia’s Camino de Santiago, a UNESCO listed network of hiking trails that leads pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. With its stunning landscapes and moments of footsore camaraderie, it’ll have you itching to follow in its footsteps. PDS

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Destination: Oahu, Hawaii, USA Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy tracks down girl in far-flung corner of Hawaii. Boy discovers girl is now having mindblowing sex with a rockstar (Russell Brand). Major bummer. Still, on the upside for Jason Segel’s lovelorn musician – and everyone else in the film – this lol-some romantic-comedy unfolds on Oahu’s stunning north shore. Specifically, the Turtle Bay Resort , a honeymooners’ paradise that comes equal first with Bora Bora from ‘Couple’s Retreat’ in a list of dream destinations Kristen Bell has managed to visit for work . PDS

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Destination: Paris, France

Americans swooning over the City of Light is nothing new. But rarely are their chansons d’amour so persuasive as Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’. Gil (Owen Wilson) is a jobbing Hollywood screenwriter on vacation in gay Paree with fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her parents. Each night he wanders off alone, and on midnight’s chime, is transported into a magical-realist time warp: first the 1920s (hello, Ernest, Zelda and Scott), then the Belle Époque of Degas, Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec. From Rodin’s hôtel particulier to abandoned fairground the Musée des Arts Forains , Gil is swept up by the city’s charms, and as he falls deeper in love, so do we. HO

The Passenger (1975)

Destination: Vera, Spain

From the nocturnal streets of Milan to the Aeolian Islands and even south-east  London, Michaelangelo Antonioni’s locations often got as much screen time as his actors. Even larger-than-life Jack Nicholson feels swallowed up by the epic sweep of southern Spain, the last stop for his journalist-gone-rogue David Locke after an almost 007-worthy itinerary (Algeria, London, Munich, Barcelona). The dusty Andalusian hilltop town of Vera, with its dilapidated bullring and now-demolished Hotel de la Gloria, is the filming location for the famous six-minute tracking shot in which Locke’s fate is sealed – in typically cryptic Antonioni style, naturalmente . JM

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Destination:  Seyðisfjörður,  Iceland Timid Life magazine staffer Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) heads off to track down grizzled photojournalist Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn) and finds himself along the way. It’s basically a mega-budget version of that gap year your mate Charlie still goes on about. But if Walter’s fantastical daydreams of superpowered adventure and heart-stopping romance are eclipsed by the rugged Icelandic landscapes, what landscapes to be eclipsed by. If you want to recreate his high-speed longboard ride , just head for Seyðisfjörður on the eastern edge of Iceland. Just be sure to check the terms of your travel insurance first. PDS

Leap Year (2010)

Destination: Aran Islands, Ireland It may not be a great advertisement for filmmaking but this romcom is an excellent billboard for the Irish counties of Wicklow, Mayo and Galway. Matthew Goode plays Irish innkeeper Declan O’Callaghan and Amy Adams is Anna Brady, the American visitor looking to exploit an arcane tradition whereby a man proposed to on a Leap Day must accept (because no marriage is more likely to last than one you’ve been forced into by an ancient form of blackmail). Forget the plot contortions and focus instead on the glorious Irish vistas, especially those of the rocky Aran Islands where much of the movie was filmed. PDS

L'Avventura (1960)

Destination: Aeolian Islands, Italy In Michelangelo Antonioni’s languid classic, a young woman (Lea Massari) vanishes during a yachting trip to the rocky, mysterious Aeolian Islands and her boyfriend Sandro (Gabriele Ferzetti) and BFF Claudia (Monica Vitti) make a slightly half-hearted attempt to find her (think Tommy Lee Jones in ‘The Fugitive’, only on Xanax). The disappearance itself takes place on the tiny volcanic outcrop of Lisca Bianca, which can be visited only by private boat, but Sandro and Claudia’s ensuing wanderings will have you adding Sicily to your holiday wishlist too. Even in black and white, the Tyrrhenian Sea sparkles enticingly. PDS

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Destination: Skopelos, Greece Abba-inspired ‘Mamma Mia!’ is movie Marmite, but it’s impossible to watch the film, or it’s more recent sequel ‘Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again’, and not be left pining for Greece’s many paradise-like islands. And if you’re into tales of friendship, motherhood, a secret search to find a father figure and a dungare ed Meryl Streep singing ’70s hits, they are pure joy. Oh, to be skipping through a Greek orange grove, falling in love in an intimate taverna or diving off a boat into the clear waters that surround sunny Skopelos right now…  EWA

Tracks (2013)

Destination: Western Australia

Australia’s dusty town of Alice Springs is the jump-off point for an outback adventure that’s based on a true story. Mia Wasikowska plays Robyn Davidson who, in 1977, trekked 1,700 miles across the continent with only her dog, Diggity, and four dromedaries for company. At least, until National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan (Adam Driver) pitches up to cover her incredible undertaking. It’s a pure travel movie: a celebration of the dangers and majesty of the great outdoors that captures the spirituality of Aboriginal lands, the vastness of ever-shifting deserts and the spellbinding starscapes of the Australian night sky. PDS

The Two Faces of January (2014)

Destination: Crete, Greece Like ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’, this underrated thriller has everything you could possibly want from a Patricia Highsmith adaptation: gorgeous costumes, slippery characters and exotic European settings. Oh, and foul deeds – let’s not forget about them. Here the double-dealing and betrayals take place in Greece rather than Italy, but the soft Mediterranean light and shimmering seaside backdrops are equally to die for as Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac’s vying tricksters, and Kirsten Dunst’s beautiful sorta-moll, journey from the tourist traps of Athens to Crete’s sun-baked hills and its Minoan ruins. PDS

Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

Destination: Zion National Park, Utah, USA In movie terms, Utah is most famous as home to Monument Valley, a landmark in all those great John Ford westerns. Head a few hours west, though, and you’ll find the even more remote dream destination for the hardcore western lover-cum-outdoors type: Utah’s mountainous Zion National Park, where Robert Redford western and handy gif generator ‘Jeremiah Johnson’ was partly filmed. The real-life Johnson was the nineteenth century’s answer to Bear Grylls and probably smelled badly of bison liver and fetid beard, but needless to say, Redford makes him a total thirst trap(per). PDS

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Destination :  Ventura, California, USA It may not be Big Sur or Malibu but Ventura is famous for a few things: its sandy beaches, long pier, surfing and – surely the topper – hosting the climactic moments of ‘Little Miss Sunshine’. It’s in this sun-kissed corner of California that the dysfunctional Hoover clan pull up in their yellow VW microbus and unleash comedy mayhem. In the film, the setting is actually Redondo Beach, 70-odd miles south, but Ventura was the real-life stand-in for the pier scene . If you really want to get close to the action, check in to the Crowne Plaza Hotel Ventura Beach where Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) unleashes her superbly inappropriate ‘Super Freak’ on that unsuspecting beauty pageant. PDS

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Destination: Machu Picchu, Peru Before becoming a doctor, rebranding as ‘Che’ and becoming the last word in revolutionary chic, Ernesto Guevara (Gael García Bernal) embarked on a roadtrip across South America with his old friend Alberto Granado that is faithfully recorded in Walter Salles’s excellent 2004 biopic. The pair visit the spectacular Incan citadel of Machu Picchu without once referring to ‘Lonely Planet’ and set about exchanging revolutionary ideas and posing for snapshots. If they’d had Instagram back in 1952, @Che would have been lapping up the likes. PDS

Local Hero (1983)

Destination: Pennan, Scotland

Home, as they say, is where the heart is, and in this enduring delight that means Scotland’s unspoiled east coast, with its tiny fishing villages, crystal-clear skies and mystical vibes. It’s here – the fictional seaside village of Ferness, specifically – that oil company exec (Peter Riegert) is sent with a brief to buy the place so it can be turned into a refinery. Unexpectedly, the villagers like the idea because, well, fishing is hard work. It’s a lovely comic twist that throws the whole film winningly off its axis. Any ‘Local Hero’ pilgrims should head for the village of Pennan in Aberdeenshire, Ferness’s real-life stand-in, and grab a selfie by that famous phonebox. PDS

Patagonia (2010)

Destination: Trelew, Patagonia, Argentina This gentle travelogue has Welsh photographer Rhys and his partner Gwen discovering the charms of Patagonia, where their guide (Matthew Rhys) introduces them to the region’s Welsh heritage and the chapels built by Welsh settlers. If you’re intrepid – or Welsh and fancy undertaking a similar pilgrimage – head for the Welsh town of Trelew in Argentina and saddle up for a horse ride into the dusty desert. Bizarrely, it’s exactly what Rhys was doing when he bumped into ‘Patagonia’ director Marc Evans location-scouting the film. PDS

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter… and Spring (2003)

Destination: Juwangsan National Park , South Korea This lushly located Korean masterpiece exudes seriously serene vibes as it charts a young Buddhist monk’s rocky spiritual journey under the tutelage of his master across 40 or so years. Since the film came out in 2003, its location – a purpose-built floating monastery on Jusanji Lake in Juwangsan National Park – has gone from hidden secret to national treasure, with visitors making the trek to sit in the shade of its willow trees and get zen by its tranquil waters. It’s a tricky trek to get there, though: Juwangsan is one of Korea’s most inaccessible national parks and the hike to the lake is a real glute-burner. PDS

Roman Holiday (1953)

Destination: Rome, Italy Sly but chivalrous American journo Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) shows Audrey Hepburn’s royal fugitive, Princess Ann, around the Eternal City in a classic romance that’s fizzier than a flute of prosecco. He takes her on a whirlwind Vespa tour of Rome’s famous tourist attractions – Joe isn’t one for the hipster haunts – taking in the Spanish Steps, the Mouth of Truth and the Colosseum. Other films have majored on the city’s jaded hedonism (‘La Dolce Vita’, ‘The Great Beauty’) and social ills (‘Bicycle Thieves’); this one just makes Rome feel like a dream. PDS

Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

Destination: Lhasa, Tibet

A Sun-In blond Brad Pitt plays Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountaineer who sets out to climb the Himalayan peak of Nanga Parbat in 1939 only to end up in a POW camp. He escapes, crosses the border into Tibet and becomes tutor to the Dalai Lama in Lhasa – then the Chinese plan an invasion and things get complicated. The film faced a couple of problems: Harrer turned out to be a Nazi IRL and Tibet itself was off-limits to the production. Scorsese had the same issue on ‘Kundun’ and recreated it in Morocco; here, it is Argentina and the Canadian Rockies. But director Jean-Jacques Annaud’s time in Tibet recce-ing the country pays off and he does a fine job capturing its rugged beauty on screen. PDS

The Piano (1993)

Destination: Karekare Beach, New Zealand If you’re looking for a beach holiday with a movie pilgrimage thrown in, head for New Zealand’s west coast where Jane Campion’s period drama is set. The gripping emotional journeys of Holly Hunter’s mute immigrant and her young daughter (Anna Paquin) as they deal with the harshness of nineteenth-century life steered the film to eight Oscar nominations. It was all filmed on the black sands of Karekare Beach, only 30 minutes’ drive from Auckland but stretched out at the foot of rugged cliffs in splendid isolation. If there was an Oscar for beaches, it’d be a shoo-in. PDS

Australia (2008)

Destination: East Kimberley, Western Australia

With its glorious shots of the outback and Hugh Jackman taking his kit off, Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Australia’ celebrates the continent’s rugged natural phenomena in all its forms. Sure, the film – an homage to the old westerns of John Ford – is a mite corny, but it showcases the scenery of Western Australia so beautifully, you’d think the tourist board funded it. And sure enough, they did: to the tune of $1 million. Luhrmann also filmed in Sydney and Queensland, but if you want the proper ‘Australia’ experience, head for Kununurra and from there the Kimberley, approximately a bazillion square miles of canyons, cattle stations and beaches. Saddle up. PDS

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Destination: Barcelona, Spain

Set in a world full of beautiful people doing impossibly bohemian things at extreme short notice, ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ is the life we’d all lead if we weren’t at home worrying about loo roll. It’s a seductive love letter to Catalonia and, in particular, a billboard for the beauties of Barcelona: as the title implies, the city itself shares top billing with Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), two friends who fall under the spell of Javier Bardem’s artist while visiting. Needless to say, the movie is full of Barca landmarks, including Park Güell, the Miró Museum, Parc de la Ciutadella and the Sagrada Família, and they all look utterly dreamy. PDS

The World's Fastest Indian (2005)

Destination: Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA

This feelgood yarn has rough-around-the-edges Kiwi biker Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins) travelling from New Zealand to Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats, aiming to beat the land speed record (just north of 200mph) on his trusty 1920 Indian Scout motorbike. A true story, it was filmed on location on an expansive salt pan in northwestern Utah that attracts petrolhead pilgrims to the annual Bonneville Speedway every summer. It also pops up in ‘Mad Men’, when a sweat-mottled Don Draper manages to blag a drive in a 1970 Chevelle SS, and ‘Independence Day’ . It’s another reason why anyone embarking on a movie-themed road trip should head straight for Utah. PDS

The Lost City Of Z (2016)

Destination: Tayrona National Park, Colombia Colombia has been South America’s go-to country for big-screen adventure since the days of ‘ Romancing the Stone’ and ‘The Mission’ in the ’80s. It offers a suitably mysterious landscape in James Grey’s dazzling epic about a British explorer (Charlie Hunnam) trying to find an undiscovered civilisation in the early twentieth century. Robert Pattinson joins him as a fellow military man with Ray Mears-like knowledge of the Amazon jungle. Grey and his crew used the Colombian Caribbean town of Santa Marta as a base, but you’ll need to head into the Tayrona National Park – the film’s Amazon scenes were filmed on the nearby Don Diego River – to follow in R-Patz’s and co’s boot prints. PDS  

Skyfall (2012)

Destination: Istanbul, Turkey There’s not many desirable locations that 007 hasn’t passed through over his 25 film outings. The Caribbean has been a popular pitstop, right from his first film outing in ‘Dr No’, while he’s ticked off more European capitals than a 19-year-old Interrailer. One of them, Istanbul, has hosted the big man three times and just about emerged unscathed. In ‘Skyfall’, Daniel Craig’s Bond takes us on a high-speed tour of the city’s vast and labyrinthine Grand Bazaar in pursuit of a mercenary with a vital hard drive. One day, he’ll go back and just have a nice browse instead. PDS

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)

Destination: Lech, Austria Beyond James Bond, ski resorts are a rare sight in movies. After all, there’s only so much drama to be juiced from fondue evenings and teenagers necking pints, right? Wrong! Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger), who could ring drama from an empty packet of ready salted, delivers her own inimitable brand when Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) whisks her off to the Austrian Alps, hurricaning down the slopes and into a pharmacy to request a pregnancy test in strangled German, worried that she is ‘mitt baby’. Hosting the mayhem is Lech, a resort that promises ‘200km of high alpine powder’ and at least one skiable chemist. PDS

Unrelated (2007)

Destination: Tuscany, Italy  A spiritual cousin to ‘The Green Ray’, another movie that sets a woman’s personal crisis against a woozy summer holiday backdrop, Joanna Hogg’s debut film has fortysomething Anna (Kathryn Worth) joining some friends at their villa in Tuscany where she finds herself gravitating towards their young public school-y offspring – led by Tom Hiddleston in his first film role. It’s all surprisingly edgy stuff and culminates in a barney for the ages but the setting is to die for: the holidaying families staying in villa on the San Fabiano Estate just outside Siena, a world of rolling hills and olive groves. It’s a real B&B so you can check in any time; you just might not want to leave. PDS

Out of Africa (1985)

Destination:   Chyulu Hills, Kenya

Your grandma’s favourite film has Danish farmer Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) and Tiger Moth-flying big-game hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford) falling in love on the Kenyan savannah, despite the presence of hungry lions and (irksomely) an actual Mr Blixen (the astonishing  Klaus Maria Brandauer). It all goes on for ages which allows for plenty of time to take in the sweeping African landscapes, replete with watering holes, green hills and the vast, sunbaked expanse of the Great Rift Valley. If you’re looking for the ‘Out of Africa’ experience, head for Kenya’s Chyulu Hills where the film was shot. PDS

The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003)

Destination: New Zealand 

The action is plentiful in the big-screen adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s magical ’Lord of the Rings’ epic, but the setting is jaw-dropping enough to still be a distraction. While Frodo and his fellowship battle their way across Middle-earth to return the One Ring to Mordor, the only place where it can be destroyed, New Zealand’s sweeping plains, lush forests and snowcapped mountains are in the background like an 11-hour advert for Tourism New Zealand. A one-way ticket to Rivendell via Auckland International, please. EWA

The Green Ray (1986)

Destination: St Jean-de-Luz, France

Sometimes a holiday isn’t enough. Secretary Delphine (played by director Éric Rohmer’s muse Marie Rivière) finds herself dumped and facing the prospect of being stuck in sweltering Paris for the summer ( quelle horreur! ). But trips to Cherbourg, the Alps and Biarritz only serve to make her feel more alienated – from smug couples, flirtatious singles, clueless tourists and the whole seething mass of humanity. Then, she finds a transcendent sunset in the Basque beach town of St Jean-de-Luz. Rohmer’s classic is not only a funny, magical exploration of human connection but a snapshot of a French summer – complete with dodgy holiday fashion. JM  

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ONE CHEL OF AN ADVENTURE

41 Best Travel Movies: Films That Inspire Wanderlust

Looking for some awesome travel films to fuel your wanderlust? Check out this list of 41 of my favorite and best travel movies to add to your watch list:

41+ Wanderlust Travel Movies

Eat, Pray, Love

One of my favorite books and movie, Eat, Pray, Love is the ultimate wanderlust/travel to find yourself kind of movie!

Watch on: Amazon , Apple TV , Google Play

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

“When his job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.” – IMBd

Into the Wild

“After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.” – IMDb

Photo from IMBd

Midnight in Paris

“This is a romantic comedy set in Paris about a family that goes there because of business, and two young people who are engaged to be married in the fall have experiences there that change their lives. It’s about a young man’s great love for a city, Paris, and the illusion people have that a life different from theirs would be much better.” – Apple TV

“ With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone. WILD powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her.” – Google Play

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“Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young American backpacker, willing to risk his life for just one thing: the mind-blowing rush he can only get from braving the ultimate adventure. After hearing the improbable tale of a secret island – the perfect beach, unsullied by tourists – Richard sets off on a journey to find paradise on Earth. But Richard soon discovers that what seems like paradise can hide a deadly secret. Now desperate to escape, Richard explores the hidden perils and dark places that lurk just beyond the shores of paradise” – Apple TV

Photo from IMDb

The Darjeeling Limited

“A year after their father’s death, three American brothers who haven’t spoken since the funeral embark on a soul-searching journey across India. Their “spiritual quest”, however, veers rapidly off-course and a new, unplanned journey suddenly begins.” – Google Play

“180° South: Conquerors of the Useless follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. Along the way he gets shipwrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life – and prepares himself for a rare ascent of Cerro Corcovado. Jeff’s life turns when he meets up in a rainy hut with Chouinard and Tompkins who, once driven purely by a love of climbing and surfing, now value above all the experience of raw nature – and have come to Patagonia to spend their fortunes to protect it.” – Google Play

“Embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this visual masterpiece from Oscar winner Ang Lee*, based on the best-selling novel. After a cataclysmic shipwreck, an Indian boy named Pi finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with a ferocious Bengal tiger. Together, they face nature’s majestic grandeur and fury on an epic journey of discovery.” – Google Play

Life in a Day

“Life In A Day is a historic film capturing for future generations what it was like to be alive on the 24th of July, 2010. Executive produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Kevin Macdonald.” – on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Lost in Translation

“Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson star in this flat-out hilarious film about two Americans who develop a surprising friendship while venturing through Tokyo.” – Google Play

Maybe not a movie you’d normally find on a list of best travel movies, but I love Up! “Carl Fredrickson, a retired balloon salesman, is part rascal, part dreamer who is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl sets off to the lost world of his childhood dreams. Unbeknownst to Carl, Russell, an overeager 8-year old Wildnerness Explorer who has never ventured beyond his backyard, is in the wrong place at the wrong time — Carl’s front porch! The world’s most unlikely duo reach new heights and meets fantastic friends like Dug, a dog with a special collar that allows him to speak, and Kevin, the rare 13-foot tall flightless bird. Stuck together in the wilds of the jungle, Carl realizes that sometimes life’s biggest adventures aren’t the ones you set out for.” – Google Play

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Up in the Air

“Ryan Bingham (Academy Award® winner, George Clooney) is truly living the high life. Flying all over the world on business, he never stops moving…until he meets Alex, a fellow passenger and learns that life isn’t about the journey, but the connections we make along the way.” – iTunes

Out of Africa

“Hoping to forge a better life, Denmark native Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) enters into a marriage of convenience with a womanizing baron. But when the couple moves to Nairobi, Karen falls in love with a free-spirited hunter (Robert Redford) who can’t be tied down. Director Sydney Pollack’s lush period drama earned seven Academy Awards, including statues for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography.” – Google Play

Roman Holiday

“Roman Holiday was nominated for ten Academy Awards®, and Audrey Hepburn captured an Oscar® for her portrayal of a modern-day princess rebelling against her royal obligations who explores Rome on her own. She meets Gregory Peck, an American newspaperman who, seeking an exclusive story, pretends ignorance of her true identity. But his plan falters as they fall in love. Eddie Albert contributes to the fun as Peck’s carefree cameraman pal.” – Google Play

Watch on: Sony Crackle (free) , Apple TV , Google Play

“From the producers of THE KING’S SPEECH comes this remarkable true story of Robyn Davidson, a young woman who leaves her urban life to trek through almost 2,000 miles of sprawling Australian desert . Along her journey of self-discovery, she meets National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan, who begins to photograph her life-changing voyage.” – Apple TV

Under the Tuscan Sun

“UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN follows San Francisco writer Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) to Italy as a good friend offers her a special gift — 10 days in Tuscany. Once there, she is captivated by its beauty and warmth, and impulsively buys an aging, but very charming, villa. Fully embracing new friends and local color, she finds herself immersed in a life-changing adventure filled with enough unexpected surprises, laughter, friendship, and romance to restore her new home — and her belief in second chances.” – Google Play

Before Sunrise

“Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy star as two young people who meet–and whose lives are forever changed–on a train from Budapest to Paris. They may have only one night, but when soul mates find each other, anything can happen Before Sunrise.” – iTunes

The Endless Summer

“They call it The Endless Summer, the ultimate surfing adventure, crossing the globe in search of the perfect wave. From the uncharted waters of West Africa, to the shark-filled seas of Australia , to the tropical paradise of Tahiti and beyond, two California surfers, Robert August and Mike Hynson, accomplish in a few months what most people never get to do in a lifetime – they live their dream.” – iTunes

Watch on: Amazon , Apple TV

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

“Two young American women, Vicky and Cristina come to Barcelona for a summer holiday. Vicky is sensible and engaged to be married; Cristina is emotionally and sexually adventurous.  In Barcelona, they’re drawn into a series of unconventional romantic entanglements with Juan Antonio, a charismatic painter, who is still involved with his tempestuous ex-wife Maria Elena. Set against the luscious Mediterranean sensuality of Barcelona, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA is Woody Allen’s funny and open-minded celebration of love in all its configurations.” – Google Play

Two For the Road

“ On their third identical voyage from London to the French Riviera , Joanna Wallace (Audrey Hepburn) and husband Mark (Albert Finney) explore their 12-year marriage in a series of wry and illuminating flashbacks. They reminisce about the glorious beginning of their love affair, the early years of marriage and the events that led to their subsequent infidelities. As they try to understand their relationship, they must accept how they have changed if they are to rekindle their original love… The film is arguably one of the most stylistically influential movies from the ’60s.”

“From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.” – Disney

Watch on: Amazon , Apple TV , Google Play , or on Disney+

“John Krasinski (The Office) and Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live) star in the heartfelt film that explores the comedic twists and turns in one couple’s journey across contemporary America. Anticipating the birth of their first child, longtime couple Burt and Verona embark on an ambitious itinerary to visit friends and family in order to find their perfect home.” – Universal Studios

The Bucket List

 Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star in the comedic drama The Bucket List, a touching, no- holds-barred adventure that shows it’s never too late to live life to its fullest. “Two terminally ill men escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die.” – IMDb

“A five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.” – IMDb

Crazy Rich Asians

“This contemporary romantic comedy, based on a global bestseller, follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s family.” – IMDb

This is another movie that is not necessarily about travel, but after watching it, Singapore jumped to the top of my bucket list so I had to add it to this Best Travel Movie list!

Watch on: Amazon ,   Google Play , Hulu

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The Motorcycle Diaries

“Based on a true life story, The Motorcycle Diaries is an inspiring and thrilling adventure that traces the youthful origins of a revolutionary spirit. The film follows two daring friends, Ernesto “Che” Guevara (Gael Garcia Bernal, Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna), who hop on the back of a beat-up motorcycle for a breathtaking and exciting road trip across Latin America.” – Google Play

Letters to Juliet

“In Verona, Italy – the beautiful city where Romeo first met Juliet – there is a place where the heartbroken leave notes asking Juliet for her help. It’s there that aspiring writer Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) finds a 50-year-old letter that will change her life forever. As she sets off on a romantic journey of the heart with the letter’s author, Claire (Vanessa Redgrave), now a grandmother, and her handsome grandson (Christopher Egan), all three will discover that sometimes the greatest love story ever told is your own.” – Google Play

The Art of Travel

“Conner Layne  is about to embark on an adventure – just not the one he had planned. After discovering his fiance is having an affair with his best friend, he leaves her at the altar and heads off on his honeymoon alone. 

While experiencing the wonders that South America offers, he meets a friendly couple – Darlene and her husband, Christopher, who are planning a dangerous trip across the Darien Gap. Along with a ragtag group of foreigners, they venture on a 100-mile long journey through the undeveloped jungle that separates Panama and Columbia. Ready to leave his past behind, Conner joins the unknown for the quest of a lifetime.” – Apple TV

Rio + Rio 2

Laugh if you want, but after seeing this movie in theaters, I have been dying to go to Rio adn explore South America! 

Hector and The Search for Happiness

“Hector is a quirky psychiatrist who has become tired of his humdrum life, yet he’s offering advice to patients who are just not getting happier. So he embarks on a global quest in hopes of uncovering the elusive secret formula for true happiness.”

Couples Retreat

Couples Retreat is another romantic comedy movie that’s set in such a beautiful place, I just had to include it!

A Map for Saturday

“On a trip around the world, every day feels like Saturday. A MAP FOR SATURDAY reveals a world of long-term, solo travel through the stories of trekkers on four continents. The documentary finds backpackers helping neglected Thai tsunami victims. It explains why Nepal’s guesthouses are empty and Brazil’s stoplights are ignored. But at its core, SATURDAY tracks the emotional arc of extreme long-term travelers; teenagers and senior citizens who wondered, “What would it be like to travel the world?” Then did it.”

Watch on: Amazon

“Through the open country and desert lands, two bikers head from L.A to New Orleans , and along the way, meet a man who bridges a counter-culture gap they are unaware of.” – IMDb

“ONE WEEK tells the story of 20-something Ben Tyler (Joshua Jackson), who flees from an impending marriage, a ho-hum job, and a recent diagnosis in an attempt to live life to the fullest. His misguided road trip on a vintage motorcycle becomes an adventure of self-discovery set against the great Canadian landscape.”

Encounters at the End of the World

“Welcome to Antarctica – like you’ve never experienced it. You’ve seen the extraordinary marine life, the retreating glaciers and, of course, the penguins, but leave it to award-winning, iconoclastic filmmaker Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn) to be the first to explore the South Pole’s most fascinating inhabitants…humans. In this one-of-kind documentary, Herzog turns his camera on a group of remarkable individuals, “professional dreamers” who work, play and struggle to survive in a harsh landscape of mesmerizing, otherworldly beauty – perhaps the last frontier on earth.”

“A powerful and inspirational story about family, friends, and the challenges we face. Martin Sheen plays Tom, an irascible American doctor who comes to France to collect the remains of his adult son (played by Emilio Estevez), killed in the Pyrenees while walking The Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son’s desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn’t plan on, is the profound impact the journey will have on him. Inexperienced as a trekker, Tom soon discovers that he will not be alone on this journey.”

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

“An award-winning, all-star cast, led by Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson, lights up this “buoyant comedy laced with genuine emotion”. When seven cash-strapped seniors decide to “outsource” their retirement to a resort in far-off India, friendship and romance blossom in the most unexpected ways. Smart, life-affirming and genuinely charming, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a “true classic that reminds us that it’s never too late to find love and a fresh beginning at any age”.”

The Tourist

“Frank (Johnny Depp), a mild-mannered American on vacation in Venice, Italy, is befriended by Elise (Angelina Jolie), a breathtakingly beautiful woman with a mysterious secret. Soon, their playful romantic dalliance turns into a complicated web of dangerous deceit as they are chased by Interpol, the Italian police, and Russian hit men in this suspense-filled, international action thriller.”

The Grand Budapest Hotel

“THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL recounts the adventures of legendary concierge Gustave H. and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft of a priceless painting; a raging battle for an enormous family fortune; and a desperate chase on motorcycles, trains, sleds, and skis – all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing continent.”

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

“Resplendent in flamboyant ballgowns, looking down over the vast red Australian desert : for three showgirls it was the dream of a lifetime, a four week cabaret engagement in Alice Springs. The problem is simply getting there intact, along with their bus Priscilla.”

Phew! There ya go, my list of the 41 best travel movies to fuel your wanderlust! Any ones I missed?  Drop a comment below or  DM me on Instagram !

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Wandering Everywhere

20 ULTIMATE FEEL-GOOD TRAVEL FILMS

I recently landed back in the UK from the Canary Islands , and am already missing the sun, sea, and – most importantly – the mountains. As such, to combat the inevitable post-travel blues until the next grand adventure, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’m going to binge a whole load of feel-good travel films.

And so, for your own future reference, here’s the top 20!

Letters to Juliet

Shirley valentine.

This could possibly be my favourite film ever. The basic premise is that Shirley Valentine has a pretty crappy husband who does everything he can to be a total asshat, and as such, she decides to up and leave for a grand Greek adventure. The location is beautiful, Pauline Collins is a legend, and it’s a film that I force literally everyone I meet to watch.

You know how it goes: Mamma Mia is an ABBA-inspired musical set in Greece with a beautiful storyline, and as such, is another travel movie classic. It beats the stage show by miles (like seriously, who thought that only three stage changes was a good idea?), and is generally just a much-adored film that makes every single watcher feel good.

Walking on Sunshine

Another musical – and I usually hate musicals – but I just love the location of Puglia in this one. It’s seriously underrated as a location, and this film really does do it justice. The love interest kind of sucks, but don’t they all?

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

This mention includes both the first film and the second film, because I adore them equally. They feature British actors Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and my personal all-time favourite Dev Patel (I’m sure you guys hear me mention him a lot on this site, but he’s easily my favourite actor in the world ever), and a lovely little desolate hotel smack-bang in the middle of the most colourful and vibrant country on the planet – India. Retirement chaos ensues.

Roman Holiday

Featuring everyone’s favourite Audrey Hepburn, I first fell in love with this film when I was about 15 and on the verge of my first ever adventure around Rome. I adore this movie due to the fact that you get to see the Eternal City in all its glory – with a hundredth of the amount of tourists you’ll see today. It’s one of those timeless films you simply can’t miss.

The Ramen Girl

A film which truly captures how it feels to find yourself in a completely new culture that you don’t understand at all, but one which you try your very best to fit in with. Abandoned by her boyfriend, the protagonist – played by Brittany Murphy – is completely alone in the Japanese capital, and does a great job of fending for herself and learning how to become a ramen chef.

Starring Jim Carrey, the basic takeaway from this movie is to get out of your comfort zone, try new things, and attempt to say yes to every single opportunity that comes about. The meaning is a little skewed, and it’s not entirely travel-related, but it’s a great way to inspire you to take new chances.

A true family film featuring the one-and-only Adam Sandler. The premise is that whilst following a blind date, our dear Adam and said date end up on a vacation package in South Africa. Don’t ask me how it happens, but it does, and it’s a pretty sick movie.

Couples Retreat

I watched this film when I was last in London hours after an eight-hour flight home, and it was just what I needed to regret getting on that return flight. It made me ache for the warm climate and adventure, so I’d recommend you only watch this if you want severe (and I mean, severe ) wanderlust to hit.

Just Go With It

I honestly don’t mean to keep suggesting Adam Sandler films, but alas. In this one, he goes away with Jennifer Aniston and some kids to Hawaii, and whilst there, they have one of those classic luxury family holidays that Americans always seem to be having. A whole load of chaos ensues, and even if you don’t fall in love with the location, you’ll still have a great time pointing out how indifferent Adam’s nose is in the beginning.

Hector and the Search for Happiness

Literally one of the best films in the world ever. We all adore British actor Simon Pegg, and in this movie he plays a slightly rundown therapist. In order to understand happiness and how to obtain it, he goes on all of these crazy adventures around the world. He jots it all down in his little notebook, and if you only learn one thing from all these movies, it’s how to be happy.

Eat Pray Love

The secret life of walter mitty, slumdog millionaire.

To Rome with Love

Just married, chalet girl.

Of course, there’s a whole load of other kick-ass feel-good travel movies that I haven’t mentioned, such as Last Vegas and The Trip to Italy – but I simply cannot go on forever.

And now, I’m curious about you. Feel free to let me know in the comments below what is your favourite feel-good travel film!

BUT BEFORE YOU DO – WHY NOT SHARE THE LOVE AND PIN THIS POST?

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Who isn’t always looking for list of great movies? And travel-focused movies is just the ticket. I am going onto Netflix now!

Great list! I really enjoy some of these films, especially The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and I like Mamma Mia and Letters to Juliet as well. But there’s a lot on this list that I haven’t seen, so I’ll definitely be watching some of these new films this weekend!

Love this post! I like watching those movies when I can’t travel as well haha especially with the pandemic I’ve binge watched a lot of travel movies haha! I’ll need to go watch some of the one you recommended 🙂

I fell in love with Roman Holiday around the same time you did! Such a great film! Audrey Hepburn has such a timeless look that even decades later she remains an icon. You have a great list of movies here. I have seen a lot of them, but haven’t seen The Ramen Girl or Chalet Girl.

Just bookmarked it. I have watched Yes Man, and I totally loved the movie. Eat Pray Love is one movie I have been longing to watch.

I just watched Shirley Valentine for the millionth time again this weekend. It is the ultimate feel good movie. Love this list.

love this! some of these I’ve never heard of and need to watch!

You definitely saved the best to last.. Lion is an amazing film! I saw it at gold clsss and loved it!

What a fab list! I don’t watch enough of these kind of feel good movies! I am making notes to see more – Ramen girl sounds right up my ally! 🙂

I love travel movies but I’ve just realized I’ve only watched a few from this list! Thank you so much for sharing this blog post, I’m adding the rest of the movies to my bucket list 🙂

I watched Letters to Juliet literally just yesterday, and man, I balled at that film. I feel like it’s not that classic of a tear-jerker, but something about it gets me every time…

I’m currently at home in Leeds and cannot wait to travel again. This post might be just what I need to tide me over until then :’j

Yessss, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is so underrated! To see things difficult to come by…. The most quotable movie in the world.

Is it bad that I’ve barely seen any of these? Of course I’ve seen Mamma Mia, but the rest… absolute blanks. I guess I should probably start on them now…

I am such a cinema freak, and yet somehow I haven’t seen like five of these movies? I second Allie, I’ve got to start heading into these.

There’s nothing more healing when you can’t travel than a travel movie. Travel blues? Impossible when Lion is playing in the background.

The only bad thing about this list? That is should have even move Dev Patel!!!!

I’m going to Rome next week, so both To Rome With Love and Roman Holiday sound perfect x

Ok so I know that technically Last Vegas isn’t part of your list, but it’s such a banging film. I didn’t want to go to LV before that, but now it HAS to be the next place on my list.

Perfect list, I wouldn’t change a thing.

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Home » Blog » 25 Best Travel Movies On Netflix

25 Best Travel Movies On Netflix

I think every wanderlust lover enjoys a great travel movie! These films can make you travel the world in a little under two hours and can be super inspiring. Though finding the right movies to watch when traveling can be time-consuming and even complicated if you’re on an international trip. That’s why Netflix is life-saving for all travel lovers wanting to watch movies on the road! 

For me, one of the best gifts for travel lovers is a streaming subscription! This allows us to download movies and watch them whenever suits us better while on a trip. It’s practical and stress-free! Plus, Netflix has an impressive movie catalog that includes some of the most beloved travel films out there. That’s why I decided to create this roundup. Keep reading to find out what are the best travel movies on Netflix! 

1. Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

This movie is an absolute classic! Not only is this story filled with beautiful landscapes, but it’s also quite moving. It’s based on a true story, so you’re for sure getting the real deal here. The plot follows a freshly divorced woman, Liz, as she embarks on a 9 month-long trip to find herself. The story kicks off in New York but Liz travels to Italy, India, and Bali on this self-discovery journey. It’s fast-paced (only about an hour and a half long) and filled with travel motivation. As you can probably tell, this movie is as inspiring as it gets! 

2. Lion (2016)

This is another touching film based on true events. It’s the story of Brierley, who got lost and separated from his parents at only 5 years old. He ended up on the other side of his home country, India, and never saw them again, getting adopted later and moving to Australia. But the story kicks off when Brierley decides to go on a journey to find them! The movie will take you on a heart-wrenching journey across India and Australia. It lasts almost two hours, so get cozy! 

3. Chasing Liberty (2004)

For anyone longing for a 2000’s rom-com after two emotional films, I’ve got you! This is such a feel-good type of movie that it’s perfect for anyone stuck at a boarding gate, bus terminal, or rainy day when camping ! The story follows the daughter of the President of The United States as she steps off on a European adventure to rebel against the constant security imposed on her. It’s got European travel destinations, 2000’s nostalgia, and romance! 

4. Expedition Happiness (2017)

If you want to check out some of the best United States road trip destinations , then this film is for you!  Expedition Happiness follows a German couple as they set off on a road trip across the USA, Mexico, and Canada. They explore all of North America with their dog and a converted school bus. The views are spectacular and will definitely inspire you to travel!  It lasts 96 minutes and will convince you to pack your bags before you even get to watch half of it! 

5. Mamma Mia (2008)

Another outstanding classic! I couldn’t leave Mamma Mia out of this list, especially when it’s such an uplifting and comforting film. The story takes place on a Greek island ( anyone else longing for some sun right now?) and follows a young woman named Sophie who’s about to get married. She wants her father to be there but doesn’t know who she is. So Sophie invites all three of her potential dads to the wedding! It’s a true rollercoaster of a film. Plus, it’s a musical, so there’s even more to love about it! 

6. Ibiza (2018)

Okay, so this movie is pretty much a rulebook for what NOT to do on a business trip. Which makes it all that much more fun and enjoyable! The plot follows Harper, a 30-year-old woman from NYC who travels to Barcelona for work. But (of course) everything goes off track when she meets a handsome DJ! It’s only an hour and a half long, so you can definitely squeeze it in the middle of any busy day! 

7. The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)

Alright, we’re back to the moving travel movies category. For real now, this is the ultimate road trip movie! It follows the story of Ben, a writer turned caregiver in charge of a teenager with muscular dystrophy, Trevor. As the boy loves American roadside attractions, Ben convinces his mother to go on a road trip across the country. It’s an emotional film packed with views of the open road! 

8. The Terminal (2004)

Pretty much everyone and their mother knows this is a great movie. This commercial success follows the ordeal of an Eastern European man stranded inside of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport because his passport is no longer valid. But the same reason why they won’t let him in is the same reason why he can’t leave: his country suffered a military coup and his life would be in danger. So he stays there, making a terminal his new home as he waits for asylum. This is a classic and you should not miss it! 

9. Casino Royale (2006)

James Bond films are always quite the show! They’re bound to make you have fun while traveling. This one follows Bond as he is earning his license to kill and is involved in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale, Montenegro. The movie was shot in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy, and the United Kingdom. So you’ll see lots of different places! 

10. Amelie (2001)

If you’ve ever longed for a trip to Paris, then this movie is for you! The story follows Amelie, a girl whose childhood was conditioned by her mistakenly diagnosed heart condition. As she barely got any real-life interactions with people, she resorted to her own fantasy world that resulted in a vivid imagination even as an adult. Her life changes when she moves to Paris and that’s where this story begins. It’s a cinematic masterpiece and a very acclaimed film! 

11. Into the Wild (2007)

This great movie will take you deep into the wilderness of Alaska. It’s the story of Christopher McCandless, as he sells all of his possessions after graduating from university and departs to Alaska. He even donates all of his savings to give it all up and live in the wild. Along the way, he’ll encounter people that will forever make an impact on his life. It’s quite a long film (almost two and a half hours long) but definitely worth your time! 

12. Adrift (2018)

This moving film is based on an inspiring true story and will leave you shaken. It follows the adventures of two sailors who embark on a trip across the seas only to find themselves in the eye of one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in history. After the storm, their boat is shredded to pieces and one of them is badly injured. Now all they have to do is try to survive. It’s a gripping story, that’s for sure! 

13. Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus (2013)

This movie is for those who want a bit of fun when they’re away or daydreaming of being on the road! Meet Jamie, a let-loose American who’s traveling in Chile. There, he joins a woman keen to discover the benefits of a local South American hallucinogen: the San Pedro cactus. You’re bound to have a good laugh with this one. It’s short (1:40 hours) and hilarious!

14. Forrest Gump (1994)

This American classic is one you’ve probably seen dozens of times before. But we never get tired of this movie! This story follows the beloved character, Forrest Gump, across a tale of his eventful life while he waits at a bus stop. His memoirs also depict a series of key events in American history, so it’s quite the emotional ride. It’s a longer movie, almost two and a half hours long, but certainly an unskippable one! 

1 5. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

This Netflix documentary follows the life of 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono and his work at his renowned sushi restaurant. It also touches upon his relationship with his son as he is under the pressure of taking over the restaurant. Meanwhile, Jiro sets out on his lifelong quest to create the perfect piece of sushi. It all happens in Tokyo, so it’s a great movie for those longing to visit Japan! 

16. Faces places (2017)

This documentary is the perfect road trip film! The French protagonists, 89-year-old New Wave director Agnés Varda and 33-year-old photographer JR, embark on an artistic journey that’s caught on camera. They travel around the small villages of rural France, as they create portraits of the people they come across on their trip. It’s simple, subtle, and comforting! It’s a great movie for a road trip, so head over to our Road Trip section to start planning your next one.  

17. In Search Of Fellini (2017)

This story is both dreamy and relatable in certain ways! The protagonist is a small-town girl from Ohio who isn’t too keen on reality but adores movies. When she discovers the artistic and bizarre films of Federico Fellini, she takes off on a passionate trip across Italy just to find him. It’s a coming-of-age memoir mixed with a heavy dose of wanderlust. And if you like Italy’s landscapes, you can’t skip it! 

18. The Mummy (1999)

This one is another classic! If you’re in the mood for an adventure comedy, this is what you need to watch. Out of all these travel movies, The Mummy has a very distinct vibe. Is a mix of romance, adventure, comedy, and terror that just ticks all the right boxes! It tells the story of an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Desert. When they uncover an ancient tomb, they set free a  3,000-year-old mummy by accident. And I’ll let you find out the rest from there! Get ready to visit Egypt! 

19. The Way (2010)

The Way is visually stunning and emotionally touching. It tells the story of a man who goes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to gather the remains of his deceased adult son. His son died in a storm while attempting to complete the Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James trail). There, he decides to embark on the pilgrimage himself to honor his son’s desires. It’s an emotional ride but a beautiful one! 

20. The Bucket List (2007)

A travel movie with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman is a film worth watching! This comedy-drama follows two men suffering from a terminal illness as they set out on a once-in-a-lifetime kind of road trip. On their journey, they will check off everything they need to from their bucket lists before actually “kicking the bucket”. It’s funny, it features lots of cool places and activities, and it’ll sure keep you company while on the open road! 

21. On The Road (2012)

On The Road is the compelling take of a road trip fuelled by grief and a need for inspiration. Writer Sal Paradise embarks on a trip across the open road to regain clarity and motivation. On his journey, he encounters the free-spirited Dean Moriarty and his charismatic girlfriend. Together they travel the American Southwest in search of the unknown. The landscapes present in this movie are stunning and it’s always great to get to see more of the US! 

22. Wild Oats (2012)

This film is for those who want to watch movies that are a ton of fun! Wild Oats is a great movie capable of getting a laugh out of most of us. The story kicks off when a retired high school teacher receives a $5,000,000 check for her deceased husband’s $50,000 life insurance policy. Influenced by her friends, she decides to make the most out of the mistake and embark on a wild trip to the Canary Islands. The location of this film is beautiful and the storyline is hilarious! 

23. The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Everyone knows The Da Vinci Code in one way or another, right? Whether you’ve read the book or seen the film, this is a travel movie worth watching. The story follows symbologist Robert and cryptologist Sophie as they find themselves in the middle of a political and religious battle amid different believers. I don’t want to spoil anything else but this one is a must-watch!

24. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) 

This is one of the best comedies/rom-coms of all time! Not only does it make everyone laugh and cringe a little, it’s also set in beautiful Hawaii. The plot follows Peter, who was dumped by his girlfriend (actress Sarah Marshall) and decided to take off to Hawaii. He hopes to relax but, as he’s checking in, he spots Sarah and her new boyfriend. The events that follow are bizarre, hilarious, and worth watching! 

25. Cairo Time (2009)

Finishing off this roundup of travel movies on Netflix with Cairo Time seems like the right move. This movie is poetic to its core and has some really strong performances. It’s a romantic drama that focuses on an unexpected affair in Cairo. Of course, it features the best views of the city and a few of Egypt’s most iconic landmarks. For those of you who love the Pyramids, this one’s for you! 

What are your favorite travel movies and shows on Netflix?

Those are the 25 best travel movies on Netflix! Each and every one of these films is perfect for sparking that wanderlust flame or preparing for an upcoming trip. Even more, you can watch them while traveling on a road trip or at the hotel! So just download them and get ready to be entertained for a while. What is your favorite travel movie? Let me know in the comments. Now go enjoy those wanderlust-packed films! 

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Hello and warm regards from sunny Singapore!

Been following your IG and now subscribed to your blog. Thanks for this travel list. Cant wait to watch them. Thanks for your recommendations.

Ms Shan Lim

This is such a great list!! I am such an Egypt fanatic, how I have never heard of Cairo Time? Totally going to watch that tonight, thanks for the recommendations!

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My (Current) Ultimate List of Travel Movies

Way back in 2008, I created a list of ten of the best travel movies ever. It was a great list. But 2008 was a long time ago. Since I watch a lot of movies on flights and there have been many wonderful and breathtaking travel movies made since then, watching The Way a few days ago made me realize that we’re long overdue for a list of my all-time favorite best travel movies that will inspire you to get off the couch, pack your bag, and head to unknown lands:  

1. Lost in Translation

2. Whale Rider

3. Lord of the Rings

4. Into the Wild

5. In Bruges

6. Under the Tuscan Sun

7. Nowhere in Africa

8. Crocodile Dundee

9. Up in the Air

10. The Beach

11. The Motorcycle Diaries

12. Any Indiana Jones

13. Thelma and Louise

14. Lawrence of Arabia

15. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

16. A Good Year

17. Eurotrip

18. Seven Years in Tibet

19. The Darjeeling Limited

20. Midnight in Paris

21. Monsoon Wedding

22. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

23. The Way

24. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

25. Y Tu Mama También

27. Before Sunrise

28. A Map for Saturday

30. Roman Holiday

31. Queen of Katwe

32. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.  

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

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The Best Travel Movies On Netflix Right Now

by Melissa Giroux | Last updated Feb 25, 2023 | Inspiration , Travel Tips

Searching for the best travel movies on Netflix ? Are you starting to plan your next trip and looking for some inspiration? 

Whether you’re about to jet off or are putting together a killer itinerary, the best way to get in the mood is by watching travel or road trip movies.

Luckily, Netflix is full of movies about travel, so you’ll likely find one set in your destination or relating to your travel style. 

So, regardless of if you’re taking a road trip, flying to another country, or even sailing across the world, these ten travel movies on Netflix will fill you with excitement and anticipation.

1. Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

Eat Pray Love is perhaps the most loved movie for female solo travelers and one most of us can relate to.

This film is even better because it is based on the true story of writer Elizabeth Gilbert’s travel life.

What’s more, Gilbert is played by none other than the incredible Julia Roberts. 

We first meet Gilbert in a moment of deep despair where she realizes that she is unhappy in her marriage.

The scene of her crying on the bathroom floor pulls the heartstrings of every female who has left a relationship for the life of travel. 

After dealing with a messy divorce, Gilbert plans a year-long spiritual journey to rediscover herself. She splits the year between Italy, India, and Bali, and we follow her to each destination.

Throughout the movie, we see how she grows and finds pieces of herself that had become lost in an unfulfilled life, and we can’t help but cheer her on every step of the way.

If you’re a fan of this movie, make sure to read our post including the best quotes from Eat, Pray, Love .

2. Into The Wild (2007)

This Oscar-nominated film is based on the true story of a young American guy who feels called to go into the wild. He gives up everything to live a nomadic life, including his trust fund and excellent job prospects.

The film follows Christopher as he hitchhikes across North America, arriving in the Alaskan bush.

Here, he lives almost entirely off the land, hunting for food and sleeping in an abandoned bus he found.

While we may not have had such an intense travel experience, as freedom seekers, we can relate to Christophers’ desire to break free from society.

I don’t want to give too much away, but this film is undoubtedly a tear-jerker!

3. Expedition Happiness (2017)

This travel documentary follows a young couple wanting to escape their hometown and see the world, something all travelers can relate to.

Expedition Happiness follows the adventure-seeking couple who transform an old school bus into a motorhome and then travel across North America in it, with their fur child in tow. 

Expedition Happiness feels authentic and relatable, and you’ll indeed feel for the couple as they encounter many familiar road trip problems.

It’s one of the best road trip movies you can find on Netflix right now and will remind you of the first big trip you ever took and that first taste of freedom you experienced.

Or, if you’ve yet to pack up your life and hit the road, this travel movie will inspire you to make it happen!

4. Lost In Translation (2003)

Lost in Translation is one of the best backpacking movies on Netflix. It deals with the feelings of loneliness solo travelers often experience on long stints away from home.

The 2003 movie follows the story of two travelers in Tokyo (played by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson) who find comfort in each other’s company.

Lost in Translation represents perfectly the familiar feeling of confusion and alienation when you first arrive in a country where you don’t speak the language.

Plus, it highlights the importance of human connection during travel and how the people we meet while away are never by coincidence. 

5. The Bucket List (2007)

The Bucket list is undoubtedly one of the best travel movies on Netflix for anyone who is procrastinating about booking their dream trip.

This inspiring film is about two terminally ill men (played by Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson) who meet on a cancer ward.

They create their bucket lists and decide to tick off as many things as possible before they die. 

This ultimate travel movie follows the pair as they visit the most incredible places globally, such as ​​the Taj Mahal, The Great Wall Of China, and the Egyptian pyramids.

What’s more, they embark on many adventures, from an African Safari to skiing in the alps to skydiving.

While the concept of this movie is simple, it serves as a refreshing reminder to make the most of the time we have left. What’s more, the acting and story writing is superb. 

6. The Terminal (2004)

Ok, this may not be one that you’ll want to watch the night before a flight, but it’s an incredible movie nonetheless.

I’m sure we’ve all had worrisome thoughts of being stranded in an airport, and this is what happens to a traveler played by Tom Hanks in The Terminal.

However, he doesn’t just get stuck there for a few days, no he spends nine months inside New York’s JFK airport! 

How does this happen? The character Viktor flies into JFK but then realizes his passport is invalid and unrecognizable and cannot enter the USA, nor can he return home.

But don’t worry, this story is entirely fictional, thank god!

7. The Fundamentals Of Caring (2016)

The Fundamentals of Caring is another of the best road trip movies and an inspirational buddy comedy about a disabled teen and his caregiver.

Ben (Paul Rudd) is a writer who retires early after a family loss and decides to become a caregiver for a troubled teen (Trevor) who’s fed up with being stuck in a wheelchair. 

Ben decides to take Trevor on a road trip across America to change his perspective on life.

With themes of ​​hope and companionship, they both overcome struggles and gain a new lease on life along with a solid friendship.

The Fundamentals of Caring is funny yet emotional and perfectly exemplifies how life-affirming road trips and traveling can be.

8. Holiday In The Wild (2019)

If you’re planning an African Safari, Holiday in the Wild is a must-see. This movie is about an American woman whose husband unexpectedly leaves her.

She decides to go alone on what was supposed to be their ‘second honeymoon,’ a trip to Africa.

However, during the solo safari, she finds purpose in helping the animals and extends her stay. 

While in Zambia, Kate volunteers at an elephant sanctuary. There are several scenes that anyone who has volunteered with animals abroad will find relatable. 

Although a little predictable, it’s a pleasant, easy-viewing film about leaving the modern luxuries of the western world and experiencing a simpler life in the wild.  

9. The Tourist (2010)

We’ve all had holiday romances but probably not one that put us in great danger and on the run from the police!

The Tourist is a thrilling travel movie about an American tourist named Frank (played by Johnny Deep) who travels to Italy on his own to mend his broken heart.

However, instead of finding peace and solitude, he meets Elise (played by Angelina Jolie) on a train to Venice. 

Frank believes they have hit it off but unknown to him, Elise has chosen him as a decoy.

As a result, he’s mistaken for a mobster and wanted by the police and the mob from whom Elise stole money.

The film is a tad unrealistic, but you’ll surely enjoy The Tourist if you like thrillers and adore Italy. 

10. David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (2020)

This recent David Attenborough travel documentary is a must-see for anyone interested in this magnificent world, thus all travelers. In ‘A Life on Our Planet,’ Attenborough recounts the most astonishing things he has seen on his travels.

As a man who has visited the most remote, uninhabited places on every continent, he is someone worth listening to!

Attenborough speaks of the evolutionary history of life on Earth and grieves the loss of rainforests and animal species and the effect of climate change.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, as he discusses his vision for the future and how we can make a positive change to the planet we live on.

This travel documentary will undoubtedly inspire you to get out there and make a difference in the world.

Final Thoughts On Travel Movies

Our list of the best travel movies on Netflix includes something for every wanderlust planning or preparing for a trip.

So, why not take a break from your destination research and packing and put one of these travel and backpacking movies on Netflix.

Searching for more inspiration? Read one of the following blog posts:

• Best travel shows on Netflix
• Best movies about long-distance relationships
• Best movies filmed in France

MY TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

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Best road trip/feel good travel movies

1. The Fundamentals of Caring

2. Little Miss Sunshine

3. The Road Within

4. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

5. High Road

More to explore, recently viewed.

Traveling Without a Passport

Our Favourite Romantic Travel Movies

There’s something so romantic about travelling to an unfamiliar place that the experience is practically made for the big screen. Watching movie characters navigate new places means you can live vicariously through them and experience double the escapism without having to get off the couch. 

If your next holiday feels far away, watch these romantic travel movies and get ready to be transported to a world filled with swoon-worthy romance and scenic destinations. These films are guaranteed to satisfy your wanderlust — at least for the time being. 

• Before Sunrise
• Letters to Juliet
• The Proposal
• Eat, Pray, Love
• The Holiday
• Crazy Rich Asians
• Roman Holiday
• Call Me By Your Name
• The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants

See Also: Romantic Tours & Trips

1. Before Sunrise

For those who have ever dreamed of making an unexpected connection with a stranger while abroad, this movie is for you. Before Sunrise is a 1995 indie film that tells the story of Jesse and Céline, who meet on a train and decide to explore Vienna together on a whim. 

They walk the streets of Vienna at night, talking the whole time about their views on life and love while knowing that when the night is over, they will part ways and likely never see each other again. The movie makes Austria’s capital the perfectly enchanting backdrop to Jesse and Céline’s growing connection, and the soft glow of the evening streets lend a sense of melancholy to their short time together. 

You can watch Before Sunrise on its own, or follow the rest of Jesse and Céline’s story in the sequels, Before Sunset and Before Midnight.

2. Letters to Juliet

On a trip to Verona with her fiancé, Sophie visits Casa di Giulietta (Juliet’s House), where it’s customary for lovelorn visitors to leave letters and messages for the Shakespearean heroine (or in this version of Verona anyway). 

When Sophie discovers an unanswered letter from decades ago, she writes back with the help of the Secretaries of Juliet. Her response brings Claire, the author of the letter, to Verona with her grandson Charlie, and the trio embark on a journey through Tuscany in hopes of finding Claire’s long-lost love. 

The movie features gorgeous shots of the Italian countryside, and it’s a celebration of love that will melt even the coldest of hearts. After you watch it, you might just want to hop on a plane to Verona yourself and leave your own letter to Juliet!

See Also: 7 of the Best Movies to Watch on a Plane

3. The Proposal

When Margaret Tate, a high-powered publishing executive, finds out that she might be deported back to her home country of Canada, she enlists the help of her assistant Andrew to act as her fiancé. To convince the immigration agent of their relationship, the two travel to Andrew’s hometown of Sitka, Alaska to meet his family where, spoiler alert: they fall in love. 

While the movie was not actually filmed in Alaska , seeing the contrast between the towering skyscrapers that Margaret is accustomed to and snow-capped mountains that Andrew calls home will make you feel like you’ve taken a quick getaway. This formulaic rom-com hits all the right spots: a fake relationship turned real against a scenic backdrop, with no shortage of charming hijinks.

4. Eat, Pray, Love

In all its forms, Eat, Pray, Love is a travel classic. Follow Liz Gilbert as she embarks on a year-long travel journey around the world after a difficult divorce to regain balance in her life. This movie is a visual dream, featuring sweeping panoramic views of Italy , India , and Indonesia , along with close-up shots of glorious, mouth-watering food. 

The storyline is dreamy and inspirational, and while not everyone can take a year off from their lives to wander the world, hopefully savouring a delicious margherita pizza in Naples is in your future. 

5. The Holiday

Separated by the Atlantic Ocean, Iris and Amanda are two women who exchange houses for the holidays in an effort to escape their respective romantic troubles. New romances spark for both of them in this holiday favourite, and what starts as a spontaneous getaway ends up being much more. 

Amanda’s modern California mansion could not be more different from Iris’ cosy English cottage, and it’s incredibly entertaining to watch them get accustomed to their new settings. This movie is a win for anyone whose favourite part of travelling is being spontaneous and opening your heart to something new. 

See Also: 7 Movies That Will Inspire You to Travel

6. Crazy Rich Asians

The glitz and glamour of Singapore’s luxurious side is on full display in this vibrant movie where Rachel Chu, a young Manhattanite, travels to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick to meet his family.

Unbeknownst to her, his family is part of the ultra-wealthy Singaporean elite, and they’re experts at throwing lavish and extravagant parties. Unfortunately, there’s trouble in paradise for the pair when Rachel realises Nick’s family disapproves of their relationship. 

This movie is a glittering guide to Singapore’s best sights, from sweeping nighttime shots of Gardens by the Bay to glimmering aerial views of Marina Bay Sands with fireworks exploding overhead. The movie also features glamour shots of Newton Food Center — where you can go to get a taste of authentic Singapore — and Sentosa, a prime Singaporean weekend getaway destination.

No wonder travel searches skyrocketed following the movie’s release — after watching this movie, you’ll want to add Singapore to your travel list, too. 

7. Roman Holiday

In this classic tale of mistaken identity, a crown princess falls in love with an American reporter when she decides to explore Rome on her own on a state visit. Audrey Hepburn’s first film doubles as a scenic romp, hitting quintessential Roman spots like the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain. 

Princess Ann’s zeal for exploring Rome on her own terms speaks to the souls of intrepid travellers everywhere, and you’ll love watching her careen through the streets of Rome on a vespa, eat gelato on the Spanish Steps, dine al fresco, and fall in love on her Roman holiday. 

8. Call Me By Your Name

Set in Northern Italy in 1983, Call Me By Your Name tells the story of the love that blossoms between Elio, the young son of an archaeology professor, and Oliver, a visiting American graduate student. 

Filming for the movie took place in Lombardy, and the province is rendered beautifully, with its ornate architecture, sunlit piazzas, and lush countryside, making for the perfect setting for this melancholy love story.

See Also: Romantic Getaways to Rekindle Your Marriage

9. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants

On the night before they’re slated to go their separate ways, a group of lifelong friends devise a plan to say connected during their first summer apart: by sharing a pair of thrift-shop jeans that inexplicably fit each of their figures perfectly. 

This coming-of-age story follows the four girls — and the magical jeans — to Greece , South Carolina, Mexico , and Maryland, as they journey through a summer of first loves, losses, and heartbreak. 

Being away from the people you love is one of the hardest parts of travelling, and this movie serves as a great reminder that nothing can come between best friends — including time and distance.

What are your favourite romantic travel movies? Let us know in the comments!

Melanie Cheng

Melanie is a Toronto-based writer and editor who loves experiencing new things in new places. In between adventures, you can find her with her nose in a book, re-watching episodes of Friends, or on the lookout for her next favourite brunch spot.

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51 Summer Movies That Feel Like a Mini Vacation

By Lindy Segal

Summer is here—and so are the best summer movies. While it was wonderful to pack up your coats and sweaters for the season, it’s also that time of year when all you want to do is get out of town. That’s not always possible, though, so we have the next best thing: your couch and a movie series about people hanging out in vacation-y settings.

These movies are the perfect way to escape, even for just a few hours. Because the best summertime movies will transport you to a different world—from a trip to the vineyard in Wine Country with Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph to a wedding in the Greek islands courtesy of Mamma Mia . Whatever you’re watching, you can sit back and take in the gorgeous views. And unlike mystery movies or spy movies , the stakes are significantly less stressful.

So grab a piña colada (or three) and enjoy the best summer movies available to stream tonight.

All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The Little Mermaid (2023)

One thing the new live-action Little Mermaid does well, besides the brilliant casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel and becoming a box-office hit? Making Prince Eric's fictional island kingdom look so lush and inviting that you'll leave the theater trying to book a vacation there.

In theaters now.

No Hard Feelings (2023)

Your trip to the Hamptons likely wouldn't include dating a 19-year-old in exchange for a car—but absurd storylines aside, No Hard Feelings does lovingly capture the summer season in Montauk, New York.

Theater Camp (2023)

Calling it: Theater Camp will go down as one of the best camp movies of all time. The comedy—written by longtime friends Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt, and Noah Galvin—perfectly captures the high-stakes drama, eccentric characters, and farcical situations that happen when you have a summer camp filled with budding thespians.

In theaters July 14.

Fire Island (2022)

This summery, modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice is set in the Fire Island Pines, a vacation destination for the gay community that's located off the coast of New York's Long Island. You'll laugh, you'll fall in love, and you'll find yourself booking a ferry ticket to the Pines, stat.

Available to stream on Hulu.

Adventureland (2009)

Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart star alongside Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and more in this comedy about the summer staff of a Pennsylvania amusement park. The joke of the movie is that Adventureland isn't exactly a destination, but it'll make you nostalgic for a theme park day nonetheless.

Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.

The Sandlot (1993)

Even if you've never held a baseball bat in your life, you'll find there's something just so familiar about this beloved coming-of-age sports comedy. You'll remember being 11 and seeking out a series of small and big adventures to pass those too-brief months of freedom during summer break.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Look past the whole hook-wielding serial killer thing and the setting of I Know What You Did Last Summer seems quite idyllic. A beautiful small town in coastal North Carolina and a group of hot friends in peak '90s fashions? What more could you want?

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

National Lampoon's Vacation , directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo, has long been considered one of the best summer movies of all time. We're not sure why—everything that could go wrong on this cross-country road trip does. But then again, isn't that what summer travel is really like? So if you want the full vacation experience, this is your movie.

Shotgun Wedding (2022)

Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel are at their most charming in this comedy-action-romance about a destination wedding to a private island in the Philippines. Sure, some things go awry, but those views.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

Ticket to Paradise (2022)

Another destination wedding movie that feels like an onscreen vacation. This time it features George Clooney and Julia Roberts being charming in Bali. Paradise is literally in the name!

Luca (2021)

Any movie set in the Italian Riviera is going to be gorgeous, even the animated ones. Luca is about a timid sea monster child who ventures out of the ocean for the first time and finds a host of adventures along the way.

Available to stream on Disney+.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

The Singapore setting of this romantic comedy, one of our favorite movies based on a book and starring Henry Golding and Constance Wu, is so beautiful you’ll find yourself bookmarking flights. But be warned: You’ll need a budget the size of the Young family’s fortune in order to afford a trip as extravagant as the one you see here.

Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Proof that Hawaii is paradise: It’s still an incredible getaway, even when your famous ex shows up with her new rock star boyfriend. Jason Segel is at his funniest and most adorable in this endlessly quotable romantic comedy about a guy just trying to move on from a past relationship.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video

Blue Crush (2002)

Hawaii, surfing, and a group of badass women who spend their days on the beach. What more could you ask for in a summer movie? One of the best movies of the 2000s , Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sànoe Lake (a surfer IRL!) lead this story that was based on a 1998 Outside magazine article about real-life surfers titled “Life’s Swell.”

Something Borrowed (2011)

Like a good beach read, Something Borrowed is breezy, mindless fun filled with love triangles and messy romantic drama. But it’s the lush Hamptons scenery that earns it a spot in this roundup. Although, bonus points to Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin for their throwback “Push It” dance routine.

Roman Holiday (1953)

If the beach doesn’t quite do it for you, curl up with this Audrey Hepburn rom-com classic, filmed on location in Rome, about an undercover princess who spends a day touring all of the city’s stunning sights with Gregory Peck. It’s best served with pasta, of course.

Available to stream on Pluto TV

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Looking for something with a little more intrigue than Roman Holiday , but still dreaming of a European vacation? Mix stunning Italian vistas, pretty people (Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow, to be specific), and masterful manipulation together and you get the 1950s-set thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley .

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Take out all the, you know, superhero stuff, and you basically have a movie about Tom Holland and Zendaya on summer vacation in Europe. They take in the sights of Venice, spend time in the Czech Republic, and even make a stop in London. It’s a delight!

Available to stream on Hulu

Wine Country (2019)

Who wouldn’t want to go to Napa Valley for a weekend of wine and laughs with Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Rachel Dratch? Wine Country follows a group of friends who travel to the gorgeous California destination for a 50th-birthday getaway. As they reminisce over large glasses of Pinot Noir, you’ll feel every bit a part of the fun.

Available to stream on Netflix

Dazed and Confused (1993)

This Richard Linklater film perfectly captures that hopeful last-day-of-school feeling, and the hazy ’70s vibe could chill anyone out. The awesome cast—including a young Ben Affleck, Renée Zellweger, and Matthew McConaughey—and soundtrack full of vintage hits by ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd don’t hurt either. 

Sex and the City (2008)

Sure, you could always just settle into yet another Sex and the City series marathon, but the Mexico trip in the HBO show’s first (and best) movie is proof that a little sun—and time away with your best friends—can help solve pretty much anything.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

You can’t have a list of the best summer movies and not include the vacation classic How Stella Got Her Groove Back . Those are just the rules! The sexy movie stars Angela Bassett as the titular Stella, a successful stockbroker in desperate need of a getaway. So she travels to Jamaica, meets a handsome younger man (Taye Diggs, hello), and soaks up some sun and romance.

Austenland (2013)

Anyone who lists Pride and Prejudice among their favorite books will love this cute, goofy rom-com about a young woman (Keri Russell) who goes to an Austen-themed resort to find her Mr. Darcy. Love triangles, Jennifer Coolidge’s hilariously bad fake British accent, and other high jinks ensue.

The Way, Way Back (2013)

Why are so many coming-of-age movies set in the summer? We can't say for sure, but if you’ve spent time in a beach town—or, you know, been a 14-year-old—then you can appreciate this sweet movie about a kid who’s been dragged along with his mom and her smarmy boyfriend for a summer in Massachusetts. The epic cast (Toni Colette, Steve Carell, Maya Rudolph) and relatable story make this a must-watch.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

You basically get four vacations out of this movie about a group of best friends—played by Blake Lively, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn—who discover a pair of magic jeans just before they all separate for their various summer plans. Sorry to the others, but Lena (Bledel) kind of has the best one: a trip to Greece, where she falls in love.

Mamma Mia (2008)

Movies about summer need a vacation-worthy locale, and Mamma Mia more than delivers in that aspect. While the actual singing in this Broadway musical turned movie may be questionable (A for effort, Pierce Brosnan), show us someone who doesn’t forget all of his or her troubles when Meryl Streep sings “Dancing Queen” on a remote Greek isle, and we’ll show you a liar.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

You don’t have to leave Greece once you finish Mamma Mia . Just ease right into the sequel/prequel, which features somehow even grander oceanside scenes, and drool over the truly stunning hotel that Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) has in the 10 years since the events of the first movie.

Crossroads (2002)

An epic road trip is an important entry on any travel bucket list, and Crossroads captures the experience perfectly. Fun fact: Shonda Rhimes wrote this movie, which stars Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana, and Taryn Manning, long before Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal were in your must-watch queue.

The Last Summer (2019)

Remember how magical the last summer after high school feels? That time before everyone goes their separate ways for college or work, when there are no expectations or to-do lists? You can now revisit it, with Maia Mitchell and Riverdale ’s KJ Apa, anytime you’d like on Netflix with teen romance movie The Last Summer .

The Beach (2000)

A young Leonardo DiCaprio and two friends travel in search of an idyllic hidden beach community in Thailand in this adventure-drama movie. The events of the movie aren’t super relaxing, but the setting—filmed on the Thai island of Ko Phi Phi Le—is beyond gorgeous.

Girls Trip (2017)

Would you like to travel to New Orleans for a booze-fueled weekend of adventure with Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish, and Queen Latifah? Yeah, we thought so. Unfortunately that’s not quite doable, but we have the next best thing: watching their hilarious romp, Girls Trip .

Point Break (1991)

Watching any Keanu Reeves movie is always good when you’re looking for an escape, but Point Break is especially worthy thanks to its oceanside scenery. Reeves plays an FBI agent who goes undercover and embeds himself in a group of thrill-seeking surfers in this Kathryn Bigelow–directed action flick.

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Just because it's a sad romantic movie doesn't make it any less summery. The setting in Call Me by Your Name is just as beautiful as the heartbreaking love story at the center of the movie—which is saying a lot. Timothée Chalamet is endlessly charming in this coming-of-age story set in the northern Italian countryside.

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

Another Italian-set getaway! Diane Lane plays a recently divorced writer who takes a solo vacation to the country on the advice of her best friend (played by Sandra Oh). Once she’s there, she’s so charmed that she buys a villa on a whim. While we don’t usually recommend hasty real estate decisions, we do encourage you to check out this movie.

Troop Beverly Hills (1989)

If you're feeling nostalgic about summers spent going on adventures with your Girl or Boy Scouts troop, then the only movie for you is Troop Beverly Hills. Shelley Long stars in this heartfelt comedy as a bored housewife fumbling her way through teaching a crew of girls wilderness skills.

It Takes Two (1995)

Cuties Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen star in this family-friendly film that is basically the same plot as The Parent Trap : Two young girls who happen to look exactly alike meet at summer camp and decide to trade places. High jinks ensue, including a plot to make their guardians fall in love.

The Parent Trap (1998)

Speaking of The Parent Trap : This remake starring Lindsay Lohan might be the most perfect summer movie. In 128 minutes, you'll travel to a camp in Maine, a chic townhouse in London, and a beautiful winery in Napa Valley, California.

Available to stream on Disney+

Monte Carlo (2011)

Selena Gomez stars as Grace, a recent high school graduate who embarks on a dream trip to Paris with her stepsister (Leighton Meester) and best friend (Katie Cassidy). But when Grace is mistaken for a spoiled heiress, she and her friends decide to keep up the ruse and have the vacation of a lifetime in Monte Carlo.

The Baby-Sitters Club (1995)

Based on the beloved Ann M. Martin series, The Baby-Sitters Club will take you right back to the seemingly endless summer days of your youth as you watch the adventures of Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, Dawn, Mallory, Jessi, and Stacey.

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

It has “summer” in the title— of course we were going to include Wet Hot American Summer , a satirical comedy set at a camp in the ’80s, on this list.

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)

Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo lead this wonderfully silly movie about two middle-aged Midwestern women who embark on a gals trip to Florida. “It goes down like a blue raspberry slushy on a 90-degree day,” Glamour writer Jenny Singer praises .

Ibiza: Love Drunk (2018)

One of the best summer movies on Netflix is this buddy-trip comedy about three 30-somethings (Gillian Jacobs, Phoebe Robinson, and Vanessa Bayer) who travel from New York to Ibiza for a wild weekend of shenanigans.

Palm Springs (2020)

Why not kill some time (pun intended) with a time-loop story starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti? Palm Springs is one of the most unique vacation movies you’ll ever watch: The trippy, Groundhog Day –esque romantic comedy takes place at a gorgeous Palm Springs resort.

Aquamarine (2006)

No list of beach movies is complete without this mermaid film. Aquamarine follows the adventures of two best friends in a Florida beach town and the titular mermaid who changes their lives forever. When you’re dreading the end of summer, this heartwarming tale will remind you to make the best of the time you have.

Summer of Soul (2021)

Revel in feeling like you're at a summer music festival while still in the comfort of your own home. This Oscar-winning documentary, directed by Questlove, is about the Harlem Culture Festival of 1969, which took place the same year as Woodstock and featured music legends like Mahalia Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

Grease (1978)

How you can you listen to “Summer Nights” and not think of this as a summer movie? The musical classic starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John will leave you nostalgic for carefree warm-weather evenings.

Zola (2021)

Zola expertly tackles the freedom—and danger—to be found in the sex work industry, set within the structure of a classic road trip movie. It's a compelling, edge-of-your-seat drama inspired by a viral Twitter thread about a trip gone wrong.

Thelma and Louise (1991)

In what might be the best road trip film ever created, two BFFs find freedom, empowerment, and an unshakeable bond against all odds. An unconventional vacation, sure, but a must-watch nonetheless. 

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Vacationing with her family at a sleepy Catskills resort won't stop Baby from enjoying herself, especially with a dreamy Patrick Swayze as her dance partner. Let this classic tale of dance and romance sweep you off your feet this summer as you daydream about your own potential resort fling.

Available to stream on HBO Max

In the Heights (2021)

In The Heights was one of the most-anticipated blockbuster movies of 2021, and it didn't disappoint. The musical extravaganza from Lin-Manuel Miranda celebrated the vibrant culture of Washington Heights during a life-changing summer. And don't the piraguas look the perfect treat on a hot day?

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Two precocious children run away together in this coming-of-age film directed by Wes Anderson. The movie addresses themes of young love and reinvention while set in a stunning location, told in the artistic way only his films achieve.

By Paula Lee

By Elizabeth Logan

By Christopher Rosa

By Andrea Navarro

Wealth of Geeks

Feel-Good Movies That Aren’t About Love

Posted: January 25, 2024 | Last updated: January 25, 2024

Feel-good movies should put a smile on anyone’s face, even after the worst day. As good as a thrilling action flick or hard-hitting drama can be, sometimes fan films want to cuddle up after a long day at work with something lighter.

Relieve any anxiety and hide away from the world with feel-good movies that don’t center on romance. While all the world seems love-obsessed, some feel-good movies understand life doesn’t just revolve around romance. Avoid remembering that break-up with an uplifting film about overcoming the odds, achieving goals, and bonding with family members.

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine follows Olive (Abigail Breslin) and her family as they cross the country to attend a pageant. The characters’ journey of self-discovery depicts the tragedy and humor of real life, concentrating more on family dynamics than romantic love. 

A feel-good movie about feeling bad, Little Miss Sunshine handles serious topics like mental health, suicide, depression, and body image with relatability. This whole movie encourages audiences to accept the lessons failures bring. Despite the sad topics, Little Miss Sunshine is ultimately an uplifting film about life’s obstacles and how to overcome them.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

The Lonely Island actors send up the Justin Biebers and One Directions of this world with this hilarious spoof popumentary . Andy Samberg stars as Conner4Real, a pop phenomenon who outgrew his original boyband. The film follows his album launch and the realization that his lack of talent and bad decisions could tank his career.

A delight for fans of celebrity gossip, this uncomplicated comedy satires the banality of the modern musical landscape. Unlike many of its peers, Never Stop Stopping never gets weighed down with romantic subplots and attempts to deliver a message.

Hunt For The Wilderpeople

Taika Waititi’s Hunt For The Wilderpeople acts as a road movie and a feel-good, coming-of-age comedy. Troubled teenager Ricky (Julian Dennison) is shipped around foster homes until he lands on Bella and Hec (Sam Neill).

When Ricky runs away from his home, Hec hunts him down, and the pair evade his officer, Paula (Rachel House), together. Waititi’s 2016 film never judges its leading characters and plays the realities of the situation straight. Hunt For The Wilderpeople skips past shmaltzy adoption feel-good movies to show a mutual understanding between a misunderstood teen and a curmudgeon father figure.

Fighting With My Family

Fighting With My Family tells the real-life story of British wrestler Saraya-Jade Bevis (Florence Pugh). She went from wrestling in local venues to winning the WWE Divas title under the ring name Paige. Even people unaware of Paige’s story will find this feel-good movie heartwarming and hilarious.

This Stephen Merchant-directed film balances oddball British humor with thrilling wrestling scenes and real heart. Called the wrestling version of Billy Elliott , Fighting With My Family celebrates the highs and lows of success in a family. The film isn’t all about success; it also realistically showcases the jealousy that comes when one person reaches another dream. Ultimately, the quirky comedy and happy ending will leave viewers feeling good. 

Robot & Frank

Robot & Frank offers a rare feel-good look into the future of technology. David (James Marsden) gives his father ( Frank Langella ) a robot to cook, garden, and clean up. Voiced by Peter Sarasgaard, they convince the robot to join in the older gentlemen’s favorite hobby of larceny.

Frank defies the sweet old man stereotype as the former convict still outwitting security systems and lifting jewels from the rich. When he discovers his robot sidekick can crack safes and pick locks, the pair create a real bond. The robot also breaks stereotypes, his attitude warmer and funnier than most sentient machines depicted in cinema. 

A pig raised by sheepdogs learns to herd sheep with a little help from a farmer (James Cromwell) in this touching adaptation. Directed by Chris Noonan, this charming family movie has the feel-good message of never underestimating something just because it’s not acting in the expected way.

This wholesome movie features lovable characters, quaint locations, and an adorable talking pig. Babe ultimately tells a story about people born into certain roles, even if they don’t suit their skills. 

The Peanut Butter Falcon

The Peanut Butter Falcon is a feel-good movie that celebrates diversity without feeling tokenistic. An unabashed retelling of Mark Twain’s classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn novel, the 2019 film follows a young wrestling fan Zak (Zack Gottsagen), with Down syndrome, who escapes his nursing home. On the road, Zak pairs up with Tyler (Shia LeBeouf) to meet his wrestling hero, The Salt Water Redneck ( Thomas Haden Church ), and evade capture.

The Peanut Butter Falcon never shies away from Zak’s disabilities or how the world treats him because of them. Written for Gottsagen by Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson, this feel-good road movie never panders despite embracing the nuances of his disabilities.

My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro is a feel-good movie about death, grief, and kindness. This vibrant Studio Ghibli film appeals equally to younger and older audiences, with an uplifting message and a cute array of cuddly Totoros. It’s a rewatchable film, many go back to on a rainy day.

One of the lovingly hand-crafted works of Hayao Miyazaki , the movie tells the story of two young sisters dealing with their mother’s illness. While the subject is difficult, My Neighbour Totoro celebrates the love of a family unit and finding peace in a chaotic world. 

The Intouchables

2011’s The Intouchables tells the tale of a wealthy, white disabled man (Francois Cluzet) and the troubled black youth who becomes his caretaker (Omar Sy). The pair create an unlikely friendship that crosses economic situation and race.

Based on a true story, The Intouchables American remake, The Upside with Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston, never quite matched the uplifting themes of the original. The film hits familiar beats without every feeling oversentimental or saccharine, something the remake couldn’t get to grips with.

School Of Rock

Richard Linklater’s feel-good musical comedy has no shortage of likable characters, quotable lines, and catchy songs. School of Rock follows man-child Dewey (Jack Black), who steals his housemate’s identity to nab a substitute teacher role at an upmarket school. 

The stakes for School of Rock aren’t high, but it’s a joy to watch the children change slacker Dewey for the better, and Dewey helps unleash an unashamed joy in the middle-class kids. Jack Black is the perfect fit for the role, exuberantly bringing his big kid spirit and joy for life to the comedy.

Ratatouille

Set in Paris, Ratatouille follows a young rat, Remy (Patton Oswalt), who dreams of becoming a chef at Auguste Gusteau’s (Brad Garrett) restaurant. Written and directed by Brad Bird, Ratatouille aims slightly higher than many animated Pixar movies. Unlike many high-stakes animations that involve wild adventures, mystical beings, and epic love stories, Ratatouille is simply about a chef getting a positive review.

The ultimate message of Ratatouille is small but significant. Food critic Anton Egon realizes that anyone can cook. While not everyone can make art, everyone should try, and good art can come from anywhere. Unlike weepy Pixar films like Up and Toy Story , Ratatouille is a charming feel feel-good movie about chasing dreams (even if you’re a rat!)

Billy Elliott

Billy Elliot battles the stereotypes associated with masculinity and poverty to deliver the ultimate British feel-good movie. The movie tells the story of an 11-year-old from a Northern coal-mining town who wants to ballet dance, despite his father’s wishes.

The Stephen Daldry-directed film depicts Billy’s (Jamie Bell) newfound love for ballet, his own gender expectations, and his relationship with his dance teacher Mrs.Wilkinson (Julie Walters). This 2000 movie has the hallmark of all feel-good movies, showing a downtrodden protagonist achieving a dream they previously thought impossible.

Despite being a movie advocating for people’s rights to love who they want freely, Pride avoids the predictable LBGTQ love stories. This 2014 movie portrays what happens when two unlikely social groups team up to defeat their common enemy.

In Pride , a group of lesbian and gay activists raise money for the families of striking miners. Steeped in 1980s nostalgia and a catchy soundtrack, this rare feel-movie movie portrays a haunting decade in LBGTQ+ culture with an uplifting lightness. While it never shies away from talking about the AIDS crisis and the intolerance of the era, it concentrates on the joy of people living through the decade rather than the misery.

Based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, it centers on a young girl called Matilda (Mara Wilson) whose family doesn’t appreciate her intelligence. Matilda’s TV-obsessed grifter parents, Harry and Zinnia Wormwood’s narcissism can’t dampen her joy for books and learning.

Matilda never panders to the younger audience and never sentimentalizes Matilda’s happy ending with Miss Honey. Despite having one of the most terrifying villains in film history (Pam Ferris as Miss Trunchbull), Matilda never gets too dark. This Danny DeVito-directed gem celebrates the weird kids at school who always had their heads in a book.

Paddington and its sequel deliver the ultimate in comfort cinema. The Brown family adopts a speaking Peruvian bear (Ben Whishaw) who teaches all of London to act just a little bit kinder. Every second of the two films depicts a delightfully whimsical London, guaranteed to make audiences feel fuzzy on even the worst day.

It seems the world has forgotten Paddington’s lessons about being polite, kind, and remembering manners in recent years. These two films feel like visiting an alternative universe, where everything is a little bit brighter, and people act a little bit more gently. Although it preaches a lesson of understanding, it still manages to make a subtle dig at England’s immigration issues and intolerance.

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How The Brat Pack Changed Hollywood Forever

Every actor who appears in the brats brat pack documentary (& how they feel about it), the net worth of every brat pack member explained.

• The Brat Pack defined 1980s cinema with mature coming-of-age themes in their iconic films.
• Some Brat Pack members struggled to maintain stardom post-1980s due to the pack's label.
• Estevez shines in "St. Elmo's Fire," Hall impresses in "Sixteen Candles," and McCarthy stands out in "Pretty in Pink."

The Brats documentary was recently released and delved into the lives of the Brat Pack, who were defined by the best movies of their careers, which mostly occurred in the 1980s. While not every member of the Brat Pack reached peak stardom in the 1980s, and some later went on to make a comeback in other projects, many faded into obscurity after the boom of their iconic films. These movies often dealt with themes of coming-of-age, maturity, and the disaffected nature of youth during the 1980s and into the early 1990s.

There's a significant overlap between their best films, as the Brat Pack earned their name for starring alongside each other in so many projects.

In some ways, being labeled The Brat Pack derailed the careers of the actors who gained so much fame from their first projects. Few of them have maintained the level of stardom they achieved in the 1980s, and many of their best-received films are among the Brat Pack movies. There's a significant overlap between their best films, as the Brat Pack earned their name for starring alongside each other in so many projects. However, particular members of the group shined in different films and rode the wave of their fame with varying degrees of success.

8 Emilio Estevez - St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

As kirby keager.

Kirby's defining characteristic is his romantic infatuation with Dale (Andie MacDowell) and the lengths he goes to express his feelings for her.

Emilio Estevez is a familiar figure in the Brat Pack and plays one of the more likable characters in St. Elmo's Fire . The movie is one of the more mature films featuring the Brat Pack, as it deals with a group of friends from college into their early adult years. Estevez's character, Kirby, is one of the main roles in the ensemble cast that features people of different classes, backgrounds, and ambitions. Kirby's defining characteristic is his romantic infatuation with Dale (Andie MacDowell) and the lengths he goes to express his feelings for her.

One of the biggest critiques of St. Elmo's Fire is that the characters are old enough to know better and avoid the pitfalls of their juvenile mistakes. However, immaturity lasting into adulthood and extended adolescence is frequently featured in Brat Pack movies, making the film no exception. Estevez is well suited to his role, as he thrives in the stoic suffering of Kirby, traits he explores in other Brat Pack movies that are similarly well-remembered.

St. Elmo's Fire

7 anthony michael hall - sixteen candles (1984), as the geek.

Sixteen Candles is easily the most problematic of all the Brat Pack movies directed by John Hughes, as it depicts problematic racial stereotypes and treats assault casually. Unfortunately, Anthony Michael Hall's character, merely referred to as Farmer Ted or The Geek, is a key part of one of the worst scenes in the film, even though he's supposed to be viewed as sympathetic by the audience throughout the film. Hughes would stray away from these one-dimensional takes on class in his later work, but it's on full display in Sixteen Candles .

Despite these issues, Sixteen Candles is still familiar to many audience members today, and Hall's performance is indicative of an actor giving his all to a role. Sixteen Candles remains relevant because of Sam's (Molly Ringwald) development and her journey to feel recognized and seen by her peers. Hall's character is viewed through a lens of empathy for so much of the movie because he's enamored with Sam and is one of the few people to see that she's special. He's also aspirational for young people who could relate to feeling like a social outcast during their teenage years.

Sixteen Candles

*Availability in US

Not available

In John Hughes's directorial debut, Molly Ringwald stars as Samantha Baker, a high school student in suburban Chicago whose sixteenth birthday is marred when her whole family forgets to celebrate the occasion due to her older sister's wedding. Navigating a school dance and a seemingly unrequited crush on an older boy, Sam's sweet sixteen becomes a day to remember. Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Schoeffling, and Gedde Watanabe also star. 

The mid-1980s films featuring the legendary Brat Pack members changed Hollywood forever. It was a defining time for young people in cinema.

6 Rob Lowe - The Outsiders (1983)

As sodapop "soda" curtis.

Watching The Outsiders today is a reminder of how masculinity can be found in sensitivity and interpersonal relationships instead of violence and ostracization.

Based on the hit novel by S.E. Hinton, the 1983 screen adaptation of The Outsiders is the definitive take on the book and is considered a faithful retelling. The novel is still taught in schools all over the U.S. and does a great job of dealing with the complex social issues of its time. Additionally, Rob Lowe is an important aspect of the film as Sodapop, Ponyboy's older brother. The Outsiders is arguably one of the most important movies of the 1980s as it kickstarted the careers of several incredible stars, including Lowe, Tome Cruise, and many more.

As one of the best Brat Pack movies of the 1980s , The Outsiders earns this title thanks to the strength of the source material as well as the work of the young actors. Lowe and his costars were intensely believable as a group of struggling young boys forced onto the fringes of society because of their lack of adult and community support. Watching The Outsiders today is a reminder of how masculinity can be found in sensitivity and interpersonal relationships instead of violence and ostracization.

The Outsiders

The Outsiders is Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of S.E. Hinton's coming-of-age drama novel. Two teen gangs, the Socials and the Greasers find themselves at irreconcilable odds when one of the Social's boys is killed in a brawl. Following the event, the Greasers head into hiding while some of them seek redemption for their past crimes.

5 Andrew McCarthy - Pretty In Pink (1986)

As blane mcdonnagh.

Andrew McCarthy plays the complicated love interest, Blane, in Pretty in Pink , a collaboration between him, Molly Ringwald, and John Hughes. At times, it's difficult to empathize with Blane, as he represents the kids in school who give Andie (Ringwald) a hard time, and he is easily convinced to leave her behind due to her lower social class. Pretty in Pink is one of Hughes' most political movies, as Andie's socioeconomic situation is discussed at length, and Blane and his friends aren't let off easily for their behavior towards Andie.

However, McCarthy plays the nuanced heartthrob with ease, and it's not impossible to see why Andie would be smitten and decide to forgive him in the end. Overall, Pretty in Pink is more Ringwald's movies than McCarthy's. However, none of his other projects reached the popularity of Pretty in Pink , which remains a hit to this day. While Weekend at Bernie's became something of a cult hit for comedy fans and viewers following McCarthy's career, it doesn't have the cultural hold or influence that Pretty in Pink does on mass media.

Pretty in Pink (1986)

Pretty in Pink is a 1986 romantic comedy-drama directed by Howard Deutch and written by John Hughes. The film stars Molly Ringwald as Andie, a high school student navigating social divisions and romantic entanglements. With a prominent supporting cast including Jon Cryer and Andrew McCarthy, the story explores themes of class disparity and youthful aspirations in the context of 1980s suburban America.

4 Demi Moore - Ghost (1990)

As molly jensen.

The success of Ghost led to Moore being cast in even more movies that explored her sexuality and put her in high-intensity situations, like Striptease and A Few Good Men .

Ghost isn't just well-known for the chemistry between Demi Moore and her costar, Patrick Swayze, but also because it showed audiences a side of these actors that they had never seen before. Also starring Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost is much more sinister than viewers remember, as the love story between Sam (Swayze) and Molly (Moore) is told in conjunction with a terrifying conspiracy and religious overtones concerning the afterlife. However, it allowed Moore to transition to a new phase of her career.

Though Moore rose to prominence with the rest of the Brat Pack, her fame, thanks to Ghost , has far exceeded her early work. Ghost was a breakout hit for Moore because it painted her in a more adult light than any of her previous roles in Brat Pack movies. The success of Ghost led to Moore being cast in even more movies that explored her sexuality and put her in high-intensity situations, like Striptease and A Few Good Men . Moore might have been able to achieve this longevity because she wasn't as high-profile a star in the Brat Pack.

Ghost focuses on Sam Wheat (Swayze), a murdered banker, whose ghost sets out to save his girlfriend, Molly Jensen (Moore), from the person who killed him – through the help of the psychic Oda Mae Brown (Goldberg).

3 Judd Nelson - The Breakfast Club (1985)

As john bender.

Though Judd Nelson is also in St. Elmo's Fire , and his role is similar to that in The Breakfast Club , it's inarguable that his work in The Breakfast Club is more iconic and recognizable. Later in his career, Nelson found some success in guest spots on TV and in the voice acting field. However, The Breakfast Club was and is his biggest project. When audiences think of The Breakfast Club , they might remember the famous closing shot of Nelson's character, John Bender, holding his fist in the air as the song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds plays.

Of all the members of the Brat Pack, Nelson wasn't in most films with the other stars and found himself recognized for The Breakfast Club more than anything. While some critics have argued that The Breakfast Club embraced stereotypes about cliques in high school, it also broke down barriers and demonstrated that young people were much more than the categories assigned to them in adolescence. Bender is characterized as "The Criminal," but as his home life and reason for acting out are revealed, he's shown to be full of depth and emotion.

The Breakfast Club

After receiving detention, a group of five high-school students bonds as they realize they have quite a bit in common despite being from different friend groups. Despite being over 35 years old, The Breakfast Club still stands as one of the quintessential movies of the ‘80s and one of director John Hughes standout films.

2 Molly Ringwald - The Breakfast Club (1985)

As claire standish.

Molly Ringwald's best movies and TV shows demonstrate what a strong actress she is and how she was much more than the Brat Pack. However, it's impossible to talk about Ringwald without bringing up The Breakfast Club . Her collaborations with Hughes were some of the most definitive works of her career, and Hughes' best project is The Breakfast Club . While it's more of an ensemble piece than the movies Ringwald leads, like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink , it's her most complex performance and gives her a layered character to work with.

Today, Ringwald might be the best-known member of the Brat Pack.

The Breakfast Club resonated with teens and adults alike, as the coming-of-age genre needed an update, and the movie was the perfect provider. It's one of the most iconic Brat Pack movies, with performances from some of the biggest names in the circle. Today, Ringwald might be the best-known member of the Brat Pack. Part of this can be attributed to her role in The Breakfast Club . Even if audiences haven't seen the film yet, it's likely they've encountered it as part of a larger cultural conversation. Additionally, it is referenced in many pieces of media.

Most of the 1980s actors who comprised the Brat Pack agreed to be interviewed by fellow brat Andrew McCarthy for his Hulu documentary Brats.

1 Ally Sheedy - WarGames (1983)

As jennifer mack.

Ally Sheedy stars alongside Matthew Broderick in WarGames , and while Broderick was the lead character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off , a Brats adjacent movie, he wasn't technically part of the group. However, he and Sheedy work together as if they were meant to and have excellent chemistry that drives forward the plot of the movie. WarGames was two years before Sheedy's major role as Allison in The Breakfast Club . In this way, WarGames was just as instrumental in forwarding Sheedy's stardom.

Most recently, Sheedy was featured in the short-lived comedy series Single Drunk Female , and her career has had a greater longevity than many other members of the Brat Pack. In WarGames , she plays Jennifer, a young high school student who gets caught up in the thrilling events of the film. At the time of its release, WarGames was praised for its strong plot and realistic conflict that played on the contemporary fears of technological innovation and the Cold War in the 1980s. It was one of the first movies that introduced the concept of computer hacking into the mainstream.

Starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy, Wargames tells the story of a teenage computer whiz who hacks into a military supercomputer and inadvertently starts a countdown to a new World War. The 1983 thriller is directed by Saturday Night Fever director John Badham.

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June Squibb Is Endlessly Fascinating in ‘Thelma’

June squibb makes every scene and every line so natural that when you laugh, you’re reacting to genuine humor, not calculatedly constructed punch lines..

June Squibb , the larky senior citizen who walked away with Nebraska, has deservedly landed her first starring role in the giddy action thriller Thelma. Although she’s 94 years young, it’s an event that’s been worth waiting for. This is a feel-good comedy bordering on farce, but she makes every scene and every line so natural that when you laugh, you’re reacting to genuine humor, not calculatedly constructed punch lines. When she saws away at her needlepoint, you fear she will puncture something besides her canvas. Every sag in her neck indicates she’s lived a real life, each line in her face suggests an actual life experience, and she is endlessly fascinating. 

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The film that earns this much praise is not unimpeachably perfect. It’s slow, clumsily written, and sometimes awkwardly directed—both by writer-director Josh Margolin , who based it on actual events in the life of his own grandmother, who is still going strong at 104 and makes a sweet cameo appearance at the end. The “movie Thelma” is a 93-year-old Los Angeles widow who has resisted every attempt by her clueless daughter and son-in-law ( Parker Posey and Clark Gregg ) to send her to a senior living facility, staying up to date learning computer skills from her 24-year-old grandson Danny (well-played by Fred Hechinger ), and developing a keen passion for Tom Cruise and sushi.  

One night, someone claiming to be her grandson calls and informs her he’s in jail and desperately needs $10,000 to get out. Happens all the time these days in prevalent telephone crimes aimed at milking vulnerable, elderly victims of their life savings. Thelma falls for it and mails the money to a post office box in Van Nuys, but when the real Danny clues her into what she’s done, the old bird goes into revenge mode and embarks on a plan to find the crook who robbed her and get her money back. Embarrassed but undeterred, Thelma sets out on her own, traveling across L.A. in a stolen mobility scooter with the help of her best friend Ben, played, in his last film appearance, by the late Richard Roundtree , better known as Shaft. Thelma even “borrows” a gun for her adventure, utilizing elements of the plot in Mission: Impossible .  “Do you even know how to use it?” asks Ben. Her response: “How hard can it be? Idiots use them all the time.”

It all leads up to a patently ridiculous resolution, with a guest appearance by Malcolm McDowall as the villainous scammer who adds some wry humor of his own. The result is a mixed bag, ranging from clever to predictable. But the film makes interesting contrasts between the elderly and the carelessly deviant society they live in, and there’s something to applaud about a character more in charge of her casualties than her peers, most of whom are dead or flirting with senility. There’s no old-age funk about June Squibb or the spirited way she jazzes up Thelma.

• SEE ALSO : Will Keen On Playing Vladimir Putin On Broadway in ‘Patriots’

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Demi Moore on Full Frontal Nudity With Margaret Qualley in ‘The Substance’: ‘A Very Vulnerable Experience’ but I Had a ‘Great Partner Who I Felt Very Safe With’

Demi Moore ‘s new film, the feminist body horror “ The Substance ,” sees her bare it all, with several scenes featuring full nudity. At the Cannes Film Festival press conference for the film on Monday, the 61-year-old actor discussed the “vulnerable experience.”

“Going into it, it was really spelled out — the level of vulnerability and rawness that was really required to tell the story,” Moore said. “And it was a very vulnerable experience and just required a lot of sensitivity and a lot of conversation about what we were trying to accomplish.”

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“I had someone who was a great partner who I felt very safe with. We obviously were quite close  — naked — and we also got a lot of levity in those moments at how absurd those certain situations were,” she said. “But ultimately. it’s just about really directing your communication and mutual trust.”

As the film progresses, Moore becomes horribly disfigured thanks to the abuse her other half Qualley is inflicting on her. By the film’s last act, she quite resembles Anjelica Huston from the 1990 film “The Witches,” after she transforms into a humpback abomination.

Dennis Quaid also stars in the film as an “asshole,” as he described his character during the presser. The late Ray Liotta was meant to have the role before his passing in May 2022, and Quaid dedicated his performance to him.

“In my heart, I dedicated this role to Ray Liotta, who was set to play it,” Quaid said. “It was this week, two years ago that he passed, so I’d like to remember him. He was such an incredible actor.”

Cannes went wild for “The Substance” at its premiere on Sunday night, giving the film an 11-minute standing ovation , the longest of the fest so far.

In an interview with Variety , the French director discussed the film’s feminist themes, saying that body horror is “the perfect vehicle to express the violence all these women’s issues are about.”

With an undercurrent of #MeToo at this year’s festival as the movement grows in France, Fargeat hopes the film will shine even more light on the issue. “It’s a little stone in the huge wall we still have to build regarding this issue, and to be honest, I hope my film will also be one of the stones of that wall. That’s really what I intended to do with it.”

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Southwest Airlines selling $53 tickets in celebration of 53 years of flights

Southwest Airlines is celebrating turning 53 with $53 airfares.

Travelers hoping to score a deal need to book by 11:59 p.m. PT Thursday.

The $53 one-way tickets are only available on select days and routes but include flights to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and international destinations, according to Southwest.

Eligible travel must occur on Mondays-Thursdays or Saturdays between Aug. 6 and Dec. 18 for flights within the lower 48 with  Sept. 2, Oct. 14, Nov. 22-27 and Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 as blackout dates. 

Flights to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and international destinations must occur on Tuesdays or Wednesdays between Aug. 20 and Nov. 20, with Sept. 3 blacked out. 

Some of the routes currently advertising $53 fares are Atlanta to Tampa and Los Angeles to Phoenix. 

Full availability, along with the terms and conditions, are listed on Southwest’s website .

Are changes coming to Southwest?

Southwest Airlines has long been known for its open seating policy, all-economy cabins and multiple free checked bags on every ticket. But amid activist investor scrutiny and changing customer preferences, the airline’s CEO has been signaling that its business model may soon change . 

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].