With fewer social commitments on our calendars right now, many of us are finding that we have more time for watching movies.
With that in mind, I thought this would be the perfect time to share my list of the top 25 travel movies that will inspire you and transport you to vibrant settings filled with culture, history and beautiful scenery!
NOTE: You can click on the movie titles or images below to view the trailers.
1. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Romance/Drama set in Tuscany, Italy
“When Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) learns her husband is cheating on her from a writer whom she gave a bad review, her life is turned upside down. In an attempt to bring her out of a deep depression, her best friend, Patti (Sandra Oh), encourages Frances to take a tour of Italy. During the trip, the new divorcée impulsively decides to purchase a rural Tuscan villa and struggles to start her life anew amid colorful local characters, including the handsome Marcello (Raoul Bova).”
2. Mama Mia! (2008)
Musical/Comedy set in Greece
“In 1979 young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from Oxford University -- leaving Donna free to embark on a series of adventures throughout Europe. On her journeys, she makes the acquaintances of Harry, Bill and Sam -- the latter whom she falls in love with, but he's also the man who breaks her heart. In the present day, Donna's pregnant daughter, Sophie, dreams of renovating a taverna while reuniting with her mother's old friends and boyfriends on the Greek island of Kalokairi.”
3. Eat Pray Love (2010)
Romance/Drama set in Italy, India, and Bali
“Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) thought she had everything she wanted in life: a home, a husband and a successful career. Now newly divorced and facing a turning point, she finds that she is confused about what is important to her. Daring to step out of her comfort zone, Liz embarks on a quest of self-discovery that takes her to Italy, India and Bali.”
4. Braveheart (1995)
War/Drama set in Scotland
“William Wallace is the medieval Scottish patriot who is spurred into revolt against the English when the love of his life is slaughtered. Leading his army into battles that become a war, his advance into England threatens King Edward I's throne before he is captured and executed, but not before becoming a symbol for a free Scotland.”
5. French Kiss (1995)
Romance/Comedy set in France
“When Kate (Meg Ryan) learns that her fiance, Charlie (Timothy Hutton), has become smitten with a young Parisian woman, she boards a plane for France. She is seated next to Luc (Kevin Kline), a small-time crook who uses her to smuggle a stolen necklace, leading Luc to the hotel where she's staying to confront Charlie. As Kate and Luc get to know each other, their sarcastic rapport grows warmer, and Kate must decide where her heart truly lies as Charlie tries to win her back.”
6. Into the Wild (2007)
Adventure/Drama set in Alaska
“Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), son of wealthy parents (Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt), graduates from Emory University as a top student and athlete. However, instead of embarking on a prestigious and profitable career, he chooses to give his savings to charity, rid himself of his possessions, and set out on a journey to the Alaskan wilderness.”
7. The Bounty (1984)
Adventure/Drama set in Tahiti
“Captain Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) struggles to restore discipline among the crew of the HMS Bounty after the ship has an extended furlough in Tahiti. After the captain doles out floggings and other physical punishments, the crew mutinies, led by Bligh's former close friend, Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson). Unable to return to their tropical paradise, the mutineers find themselves stranded, while Bligh and his faithful crew members embark on a dangerous journey to the Dutch East Indies.”
8. Out of Africa (1985)
Romance/Drama set in Africa
“Initially set on being a dairy farmer, the aristocratic Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) travels to Africa to join her husband, Bror (Klaus Maria Brandauer), who instead spends their money on a coffee plantation. After discovering Bror is unfaithful, Karen develops feelings for hunter Denys (Robert Redford), but realizes he prefers a simplistic lifestyle compared to her upper class background. The two continue on until a series of events force Karen to choose between her love and personal growth.”
9. A Room with a View (1985)
Romance/Drama set in Italy
"In this British drama based on the novel by E.M. Forster, Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham-Carter), a young Englishwoman, is touring Italy with her older cousin (Maggie Smith). At a hotel in Florence, Lucy meets the charming and free-spirited George Emerson (Julian Sands). Although intrigued by George, once she's back in England Lucy ponders settling down with the wealthy, staid Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis). When George reappears in her life, Lucy must decide between him and Cecil."
10. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
Drama/Comedy set in India
“Some British retirees (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy) decide to outsource their retirement to exotic -- and less expensive -- India. Lured by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and imagining a life of leisure in lush surroundings, they arrive and find that the Marigold is actually a shell of its former self. Though their new home is not quite what they had imagined, the retirees find that life and love can begin again when they let go of their pasts.”
11. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Adventure/Comedy set in Iceland
“Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.”
12. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Romance/Drama set in Barcelona, Spain
“Americans Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) arrive in Spain for a summer vacation at a friend's (Patricia Clarkson) Barcelona home. Visiting an art gallery, they meet seductive painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), who invites them for a weekend of food, art and sex. Sparks really ignite when his fiery former lover (Penélope Cruz) arrives on the scene, making for a very crowded house.”
13. My Life in Ruins (2009)
Romance/Comedy set in Greece
“Georgia (Nia Vardalos), a travel guide, feels that her life as no direction. Her kefi, or mojo, is gone. But, as she leads a ragtag group of tourists through her native Greece, she begins to see the world in a new light. Georgia opens the group's eyes to the beauty of an exotic land, and, in the process, rediscovers her kefi.”
14. Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Romance/Drama set in Italy
“It's the summer of 1983, and precocious 17-year-old Elio Perlman is spending the days with his family at their 17th-century villa in Lombardy, Italy. He soon meets Oliver, a handsome doctoral student who's working as an intern for Elio's father. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of their surroundings, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever.”
15. Midnight in Paris (2011)
Romance/Fantasy set in Paris, France
“Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) is a screenwriter and aspiring novelist. Vacationing in Paris with his fiancee (Rachel McAdams), he has taken to touring the city alone. On one such late-night excursion, Gil encounters a group of strange -- yet familiar -- revelers, who sweep him along, apparently back in time, for a night with some of the Jazz Age's icons of art and literature. The more time Gil spends with these cultural heroes of the past, the more dissatisfied he becomes with the present.”
16. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Thriller/Drama set in Italy
“To be young and carefree amid the blue waters and idyllic landscape of sun-drenched Italy in the late 1950s; that's la dolce vita Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) craves- and Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) leads. When Dickie's father asks Tom to bring his errant playboy son back home to America, Dickie and his beautiful expatriate girlfriend, Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow), never suspect the dangerous extremes to which Ripley will go to make their lifestyle his own.”
17. The Beach (2000)
Drama/Adventure set in Thailand
“The desire to find something real -- to connect with something or someone -- is what drives Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young American backpacker who arrives in Thailand with adventure on his mind. Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen) join him on an adventure to "The Beach," a mystical paradise. However, this paradise is less than perfect.”
18. The Bucket List (2007)
Comedy/Drama set in Africa, India and Egypt
“Billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and car mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) are complete strangers, until fate lands them in the same hospital room. The men find they have two things in common: a need to come to terms with who they are and what they have done with their lives, and a desire to complete a list of things they want to see and do before they die. Against their doctor's advice, the men leave the hospital and set out on the adventure of a lifetime.”
19. Before Sunrise (1995)
Romance/Drama set in Vienna, Austria
“On his way to Vienna, American Jesse (Ethan Hawke) meets Celine (Julie Delpy), a student returning to Paris. After long conversations forge a surprising connection between them, Jesse convinces Celine to get off the train with him in Vienna. Since his flight to the U.S. departs the next morning and he has no money for lodging, they wander the city together, taking in the experiences of Vienna and each other. As the night progresses, their bond makes separating in the morning a difficult choice.”
20. Before Sunset (2004)
Romance/Drama set in Paris, France
"Nine years ago, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy),met by chance, spent a night together in Vienna and parted before sunrise. Now, they're about to cross paths again - in Paris - where they will get the chance we all wish we had: to find out what might have been. The only problem is they have just a few hours to figure out if they belong together."
21. Before Midnight (2013)
Romance/Drama set in Greece
“On the last night of their idyllic Greek vacation, longtime lovers Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) reminisce about their lives together and what different choices might have brought. This is the final movie from the 'Before' trilogy.”
22. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
Drama/Adventure set in South America
“On a break before his last semester of medical school, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Gael García Bernal) travels with his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) from Brazil to Peru by motorcycle. The two men soon witness the great disparities in South America, encountering poor peasants and observing the exploitation of labor by wealthy industrialists. When they reach a leper colony in Peru, Ernesto's values have changed so much that he sides with the sufferers, forgetting his own comfort.”
23. A Good Year (2006)
Romance/Comedy set in Provence, France
“London-based investment expert Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) moves to Provence to sell a small vineyard he has inherited from his late uncle. Max reluctantly settles into what ultimately becomes an intoxicating new chapter in his life, as he comes to realize that life is meant to be savored."
24. The Sound of Music (1965)
Musical/Family set in Austria
“A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world's best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. Julie Andrews plays the role of Maria, the tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey who becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.”
25. National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985)
Comedy/Family set in London, France, Germany and Italy
“After winning a European vacation on a game show, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) convinces his reluctant family to accompany him. His wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), is excited, but daughter Audrey (Dana Hill) is reluctant to leave her boyfriend behind, while teen son Rusty (Jason Lively) dreams of meeting girls. After arriving in London, the clan encounters one disaster after another as they travel through France, Germany and Italy, while Clark's attempts to cheer everyone up make things worse.”
BONUS, here are some movie series that are also set in beautiful places:
Bourne series
James Bond series
Mission Impossible series
Indiana Jones series
Do you see any of your favorites on this list?
Are there any travel movies that you would add?
I'd love to hear from you so shoot me an email and let me know what you think : )
Jodi Schlichting
Travel Advisor
612.730.5019
EverAfter Travel
