romantic travel films

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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11 Best Romantic Travel Movies to Watch on Date Night

By: Author MC Miller

Posted on Last updated: October 1, 2020

Categories Date Ideas , Romance

Looking for a great romantic travel movies to watch on date night at home ?

Look no further, we have you covered with 15 of our absolute favourite travel romance movies.

11 Best Romantic Travel Movies to Watch on Date Night at Home

2 days in paris.

• Starring: Julie Delpy , Adam Goldberg , Daniel Bruhl and Marie Pillet
• Directed by: Julie Delpy

About:  Marion and Jack try to rekindle their love with a trip to Paris, home of Marion’s parents. Oh, and her ex bfs live there.

Eat Pray Love

• Director: Ryan Murphy
• Starring: Julia Roberts, James Franco, Richard Jenkins

About: Liz played by  Julia Roberts is a modern woman on a quest to travel the world and rediscover herself after a divorce. Taking a year-long sabbatical from her job she uncharacteristically out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life.

Blended 

• Director Frank Coraci
• Starring Drew Barrymore, Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews

About: Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore are single parents who get stuck together on a blended family vacation in the African Savanna. Will they find love together?

Sleepless in Seattle

A good movie if you want to be inspired to visit Seattle sometime in the future! 

• Director: Nora Ephron
• Starring: Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, Bill Pullman

About: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is about a widower whose son convinces him to seek new love and the woman that he finds.  

Not exactly about traditional travel, but this movie about time travel will be sure to melt even the iciest of hearts.

• Director: Richard Curtis
• Starring: Domnhall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy

About: This movie features the ordinary life of 2 people. Can they make their life perfect through the use of time travel?

The Holiday

Traditionally a Christmas movie, this is definitely one of my favorite travel movies ever.

• Director Nancy Meyers
• Starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law

About: Two women opposite sides of the world swap houses to only discover the love of their lives may be waiting on the other side.

P.S. I love you

This is quite possibly my favorite romantic movie ever and if you have ever dreamt of visiting Ireland you definitely have to watch it.

• Director Richard LaGravenese
• Starring Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow

About: When her husband dies, she receives 10 messages intended to help ease her pain and start a new life. Will she find love again?

The Tourist

• Director: Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck
• Starring: Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany

About: A mysterious woman (Angelina Jolie) and a mild-mannered American (Johnny Depp) get involved in a web of action and romance in the city of Venice.

Crazy Rich Asians

If you are interested in traveling to Malaysia or Singapore you definitely need to watch Crazy Rich Asians, a love story showcasing the best of these countries.

Director: Jon M. Chu

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan

About: New Yorker Rachel Chu goes with her boyfriend to his friend’s wedding in Singapore and meets his crazy rich family. 

Under the Tuscan Sun

• Director: Audrey Wells
• Starring: Diane Lane, Raoul Bova, Lindsay Duncan

About: A divorcee decided to buy a villa in Italy while on vacation. Does she find love again? As a side note, if you love awesome villas and are thinking to travel to Italy, check out our round up of the prettiest towns in Lake Como

Midnight in Paris

• Director Woody Allen
• Starring Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni

About: A couple go on vacation in Paris. Will they stay together or will he get distracted?

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MC Miller is a travel blogger and writer who has travelled America extensively and abroad to over 80 countries. He founded Couple Travel The World in 2017. Since then, he has spent over 6 years on the road as a full time travel couple. When he not traveling he likes to spend quality time with his partner Bett, planning our their next date or romantic getaway!

17 Best Romance Movies That Incorporate Time Travel, Ranked

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Who would've thought that manipulating time would forge some of the great love stories? Whether it's found within the chivalry of the gentlemanly past or the future of civilization, cinema has shown that love has no bounds – even if it means traveling through time to get it. Where it may be a common trope for the sci-fi genre, romance flicks have also surprisingly used it to their advantage.

From classic rom-coms like 13 Going on 30 and The Lake House , to more hidden gems like If Only – these movies use the phenomenon of time travel to intertwine greater levels of fantasy and magic . Not only does this increase the overall cinematic experience, but these time travel romance movies also make the love stories incredibly epic.

17 '13 Going on 30' (2004)

Directed by gary winick.

After being humiliated on her 13th birthday, Jenna Rink ( Christa B. Allen ) wishes to escape her life of pre-teen unpopularity and become a well-adjusted grownup in this time travel rom-com. She's shocked when she wakes up to find her wish has come true; somehow Jenna ( Jennifer Garner ) is now 30 and living in 2004. Soon she realizes how adulthood has its own set of struggles – one particularly being her love life.

As an iconic 2000s rom-com , 13 Going on 30 has warmed fans' hearts for decades. Largely driven by Garner's bubbly innocence, Jenna's connection with Matt (Mark Ruffalo) is undeniably pure and one of the great depictions of friends-to-lovers . This movie also uses time travel to put forth the message of how time is precious; by choosing to only look towards the future, one would never absorb the milestones of the present.

13 Going on 30

Not available

16 'When We First Met' (2018)

Directed by ari sandel.

Having been friend-zoned by the girl of his dreams after meeting her at a Halloween party, Noah ( Adam DeVine ) remains close to Avery ( Alexandra Daddario ). Three years later, she's now engaged to someone else. Suddenly, Noah stumbles on the opportunity to travel back in time to the moment they met, giving him the chance to alter his life, and get the girl.

In an almost Groundhog Day scenario (and it's worth noting that film is a benchmark for romantic time-travel movie), When We First Met is a humorous film that's filled with charm and charisma thanks to the talents of the cast , especially in the case of DeVine. Where the romantic connection is present between characters, it isn't with whom you'd naturally expect as this is a classic tale that teaches audiences that everything happens for a reason.

When We First Met

15 'kate & leopold' (2001), directed by james mangold.

Kate ( Meg Ryan ) is a 21st-century woman who's determined to focus on her career. She thinks she doesn't need romance in her life at all, that is until she meets Leopold ( Hugh Jackman ), an English Duke from the 19th century who's accidentally brought to the future via a portal made by her ex-boyfriend, Stuart ( Liev Schreiber ).

Where Kate & Leopold may be cheesy at times with the classic fish-out-of-water tropes, this movie is an underrated feel-good romance that will easily keep one warm and cozy. Don't expect it to be anything groundbreaking, but it's perfect for a chill night that needs a film that's mildly entertaining. With the script's quick wit and fun character dynamics, this twisted modern-day fairytale shows how love doesn't always come to us in the most expected ways.

Kate & Leopold

14 'the fountain' (2006), directed by darren aronofsky.

A moody think-piece that sees director Darren Aronofsky at his intense stylistic best, The Fountain is as awe-inspiring as it is mind-boggling as a dramatic and tragic love story told across time. It primarily follows Dr. Tommy Creo ( Hugh Jackman ), a scientist who discovers a tree with life-sustaining qualities and tries to use it to combat his wife’s brain cancer. Jackman also appears as a 16th-century Spanish conquistador on a mission to find the Fountain of Youth and as a futuristic space traveler nurturing the tree of life until arriving at the heart of a dying star.

While polarizing on account of its demanding and convoluted narrative, The Fountain is a brilliant, sprawling tale of heartbreak and longing across time. Technically, it doesn’t feature time travel as it is usually depicted on screen, but its three interwoven stories do lean heavily on each other to present a love story that transpires across centuries . – Ryan Heffernan

The Fountain

13 'the lake house' (2006), directed by alejandro agresti.

As lonely doctor, Kate Forster ( Sandra Bullock ), moves out of her beloved lake house, she begins to exchange letters with its newest resident, a frustrated architect named Alex Wyler ( Keanu Reeves ). The two instantly spark a connection and form a budding romance. The only problem – she's living in the year 2006, whereas he's in 2004.

An epic love story where two are separated by time, this romantic flick is special in the way that it portrays the simplicities of intimacy. With only the written word to connect, Kate and Alex's closeness is unlike any other in The Lake House . It's also refreshing to see Keanu Reeves in a non-action role , which he pulls off with ease. The two main characters need not rely on physical attraction or physical needs, they're brought together by a deeper connection – one built on stories, soul, and emotions.

The Lake House

12 'if only' (2004), directed by gil junger.

Struck with grief after the sudden loss of his girlfriend Samantha ( Jennifer Love Hewitt ), Ian ( Paul Nicholls ) is given the opportunity to relive the day she died and rewrite his wrongdoings. The repetition of time allows him to become a better partner and fix things before the impending tragedy, but it also brings some unexpected pain as he relives the best and worst moments of his relationship.

Despite being an emotional and bittersweet tale, If Only is filled with hope and true love . It sends a message to viewers about how important it is to treasure every moment, every milestone, and to treat every day as if it were your last. It's not an innovative concept by any stretch, but with the palpable chemistry between Hewitt and Nicholls, fans will be moved by their devotion towards each other, even until the film's final bittersweet twist .

Watch on Peacock

11 'Peggy Sue Got Married' (1986)

Directed by francis ford coppola.

A bold genre departure from Francis Ford Coppola , Peggy Sue Got Married is an inventive movie that combines comedy, romance, and fantasy together with aplomb. It focuses on Peggy Sue ( Kathleen Turner ) who, when attending her 25th high school reunion, grows bitterly regretful of her life to the point that she passes out at the event. When she wakes up as a teenager back in 1960, she decides to embrace life with a renewed sense of fervor and not make the same mistakes twice.

Rich with nostalgia and the profound desire to turn back time and live life differently, Peggy Sue Got Married delicately plays with universal themes of regret and the way love between two people changes over time. The focal relationship between Peggy and her high school beau and eventual husband, Charlie ( Nic Cage ), is beautifully realized, making for one of the best time travel romance films ever made . – Ryan Heffernan

Peggy Sue Got Married

10 'the time traveler's wife' (2009), directed by robert schwentke.

Henry Detamble ( Eric Bana ) is a librarian from Chicago who struggles with his rare genetic disorder that causes him to randomly travel through time, uncontrollably. His life becomes more complex when he meets and marries the love of his life, Claire ( Rachel McAdams ), as she must now learn to cope with her husband's condition.

An interesting spin on star-crossed lovers, The Time Traveler's Wife captures the struggles of fated love . Where Henry and Claire's story is romantic and tender, it's also incredibly bittersweet. With Henry's condition, fans (as well as Claire) are never sure of when he'll disappear. So when he does on occasions like their wedding, the heartbreak and tension are palpable. Their love story may be unconventional, but there's beauty to it.

The Time Traveler's Wife

9 'somewhere in time' (1980), directed by jeannot szwarc.

Enamored and infatuated by a vintage portrait that hangs in a grand hotel, playwright Richard Collier ( Christopher Reeve ) finds a way to travel through time to 1912 to meet Elise McKenna ( Jane Seymour ), a stage actor. Where the two seem destined to be together, conflicts arise when Elise's obsessive manager, William ( Christopher Plummer ), tries to stop them.

A great movie that's severely slept on, Somewhere in Time tells the story of an unworldly and impossible love . With a brilliant concept and beautiful chemistry between Reeves and Seymour , this movie is one for the romantics and dreamers. It shows the sheer lengths someone is willing to go to find their soulmate – even if it means going through time itself.

Watch on Tubi

8 'Time After Time' (1979)

Directed by nicholas meyer.

A joyous fantasy romp realized with so much charm and light-hearted fun that viewers can’t help but be absorbed by it, Time After Time presents a wacky, time-jumping adventure of prominent historical figures. Having invented a time machine, author H. G. Wells ( Malcolm McDowell ) plans to leave 1890s London and explore the distant future. However, when Jack the Ripper ( David Warner ) uses the contraption to escape the police, Wells must follow the notorious killer to 1979 San Francisco to apprehend him. On his journey, he befriends and falls for a bank employee, Amy Robbins ( Mary Steenburgen ).

While it contains a little violence, the film excels with its childlike sense of adventure and its wonderfully pure romantic beats. Bolstered by the fact that each of the three main actors look to be having the time of their lives, Time After Time is an infectiously fun time-traveling romance that also serves as a wonderful sci-fi adventure that is as inventive as it is delightful. – Ryan Heffernan

Rent on Apple TV

7 'Palm Springs' (2020)

Directed by max barbakow.

A critically acclaimed cult hit of modern comedy, Palm Springs breathes new life into a time loop formula with its unique rom-com premise and its all-conquering sense of charm. It follows Nyles ( Andy Samberg ) and Sarah ( Cristin Milioti ), two wedding guests who find themselves living the same day over and over. While the two are drawn to each other, rising problems and a series of revelations threaten to ruin their budding romance.

Samberg and Milioti are both phenomenal in their roles, balancing irreverent comedy with an underlying heart that has an uncanny knack for taking viewers by surprise. While there may be some discrepancy between time loop and time travel, Palm Springs deserves all the praise it gets for avoiding formulaic clichés with confidence and wit. It stands as one of the best romantic movies of the decade so far. – Ryan Heffernan

Palm Springs

6 'back to the future part iii' (1990), directed by robert zemeckis.

As the third and final chapter to their adventures, Marty McFly ( Michael J. Fox ) must travel back in time to 1885 to the Old West to save his friend, Doctor Emmett Brown ( Christopher Lloyd ), from his impending murder. Matters become more complicated when Marty realizes that Doc has fallen deeply in love with local school teacher, Clara Clayton ( Mary Steenburgen ).

Though not a typical romance movie, Back to the Future Part III , is a film spearheaded by the themes of love . Where there are romantic storylines in the previous installments, Doc and Clara's is a breath of fresh air – mostly because Doc is a character that's so determined to avoid the supposed banalities of love. And yet, here he is, willing to be stuck in a foreign time period for the sake of love, happiness, and true companionship.

Back to the Future Part III

5 'the girl who leapt through time' (2006), directed by mamoru hosoda.

A popular anime movie for beginners , The Girl Who Leapt Through Time tells the story of Makoto Konno (voiced by Riisa Naka ), who learns that she has the ability to time travel. She soon uses her newfound power to fix the small things in her daily life, from schoolwork to friendships. When she meets another person who can time travel, the two develop an unconventional bond.

Chiaki Mamiya (voiced by Takuya Ishida ) helps the protagonist realize and fix the consequences of messing with time, but soon reveals something heartbreaking to her. Their romance is complicated by the fact that Chiaki isn't from Makoto's present day, and eventually has to leave. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time will have fans rooting for the time-traveling duo's success until the tear-jerking end .

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

4 'midnight in paris' (2011), directed by woody allen.

Whilst on a holiday in Paris with his fiancé and her family, Gil Pender ( Owen Wilson ) – a screenwriter and aspiring author – develops a habit of touring the city alone. One night he finds himself swept back in time to the 1920s where he meets his favorite cultural and artistic icons. By experiencing life in the past, he is forced to confront his dissatisfactions with the present.

As a romance movie, Midnight in Paris offers multiple romantic interests, each with its own qualities and individual purposes. From Inez's (McAdams) 21st-century realism, to Adriana's ( Marion Cotillard ) 1920s romanticized attitude to life, Gil is forced to reflect on what kind of love will give him true happiness. He'll even come to terms with the dangers of escapism. It's a severely underrated Owen Wilson movie , with the actor's performance being a delicate and moving one that anchors the entire story .

Midnight in Paris

3 'groundhog day' (1993), directed by harold ramis.

The original time loop movie, one that has become an enduring American classic, Groundhog Day features Bill Murray in a career-best performance while meshing comedy, romance, and character drama together with astute deftness. Phil Connors (Murray) is a self-centered weatherman who is sent to Punxsutawney to cover the annual Groundhog Day celebration. When he becomes stuck in a time loop, however, he is forced to confront himself while falling in love with his new producer, Rita Hanson ( Andie MacDowell ).

An inventive spin on rom-com cinema that remains one of the most sincere and intelligent stories that the genre has ever seen, Groundhog Day thrives with its manipulation of time and the way its central love story is incorporated into that . With its innate ability to make audiences smile while feeling a range of emotions, it continues to be revered as a hopeful story of love and inner growth over 30 years since its original release. – Ryan Heffernan

Groundhog Day

2 'about time' (2013), directed by richard curtis.

Life changed forever when Tim Lake ( Domhnall Gleeson ) turned 21 as his father revealed an odd hereditary trait; all the men in their family have the ability to time travel. Though initially shocked, Tim decides to use his skill to alter his past to improve his future. His main goal – bolster his love life and win the heart of Mary (Rachel McAdams). He soon realizes that his power can have serious consequences if used incorrectly.

With a clever concept, a beautiful script, and a great cast, this poignant movie is one that masterfully tackles the topics of love, redemption, and loss. Where Gleeson and McAdams' chemistry is incredibly sweet, About Time is a movie about more than a simple romantic story . It uses time to talk about the importance of living in the moment and the consequences of one's choices. Viewers can expect its small-scale intimate story to move most to tears.

1 'Your Name' (2016)

Directed by makoto shinkai.

Your Name is a massively popular and beloved anime film that blends fantasy, romance, and sci-fi together. It tells the story of two high school students – Taki Tachibana (voiced by Ryunosuke Kamiki ) and Mitsuha Miyamizu ( Mone Kamishiraishi ) – who inexplicably begin to swap bodies. The two characters have never met, but begin to improve each other's lives. Before they know it, they slowly fall in love in the process of learning about each other's realities.

It's impossible to talk about the time travel aspect of Your Name without completely spoiling the plot , but audiences who enjoy emotional animated films should consider this essential viewing for its notoriously tear-jerking twist. The gorgeous visuals and heartbreakingly romantic story easily make it the best film to show the potential of combining love and time travel in film.

Your Name (2016)

NEXT: The Best Romantic Movies of All Time, Ranked

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.”

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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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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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2 thoughts on “ 41 best travel movies: films that inspire wanderlust ”.

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17 Romantic Travel Movies

Are you stuck at home but still look for some romance? Here are our recommendations for 17 romantic travel movies that will keep your moods up, and more importantly, bring you to the most beautiful places without any need to step outside.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy these world-known Hollywood classics, as well as thrilling samples of the European cinema. Do you also know some good romantic travel movies? Please share them in the comments below! You know what they say – a romantic movie a day keeps the viruses away (or something like that…)!

Eat. Pray. Love. (2010)

After divorcing her husband, Lisa is trying to reinvent herself. As a result, she decides to leave her comfort zone and set off for a one-year journey abroad. The movie takes us to Italy and shows the joys of the Italian cuisine, onwards to India where Lisa discovers the power of prayer, and finally to Bali where she finds the inner peace. The movie was based on a book that was based on true events.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

A wonderful Woody Allen movie is romance, comedy, and fantasy all in one. The main character, a writer named Gil comes to Paris with his fiancé Inez and her parents. After taking a walk one evening he suddenly finds himself in Paris of 1920s! Here Gil faces some surprises and challenges, one of them being, how to come back to his fiance?

Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), Before Midnight (2013)

This is a wonderful trilogy that many of us grew up with. A Frenchwomen named Celine and an American man named Jesse meet on a train heading from Budapest to Vienna. They spend the night walking around the Austrian capital and talking until they need to go their separate ways. The second movie shows them meeting for the second time 9 years later in Paris, where Jesse comes to present his novel. The last movie shows what have happened to the two characters in the end.

Under the Tuscan sun (2005)

A travel and romantic movie classic, “Under the Tuscan sun” shows us the life of Frances who is trying to get back on her feet after a divorce. As a result, she buys a shabby villa in the Italian region of Tuscany. Yet Frances cannot imagine that the house renovation will also bring her new feelings…

Chocolat (2014)

Together with her daughter, Vianne moves into a calm medieval French town, where she opens a chocolate shop. Conservative local residents get the chance to taste sweets and other guilty pleasures. Vianne’s behavior worries the local prudes, as a charming stranger starts coming into the shop. The film was nominated for tons of awards, including 5 Academy Awards and 4 Golden Globes.

Letters to Juliet (2010)

Verona is known as a city where Romeo met Juliet. Sophie comes to Verona with her fiancé Victor who dreams about opening here a restaurant. In Verona, there is a wall where people can write and leave letters to Juliet, and they are being answered by “Juliet’s secretaries”. Sophie starts working as one of them as she struggles to get attention from her fiancé. One day Sophie gets a letter from Claire Smith to whom she answers and so the story begins.

A Good Year (2006)

This romantic comedy follows the life of Max Skinner who spent his childhood in his uncle Henry’s vineyard in Provence (France). 25 years later, after the death of the uncle, Max has to take care of the property he inherited. He rushes to sell the vineyard, yet everything changes after Max meets Fanny, a local café owner.

Call me by your name (2018)

Hot summer of 1983. A 17-year-old dreamer called Elio spends his lazy summer vacation in his parents’ residence in Northern Italy. He listens to music, plays piano, reads books, plays volleyball, flirts with girls and goes on night adventures. One day a young academic from the USA, called Oliver, comes to spend 6 weeks in the family’s villa. This is a sensual story about first love.

Vicky. Christina. Barcelona (2008)

As the title suggests, the story of the film is based in Barcelona. Two girlfriends get themselves involved in a weird love triangle with a hot local painter, called Juan. A real Spanish drama begins when the two friends start fighting for the guy.

Nothing to Declare / Rien à déclarer (2010)

This wonderful comic story with a flare of romance takes us to the border between France and Belgium, where two border control officers work in 1993. A Frenchman Mathias and a Belgian man Ruben truly hate each other. Moreover, Ruben doesn’t know that his biggest enemy Mathias is secretly dating his sister Louise and is even planning to marry her! The fun begins when the border control is revoked and both men become co-workers.

Sonnenallee (1999)

This excellent movie tells a story about the time when Berlin was divided. All of the eastern Berlin residents dreamed about moving to western Berlin. A local East Berlin resident Micha is madly in love with Miriam, yet she is only interested in guys from West Berlin. This is a story about love, friendship and a longing for freedom.

Paris, Je t’aime (2006)

Paris is world-known as the city of love. Twenty famous directors from around the world came together and created eighteen short films about the French capital. Every creator had only 5 minutes to express their takes on love, passion, and romance. This film causes a full palette of emotions, lets you indulge in the wonderful views of Paris and meet its inhabitants.

La la land (2016)

Have you been dreaming of visiting the USA? You should see this romantic musical first! Filmed in Los Angeles, “La la land” shows some of the main landmarks of the city: the Griffith Observatory, the Lighthouse Café or the Hermosa beach.

Lost in Translation (2003)

An actor named Bob comes to Tokyo to take part in a shoot of a commercial. Here he meets Charlotte, a young woman married to a photographer. Cultural and language barriers cause some difficulties for both of them when exploring Japan. Bob and Charlotte become close, yet their time in Tokyo is about to end. What’s coming next?

Mamma Mia! (2008) and Mamma Mia! Here we go again (2018)

Sophie and her mom Donna live in a breathtaking Greek archipelago. Sophie’s only wish is to meet her father before getting married. As she tries to find out the truth, not one but three potential dads show up! The second movie continues the story of Sophie 10 years later. Both movies are full of love, music, and dance – they are a must not only for ABBA fans but also for those who wish to escape to an island for a tropical beach vacation!

One wild moment / Un moment d’égarement (2015)

Two old friends Laurent and Antoine set off for a vacation in Corsica. They take their daughters with them – a 17-year-old Louna and an 18-year-old Marie. During the trip, Louna and Laurent spend a romantic evening together. For him, it’s only a game, yet Louna feels to be falling in love. Louna is trying to find comfort in her dad without telling him that the heartbreaker is his best friend. How long can they keep a secret?

Frantz (2016)

The film takes place in a small German town in 1919. Anna is mourning her husband who died in World War I. While visiting his grave, Anna meets Frantz, a man who also knew her husband. One day Frantz leaves and Anna decides to follow him. What kind of secret is Frantz hiding and how will the story end?

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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.

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10 Romantic Time Travel Movies to Binge Watch: I’ll Love You to the End of Time

These are some of the best time travel romance movies!

Time travel as a genre is always fascinating in any medium, whether a book, movie, TV show or comic. The possibility of meeting anyone in existence, going to places long forgotten, and uncovering secrets of well-loved icons of the past and maybe even the future gives a special allure to time travel romance movies.

The fantastical direction this genre takes adds elements of magic, naivete, and touches of illusion, appealing to older and younger viewers alike. Add into this the sprinkle of romance, and you have me hooked.

If I get the chance to watch Shakespeare wooing a girl from the 21st century using poems that have become cult classics, I’m grabbing the popcorn and switching my phone off.

RELATED: 80 OF THE BEST ENTERTAINING TIME TRAVEL TV SHOWS YOU NEED TO WATCH

Like most people, I grew up watching time travel movies. Consequently, they have become my favorites. For example, we can all appreciate Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure or watching Hermione travel back in time to see herself punch Draco in the face. (Not only a win for Harry Potter fans but for girls all around.)

Meanwhile, Doctor Who (2005) is my first exposure to real romance and time travel. With the Doctor’s companions all falling for him, he initially only falls for Rose (Nine and Ten).

RELATED: 7 FUN AND ROMANTIC TIME TRAVEL ASIAN DRAMAS

As a result, it had millions of us hoping he would appear in our living rooms, ready to take us on our own adventure. Since then, there was no going back. There are just so many romantic time travel movies calling out to be binged.

Here is a list of my personal favorite romantic time travel movies that have thus far survived the test of time. However, I will admit this list is not exhaustive (limiting the films to 10 was difficult).

10 ROMANTIC TIME TRAVEL MOVIES TO BINGE WATCH

(In No Particular Order)

#1: ABOUT TIME (2013)

Without a doubt, this is a humorous and engaging retelling of a classic boy trying to win over a girl story. Tim wishes to change his life and get a girlfriend. With this intention, enter Mary.

Tom falls for her and is relentless and tenacious in his pursuit, all thanks to a family secret. The men in his family can travel through time! What a secret to have, and at 21, your options are endless.

About Time beautifully captures the fun-loving side of romance. And, as viewers, we see the benefits of having such a gift and just how painful the gift can be.

For this reason, we see the love between a man and woman and the close relationship between Tim and his father, played by the talented Bill Nighy . Have tissues ready, as poignant scenes will get you teary-eyed.

Content Note: This film is rated 12A in the UK for mild profanity, nudity, violence, and moderate love scenes. For the same reason, About Time is a mild rated R in the United States.

#2: THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE (2009)

This falls quite high on my list of must-watch romance films in general as it has sweeping romance and not to mention swoon-worthy Eric Bana as the protagonist. The film beautifully interweaves through different phases of time, keeping the viewer enthralled.

It follows the life of Clare (Rachel McAdams) and how she meets Henry (Eric Bana), or rather how he encounters her. Clare and Henry ‘meet’ in a library. Soon, they both know what Henry is and what he can do, which is being involuntarily thrown through time, forwards or backward.

The movie’s most interesting aspect is that, despite Henry being the traveler, Clare knows more about him. She’s even aware of their relationship during their ‘first meeting’.

You can assume this is not their first meeting without giving too much away. The story follows them through their life together, how his continued absence becomes a toll on Clare, and over time, it delves into the life of living with a time traveler.

Could you live with someone who knows your future? They will know exactly where your life together could end up. Instead of going for the fated lovers’ angle, this looks at how fate may have brought them together, but should they have walked away?

Content Note: This film is rated 12A in the UK for mild sensuality, nudity, and profanity. In the US, the film is rated PG-13.

#3: SOMEWHERE IN TIME (1980)

If you prefer sweet innocent love stories with classic romance, Somewhere in Time will be perfect for you.

Set in 1972, Christopher Reeve stars as student Richard Collier who travels to Mackinac Island to stay at the Grand Hotel, where he sees a portrait of a woman who he becomes enamored with.

He finds out she was a famous stage actress who has passed away. In this obsession with the picture, he finds a way to go back in time to meet her.

Using methods of self-hypnosis, he is able to get back to 1900 and meet Elise McKenna, but what fate is in store for two people with such a big ‘time’ difference? Get ready to fall in love with the characters, cinematography, music, and love stories all over again.

Fun tidbit: Somewhere in Time was nominated for an Oscar for best costume design.

Content Note : This film is rated PG for mild profanity and sensuality.

#4: THE LAKE HOUSE (2006) AND IL MARE (2002)

The Lake House is a somber story, showing love with a facet of yearning, similar to Somewhere in Time . Both have protagonists who are trapped in different times.

Kate Forrester (Sandra Bullock) moves to a new house, leaving behind a letter for the next tenant. The person who reads the letter, Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves), realizes some unusual things are happening.

Events mentioned in the letter have yet to occur. They come to the realization that they are exactly two years apart, writing from different times.

This charming movie weaves a beautiful story that will appeal to anyone in a long-distance relationship. You will be able to relate to the dates they attempt to go on and how they try and share experiences with each other.

It will make you appreciate that you are at least a phone call away. The ending of the movie will have you on the edge of your seats, and the revelations revealed will make you want to believe in fate and kismet take your pick.

Special mention to the original movie Il Mare (2002), a Korean production and equally a must-watch if you don’t mind subtitles.

Content Note: This film is rated PG with mild profanity, alcohol, and drugs.

#5: BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III (1990)

If you are not familiar with this series, what are you doing? Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and the iconic DeLorean made a generation of kids dream about hoverboards and Nike trainers.

This is the third installment of the series, giving more focus to the ‘Doc’ Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd).

Set against the backdrop of the 1885 old west (and true to the name), we get standoffs, brawls, and romance. Meanwhile, Marty travels to 1885 and is stuck because his car breaks down.

Of course, he has a run-in with ‘Mad Dog’ Biff Tannen and his unruly gang. (Trying to send Marty back with their limited resources makes you appreciate a lot of amenities we take for granted.)

In this process, Emmett meets a school teacher, Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen), who is a science geek just like him, and soon a romance blossoms.

It is surreal and sweet to see Doc so enamored and unable to figure out how to act. Furthermore, the romance breathes new life into his character and shows an angle we never thought we needed.

In the climax of the movie, there is a race against time to get the DeLorean fixed and Marty back to the present day. Ultimately, even as a sequel, Back to the Future Part III is brilliant.

Content Note: This film is rated PG with moderate profanity, mild sensuality, nudity, and violence.

#6: MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011)

‘ You’re in love with a fantasy.’ ‘I’m in love with you.’

Woody Allen does it again, giving us a spellbinding movie with sophisticated and witty characters. He portrays Paris in a way that will make you want to go there and explore.

Winner of an Oscar, Midnight in Paris follows Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams) on vacation in Paris, where he wishes to move after they marry.

However, his wife-to-be doesn’t see the magic of the city, hoping to settle in America instead. In the meantime, Gil struggles to write his first novel and takes a strange late-night stroll through Paris, getting an invite to a party that includes guests such as Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Gertrude, and many others who frequented the famous salon of Stein.

It is up to the audience to decide if this is time travel or just the fantasy of a desperate writer who is in love with the golden era of the ’20s. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie because it gave a glimpse of how some of my favorite writers would interact.

This is what other genres cannot do, transport and introduce characters and figures who we would love to meet. This charming film will have you falling in love with the characters and the dialogue.

The superb acting by Wilson portrays an awe-struck, enthusiastic writer who meets his heroes. There is no real story to follow, but rather more events that unfold and how the characters react to them. But life is like this sometimes: we don’t know where things are going until later on.

Content Note: This film is rated 12A  in the UK and PG-13 in the U.S. for mild profanity, sensuality, and nudity.

#7: 13 GOING ON 30 (2004)

13 Going on 30 is a reverse-coming-of-age time travel romantic comedy. Jenna (Jennifer Garner) makes a wish on her thirteenth birthday, wanting to be older after going through an embarrassing ordeal.

Jenna wishes to make her older, and it is fulfilled magically. She wakes up the next day to find she is weeks from her thirtieth birthday, has a dream job as a magazine editor, a car, and a very attractive boyfriend.

Everything that anyone could want, but she is still not happy, which pushes the story toward what she truly desires.

This approach is always fun to watch, including hilarious scenes where the protagonist tries to understand the new circumstances and her new body. I admit it’s nothing new in terms of what we can expect, but Garner portrays the character’s innocence and naivete so well.

We see beautiful shots of New York City, which will make you want to book your flight and get over there. However, the surprise in this movie is Mark Ruffalo, who plays Matt, the high school best friend.

Seeing him in this role will be new and a fresh take for fans of the Marvel world. One of the best moments in the movie is the Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ dance which will leave you astounded and get you on your feet.

Content Note: This film is rated 12A in the UK and PG-13 in the U.S. for mild profanity and suggestive content.

#8: WINTER’S TALE (2014)

Winter’s Tale is set in 1895 on the streets of New York and is based on the novel of the same name. Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) is a seasoned thief who enters the home of Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay). Beverly catches him in the act.

They both fall in love, and she tells Peter a story about how everyone is born with a miracle inside them. This is the theme for the whole movie so keep this in mind while watching.

The movie boasts a lot of big stars: Russell Crowe, Will Smith, and William Hurt, who all play fantastical characters brilliantly. The story jumps to modern times showing us Peter again. But he has amnesia, setting the story for the rest of the movie. The search for his memories and lost story.

Romance like this is always beautiful to watch, even though the audience and characters know it will not be the happy ending we all hope for.

Fans of Downton Abbey will recognize Findlay as Lady Sybil Crawley, carrying off the character of Beverly competently, with a timeless beauty that is only enhanced because we know the fate of the character.

Farrell is exquisite as always, playing his role as an Irish thief so convincingly. There are many twists and turns to keep you entertained during the second half, which is worth the effort.

Content Note: This film is rated 12A in the UK and PG-13 in the U.S. for violence and sensuality.

#9: IF ONLY (2004)

If Only uses the winning formula that led Groundhog Day (1993) to success, where the day is on repeat. We have Samantha (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ian (Paul Nichols), who are a typical couple, showing the relationship and fights.

Tragedy strikes when Samantha has a car accident leaving a heartbroken and grief-stricken Ian. But fate gives him another chance to back in time to try and change events. He lives the same day again and, like any sensible hero, tries to alter the events leading up to her accident.

It’s a sweet story showing the importance of cherishing the people close to you. The film further makes you wonder about how you would react in this situation. Would you be able to change anything?

The story moves at a good pace, keeping audiences on edge as to whether Ian will succeed. Very beautiful moments occur between the two as Ian knows what will come.

He tries his hardest to make everything perfect (and take notes, guys – ahem, ahem). Tissues may be needed; you have been warned.

Content Note: This film is rated PG-13 for some sensual material.

#10: KATE & LEOPOLD (2001)

‘I’m not very good with men.’ ‘ Perhaps you haven’t found the right one.’

This time travel romance movie captures everyone’s heart because Leopold (Hugh Jackman) comes from 1876 and has a romantic, classic approach to love.

He has purity dripping from every glance and every word he speaks. It would make any girl fall head over heels for the chivalrous Leopold.

So, what chance does Kate (Meg Ryan) have? Leopold needs to marry someone for wealth, with a dwindling purse and big dreams to pursue. He enters a portal transporting him to modern times. This blows him away to see the sights and progress.

He meets Kate, a market researcher who is cynical but ambitious. They get close but inevitable differences arise, and he returns back to his time.

Kate & Leopold also provides well-written comedic scenes with Kate’s brother, an actor assuming Leopold is deep in character. For fans of epic romantic movies from the ’90s, this 2001 film is equally awesome. Plus, any fan of Jackman will enjoy seeing him in this swoony role.

Content Note: Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Did you find one of your favorite movies about time travel and love? If you had the chance to have one of these romances, which one would it be?

Top Photo Credit: Somewhere in Time (Universal Pictures)

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MORE PERIOD DRAMAS:

PERIOD DRAMA REVIEWS: A COLLECTION SORTED BY TIME PERIOD

Book lover – reader and writer. Being a bookworm from an early age introduced me to all wonderful worlds, travelling from Narnia to Hogwarts. This became my hobby and passion leading me to pursue avenues where I can write not just for my enjoyment but also to progress my career. Some of my current obsessions include K-dramas, all things period - any BBC original adaptation. I am currently reading Dan Brown's new novel as well as "All men are Mortal" and re-reading "North and South" because you can never read enough about Mr.Thornton and Margaret!

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12 thoughts on “10 Romantic Time Travel Movies to Binge Watch: I’ll Love You to the End of Time”

Found some new ones for my list, so thanks! I love Hugh Jackson in Kate and Leopold – he plays it so straight it makes the whole thing so much funnier.

Though I haven’t seen it in a while now, I remember that I liked “Lake House,” and I just started to watch “About Time” last night. It’s nothing like I expected, but so far I quite like it! 🙂

Man, Rachel McAdams is all about that time travel life!

Oh, I hoped I’d find a new romantic time travel movie to add to my watched list, but I’m afraid I’ve already seen them all. Lovely curated list, tho!

A long time ago there lived a scientist who would hardly ever venture outside. His life was a lonely one, with long days of research and experiments. It was his ambition to create a potion to see into the future. He had over years collected hundreds of herbs and combined them in various ways until eventually, he was on the brink of a breakthrough…

Where am I able to find the remainder of this story? One mustn’t dangle a carrot expecting no one to bite! Rachel

All these are lovely —- another good one is “1994 Timecop” with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mia Sara — thriller & romance

I can’t seem to find the movie which was based on a short story “ Christopher Frame “ a photo restorer who time travels ,.falls in love and stays there , tried to lookup but there is no information about it ,I can’t remember the name of the movie or episode either for the love of God ,If anyone knows about it please let me know ,thanks

Another outstanding time travel movie is the 1998 Hallmark Hall of Fame production “The Love Letter”, starring Campbell Scott and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Aired in the late 90s, it’s about an engaged civil war buff who finds hidden letters in an old desk which were written by an unmarried woman in 1863. He is compelled to respond to her and even though he lives in the late 20th century she receives his letters and they begin a correspondence through time. This obviously causes a big problem for his life with his fiance. It’s an excellent movie based on a short story by Jack Finney. Finney is the author of two great time travel novels, Time And Again and From Time to Time.

Hi Everybody, I read through the candidates for best time travel romance, all of which I have seen. I agree with your choices, but not exactly in that order. Although they were all great movies, it is “Somewhere in Time” that takes the number one spot. I was happy to see that at least you gave them the 3rd spot, but, in reality, it was the one movie that expressed so beautifully the concept that love transcends time and in the end, true love brings them together as they slip off into eternity.

There is one more movie to which I would give honorable mention. That is the 1979 movie “Time After Time” where the prolific writer HG Wells pursues Jack the Ripper into the future where Hubert (Malcolm Mcdowell) meets Mary Steenburgen and falls in love. This is another great movie. Thanks, DAD

Hi Dad! I agree with you that Somewhere in Time is the best time-travel romance movie. 🙂 Such a beautiful film!

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32 of the Best Travel Movies on Netflix to Watch

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Since you all loved my post about movies set in Europe so much, I figured I’d follow it up with a post about the best travel movies on Netflix! These streamable movies are from all over the Earth, and some of them even inspired sequels! Some are in the adventure travel movie genre, while others are more dramatic historical films. Most of these Netflix travel movies are for the PG-13+ crowd, and they are all currently available to stream.

Update 2024: As this post was published in 2019, I have updated it with links to other platforms if the movie is no longer available on Netflix. Newer films are added to the bottom.

Table of Contents

The Best Travel Movies on Netflix

1. Chasing Liberty

Chasing Liberty is an early 2000s romantic comedy film I absolutely adore! Starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode, the film is about the 18-year-old daughter of the President of the United States. Rebelling against the constant presence of the Secret Service agents in her life, she galavants around Europe and, of course, winds up in an unexpected romance. As  Chasing Liberty was filmed on location in Prague, Venice , Berlin, London , and Washington, D.C. , it is one of my favorite adventure travel movies on Netflix.

2. A Little Chaos

King Louis XIV of France requested the  Gardens of Versailles  be built and tasked André Le Nôtre with this project. Le Nôtre interviewed several gardeners who had submitted designs for the project, including one lone woman, Sabine de Barra. After her interview, André surprised Sabine and asked her to design an outdoor ballroom surrounded by a fountain and landscaping.

As she is a commoner, Sabine stands out in court, which leads to difficulty when trying to complete the project. Even though she is the outsider, she winds up befriending Nôtre, the King’s brother, Duc Philippe d’Orleans, and his wife, Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine.

3. Julie and Julia

In Manhattan, Julie Powell is stuck at a job she hates and is disheartened at watching her friends succeed. To spark some joy, she decides to cook every recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking  by Julia Child with a one-year deadline. She also sets out to write a blog to motivate herself and document her progress. 

In flashbacks, we get the 1950s Julia Child—an enthusiastic and unabashed woman who lives in Paris with her diplomat husband, Paul Child. She attends Le Cordon Bleu to learn French cooking and is initially met with skepticism as she is the only woman in the class. Though we don’t see the characters travel much themselves, it’s one of the best travel movies on Netflix with its flashbacks to 50s Paris.

4-5. Mamma Mia & Mamma Mia Here We Go Again

Based on the 1999 musical of the same name and the songs of ABBA. The film follows a young bride-to-be who invites three men to her upcoming wedding. She found these men’s names in her Mother’s diary around the time she was conceived. They all agree to attend, and unbeknownst to them, one of them is her father. This is also quite a shock for her mother, who doesn’t know they were invited to the wedding. It is one of my favorite musicals! I absolutely adored the sequel, Mamma Mia Here We Go Again , but it is not yet on Netflix!

6. In Search of Fellini

A small-town Ohio girl who’s lived a rather sheltered life loves movies but dislikes reality. Upon discovering the delightfully bizarre films of Federico Fellini , she sets off on an adventure. This propels her on a strange and beautiful journey across Italy to find him.

7. Wild Oats

When a retired high school teacher loses her husband, she mistakenly receives a $5,000,000 check on her deceased husband’s $50,000 life insurance policy. Her friend Maddie, whose husband has just left her for a younger woman, convinces her to keep the money. They decide to live it up at a resort in the Canary Islands.

8. The Duchess

Based on a biography of the late 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish , Duchess of Devonshire. Set to marry William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, she is expected to produce a male heir. When Georgiana gives birth to a girl, William is displeased. Georgiana then befriends Lady Bess Foster and invites her to live with them since Bess has nowhere else to go. Soon after, William has an affair with Bess, causing Georgiana to feel betrayed by her only friend.

After starting her own affair, the whole of London society comes to know of it. William then threatens to end her lover’s political career and forbids Georgiana from seeing her children again if she does not end the relationship.

The film follows Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley over 18 years, on the same day—15 July, St. Swithun’s Day. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh, Dexter and Emma spend a platonic night together and agree to “just be friends.” The years pass, and the audience gets to see how they intertwine over those 18 years.

10. The Other Boleyn Girl

Having no living male heir to the throne, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, and his brother-in-law Thomas Boleyn plan to install Boleyn’s eldest daughter, Anne Boleyn , as the King’s mistress. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of Mary Boleyn, the one-time mistress of King Henry VIII , and her sister, Anne, who became the King’s ill-fated second wife.

11. Viking Destiny

A Viking princess is forced to flee her kingdom when she is framed for her father’s murder. With the help of the god Odin, she travels to gather support to win back her throne.

12. Outlaw King

Following Robert the Bruce , the 14th-century Scottish King who launched a war against the indomitable English army over a 3-year historical period, this film focuses on when Bruce decided to rebel against the rule of Edward I over Scotland, thus becoming an “outlaw,” up to the 1307 Battle of Loudoun Hill.

13. Becoming Jane

Jane Austen’s financially strapped parents expect her to marry the nephew of wealthy Lady Gresham.  However, she knows that this will destroy her creativity and sense of self-worth. Instead, she becomes involved with Tom Lefroy, a charming but penniless apprentice lawyer. He bolsters her, which is exactly what she needs for her future career as a novelist.

14. The Man in the Iron Mask

The former musketeer Athos swears vengeance after King Louis XIV causes the death of his son. Gathering his old friends, Porthos and Aramis, he hatches a plan to liberate a shackled prisoner who is rumored to be the King’s twin brother and then install him on the throne. But they are also faced with their old friend D’Artagnan, who has remained in the King’s service.

If you have not yet seen this, see it ASAP, as it’s one of my favorite travel movies on Netflix! You can also visit the Pierrefonds Castle they shot at!

15-17. The Da Vinci Code

Robert Langdon is called to the Louvre as a murder in the museum has taken place. Cryptic clues in some of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous paintings lead in this adventure travel movie. For 2,000 years, a secret society has closely guarded information that could shake the very foundations of Christianity. Its sequels,  Angels and Demons and Inferno , are also on Netflix.

Check Out These Posts:

• 55 Movies Set in Europe to Watch Before You Travel
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18-20. The Mummy

One of my favorite adventure travel movies on Netflix is The Mummy ! An epic about an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Desert in 1925. As they stumble upon an ancient tomb , the hunters accidentally set loose a 3,000-year-old mummy. The mummy is the vengeful reincarnation of an Egyptian priest who had been sentenced to an eternity as one of the living dead. It was followed by two sequels, The Mummy Returns and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor which are also found on Netflix.

21. Into the Blue

Divers Sam and Jared love living in the Bahamas. But when friends Bryce and Amanda visit, the couple takes them on a treasure-hunting trip. They find a downed airplane full of cocaine alongside a famous shi pwreck. Making a fatal mistake, they decide to sell the cocaine, which angers a group of drug dealers.

22. Dangerous Beauty

Veronica loves a handsome aristocrat, Marco Venier, but he cannot marry her because she is penniless and of a questionable family. So Veronica’s mother, Paola, teaches her to become a courtesan, which is a  companion favored by the richest and most powerful of Venetian men . Using this new turn of events, she changes her destiny. It’s a lovely film if you’re a fan of Venice as its story is based there and appears to be filmed there.

23-24. National Treasure 1 & 2

Historian Ben Gates has been searching his whole life for a treasure dating back to the birth of the United States. After joining an expedition led by a fellow treasure hunter, Gates finds an ice-locked Colonial ship in the Arctic Circle. It c ontains a clue linking the treasure to the Declaration of Independence. But when the fellow treasure hunter betrays him, Gates has to race to get to the document ahead of his former friend. I wish they also had the sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets , on Netflix, as it’s one of the best recent travel films.

25-28. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

My favorite adventure travel movie hero is Indiana Jones ! As an archaeologist, he tries to beat a band of Nazis to a religious relic. Battling against the Nazi’s plan for world domination, a snake phobia, and accompanied by his ex-girlfriend, Indiana Jones is in constant peril. All the sequels are also on Netflix.

29. A Tourist’s Guide to Love

After an unexpected breakup, a travel executive accepts an assignment to go undercover and learn about the Vietnamese tourist industry. Along the way, she finds adventure and romance with her Vietnamese expat tour guide.

A Tourist’s Guide to Love is one of the recent best travel movies on Netflix. I really enjoyed it, even though it was cliche in parts, it was a wholesome traveler movie we don’t get to see very often.

30. Irish Wish

When the love of her life gets engaged to her friend, Maddie puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at their wedding in Ireland . Days before the wedding, Maddie makes a spontaneous wish for true love, only to wake up as the bride-to-be.

Above, you see them at the Cliffs of Moher , which Lindsay Lohan luckily didn’t get electrocuted at, like myself, to my knowledge.

31-32. Murder Mystery 1 & 2

Murder Mystery is about a New York cop and his wife going on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage. A chance encounter leads to them being framed for the murder of an elderly billionaire.

Murder Mystery 2 is about the now private detectives launching their own agency; Nick and Audrey Spitz, land at the center of an international investigation when a friend is abducted.

Above you can see them at the Pont des Arts , Paris’ love lock bridge.

Did I miss one of your favorite travel movies on Netflix? Let me know in the comments.

Want to remember this? Pin this  32 of the Best Travel Movies on Netflix to Watch  article to your favorite Pinterest board!

Michelle is a nerdy wanderluster with a love of history. A thirty-something occasional solo female traveler who you’ll find road-tripping across the United States or hostel-hopping in Europe. She currently resides in Southern California and is writing an action-adventure novel.

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Best Travel Movies 2020: 15 Movies That Will Inspire You To Travel

Posted on Last updated: June 24, 2020

If you’ve landed on this page, chances are that you’re currently sitting on the couch searching for something to watch.

You wish you were island hopping in the Philippines or skiing in the Alp s, but alas, you’re at home dreaming of travelling.

There is nothing wrong with that, I’m actually here to help! If you’re looking for a movie that will fuel your wanderlust, this compilation is the answer. I’ve put together my personal favourite travel movies, and hope they’ll inspire you to travel!

I’ve divided the movies in inspirational, romantic and funny, so that you can find a travel movie to watch for whatever mood you’re in!

These are the movies that have inspired me to travel to a certain destination, to round up my friends for a road trip or just kept me dreaming about love stories in a foreign land.

You can watch most of these on either Amazon Prime, Netflix or by streaming them.

• 1.1 The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
• 1.2 Into The Wild (2007)
• 1.3 The Beach (2000)
• 1.4 The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (2013)
• 1.5 Wild (2014)
• 1.6 Up In The Air (2009)
• 2.1 Eat Pray Love (2010)
• 2.2 Letters To Juliet (2010)
• 2.3 Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again (2018)
• 2.4 Roman Holiday (1953)
• 2.5 Under The Tuscan Sun (2003)
• 3.1 The Inbetweeneers 2 (2014)
• 3.2 Road Trip (2000)
• 3.3 Hunt For The Wilderpeople (2016)
• 3.4 Eurotrip (2004)

One of the viewpoints overlooking Catarata del Toro waterfall

Inspirational travel movies

Let’s start with the best inspirational travel movies. These are the ones that keep you glued to the screen, admiring the epic landscapes and the life choices of the protagonists.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

I watched this movie during a Spanish class back in high school and it’s safe to say it’s one of the elements that fuelled my wanderlust from such an early age.

It made me want to learn how to drive a motorcycle so I could travel around the world in one.

The Motorcycle Diaries movie poster

The Motorcycle Diaries is based on the true life story of Ernesto Guevara, before he became “Che” Guevara. It’s based on his travel diary and memories that are published in a book of the same name.

As a young medical student he sets off on a road trip across South America with his friend Alberto Granado, a biochemist, with a motorcycle named “La Poderosa”.

The poverty and injustice that they see on the road contributed to forming Ernesto’s revolutionary ideas.

It’s an epic travel movie but also a movie about coming of age, finding yourself and your purpose, through the experiences they have and people they meet on the road.

Exploring the colonials streets of Havana, Cuba

Into The Wild (2007)

Into The Wild is possibly one of the most iconic and epic travel movies.

Based on the true story and memoirs of Christopher McCandless it tells the story of a young man who rejects modern civilisation and society in favour of the great wilderness.

He sets off on an adventure across North America that brings him all the way to Alaska, showing us some incredible natural landscapes.

It’s a movie about losing yourself to find yourself, as well as important human values like family and friendship.

The Beach (2000)

The Beach is one of those movies that make you want to purchase a flight for Thailand , pack your bags, go in search of a remote island and never come home.

It’s also the movie that made Maya Bay, in the Phi Phi Islands, famous, which lead to its closure due to over-tourism.

Despite its implications in the real world The Beach is an incredible movie about searching for adventure, searching for yourself and your place in the world.

Pair that with stunning Thailand beaches and landscapes, and you have a winner of a movie!

Snorkelling in the Phi Phi Islands

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (2013)

Walter Mitty is a man working a 9-5 office job who is constantly day dreaming of great adventures and love stories.

We often get caught into thinking we have to have a certain amount of money, or have reached a certain career level before we can take a break and travel.

This movie is a great reminder that the moment will never be right, you have to make it the right moment. You have to have the courage to take a leap of faith into the unknown, in search of what you truly want.

Walter Mitty’s travels take him away from New York and to adventures across Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas. Besides the inspirational and feel-good message, there are also some stunning landscapes to appreciate in this movie.

Wild (2014)

Wild follows the hiking adventures of Cheryl, as she sets off to hike 1,100 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail, on a journey of self-discovery following her divorce.

Cheryl had some tough situations in life that lead her to pursuing her journey, but there are also some things she says that everyone can relate to.

When she said; “I’m a free spirit who never had the balls to be free.” I felt that. For anyone who has always wanted freedom, but always felt held back by some societal constraint or another, this movie is a breath of fresh air.

The movie also has some great reminders that there is beauty in all aspects of life, if we’re just willing to go out and search for it.

Pair it all with the beautiful North American landscapes and you have a winner. The movie is based on the book of the same name (a great travel book if you like reading!)

Up In The Air (2009)

Up In The Air is a movie that inspires you to travel, but also to reflect on your relationships, to empathize with others and to keep your loved ones close. The movie follows frequent flyer Ryan, as he jet sets across the country for his job.

The most famous quote in the movie is when Ryan draws an analogy between life and a backpack, and how of all the things we carry with us our relationships are the heaviest.

The emphasis he puts on “moving is living” is something I could particularly relate to.

Romantic travel movies

I’m sure we’ve all fantasised about meeting the love of our life on the road, maybe in a hostel dorm or during an adventurous hike. Wherever it is you picture yourself meeting your other half, these romantic travel movies will help you fuel both your wanderlust and lovey dovey feelings.

Eat Pray Love (2010)

Eat, Pray, Love is based on the memoir of American author Elizabeth Gilbert, and follows her year-long journey of self-discovery to Italy, India and Indonesia.

It’s one of those classic movies that everyone needs to see, especially before a trip to Rome or Bali .

Elizabeth is a relatable character, going through a phase in life having emotions that every person watching will have, at one point or another, also felt.

The desire of getting away, especially after a bad breakup, seeing new places, living new experiences and searching for yourself is something all travellers can connect with.

Letters To Juliet (2010)

Set in Verona, Letters to Juliet is a movie about reuniting with lost love, following your heart and finding new love, coupled with the all time classic love song “Love Story” by Taylor Swift.

American Sophie starts helping out as a “Secretary of Juliet”, responding to the letters that star crossed lovers leave in Juliet’s courtyard in Verona.

This is where she comes across a letter dated from 1957 and decides to reply, which then starts the chain reaction that leads her on a journey around Italy, in search of love.

It may sound like a cheesy movie (because let’s be real, it is a little bit) but it’s a very feel good travel story, which talks about important themes about love, relationships and freedom.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again (2018)

While the sequel isn’t as good as the first Mamma Mia (as is the case with most sequels) the second movie is definitely more travel inspiring than the first.

Following a recently graduated Donna as she travels around Europe, meets people and has life changing experiences, is something we can all relate to and dream about.

When young Donna said; “Life is short, the world is wide. I want to make some memories.” I was sat there thinking; “Me too girl!” (It might just be one of my favourite travel quotes !)

The fact that she travels around some of the most beautiful places in Europe, going from Paris to beautiful Greek islands is just the cherry on top of the pie.

I haven’t seen much of the Greek islands but every time I see this movie it makes me want to run off to Greece on a sailing boat and never come back!

Roman Holiday (1953)

When I used to date a guy from Rome and he took me scootering around Rome in a Vespa I felt like I had fulfilled all of my Roman Holida y expectations.

This black and white classic features Audrey Hepburn as a princess who is bored of her daily routine, and escapes for a day to see normal life in Rome.

Along the way she finds romance, as well as rediscovering her sense of purpose and accepting her royal responsibilities.

Roman Holiday is a feel good romantic comedy, with themes like wanting to escape daily life that we can all relate to, and which will show you what life in the Eternal City was like.

Under The Tuscan Sun (2003)

Under The Tuscan Sun is a romantic comedy that deals with major life changes, and travel as a way to deal with and facilitate them.

After a tough divorce American writer Frances goes on a holiday to Tuscany , where on an impromptu whim she decides to buy a villa.

Here her life evolves amongst new relationships and experiences. What I loved most about this movie was that despite being a romantic movie, the focus wasn’t on France finding her soulmate.

You can have beautiful love stories on the road, but travel and life are about more than only finding your other half.

Funny travel movies

Now it’s time for some light-hearted comedy movies! Inspirational and romantic movies are great, but sometimes we’re just looking for a bit of a laugh, while maintaining the travel theme.

The Inbetweeneers 2 (2014)

If you’re looking for a light-hearted and funny travel movie, this is the one (if you enjoy British humour). The Inbetweeners is a popular British comedy TV show, which follows the lives of four socially awkward high school friends.

The second movie tells their as they go through the popular rite of passage of doing a gap year in Australia .

They make fun of stereotypical experiences and travellers that you meet on the road, but also touch on some more serious friendship themes.

I watched this movie just before going to Australia and I learnt from it that you should always have an extra tank of gas in the car during your road trips .

It’s one of the funniest scenes of the movie, you’ll know what I mean when you see it.

Sunrise at Uluru, Australia

Road Trip (2000)

As you might imagine, this movie is about a road trip.

College student Josh accidentally mails his long distance girlfriend a tape of him having sex with another girl, so him and his friends set off on a road trip across the country to retrieve the tape before his girlfriend sees it.

You might not laugh at all the jokes, depending on your own personal humour, but the movie as a whole is pretty funny. The young college students have lots of qualities, dreams and insecurities that most viewers will relate to.

It’s a light-hearted movie about a road trip with friends, perfect for anyone looking for a travel movie without heavy inspirational or soul-searching themes.

Hunt For The Wilderpeople (2016)

Hunt For The Wilderpeople tells the crazy adventures of a juvenile delinquent and the name he calls uncle as they attempt to run away from society and disappear in the bush.

It deals with some deep themes such as death, corruption and prison, but always keeping things fairly casual and funny.

The epic natural landscapes you see in this movie will make you want to pack your bags and go hiking in New Zealand !

Eurotrip (2004)

From the same producers that brought you Road Trip, here is another travel comedy! Eurotrip is a funny movie about coming of age and finding love, which plays quite heavily on some European stereotypes.

After being dumped at his high school graduation Scotty decides to go on a trip to Europe to meet his German pen pal in person, accompanied by his best friend and two other classmates they meet on the road.

The movie is a bit ridiculous at times, pushing the group to have all sorts of crazy travel experiences. But it’s also pretty funny and light-hearted, exactly what you need if you want to watch a travel story but also keep the evening casual.

Final thoughts on movies that inspire you to travel

Do you have a favourite travel movie that isn’t featured in this list? Let me know in the comments below! These are my personal favourite travel movies, which I think are particularly inspiring or funny.

If you’re looking for more travel inspiration than what a 2-movie can provide, check out these awesome travel TV shows !

They’re the movies that make me laugh and marvel at the same time, and then make me want to pack my bags and hit the road. I hope they inspire the same feeling of wanderlust in you too!

Enjoyed reading about the best travel movies? Pin it!

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8 best time travel romantic movies.

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Your Name Ending Explained (In Detail)

Transformers one rotten tomatoes score beats all but 1 movie in the franchise (& it’s very close), jason statham's 2011 action-packed thriller movie is coming to netflix in october.

• Time-travel romance movies have been a popular genre in cinema for decades, with many films exploring the concept of love and destiny through the lens of time travel.
• These movies often feature unique storylines and themes, making them stand out from other romantic films.
• Here are some of the best time-travel romance movies that you can watch.

The merging of romance and time travel has led to some truly spectacular movies that highlight eternal themes of absence, destiny, and humanity's desire to go back and change the past. From hilarious rom-coms that played into the humorous consequences of those trying to mess with time to deeply nuanced portrayals of the hardship of unwanted distance, the time travel romance subgenre was one rife with thematic and emotional resonance. While these movies may be fantastical in concept, the ideas they laid bare captured something universal about the challenges of love and romance.

The best time-travel romance movies all address the consequences of trying to mess with the past and the unintentional problems those who failed to accept destiny were confronted with. These films included some of the best rom-coms of the early 2000s and even enduring classics from beloved franchises of the past. With incredible concepts, unique storytelling devices, and, in some cases, awe-inspiring animation, the best time-travel romance movies all had something special to offer .

8 When We First Met (2018)

Directed by ari sandel, when we first met.

Noah meets Avery at a Halloween party and falls in love but gets friend-zoned. 3 years later, she's engaged to someone else. Noah returns in a time machine to fix things.

The time-travel rom-com When We First Met starred Adam DeVine as Noah Ashby, a man who never got over being friend-zoned by the love of his life three years before. However, when Noah stumbled across a way to travel back in time, he decided to redo the past and finally get things right with Avery Martin (Alexandra Daddario.) With a heartwarming story about staying true to oneself, When We First Met overcame its genre cliches and tropes through an excellent performance from DeVine .

Directed by Ari Sandel, When We First Met took its Groundhog Day -esque concept and ran with it to deliver a movie packed with charm and charisma. Perhaps the greatest asset of When We First Met was how it subverted the predictability of its concept with twists and turns that viewers won’t see coming. The story was great, the acting was superb, and the script was funny, which, when all taken together, made When We First Met among the best Netflix rom-coms .

7 13 Going On 30 (2004)

Directed by gary winick, 13 going on 30.

Not available

13 Going on 30 is 2004 fantasy romantic comedy about a 13-year-old girl named Jenna Rink, who, in 1987, dreams of being popular and wishes she were "thirty and flirty and thriving." She later wakes up in 2004 at the age of 30. Jennifer Garner stars as 30-year-old Jenna, while Christa B. Allen plays the role of young Jenna. Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Jim Gaffigan, and Andy Serkis also star. 

The Jennifer Garner-led rom-com 13 Going on 30 was a fascinating time-travel story that transported its protagonist from 1987 to 2004. Garner played the grown-up Jenna Rink, a nerdy 13-year-old girl who longed to be popular and secretly loved Matty Flamhaff (Mark Ruffalo), who found herself suddenly 17 years older and living in New York as a successful fashion editor. As a laugh-out-loud story of childhood innocence meeting the incredible potential of adulthood, 13 Going on 30 was as heartfelt as it was humorous.

13 Going on 30 was truly one of the best rom-coms of the 2000s as Garner played a teenager stuck in an adult body to perfection and captured all the awkwardness, anxiety, and earnest innocence of adolescence. Although 13 Going on 30 was filled with plenty of over-the-top fun, it also delivered a powerful message of self-empowerment and the trapping of adult societal expectations. While 13 Going on 30 borrowed a lot from Big , the Tom Hanks movie with a similar premise, its feminist spin added a new dimension to the story and made for a compelling time-travel rom-com.

6 Back To The Future Part III (1990)

Directed by robert zemeckis, back to the future part iii.

The final entry in Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale's timeless trilogy, Back to the Future Part III wraps up Marty McFly and Doc Brown's adventures through time when Marty travels to 1885's Wild West to save his mentor, meeting Biff Tannen's ancestor "Mad Dog" and almost changing the course of history once again along the way.

While the first Back to the Future movie included the franchise’s most notorious romantic subplot when Marty McFly’s mother found herself unknowingly infatuated with her own son, it was the third entry that could genuinely be described as a time-travel romance movie. This was because Doc Brown finally found love with Clara Clayton in Back to the Future Part III . This came after Doc found himself trapped back in 1885 and altered the original timeline when he saved the schoolteacher Clara from certain death.

Back to the Future Part III was an incredibly romantic movie that featured some of the greatest Doc Brown quotes as he told Marty his “ future hasn’t been written yet ” and that it can be “ whatever you make it .” Throughout the franchise, Doc was seen as a man of science who never allowed his life to be complicated by the stresses of love, only for him to encounter the girl of his dreams in the final installment. While the first two Back to the Future movies told Marty’s story, the final entry focused on Doc’s time-travel love story .

5 The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

Directed by robert schwentke, the time traveler's wife.

In the 1970s, Henry DeTamble discovers he's a time traveler after a tragic accident. His life intersects with Clare Abshire's repeatedly, as she's known him since childhood. Despite marrying, their relationship is challenged by Henry's uncontrollable jumps through time, leaving Clare to wait for his return. As they navigate the complexities of love and loss, they confront the limitations of Henry's condition and the impact it has on their family.

The Time Traveler’s Wife was based on Audrey Niffenegger's novel and powerfully addressed themes of love and absence. With Rachel McAdams as Clare Abshire, the wife of the time traveler Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana), The Time Traveler’s Wife was a heartfelt exploration of building romance in the most trying of circumstances as Clare’s husband continually involuntarily vanished and reappeared throughout her life. With emotional depth and poignant nuance, this story will surely tug at the hearts of all those willing to forgive its logical fallacies.

From the complex challenges of raising a child together to the couple’s mismatched experiences of their timelines, The Time Traveler’s Wife raised interesting questions regarding a non-chronological love affair. For all its faults, The Time Traveler’s Wife succeeded due to the committed performances of McAdams and Bana, who imbued this fantastical romance with depth and realism. The Time Traveler’s Wife was a worthy adaptation of Niffenegger's novel that’s sure to please lovers of the book.

4 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

Directed by mamoru hosoda, the girl who leapt through time (2006).

A high-school girl named Makoto acquires the power to travel back in time, and decides to use it for her own personal benefits. Little does she know that she is affecting the lives of others just as much as she is her own.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was a loose anime sequel to the 1967 novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, which told the story of a teenage girl who gained the power of time travel. As 17-year-old Makoto Konno started to use her powers frivolously to solve her problems, she started to unknowingly impact the lives of those around her. As a sci-fi story packed with plenty of romance, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was a highly imaginative coming-of-age tale that used its unique concept to address themes of personal responsibility.

Makoto's use of time travel to solve even the most minute of problems, from school tests to awkward conversations, was a humorous depiction of time travel romance that was soon confronted with the stark reality of the consequences of her actions. With impressive visuals and just the right amount of realism, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was a highly engrossing story of time travel and romance . As the perfect mix of somber and lighthearted humor, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was an excellent film and a great entry point for those unfamiliar with anime.

3 Midnight in Paris (2011)

Directed by woody allen, midnight in paris.

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris stars Owen Wilson as Gil Pender, a struggling writer who, on a trip to Paris with his fiance, begins traveling back in time to the 1920s every night at midnight, leading him to meet and mingle with some of the city's biggest names of the time. Besides Wilson, the cast includes Rachel McAdams, Tom Hiddleston, Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard, Corey Stoll, and Adrien Brody. 

The romance of Midnight in Paris was primarily related to the love that people can conjure for a place and the alluring appeal of the past. This Woody Allen-directed time travel story involved the screenwriter Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) confronting his issues with his fiance (Rachel McAdams) as he’s transported back to 1920s Paris. From here, Gil encountered prominent historical artists and writers such as Ernest Hemingway , Salvador Dalí, as well as F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, in a powerful homage to the City of Love: Paris, France.

Midnight in Paris was arguably Allen’s greatest work in the 21st century, which perfectly highlighted his ability to blend everyday relationship anxieties with fantastical stories that paid tribute to the enduring legacy of art and literature. Wilson gave an exceptional performance that mimicked the anxious mannerisms and stuttering awkwardness of Annie Hall’s Alvy Singer. Through the use of magical realism, Midnight in Paris captured the charm of Parisian culture and the infectious romance of the city’s rich artistic history.

2 Your Name (2016)

Directed by makoto shinkai, your name (2016).

Two teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.

Your Name was a complex and emotional anime film by director Makoto Shinkai that may not be immediately recognizable as a time-travel romance. This concept of Your Name involved two Japanese high school students, Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, who suddenly started to switch bodies despite having never met before. As the story progressed, a deeply nuanced tale of time travel set against the backdrop of an impending natural disaster revealed itself with thrilling effect, highlighting the complex intersection between love and destiny.

With beautiful animation, a thrilling script, and emotionally satisfying characters, Your Name received universal acclaim and stood as one of the most beloved non-Studio Ghibli anime movies ever released. While the ending of Your Name may have been somewhat confusing, this was part of its power, and its two timelines made the conclusion all the more effective. With a unique storytelling style, Your Name managed to add something entirely new to the well-worn time-travel romance genre .

Your Name, a 2016 animated film, combines an emotional love story with a sci-fi time travel element in a plot that can be hard to follow.

1 About Time (2013)

Directed by richard curtis.

When Tim Lake learns that he, like all the men in his family, has the ability to travel back in time, he decides to use this ability to help him find love and improve his and his loved ones' lives.

On his 21st birthday, Tim Lake’s (Domhnall Gleeson) life was changed forever when he learned he was part of a family whose men could travel back in time to change the past and improve their future. As a beautiful pontification on destiny, love, and the need to accept life’s pain and grievances, About Time was a powerful romance from director Richard Curtis that told a complex and unabashedly sentimental story. With his romance with Mary (Rachel McAdams) at the center of its story, About Time was a beautiful depiction of an ordinary man’s extraordinary life .

While many comparisons could be made to The Time Traveler’s Wife , which also co-starred McAdams, About Time captured the poignancy and fragility of tampering with romance in a way that felt far warmer and was delivered with more humor. Although plotholes appear if viewers think too hard about the logic behind time travel in About Time , the movie proceeds with such vibrancy that it is easy to forgive these faults. With plenty of twists and turns, About Time delivered everything a viewer could want from a time-travel romance movie.

8 Best Romantic Travel Movies

When you envision a romantic travel night out, you probably imagine sipping cocktails under the stars while your feet dip into the waters of the South Pacific in Bora Bora, or sharing oysters and champagne in a chic bistro in Montmartre, Paris, not sitting on your couch at home. But date nights ain’t what they used to be and Bora Bora and Paris are currently not possibilities for a romantic travel night. So a night at home watching a romantic movie will have to do.

What are the best romantic travel movies?

Before sunrise (and before sunset and before midnight).

It’s fitting that we have Before Sunrise at the top of the list, because not only is it the best romantic travel movie of all time, but it’s one of the most romantic movies, period. This 1995 independent drama from Richard Linklaker follows Jesse, a young American played by Ethan Hawke on vacation in Europe who starts up a flirtation with Celine, a pretty young Frenchwoman played by Julie Delpy, on a train in Austria. He convinces her to get off the train with him and spend 24 hours with him in Vienna as he waits for his flight back home the next morning. As they wander around the Austrian capital visiting landmarks and local bars, they get to know each other, discuss the meaning of life, and fall in love. Before Sunrise condenses the early, exciting moments of a relationship into one day set against one of the loveliest backdrops imaginable. The sequels, Before Sunset, set in Paris nine years later, and Before Midnight, set another nine years later in Greece, expand the story and delve deeper into the relationship between Jesse and Celine, but the original has the greatest romantic power.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Romance isn’t the main focus of this comedic drama about a group of English retirees (Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, Tom Wilkinson, Ronald Pickup, Celia Imrie) who move to Jaipur, India to live in the titular retirement home run by an eager young entrepreneur (Dev Patel). But the movie is about the possibility for renewal in a place away from home, which includes the chance for having a fulfilling romance late in life. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel showcases the rejuvenating potential of travel as well as the beautiful colours of Rajasthan. The all-star cast puts on an acting clinic, while the various romantic subplots are satisfying without being reductive. This is a genuine crowd-pleaser that celebrates age, travel, and love, which makes it perfect for a romantic travel movie night.

Call Me by Your Name

This romantic coming-of-age story is about as sultry as movies get on this list. Set in Italy in 1983, it follows a young American, Elio (Timothée Chalamet), who is spending the summer with his parents in a rented villa. His father’s student, Oliver (Armie Hammer), comes to stay with them and over the course of the summer, Elio and Oliver find themselves falling for each other. Call Me by Your Name basks in the beauty of everything on screen, from the sunny orchards of Northern Italy to the sumptuous meals the characters enjoy to the physical beauty of the actors themselves. The movie won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for a whole host of others, including Best Picture, but its soundtrack, framed around two songs by Sufjan Stevens and featuring classical pieces by John Adams and Ryuichi Sakamoto and Euro-pop hits by Giorgio Moroder, is maybe its most appealing element. It’s a great romantic movie option that’ll whisk you across the world.

Lost in Translation

A travel movie classic, Lost in Translation follows two lonely Americans, Bob (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), who draw close to each other while staying in the same hotel over a few weeks in Tokyo. While the film isn’t a conventional romance—the characters never become a couple—the movie beautifully captures romantic yearning and the way that companionship is often the most necessary aspect of love. It also revels in the neon-soaked nightlife of Tokyo, with memorable scenes set in karaoke bars and hotel lounges. Few movies better capture the modern ennui of looking for companionship in a modern city far from home.

Midnight in Paris

One of Woody Allen’s most beloved movies, Midnight in Paris follows a nebbish screenwriter (Owen Wilson) who travels to Paris with his negging fiancée (Rachel McAdams) only to discover a means of travelling back to the 1920s to hang out with famous writers and artists such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrud Stein, and Salvador Dalí. Midnight in Paris wraps up romantic frustration with artistic nostalgia for the Lost Generation, which manages to capture America’s particular romantic obsession with Paris. If you’re overcome with romantic nostalgia when reading Hemingway or Fitzgerald, this is the movie for you.

Out of Africa

Perhaps the most obvious entry on this list, Out of Africa is the Best Picture-winning adaptation of Karen Blixen’s memoir about living in Kenya in the early decades of the 20th century and her romance with a handsome American big game hunter. Meryl Streep plays Blixen in the film, while Robert Redford plays her lover, Denys Finch Hatton. In many ways Out of Africa is a classic forbidden romance played out against the backdrop of the beautiful African savanna, so while the romance itself may be very conventional, the setting is anything but.

Roman Holiday

This romantic comedy classic from 1953 has Audrey Hepburn playing a rebellious princess that escapes from her royal entourage while in Rome in order to experience a bit of life as a commoner. While on her own, she meets Gregory Peck’s jaded reporter, who doesn’t recognize her, and the two fall in love as they explore Rome’s most famous landmarks together, including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the Colosseum. The movie was so popular it inspired a host of copycat romantic travel movies in the 1950s, but there’s only one Roman Holiday, which is as memorable a travel romance as you’ll find. The iconic image of Hepburn and Peck riding a Vespa through Rome captures the romantic allure of exploring a foreign city while in love.

This little-seen 2013 movie is based on Robyn Davidson’s memoir about her 2,700km (1,700m) trek across the Australian Outback from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean with nothing but her dog and four camels in tow. Mia Wasikowska plays Robyn in the film, which largely plays as a showcase of Australia’s natural beauty. Adam Driver also stars as the National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan who famously photographed her journey back in 1977, and hooked up with her in the process. The romantic moments between Robyn and Rick are nice depictions of romantic admiration, but the real star here is the landscape, which has rarely been as vivid on film.

You might say that Aren was destined to become a globetrotter after his family took him to Germany two times before he was four. If that wasn’t enough, a term spent in Sweden as a young teenager and a trek across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand confirmed that destiny. An independent writer, director, and film critic, Aren has travelled across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. His favourite travel experience was visiting the major cities of Japan’s largest island, Honshu, but his love for food, drink, and film will take him anywhere that boasts great art and culture.

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25 of the Best Time Travel Movies Ever Made

These films will have you flying through the years, decades and dimensions—and ready to do it over and over again.

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From star-crossed lovers to harrowing action sequences, the plots to these films didn't stay in one dimension.

Whether you love to indulge in the unbelievable or lose yourself in a sci-fi drama, we've rounded up the best time travel movies that cinema has to offer. (If you're looking for time travel books, right this way .) So reach for some popcorn, prepare to get your mind blown, and take a trip through time with us. Below, 25 of our favorite time travel films:

Back to the Future

What is a list of time travel classics a without a nod to Marty McFly and his friend Doc Brown from the 1980's classic, Back to the Future ? Although the second and third movie are equally as entertaining– it's hard to beat the original.

Somewhere in Time

Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour play the ultimate time-crossed lovers in this romantic drama that will have you rooting for time to be by their side.

The Lake House

Settle in for a mystifying romance and watch the relationship between the characters of Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves unfold — all while they are communicating with each other separated by two years of time.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Every marriage requires work, but when your husband has a condition that causes him to involuntarily time travel– your issues are outside the normal scope of relationship stressors. The romantic drama starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana follows a newlywed couple through the trials and tribulations of their unusual relationship.

Palm Springs

When carefree Nyles (Andy Samberg) and reluctant maid of honor Sarah (Cristin Milioti) have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, the two get stuck in a time loop that they can't escape.

Kate & Leopold

A 19th-century bachelor (Hugh Jackman) falls through time and meets a 21st-century woman (Meg Ryan). What more could you want in a time travel movie, honestly?!

Time After Time

No, not the Cyndi Lauper song: this is a time travel movie where H.G. Wells (Malcom McDowell) chases Jack the Ripper (David Warner) through time, and they end up in... 1979 San Francisco! When there, Wells falls for a bank clerk named Amy (Mary Steenburgen). There's a bit of everything: Romance, action, adventure, and obviously, time travel.

Source Code

When Jake Gyllenhaal finds himself inside the body of a man he doesn't know, he quickly figures out there's an important reason for why he's been sent back in time. The film's plot twists as well as the climax of his pressure-filled mission makes for incredible action and drama.

Donnie Darko

A cult classic ever since it's release in 2001, Donnie Darko takes a dark twist on teenage time travel.

Interstellar

Interstellar left audiences perplexed, bewildered, and all around baffled as it's characters journey through a wormhole in space.

Groundhog Day

Ever used the term groundhog day to describe a never-ending day? Well you can thank the 1993 film for that! Comedian Bill Murray stars as a weatherman who finds himself trapped reliving the same day over and over again.

In Loop , actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt star in the marvelous film that combines the the best traits of a mob drama with the intrigue of the space-time continuum.

13 Going on 30

As a thirteen-year old in the 1980's, all Jenna Rink wants is to skip over her teenage years and live as a sophisticated and self-assured 30 year old (who didn't want that?). But when she gets exactly what she's dreamed of, she realizes it's not everything she though it'd be. In a film which imbues the message "enjoy the journey not the destination" cliche, Jennifer Garner does an amazing job of keeping the role refreshing and sweet.

Predestination

The intertemporal plots of the film Predestination along with actor Ethan Hawke's marvelous performance will leave you wanting to view it over and over again.

The Family Man

Although the film Family Man is more about an alternate universe than actual time travel, watching Nicolas Cage portray an investment banking bachelor who gets thrust into the life of a suburban dad to teach him what really matters in life is just too good not to recommend it.

Doctor Strange

Marvel dips its toe into the world of time travel with the release of Doctor Strange, the story of a neurosurgeon who introduces the audiences to an entire world of alternate dimensions.

Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow takes the winning concept behind Groundhog Day and combines it with an action-fueled adventure starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

The film was met with mixed reviews from critics, however the plot's time travel complexities are extremely well done and will satisfy any sci-fi lover.

What would you do if you could go back in time and re-do any moment? We're sure you'd change a few corny pick-up lines, awkward conversations, and coulda-woulda-shoulda moments and that's exactly what you'll find in this romantic comedy meets fantasy drama.

The Adjustment Bureau

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt will captivate you as they protect their love from a mysterious group that is aiming to tear them apart.

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The 15 Most Creative, Mind-Bending Time Travel Movies Ever Made

With Safety Not Guaranteed and About Time , these are the best movies about time travel you haven't seen yet.

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Ever wish you could go back in time and handle a situation differently — or live through a historic event before your time? You're not the only one. Time travel has captured the imagination of countless creatives over the years, giving us some fascinating, morally challenging and even hilarious movies. We may not be able to talk a walk into the past — but as some of these films prove, that may be a good thing.

Whether you're in the mood for an adorable romantic comedy, a nail-biting action movie , or a haunting sci-fi movie , these time-traveling movies cross every genre. So once you exhaust everything on your Netflix list, these are the best time travel movies to watch. Don't forget the popcorn (ahem, we recommend these popcorn makers ).

About Time (2013)

Instead of altering history and life as we know it, the protagonist in this charming British film uses his time-traveling abilities for something a little more relatable: finding love. The result is a surprisingly sweet and criminally underrated romantic comedy.

RELATED: The 60 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time to Stream Right Now

Predestination (2015)

Based on Robert Heinlein’s short story All You Zombies , this Ethan Hawke movie will leave you guessing (and second-guessing) the whole time. Without spoiling the ending, it's definitely worth watching again.

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Of the three movies where Rachel McAdams dates a time traveling man (girlfriend's got a type), the drama is definitely the most serious. Based on Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel of the same name, Clare tries to build a life with the man she loves — while dealing with the fact he has no control over where and when he will travel through time.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Excellent! You're going to want to revisit this goofy, fun time travel flick before Keanu Reeves returns for the upcoming sequel.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Does living the same day over-and-over again count as time travel? This Bill Murray film about a weather man trapped in the worst day of his life is a classic, so we're going to count it.

Doctor Strange (2016)

Marvel fans are probably already familiar with Benedict Cumberbatch's role as a neurosurgeon with the powers to access alternate dimensions, but even if you're not familiar with the Marvel Universe, you can still enjoy this superhero romp.

RELATED: How to Watch All 24 Marvel Movies in the Correct Order

Back to the Future (1985)

If you're looking for some good, old-fashioned nostalgia, this 80s classic holds up! Michael J. Fox stars as Marty McFly, a teen who accidentally who accidentally gets stuck in the 1950s thanks to his mad scientist friend — and must make sure his parents fall in love with each other so he can still exist!

Interstellar (2014)

Trippy, mind-bending, and everything you want out of a time-travel movie, Christopher Nolan's time-traveling space epic will stay with you long after you finish watching,

Donnie Darko (2001)

Though it initially flopped at the box office, this film gathered a cult-following when it was released on DVD, thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal's intense performance and the surrealist images and themes just waiting to be dissected and discussed. See if you can untangle this famously dense plot for yourself.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

One of the best Harry Potter films happens to also be a time-traveling tale. Hermione uses a "Time Turner" to take more classes at Hogwarts, but that's not all Harry and his friends use the device for.

Time Bandits (1981)

Terry Gilliam's endlessly imaginative film follows an 11-year-old boy who teams up with 6 dwarves for an adventure through time.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

A classified ad from a mysterious man looking for a time-traveling companion intrigues three cynical Seattle journalists. An unexpected connection forms between the would-be scientist and one of the reporters in this low-key indie.

Primer (2004)

Two engineers create an invention that can alter time — and butt heads over how to handle the magnitude of their creation.

Time After Time (1971)

H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper in 1970's San Fransisco — as outlandish as the premise is, it's a fascinating movie once you get on board with it.

The Terminator (1984)

Two time travelers from the future, an evil cyborg and a resistance fighter, fight over the life of modern woman Sarah Connor, after it's revealed her fate can save humanity.

As an Editorial Fellow for Good Housekeeping, Katie covers health, beauty, home, and pop culture. Outside of the office, you can find her killing it on the karaoke machine or listening to true crime podcasts.

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51 Summer Movies That Feel Like a Mini Vacation

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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.

24 BEST travel movies on Netflix or Prime (2024 updated)

Posted on Last updated: 26 March 2024

Is it movie night in your household tonight? Looking for best travel movies that you haven’t yet seen? Or perhaps you want to revisit some classic adventure movies? Then read on…

We are travel addicts in this family. When we’re not actually travelling, or planning travels, or even talking, writing and reading about travels, what do we do? We watch films about travel! We have watched every single travel film on this list, and every single one gets our personal recommendation.

And if you’re looking for the best travel movies on Netflix UK or best travel movies on Prime, you can find all these films on either or both!

But be warned, watching these travel films will give you a serious bout of itchy feet and may lead to flight purchases.

1. The Beach (2000)

Perhaps our all time favourite travel movie and a true classic. We can honestly watch this one over and over again. Richard, a backpacker in his 20s comes across a strange map that leads him and his friends to a solitary beach paradise. Anyone who has travelled Thailand can relate to the buzzing scenes of Th Khao San in Bangkok and the tropical island vibes in this evocative blockbuster adapted from Alex Garland’s book of the same name. Directed by Danny Boyle and starring a young Leonardo DiCaprio, this film may leave you questioning the costs your own travel adventures, despite the extreme ending.

2. Wild (2014)

Reese Witherspoon stars in this extraordinary true story based on the best selling novel. Cheryl Strayed, a girl in her 20s who recently lost her mother, decides to start a new life by hiking along the 1,100 mile-long Pacific Crest Trail in the USA. As with all travel with a purpose, the miles walked provides Cheryl with the time and space to reflect on her life and she begins to discover herself. Have the tissues handy.

3. Lost in Translation (2003)

Shot entirely on location in Japan, this is a heartfelt film about loneliness and human connection, and is easily one of the best films of all time. It beautifully captures the feeling of confusion and alienation which can affect travellers when they first arrive in a new country, stepping out of their comfort zone, and is a film you will be thinking about for days after watching.

4. The Way (2010)

After hearing the devastating news that his son was killed in a storm in the Pyrenees while walking The Camino de Santiago, Tom, an eye doctor from California, flies out to France to collect his son’s remains. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honour his son, leaving his ashes along the trail. Through the weeks of walking and the characters he meets along the way, Tom begins to understand his son’s passion for travel and in turn learns more about himself and what he wants from life. Another tear-jerker this one.

5. Into the Wild (2007)

Directed by Sean Penn, this is a true story pieced together from family accounts and journals from Christopher McCandless who was found dead in an abandoned bus in the depths of Alaska in 1992. He was a successful graduate and top student from Emory University, who abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 law school fund to Oxfam, and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. An outstanding travel movie, with an extremely sad ending.

6. Up (2009)

Easily one of the best travel movies for kids. This animated comedy adventure from Pixar Studios shows that you’re never too old or too young to travel. Carl Fredricksen, a 70 year old retired balloon salesmen, never made it to the wilds of South America with his wife, even though they always dreamed about travelling there together. His wife has sadly passed away, but he ends up fulfilling his dream with the help of balloons and a young scout.

7. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Our regular readers will know that we used to live in India and so we easily fell in love with this travel movie. There’s also a sequel! The film beautifully captures the chaos and colour of this contradicting country, where a group of British retirees travel to Jaipur to stay at the supposedly newly restored Marigold Hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways and will have you both laughing and crying at the same time.

8. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

A quirky one and perhaps not to everyone’s taste. But if you allow yourself be drawn into the vivid imagination of Walter Mitty, you will be transported to the vast open plains of Greenland, Iceland (which is one of our favourite family travel destinations ) and Afghanistan’s Himalayas. It’s beautifully shot, and has the powerful message that resonates with all travellers, in that travel changes you for the better.

9. Tracks (2014)

A remarkable true story of Robyn Davidson, a young woman, who leaves her life in the city behind to make a trek through 1,700 miles of sprawling Australian desert with just four camels and a dog for company. Expect epic Australian landscapes and beautifully raw acting.

10. Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

Some say this travel movie is excruciatingly corny, yet for others, including myself, it’s a feel-good movie that provides the warm and fuzzy vibes. Believing there’s more to life than a husband, house and career, Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) leaves New York and embarks on a yearlong journey travelling to Italy (for good food), India (to meditate) and Bali (to perhaps find true love). Based on the best-selling book by Elizabeth Gilbert.

11. Holiday in the Wild (2019)

The dialogue is cliché, the plot is predictable, and the repertoire of Kristin Davis is barely stretched, but if you love elephants, you love an African safari , and you’re looking for some easy viewing, this Netflix produced travel movie is worth a watch. Filmed in South Africa , a Manhattanite flies solo to Zambia for her second honeymoon (after her husband walked out on her, the same day her son leaves for college) and ends up working at an elephant sanctuary.

12. The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)

The Inbetweeners TV series is one of the most hilarious British comedies to grace our screen. There have been two spin off films made, but our favourite has to be when the misfit foursome head downunder. When Neil, Will and Simon arrive in Australia to find that Jay’s life in Sydney’s ‘sex capital of the world’ isn’t quite all he has been saying, Will decides they have an opportunity to do some ‘real’ travelling. Cue a romp through camp-fire singing, unintentional proposals, water-slide disgrace, dolphin feeding and a trip to the outback.

13. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Three American brothers (Francis, Peter, and Jack) who have not spoken to each other since their father’s funeral a year ago, set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other. Francis is recovering from a motorcycle accident, Peter cannot cope with his wife’s pregnancy, and Jack cannot get over his ex-lover. The brothers fall into old patterns of sibling behaviour and the spiritual quest gets rather complicated.

14. A Map for Saturday (2007)

A documentary of solo backpacker Brook Silva-Braga’s travels for one year across the globe. Follow his well trodden path from Australia, South East Asia, India, Nepal, Europe and Brazil and perhaps reminisce about your young backpacker days before you started travelling the world with kids in tow. It’s an honest account of life on the road for a young single traveller and very relatable. And why the title? Well, every day feels like a Saturday when you’re travelling!

15. 180° South (2010)

A Netflix travel movie that follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces a legendary 1968 trip to Patagonia undertaken by his heroes, Yvon Choinard and Doug Tomkins. This film may get you packing your bags and jumping on a sailing boat to South America. You’ve been warned.

16. Out of Africa (1985)

An oldie but goodie, and an absolute must if you’re planning a trip to Africa . Set in colonial Kenya, a Danish Baroness (Meryl Streep) has a passionate love affair with a free-spirited big-game hunter (Robert Redford). This epic travel movie won seven Oscars in 1986, including Best Picture and Best Director, so it must be good.

17. Thelma and Louise (1991)

Another Oscar-winning, classic travel film. Thelma and Louise set off on a girls road trip for some fun and excitement, but after Louise shoots dead a guy who tried to rape Louise, they decide they have no choice but to go on the run. One of the first true feminist films.

18. Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994)

It was actually seeing the stage show of this travel movie in Sydney that prompted us to watch this classic Aussie film. Two drag queens and a transsexual travel across the vast Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a battered old bus (called Priscilla) to perform their cabaret. It’s fabulously hilarious with wonderfully outrageous costumes, but surprisingly tender at times.

19. Before Sunrise (1995)

An American guys meets a French girl on a train, and they impulsively decide to get off the train and spend the evening together in Venice before he has to fly back to home the US. What this travel movie lacks in plot development, it gains in romantic charm, and if you really love it, this is just the first in a trilogy.

20. The Endless Summer (1966)

The ultimate surfing film directed by Bruce Brown follows two young surfers from California around the world in search of the perfect wave. In his narration, Brown muses that if someone had enough time and money, they could literally follow the summer around the globe, and he takes us to Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii and California.

21. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Two best friends, Vicky and Cristina, with opposing views to love, embark on a summer in Barcelona. The plot line of them falling for the same man sounds cliché, but the clever dialogue and superb acting make this romantic travel film something different; although the character that really seduces us all is Barcelona.

22. Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997)

No list of best travel movies is complete without a film about Everest. There are so many films and documentaries about this beast of a mountain to choose from, but my favourite has to be ‘Into Thin Air’; a personal account from Jon Krakauer of the horrific 1996 Mt Everest Disaster where eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a storm. Jay and I hiked to Everest Base Camp from the Nepal side pre-kids, and this film really hit home.

23. The Art of Travel (2008)

The Art of Travel is seemingly the ultimate travel movie for those who love to don their backpack and venture off the beaten track. We follow the journey of Conner, a young man who embarks on a solo adventure of self-discovery after leaving his cheating fiancé at the altar. Demonstrating the transformative power of travel, Conner experiences a challenging introduction to Nicaragua’s capital, Managua, and meets a group of travellers aiming to break the world record in crossing the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia, before venturing into South America. There is so much potential with this film, but it’s let down with a poor script that can be patchy and clichéd at times. It’s one to watch after you have travelled to Central and South America. Perhaps avoid watching before you go.

24. A Tourist’s Guide To Love (2023)

Firmly in the chick flick genre, this film lacks grit and a tight narrative. But as soon as the lead character sets foot in HCMC, you can’t help but smile, especially as she struggles to cross the road through the throng of mopeds. 

It’s an easy watch, with a handful of predictable cheese, following the story of a travel agency rep, Amanda Riley, falling in love with her local tour guide, Sinh, with a heavenly-sanitised and serene version of Vietnam as a backdrop travelling through HCMC, Hoi An, Da Nang, and Hanoi. 

The key message throughout is that we shouldn’t feel the need to tick off sites to experience a country. Be flexible, head off the beaten path, and see where your day takes you. 

So that’s a wrap on our best travel movies. There are A LOT more travel films around, but these are our ultimate favourites. If you have any favourite adventure films that aren’t on this list, then let me know, and we’ll have to check them out! I will be updating this post regularly as there are always new travel films coming out, or old classics still to find, so keep this page bookmarked.

You may also like to read: How to become a digital nomad family How we afford to travel with kids Unpaid Parental Leave: taking leave from work to travel with your kids

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30 Travel Movies to Help Inspire Your Next Trip

These films about roaming will activate your wanderlust..

One of the great things about movies is that they can take you places without you having to squeeze into an uncomfortable airplane seat or with all the other hassles that real-life travel entails. There are lots of great movies about people setting out to see the world , so let the big screen scratch your wanderlust by checking out these 31 films.

Some of the movies on this list are romantic, following two people as they come together in that special way that happens when you’re away from home. Others are about journeys of self-discovery, showing what can happen when you hit the road solo. Some movies are uproarious comedies that will transport you away from your troubles as you laugh along to the antics on screen. There are also movies that are less of a vacation than they are an adventure, sure to get your blood pumping. And there are some scary movies about travel—the sort that might make you think, “You know, actually, maybe let’s make this one a staycation.”

Don’t bother packing your bags. All you need to do is hit “play” to embark on any one of these 30 great travel movies.

RELATED:  24 Feel-Good Movies to Lift Your Spirits .

Romantic Travel Movies

1 | under the tuscan sun.

Diane Lane stars in this charming 1996 movie as a recently divorced woman who travels to Italy in an attempt to break out of her post-divorce funk. (In her defense, her husband was cheating on her and he got to keep the house, so she’s right to be miffed.) Once in Tuscany, though, she somehow becomes the owner of a villa, and as she begins to make a new life for herself, the potential for new love emerges amidst some of the most beautiful scenery and delicious-looking wine ever put to film. It’s the type of movie that will have you looking up flights to Florence.

2 | Anyone But You

A destination wedding counts as travel, and the breakout comedy of 2023 was shot on location in Australia. Glenn Powell and Sydney Sweeney play two people who left on bad terms after a one-night stand only to have to make nice when their mutual friends get married.  Anyone But You  is enough to make you want to take a trip Down Under, although perhaps without all the rom-com shenanigans.

3 | The Holiday

Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz play lovelorn women who swap homes so that they can get away from their respective heartbreaks over Christmastime. When Winslet’s Iris and Diaz’s Amanda get to Los Angeles and London, respectively, they find new love in Jack Black and Jude Law's characters. The 2006 movie, from the great Nancy Meyers , works extra well as a travel movie because, thanks to the house-swapping premise, it’s a reminder that everyone’s home is somebody else’s trip.

4 | Before Sunrise

The first of Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy introduces audiences to Ethan Hawke's Jesse and Julie Delpy's Céline as they meet on a train from Budapest and decide to spend the night together wandering Vienna. Widely regarded as one of the more romantic movies ever made, Before Sunrise will also make you want to explore Vienna with someone you’ve just met—someone who maybe you could see yourself spending the rest of your life with.

5 | Midnight in Paris

Technically, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris is a travel movie (because Owen Wilson’s character is visiting Paris with his fiancee, played by Rachel McAdams ) and a time travel movie (because he goes back in time to 1920s). It’s a romantic movie both because of the relationship Wilson’s Gil strikes up with Marion Cotillard’s Adriana and because of how it romanticizes Paris and nostalgia—and deftly interrogates that romanticism.

RELATED:  20 Date Night Movies You and Your Partner Will Both Love .

Movies About Traveling Solo

Dev Patel stars in this 2016 film, which is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley , who was separated from his parents in India at a very young age and adopted by an Australian couple. Once he grew up, he went back to his birth country in an attempt to find his biological parents. Saroo’s trek through India and into his own forgotten past is a tear-jerking, emotional travel story, and  Lion was rewarded with six Oscar nominations.

This 2014 adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail stars Reese Witherspoon as Strayed sets out to hike from Southern California to Washington State in an attempt to find herself. The tour of the West Coast’s trails is a tour-de-force for the actor as her character remakes her life one hiking boot-clad step at a time.

In 1977, Robyn Davidson set out on a nine-month journey across the unforgiving Australian Outback with her dog and four camels. She later wrote about her adventure in National Geographic and in her memoir Tracks . In 2013, her story was adapted into a film with the same name. Mia Wasikowska plays Davidson in the movie, which features stunning cinematography of the Australian desert in all its harsh beauty.

9 | Into the Wild

A lot of solo travel stories are tales of self-discovery where the voyager has learned something by the time they reach their destination. Into the Wild offers no such catharsis, instead telling the true story of Christopher McCandless , a man who hiked across America and eventually ended up in the Alaskan wilderness—an environment he was not prepared for. It’s a poignant, tragic counterpart to the more common celebrations of wanderlust you tend to see in pop culture.

10 | Eat Pray Love

Julia Roberts stars as Elizabeth Gilbert in this 2010 adaptation of her memoir of post-divorce travel and self-discovery. Feeling her life is aimless and without purpose, Liz elects to travel around the world, stopping in Italy, India, and Bali where she eats, prays, and well, you can probably guess.

RELATED:  The 15 Movies That Won the Most Oscars .

Travel Horror Movies

11 | midsommar.

Ari Aster’s supremely disturbing folk horror movie stars Florence Pugh as a young woman who is begrudgingly invited by her not-great boyfriend and his friends to go to Sweden to observe a commune’s midsummer festival. Upon getting there, Pugh’s Dani soon learns that the Hårga are not all sunshine and flowers, and that there are dark rituals and sinister plots. It’s the type of movie that will make you think twice about a Nordic vacation, and you’ll never look at a taxidermied bear the same way.

12 | Hostel

This 2005 horror movie, from director Eli Roth , is one of the biggest examples of the so-called “torture porn” subgenre, but there’s more to Hostel than just blood and guts. (There are a lot of blood and guts, though.) The film follows some American backpackers who, while traveling in Eastern Europe, become the victims of a shadowy organization that lets the ultra-rich live out their most depraved fantasies by torturing and killing unsuspecting tourists. Let’s just say that Hostel is not exactly a great promotional tourism campaign for Slovakia—something that the country was actually pretty upset about .

13 | ​​Influencer

This 2022 film, released by the horror-centric streaming service Shudder, follows a social media influencer who, when traveling in Thailand, meets and befriends a young woman. It’s the type of movie that lives or dies on its twists, but let's just say that Influencer is what you would get if The Talented Mr. Ripley were set in the social media age and a full-on horror film instead of a thriller.

14 | Monsters

The Creator director Gareth Edward’s 2010 debut follows a photojournalist as he tries to escort a young woman through Mexico, which has been taken over by kaiju-sized alien monsters. There are moments of beauty and discovery along their journey, as well as high-stress moments of terror when they encounter these creatures, which Edwards brings to life on a shoestring budget—though you can’t tell that by watching.

15 | An American Werewolf in London

It’s right there in the title: John Landis’ 1980 comedy horror is about an American in London, although he’s not a werewolf when he first arrives in the UK. No, that happens after he’s mauled by a strange beast in the moors of Yorkshire—and that same beast kills the friend he was backpacking with. When he recovers in London, things get gnarly in the light of a full moon.

RELATED:  27 Movies With Shocking Twist Endings You Won't Recover From .

Comedy Movies About Traveling

16 | national lampoon’s vacation.

If you like the misadventures of the Griswold family’s first vacation attempt, great news: There are five sequels to this 1983 Chevy Chase comedy. Before the European , Vegas , or Christmas Vacation , though, Clark Griswold tries to drive his family from Chicago to southern California. Their journey makes for some classic comedy, though it might hit a bit too close to home if you’ve had to endure a family vacation that went awry.

17 | The Darjeeling Limited

A lot of Wes Anderson’s movies are about travel, including his most recent film, Asteroid City , and The Grand Budapest Hotel . His ultimate travel movie, though, is 2007’s The Darjeeling Limited , which stars Owen Wilson , Adrien Brody , and Jason Schwartzman as three estranged brothers who agree to make a trip through India together in the hopes of reconnecting after their father’s death.

18 | Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

Lots of movies are about travel, but are they about a big adventure, the way Tim Burton’s directorial debut is? Paul Reubens stars as his Pee-wee Herman character, who hits the road in an attempt to recover his beloved bicycle, which has gone missing. Following a psychic’s totally legit vision of his bike in the basement of the Alamo, Pee-wee encounters a ghost trucker, biker gangs, and all the madness of a Hollywood backlot.

19 | The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Netflix’s Oscar-nominated animated movie has a setup that’s not too dissimilar from that of National Lampoon’s Vacation . Aspiring filmmaker Katie Mitchell can’t wait to get away from her family and start film school. Her dad, voiced by Danny McBride , feels his daughter slipping away and opts to have the whole fam drive her across the country rather than take a plane to school. At the same time, an A.I. gone rogue has started a robot uprising. Oops!

20 | EuroTrip

In addition to featuring a hall-of-fame cameo from Matt Damon as the singer of “Scotty Doesn’t Know,” Eurotrip is a classic, if not especially intelligent, teen sex romp. It’s not the movie to watch if you want to get a feel for Europe, but it is what you put on when you want to enjoy some good, dumb laughs.

RELATED: 23 Movies Like Interstellar That Will Also Bend Your Brain .

Adventure Travel Movies

21 | the secret life of walter mitty.

Ben Stiller directed and stars in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty , an imaginative adaptation of a 1939 short story about a mild-mannered man who gets lost in his daydreams. When circumstances force Walter to embark on a trip around the world, he starts living his daydreams for real, going to Greenland and the Himalayas. Featuring a fantastic soundtrack and gorgeous cinematography of some truly beautiful, off-the-beaten-path places, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is the type of movie that might make you stop just thinking about taking a trip and actually buy a ticket.

22 | Sorcerer

William Friedkin , best known for directing The Exorcist , also helmed this 1977 thriller about possibly the worst road trip of all time. When four people, all on the run from their various sordid pasts, find themselves trapped in a remote oil village in Colombia, they are desperate to get out by any means necessary. The opportunity presents itself when the bosses need people to drive boxes of dynamite that are extremely unstable and could blow at any minute across miles of rainforest. There is one sequence in Sorcerer that’s some of the most unbelievably tense filmmaking you’ll likely ever see. (Note that it's a remake of another classic film, Wages of Fear , should you want another movie that’ll keep you on edge.)

23 | The Tourist

Johnny Depp stars as an average man who finds himself smack in the middle of an international criminal incident when on vacation in Europe after a woman, played by Angelina Jolie , tries to trick the authorities into thinking Depp’s the fugitive they’re looking for. Thrills, laughs, and a little romance ensue.

24 | The Lost City of Z

Charlie Hunnam plays real explorer Percy Fawcett in this adaptation of the book by the same name from author David Grann , who also wrote Killers of the Flower Moon . The film follows the British explorer in the early 1900s as he tries, time and time again, to prove the existence of a mythical city deep in the jungles of Brazil. Think of it as a somber, reflective take on a real-life Indiana Jones, one whose obsession with traveling to hostile environments in search of knowledge may prove to be his undoing.

25 | Everest

This gripping survival drama about the infamous 1996 Mount Everest Disaster, as documented by Jon Krakauer in the book Into Thin Air, is the type of film that will probably make you consider an all-inclusive beach resort for your next vacation rather than mountain-climbing.

RELATED:  25 Movies Like Knives Out That Will Bring Out Your Inner Detective .

Movies About Roadtrips

26 | the motorcycle diaries.

This biopic follows the man who would become  the Che Guevara when he, as a young man in the early ‘50s, travels across South America with his friend Alberto Granado . The film, which is based on Guevara’s trip diary, is both a road movie and a coming-of-age film about an important historical figure, as we see him become radicalized by the poverty and inequality he sees on this journey.

27 | Drive-Away Dolls

Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan star in Ethan Coen’s romp from earlier this year, and it wouldn’t be inaccurate to call Drive-Away Dolls “ The Big Lebowski , but just the silly parts.” Set in the late '90s, it follows two lesbian friends who learn that the car they’ve rented has a human head and a briefcase in the trunk—and that some shadowy types really, really want whatever’s in that case back.

28 | Smokey and the Bandit

Burt Reynolds stars in this 1977 classic, which was the second-highest-grossing movie of its release year after the original Star Wars . He plays a legendary bootlegger who accepts a job to smuggle 400 cases of Coors from Texarkana to Atlanta in under 28 hours. Along the way, he encounters a runaway bride played by Sally Field , and Sheriff Buford T. Justice, who wants to stop the Bandit. Smokey and the Bandit also features an incredible theme song, “ East Bound and Down ,” and while the lyrics describe the plot of the movie almost beat-for-beat, you’ll find that it’s a fitting song to blast on your own car stereo when you’re on the road.

29 | Il Sorpasso

Il Sorpasso , which is sometimes given the English title The Easy Life , is a masterpiece of 1960s Italian cinema. It follows a boisterous middle-aged man who decides to take a timid, bookish college student he meets under his wing for a good time out on the road—whether or not the younger man actually wants to tag along or not. Hilarious and poignant when you might not expect it, Il Sorpasso ’s well worth the watch.

30 | Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

This seminal adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's novel of the same name stars Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro as they drive to Sin City under the influence of an absurd amount of drugs. In that way, it’s the ultimate travel movie. It’s about a trip, but it’s also about a trip .

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Best Rom-Coms with Time Travel, Ranked

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10 best terminator ripoffs from the '80s and 90s, the most annoying characters in otherwise perfect movies.

The concept of time travel has captivated audiences since its emergence into the mainstream. The Idea that one can move between time and space has been a popular plot line in both fantasy and sci-fi alike. These films are often paired with the notion that disturbing any point of the past will greatly impact the future. Yet, what happens to time travel when it enters rom-com territory?

Science fiction TV shows like The Twilight Zone and major blockbusters like Back to the Future have shown the risks of time travel for the world at large. However, time travel in rom-coms is almost entirely about the impact of true love. Like a sci-fi storyline, any event can greatly impact the main character’s future. However, in these plots, the beloved couple either never meets or splits before the ending credits. Here are the best rom-coms that depict time travel.

Related: These Are the Best Meet-Cute Moments in Rom-Com History

5 Midnight in Paris

2011's Midnight in Paris featured Owen Wilson as Gil Pender, an aspiring writer who is in Paris for holiday with his fiancée (Rachel McAdams). Gil tours the city at night and comes across a group of people who deeply resemble the great artists and writers of the past. He is invited out with them and allegedly transported to the past as he visits all the greats' favorite spots. The more time that Gil spends venturing Paris with his beloved heroes in the past, the more displeased he is with his present day life and begins to long for the times of old. Midnight in Paris explores the complexities of time travel while introducing the all too familiar notion of nostalgia. The romance has a few comedic beats, but the melancholy tone of the overall longing that the film displays, makes the idea of time travel all the more appealing.

4 About Time

On the day of his 21st birthday a young man named Tim, played by Domhnall Gleeson, is told by his father that the men in his family can travel in time. Although it is seemingly unfair to the women in the family, About Time focuses on the relationship between Tom and his father, played by Bill Nighy. Tim learns that he can't change the past to reflect on the present, but he can in fact use his future knowledge to change how he reacts in past circumstances. The romance between Tim and the woman he swoons via time travel, Mary, played by Rachel McAdams , offers a delightful commentary on the presence of love across time and space. However, underneath the romance and light comedic beats, the film harkens on a sadness that exists across all realities. Tim learns that his father is going to die, so he travels back in time to have a conversation with hm, but soon realizes that he can't spend his life traveling backwards to live forever in the memories with his father. About Time finds its strength in an overall happy love story, with a relatively sad undertone.

3 13 Going on 30

13 Going on 30 is not only one of Jennifer Garner's best films, but one of the best rom-coms of the 2000s, per AV Club. Like most teens, Jenna, played by Christa B. Allen, thinks everything will be different for her when she is older and in her 30s. After her birthday is ruined, using some of the glitter from a doll house her best guy friend, Matt, makes for her, she wishes to be one of the cool girls in school, and to be 30 years old. Jenna, now played by Jennifer Garner, wakes up and realizes that her wish came true. She has traveled through time and is now 30, working for her favorite magazine. 13 Going on 30 offers a lot of laughs, and a satisfying ending despite a few bumps in the road. The movie's use of time travel serves as the classic lesson to be careful what you wish for, as your wish may not be everything you ever dreamed it would be.

Related: Here's What Makes 13 Going on 30 One of the Best Rom-Coms of All Time

​​​​​​​ Click , the 2006 genre jumping movie, serves up some of Adam Sandler's classic comedy, but some deal of sadness. Sandler plays a man named Michael Newman, who desperately wants to skip ahead to his big promotion. Michael can't seem to find the time, and is greeted by a mysterious man named Morty, who is played by Christopher Walken, who gives him a remote that will allow him to fast-forward, rewind, pause, or mute his entire life. This all seems great at first, until the remote begins to ceaselessly fast-forward through time. In his old age, Michael ends up alone, his wife having left him and his kids practically being strangers. For a brief moment, he dies in the rain, wishing he could go back, all before waking up in the Bed Bath and Beyond he originated in. To Michael, his time traveling device was a dream, but the lesson still remains.

1 When We First Met

Noah, played by Adam DeVine, has been in love with his best friend for years. Thinking that he can alter the night they met in order to win her affections, Noah visits a photo booth that allows him to travel through time and alter the night over and over again. Each circumstance that he alters ends up different, and there is even a timeline where he ends up not meeting her at all. After many attempts and failures, Noah realizes that it is better to remain her friend, as fate intended for the pair to be initually. When We First Met is an easy watch as far as rom-coms go, and the added bits of time travel allow for a much more interesting premise.

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Netflix has released the trailer for its literary romance drama “Lonely Planet,” featuring an old-school-new-school paring of Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth .

According to the official logline, the film follows a novelist named Katherine (Dern), who in search of inspiration, books a trip to a writer’s retreat in Morocco. There, she meets “a young man (Hemsworth) whose acquaintanceship evolves into an intoxicating, life-altering love affair.”

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“The dynamic between the younger man and the older, established writer intrigued me because it’s not just about romance — it’s about finding someone who truly sees and understands you, which is something deeply human and relatable,” Dern continued.

Speaking about her co-star Hemsworth, Dern added, “He became not only a buddy and a confidant through our Moroccan adventure, but our shared longing [for] honesty and intimacy in all relationships was very moving to me. We were very aligned, so getting to tell this story together meant the world … and he is friggin’ hilarious, so I laughed the entire time.”

Susannah Grant serves as writer, director and producer for “Lonely Planet.” Producers include Sarah Timberman and Liza Chasin. Karim Debbagh was the line producer in Morocco.

“Lonely Planet” comes to Netflix Oct. 11. Watch the trailer below.

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My Favourite Cake: The Iranian Rom-Com That Earned Its Makers a Travel Ban

Filmmakers Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha open up on their bittersweet later-life romance, which packs a surprisingly political punch

In My Favourite Cake , Iranian duo Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha have concocted a masterful film that’s hard to describe. Angry, funny and thought-provoking,  My Favourite Cake  is a crowd-pleasing rom-com (kind of) that is political, philosophical and experimental in its narrative structure. Above all, it’s truthful. “For the last 45 years, Iranian cinema has had to show Iranian women wearing a hijab inside their house, when they sleep, and when they wake up in bed,” says Sanaeeha, who wrote and directed the film with Moghaddam. “It’s a lie. We want to show how Iranian women really live.” Moghaddam nods, adding, “It’s a film about life, death, love, ageing and loneliness.”

Set in Tehran, the film follows Mahin (Lily Farhadpour), a 70-year-old widow who lives a solitary, partly nocturnal lifestyle. Occasionally, Mahin will speak on the phone to her daughter, who lives abroad and is distracted on calls; otherwise, she wakes up in the afternoon, then kills time by cooking, knitting and watching TV while the rest of Iran is asleep. In a defiant mood after catching up with friends, Mahin breaks the pattern by striking up a kinship with a taxi driver, Faramarz (Esmail Mehrabi), and sneaking him into her flat that same evening. A night of dancing and drinking ensues, with Mahin telling her nosy neighbour she’s mistaken if she thought she heard a man’s voice from her home. “When Lily read the script, she said, ‘I know it’s going to have consequences, but I’m ready for that,’” says Sanaeeha. “For Esmail, it was the same. All of us knew it would have consequences.”

Sanaeeha and Moghaddam, aged 44 and 54, are speaking to me in early September over Zoom from their living room in Tehran. (I was informed they’re not available before 1pm in their time zone. They confirm it’s because they, like Mahin, sleep from around 5am to 12pm.) Ideally, we’d be speaking in person, but the pair had their passports confiscated by the Iranian government last year. “They raided our editor’s house,” says Sanaeeha. “They took his hard drives, computers, everything. They watched the film and started interrogations.” However, the filmmakers, fearing this might happen, had already sent a copy of the dailies and rushes to France. “When we wanted to go to Paris to finish the post-production, they took our passports and gave us a travel ban,” says Sanaeeha. “The case has continued for almost a year. We can’t travel with the film. We can’t go to any festival or premiere.”

When  My Favourite Cake  launched at this year’s Berlinale, Moghaddam and Sanaeeha sent a statement to be read out, saying, among other things, “We feel like parents who are forbidden from even looking at their newborn child.” Another of the duo’s features, 2020’s  Ballad of a White Cow , was banned in Iran, while Moghaddam was temporarily forbidden from leaving the country after starring in Jafar Panahi’s 2013 drama  Closed Curtain . “You have to be prepared when you live in Iran,” says Moghaddam. “To get permission to shoot outside scenes, we applied for a short film under someone else’s name – not our name, because we knew we wouldn’t get permission – and even wrote a [fake] short film that the authorities would accept.” The cast and crew were warned of potential repercussions. “We told them, ‘If you think it’s worth it to be honest on a movie for the first time in 45 years, come with us.’”

In one outdoor scene, Mahin encounters a young woman on the street being arrested by the morality police for not properly wearing a headscarf. Mahin stands up for her, declaring, “You’d kill them over a few strands of hair?” In September 2022, after the script was written, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, died in police custody after being detained for not fully covering her hair. “We were in the middle of shooting when Mahsa was killed,” says Moghaddam. “We were more motivated to go on with the movie. We were sad and angry. We thought the film was important because it’s about the life of Iranian women and their freedom. We, as filmmakers, have to make movies about the movement, about Iranian women, about society. We can come together and help society improve. It’s something that we’re all waiting for – a real change.”

According to Moghaddam, when Iranians have watched the film – they do so outside of Iran, usually at festivals – they’ve told the directors it’s “the very first film, after the revolution, that’s reality, and not lies about our life”. They are also pleased with the international response, given that their influences, as well as the Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, include Jim Jarmusch , Richard Linklater , Wim Wenders , Mike Leigh and Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Sanaeeha notes he was intrigued by a review in the Guardian (five stars, of course) that compares the second half of  My Favourite Cake  to  Before Sunrise . “That’s good,” he says. “We like that film, too.”

Once Mahin encounters Faramarz, the film does indeed unfold in what feels like real time. Whether it’s the taxi drive or the wine-drinking in Mahin’s home, the scenes soak up the playful conversation, the warm silences and also the paranoia that someone will interrupt their spontaneous hangout. “That little moment of joy, we have to cherish and seize it,” says Moghaddam. “It was important to go through the whole night, because that’s their only moment of happiness.” Sanaeeha agrees, noting, “We didn’t want to use a jump cut in these beautiful moments they have together.”

As for now, the duo’s travel ban still stands, and they’re unable to make a film in Iran until the court case regarding  My Favourite Cake  is closed. In the meantime, they’re writing scripts, one of which is a drama called  Bouran . “If we don’t get permission to make that movie, we’ll probably do it outside of Iran,” says Moghaddam, who adds, with a dark chuckle, “if we get our passports.” The directors’ audacity extends to the final moments of  My Favourite Cake , which is perplexing, even for many who otherwise adore the film. Moghaddam laughs in recognition. “We wanted to be honest, and not show people having fun all the time,” she says. “Life is full of misery. You have to seize the moments of happiness, because it’s all we have.”

My Favourite Cake , then, depicts Mahin and Faramarz consuming alcohol alongside a tantalising dessert baked by Mahin. “Drinking wine is a simple sign for enjoying life, which is why we put it in our story,” says Sanaeeha. “The cake is a metaphor for the sweetness of life.” Moghaddam concurs, bringing up the Iranian poet, Omar Khayyam, whose literature emphasises embracing the present tense. “He talks a lot about drinking wine and forgetting the madness of the world, because life is too short, and you’ll be gone forever, sooner or later,” she says. “Alcohol is forbidden in Iran, but Iranians drink it. It’s just being honest about life. By being honest, you face consequences. But that is life in Iran.”

My Favourite Cake is out in UK cinemas now.

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5 Bollywood-inspired romantic international destinations to visit in 2024

Times of India TIMESOFINDIA.COM / TRAVEL TRENDS , WORLD / Created : Sep 14, 2024, 18:00 IST

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Bollywood has showcased various international destinations, making them familiar to audiences. Iconic locations like Spain in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Switzerland in Yash Chopra’s films, Corsica in Tamasha, New York in Kal Ho Naa … Read more

Bollywood has showcased various international destinations, making them familiar to audiences. Iconic locations like Spain in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Switzerland in Yash Chopra’s films, Corsica in Tamasha, New York in Kal Ho Naa Ho, and Miami in Dostana have been beautifully depicted, encouraging fans to visit these places. Read less

8 cheapest countries to visit that are often overlooked

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Bollywood has showcased various international destinations, making them familiar to audiences. Iconic locations like Spain in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Switzerland in Yash Chopra’s films, Corsica in T...

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Lauren Veneziani, aka DC Film Girl, had the opportunity to travel to Rome to speak with the cast of "Emily in Paris" on the set of Season 4 Part 2. Watch to hear her conversation with Lily Collins and Ashley Park.