Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

popcorn passport

15 movies that will inspire you to travel around the world

Here’s some serious holiday inspiration for you.

SOMETIMES THE BEST way to experience a destination you haven’t been to is to watch a movie that takes place there.

From the Lord of the Rings movies, which were filmed in New Zealand to Into the Wild, which was shot in Alaska, here are 15 movies that will make you want to travel all over the world.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Based on the novel by JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring takes place in a fantasy world filled with hobbits and dark lords.

Hobbiton LOTR Wikia LOTR Wikia

This movie, along with the others in the series, has inspired much travel to New Zealand.

Slumdog Millionaire

Featuring a teen who grew up in India’s slums and then makes it on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the film shows India in its true form: overcrowded and poverty-stricken, but beautiful.

slumdog-millionaire Fox Searchlight via YouTube Fox Searchlight via YouTube

It’s sure to spark some curiosity in avid travellers who have never been. The movie was filmed mostly in the cities of Agra and Mumbai.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The classic western is about two bank robbers who travel to Bolivia to escape the law.

Although the movie was actually filmed mainly in the Western US and not in Bolivia, the movie’s scenery is still beautiful. Filming locations include California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Mexico.

Roman Holiday

A classic black and white film featuring a young and elegant Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday shows 1950s Rome through the eyes of a sheltered princess and the American man she falls in love with.

roman-holiday Paramount Pictures via YouTube Paramount Pictures via YouTube

The movie was filmed in a variety of iconic landmarks throughout the city.

Thelma & Louise

Thelma & Louise is the feel-good story of two friends who decide to abandon their boring lives for an adventure-packed road trip in a classic ’66 Thunderbird.

thelma-and-louise Pathé Entertainment via YouTube Pathé Entertainment via YouTube

Filming locations include Utah, California, and Colorado.

Amélie

“Amélie” chronicles a young naive girl’s life in Paris as she helps others around her and falls in love.

The movie is somewhat bizarre, but offers stunning views of Paris, where it was mainly filmed, along with Cologne, Germany

Into the Wild

Into the Wild is the true story of a top student and athlete who gives up everything after his college graduation in favor of hitchhiking to Alaska and surviving in the wilderness.

Shutterstock-232820878 Shutterstock Shutterstock

The movie was filmed throughout the United States: Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and South Dakota.

The Darjeeling Limited

Three brothers decide to take a train trip through India in hopes of reconnecting with each other a year after their father’s funeral.

the-darjeeling-limited Searchlight Pictures via YouTube Searchlight Pictures via YouTube

Plenty of entertaining things happen during their travels through Osian, Udaipur, and Jodhpur, the Indian cities where the movie was filmed.

Manhattan

Woody Allen plays a divorced writer in Manhattan who is dating a girl 25 years his senior and who falls in love with the mistress of one of his closest friends.

The movie was filmed all over Manhattan.

The Descendants 

Yes, the premise of The Descendants is sad — a father trying to raise his two daughters as his wife dies — but the movie is filmed in a gorgeous place: Hawaii (specifically in Hanalei, Honolulu, and Kaua’i).

the-descendants Searchlight Pictrues via YouTube Searchlight Pictrues via YouTube

Out of Africa

The film is a love story s between a baroness/plantation owner and a hunter. It was shot in Kenya and England.

out-of-africa Mirage Enterprises via YouTube Mirage Enterprises via YouTube

The wide open plains and big game animals will make you want to book your next safari.

Easy Rider

Easy Rider features a classic road trip across America: from Los Angeles to New Orleans.

easy-rider Columbia Pictures via YouTube Columbia Pictures via YouTube

The movie was filmed among the desert and red rocks of the Western US, with some scenes in the south. Filming locations include New Mexico, California, Utah, Arizona and Louisiana.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is all about a heated love triangle that occurs between a painter, his ex-wife and two friends spending the summer in Spain.

You’ll not only be intrigued by the plot, but also the idyllic Spanish countryside. The movie was filmed in Barcelona, Oviedo and Aviles.

Wild

The film focuses on one woman’s journey as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone after the failure of her marriage and the death of her mother.

wild Searchlight Pictures via YouTube Searchlight Pictures via YouTube

The movie’s scenery would make any hiker drool. It was filmed mostly in Oregon (Crater Lake National Park, Ashland, and Bend) as well as Vancouver, Washington.

The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music is a classic that was made in the ’60s but set in 1930s Austria. It’s the story of a woman who instead of becoming a nun, leaves her convent and becomes a nanny for the children of a naval officer who is also a widow.

the-sound-of-music Wise Productions via YouTube Wise Productions via YouTube

It was filmed mostly in Salzburg in Austria, where tourists can still take a tour inspired by the movie.

- Sarah Schmalbruch

Read: 29 things I learned from travelling around the world without flying

Read: Want to prevent jet lag? Here’s the simple way to do it

Published with permission from
Business Insider
Your Voice
Readers Comments
45
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.