travel log movies

21 Best Travel Movies That Will Inspire Your Wanderlust

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: September 8, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

These are the best travel films:

Into The Wild

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

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

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

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

Under The Tuscan Sun

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

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

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

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

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

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

A Walk in the Woods

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

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

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

Out of Africa

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

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

The Motorcycle Diaries

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

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

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

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

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

Before Sunrise – Before Sunset – Before Midnight

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

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

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

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

Amélie

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

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

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

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

Lost In Translation

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

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

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

Midnight in Paris

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

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

A Good Year

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

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

A truly great film!

The Way Back

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Encounters At The End Of The World

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

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

The Bucket List

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

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

Photos: IMDb

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

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

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Monday 18th of September 2023

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

Thursday 21st of September 2023

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

Sunday 5th of March 2023

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

Monday 6th of March 2023

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

Thursday 2nd of March 2023

Thank you for sharing! This list is awesome!

Saturday 22nd of October 2022

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

Sunday 23rd of October 2022

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

Sunday 10th of April 2022

Thank you for the awesome movie recommendations

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Culture + Design
• TV + Movies

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

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

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

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

'Thelma & Louise' (1991)

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

'The Holiday' (2006)

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

'Crazy Rich Asians' (2018)

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

'Wild' (2014)

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

'Eat Pray Love' (2010)

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

'La La Land' (2016)

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

'Before Sunrise' (1995)

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

'National Lampoon’s Vacation' (1983)

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

'The Darjeeling Limited' (2007)

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

'Up' (2009)

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

'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981)

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

'Mamma Mia!' (2008)

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

'Nomadland' (2020)

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

'Romancing the Stone' (1984)

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

'Paris, Je T’aime' (2006)

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

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

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

'RV' (2006)

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

'Point Break' (2015)

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

'Girls Trip' (2017)

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

'The Way' (2010)

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

'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' (2005)

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

'Up in the Air' (2009)

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

'Around the World in 80 Days' (1956)

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

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

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

'Under the Tuscan Sun' (2003)

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

'Angels & Demons' (2009)

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

'Easy Rider' (1969)

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

'Out of Africa' (1985)

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

'Johnson Family Vacation' (2004)

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

'Midnight in Paris' (2011)

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

'The Parent Trap' (1998)

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

'The Talented Mr. Ripley' (1999)

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

'Roman Holiday' (1953)

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

'Pee-wee’s Big Adventure' (1985)

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

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

Related Articles

Subscribe & get your free guide to going abroad!!

91+ Best Travel Movies of All Time: An Ultimate List | 2022 Updated

Great travel movies are priceless.  They can keep you motivated during those days of the cubicle cage and mundane routine. Unfortunately Googling, “Best Travel Movies” always churns out the same 10. Lucky for you, I’ve kept an ongoing list of the best travel movies that will inspire your next adventure and found a few you likely haven’t seen…yet.

Contents of this Best Travel Movies List

• The 11 Best Travel Movies That No One Mentions!!
• The Best Pure Travel Movies
• Best Destination Movies
• Adventure Travel
• Action and Spy Movies
• Romance And “Chick Flicks” (That Anyone Can Love)
• Nature And Documentaries
• Comedy And Pure Fun
• Classic Travel Movies
• Travel Tv Shows
• Food Travel Tv Shows
• Nature Travel Tv Shows

The 11 Best Travel Movies that No One Mentions

• Bella Vita (2014) 
• Life in a Day
• Alamar (2011)
• Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
• Point Break (2014) 
• The Before Trilogy: Before Sunrise
• The Before Trilogy: Before Sunset
• The Before Trilogy: Before Midnight
• Mile… Mile and Half

Each movie on this quick list of my 11 favorite movies for a travel and adventure mood captures the feeling of simply wandering the world, from South America to Asia, and creating and experiencing your own true story. Whether you’re romantic, adventurous, or a little of both, one of these 11 movies will scratch that travel itch.

If you don’t find a movie that perfectly satisfies your travel palet, keep scrolling our click here to jump to our full list of the 91+ best travel movies .

1.      Bella Vita

In the travel documentary Bela Vita, pro surfer Chris del Moror travels through Italy exploring the artisanal culture that fills the country in every way from culinary artists to the high skilled craftsmen, and even the surfers of the budding Italian surf scene. 

Watch the Bella Vita Trailer

This film simultaneously combines the high life experiences of travel with the calming adventure of outdoors sports accented by the loving warmth of Italian culture explored through a cross country road trip -making for a great vicarious experience whenever you’re in a travel mood.

Greatfor: When you’re feeling adventurous yet chill – perfect for a rainy day

Ratings: No rating on Rotten Tomatoes (which means we’ve found an unsung hero)

Where to watch it: Watch Bella Vita (2014) on Amazon

2.      Life in a Day

Why Watch: A pure view of cultures across the world and how we’re all connected by documenting the true story of millions of people’s life in a day

Watch the Life In A Day trailer

On July 24, 2010, thousands of people from every continent uploaded footage of a normal day in their lives as part of a project by Ridley Scott and Youtube.  The result is an astounding masterpiece, beautifully patched together into a very engaging story…of Life on earth, in a single day.

…or watch the entire Life In A Day movie

Why I love this movie: Some of my most adventurous and rewarding travels have been far from risky – more often just making my way into a very foreign place, like Laos, or Vietnam, or Egypt, or Iraq, and then experiencing the culture by simply observing how they live. You would be surprised how rich an experience like this could be, and Life in a Day captures that experience perfectly.  There is no narration, no spin, and no analysis, just normal people and average cultures presenting themselves.  Its beautiful.

If you come away from watching this without feeling like the world is smaller, I’d be surprised.

• Great for: The feeling exploring the world and other cultures, all from your couch
• Rating: 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
• Where to Watch it: WatchLife in a Day free on Youtube

Don’t forget to follow up this movie with Life in a Day (2020) which was recorded exactly 10 years later. The updated sequel movie explores themes all travelers can relate to, life across cultures, and feelings across the world during the confusing times of the pandemic.

3.      180 South

In 1968, Yvon Chouinard (founder of the clothing brand Patagonia) and Doug Tompkins drove a van, some surfboards, and some climbing gear from Ventura, California to the southernmost regions of Patagonia, in Chile and Argentina – and they recorded the entire journey. Present day adventurer, wanderer, surfer, and climber Jeff Johnson found the footage and decided to remake the journey in pursuit of a quintessential Patagonia experience and self discovery.

The movie 180 South follows Jeff Johnson as retraces the footsteps while creating a new adventure, sailing south, hitchhiking, exploring, climbing, and picking up friends along the way.  At points, Jeff even connects with Yvon Chouinard to talk about travel and the outdoors in a way that could enliven even the most downtrodden wanderluster. 

watch the 180 South trailer

If your brand of travels includes time spent outdoors, as far as possible from civilization, 180 South will be like having a nice conversation about the adventures you live for.

• Great for: Wanderers, trekkers, and travelers of all breeds
• Rating: 83% on RottenTomatoes
• Whereto Watch: Watch 180 South onAmazon or on Netflix

4.      Alamar (“To the Sea”)

Why Watch: To recreate that feeling of discovery

A documentary and true story of how a small boy is about to make the move to the big city of Rome with his Italian mother, but first takes one last “adventure” with his father “alamar” (“To the Sea”). The boy, his father, and his grandfather spend time connecting and living as traditional fishermen and divers so that the boy always remembers his roots and his heritage of the sea.

watch the trailer for Alamar

Why I love this movie: Though the film isn’t in English, you don’t need to understand a word.  You can feel the adventure that the boy is going through, under the loving watch of his father, and how he grows to feel his connection to the ocean.  The experience of watching is partlyentertaining, with the beautiful views, and partly reminiscent of the feeling of discovery that comes when you go into the vast unknown (the world or the sea) and learn to know you had more in common with the “unknown” than you thought – all with the rift of the occasional Spanish guitar in the backdrop

• Great for: Water lovers and ocean views
• Rating& Awards: 91% on Rotten Tomatoes
• Whereto Watch it: Watch Alamar  on Amazon

Why Watch: The feeling of travels started by loss, but ending in gain

Many travelers’ ventures started with a loss, a searching, or a desire for experience that would provide answers or guidance.  That  is exactly what The Way is about – father who lost his son and decides to fulfill his son’s last standing wish, to walk the Camino de Santiago through Spain.

The Way is often recommended as an excellent travel movie because of its feel. There is no big budget, the big name actor in the movie (Martin Sheen) doesn’t take himself seriously, and the characters are remarkably human, flawed, and charming – just like the characters you would likely meet on the road.

The Way, and the journey along the Camino de Santiago within, perfectly captures the blend of emotions and the ultimately positive feel that backpacking the world brings.

• Great for: Just great for the feeling of travel
• Rating: 83% on Rotten TomatoesWatch The Way onAmazon or on Netflix

6.      Happy People: A Year in the Taiga

Why watch: Transports you to a different place as a welcomed observer of a very different way of life

Though Happy People isn’t exactly about travelers, the epic adventure of following those who live in the “Taiga” of Siberia is such a journey that it feels as though you’ve traveled to Russia and followed them thousands of miles between home and the frozen frontier where they live for months on end.

watch the trailer for Happy People

If you have travel experiences on your bucket list like “go to Mongolia” or “visit a tribe in the Amazon”, Happy People is a documentary for you.  The filmmaker follows the tough people of the Taiga region, in Siberian Russia, for an entire year.  The result is an interesting portrayal of a tough yet balanced people living in, thriving in, and enjoying one of the harshest environments in the world.

• Great for: Recreating the immersive cultural education that comes with adventurous travel
• Rating: 87% on RottenTomatoes
• Whereto Watch: Watch Happy People: AYear in the Taiga on Amazon or on Netflix

The “Before” Trilogy

(Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight)

Why Watch: Sums up the romantic experiences of travel – which is a one of a kind adventure

No, I didn’t trick you with the title of this article.  At the risk of being misunderstood, I’ll go all in on this one – the experience of love, regardless of how shallow or deep, is an adventure in its own right. 

You have the chance to gain something undefined yet priceless or lose everything (including your sanity). Even more, romance on the road has higher stakes – you know there’s a looming end date, too many unspoken thoughts, and as much pleasure as you’re willing to let yourself have.

Though this kind of pressure could create unimaginable chaos, given how complicated humans are, it usually results in a nothing to lose and “bare all” situation that is refreshing, irreplaceable, and addictive.  If that’s not a risky adventure, I don’t know what is – and the Before Trilogy captures this sentiment perfectly.

7.      Before Sunrise (1995)

In the first chapter, a young Celine and Jesse meet on a train from eastern European to western Europe, where Celine lives and Jesse is supposed to take aplane home, back to the US.  As theteasing sparks and smiles are exchanged, Jesse has to decide whether to stay,or go…Before Sunrise

Rating:100% on Rotten Tomatoes

8.      Before Sunset (2004)

In the second movie, 10 years after initially meeting, Celine and Jesse are presented to the audience again in the familiar (to most) state of unfinished love, divided by continents.  Through clarified miscommunications and trickled honesty the two finally get to the thing that really connects them…all with Jesse’s depart looming as he flies out at sunset.

Rating: 95% on Rotten Tomatoes

9. Before Midnight (2013)

In the conclusion to the trilogy, like all natural things, love goes through seasons and shades.  20 years after the start (in the storyline and after the release of the actual movies), Celine and Jesse are forced to explore this idea – all against the backdrop of wanderlust and travel

An interesting and artful film project about travel and love that now spans 3 decades in a way that makes you question love, culture, what matters, and (more importantly) what doesn’t matter in just enjoying and being happy.  Each movie takes place at a casual place, using dialogue and though as its hook.  Each movie also takes place 10 years after the preceding movie, and was released 10 years after the preceding movie.

Rating: 98% on Rotten Tomatoes

Great for:  Re-experiencing the rich conversations and interactions that happen while traveling…with your guard down

Where to Watch the Before Trilogy:

• Watch Before Sunrise on Amazon or Netflix
• Watch Before Sunset on Amazon or Netflix
• Watch Before Midnight on Amazon or Netflix

10.      Point Break (2015)

Why Watch: The Feeling of Adventure and a Tribe Culture

A remake on the old 1980’s Point Break, but with a touch of adrenaline and travel that makes it more reminiscent of Redbull TV with a story line.

A group of extremely  adventurous travelers and criminals chain a string of heists into a”game” to honor the forces of nature, and an undercover FBI agent is sent in to investigate.  The story that ensues is a showcase of extreme sports underlined with that hard to replace tribal  feeling that happens when you travel with a likeminded and equally adventurous group.

Though this movie has low ratings and a storyline most will deem illogical, I love it for the adrenaline infused experiences it recreates, focus on the tribe culture that happens on the road, and the idea of finding your “line”.  The “ Ozaki 8 ” extreme sports feats seem like a nice bucket list to recreate as well.  If you like Redbull TV and wandering then this remake is right up your alley.

• Great for: Adrenaline chasers and adventurous travelers
• Rotten Tomatoes: 9% (Meaning this is a love it or hate it movie – don’t worry, I’m prepared for the sneers)
• Whereto Watch: Watch Point Break 2015 on Amazon or on Netflix

11. Mile, Mile and a Half

Why watch : For hikers and trekkers to appreciate a beautiful view from the couch

If you love to hike but can’t get outside, this is the documentary for you.  “Mile, Mile and a Half” is a project by photographers, videographers, artists, and hikers to capture the experience of hiking 219 miles of the John Muir Trail.  The result is a visually pleasing and peaceful movie that takes you outside when you can’t be.

• Great for: Hikers and trekkers that are stuck inside
• Rating: 80% on Rotten Tomatoes (rated by audience)
• Where to Watch: Watch Mile, Mile and a Half on Amazon or on Netflix

More of my favorite Best Travel Movies

The secret life of walter mitty.

A daydreaming, introverted, and endearing office worker, played by Ben Stiller, spends part of his days doing what he is told, and most of his days daydreaming about…the secret life of Walter Mitty, the lives inside his mind.

As all wanderlusters do, he daydreams, day in and day out, about the adventures he could have, until one day he’s pushed over the edge to take on that adventure of a lifetime,

• Wild (2014)

Inspired by a novel and true story, Wild follows the journey of a young woman as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail and along the way climbs a mountain of self discovery, eventually using the wild to understand the wild in her

FULL LIST OF THE 91 BEST TRAVEL MOVIES OF ALL TIME

Beyond my 11 favorites, there are hundreds of other travel movie options that inspire wanderlust, trigger that desire for self-discovery and exploration that comes with a good travel film.

In this section, we’ll go even further, sharing the the 91 best movies and TV shows for travel lovers by genre. Whether you’re in the mood for a Rom Com, an action adventure flick, beautiful scenery provided courtesy of nature, a timeless classic, we’ll share great movies from every genre to fill your needs.

Click to jump to your genre of choice

THE BEST PURE TRAVEL MOVIES

• The Beach (2000)
• The Way (2010)
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
• Life in a Day (2010)
• Life in a Day (2020)
• The Motorcycle Diaries
• The Bucket List (2007)
• Into The Wild (2007)
• 180 South (2010)
• Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
• Endless Summer (1966)
• Expedition Happiness (2017)
• The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
• Catch Me If You Can (2002)

BEST DESTINATION MOVIES

• The Beach – Thailand (2000)
• Slumdog Millionaire – India (2008)
• Vicky, Cristina Barcelona – Spain (2008)
• Under the Tuscan Sun – Italy (2003)
• Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – India (2011)
• Grand Budapest Hotel
• A Good Year – France (2006)
• The Last Samurai – Japan (2003)
• Memoirs of a Geisha – Japan (2005)

ADVENTURE TRAVEL

• 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible (2021)
• Point Break (2015)
• The Way Back (2010)
• Wild (2014) (88% on Rotten Tomatoes)
• Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 – 2003)

ACTION AND SPY MOVIES

• Skyfall (2012)
• Casino Royale (2006)
• The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
• Indiana Jones Movies
• Captain America – Civil War (2016)
• Black Panther (2018)
• Fast Five (2011)
• The Tourist (2010)

ROMANCE AND “CHICK FLICKS” (THAT ANYONE CAN LOVE)

• Under The Tuscan Sun (2003)
• A Good Year (2006)
• Before Sunrise (1995)
• Before Sunset (2004)
• Before Midnight (2013)
• Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008)
• Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
• Eat Pray Love (2010)
• Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
• ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ (2005) 

NATURE AND DOCUMENTARIES

• Chasing Ice (2012)
• Mission Blue (2014)
• Chasing Coral (2017)
• Captain Fantastic (2016)
• Encounters at the End Of The World (2007)
• A Walk in the Woods (2015)
• Mile… Mile and a Half (2013)

COMEDY AND PURE FUN

• Eurotrip (2004)
• Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
• The Hangover Part II (2011)
• National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
• ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ (1985)
• Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2022)
• All is Lost (2013)
• Adrift (2018)
• Maiden Voyage (2004)
• Ratatouille (2007)

CLASSIC TRAVEL MOVIES

• Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
• Casablanca (1942)
• Roman Holiday (1953)

TRAVEL TV SHOWS

• Parts Unknown (12 Seasons, 2001-2013)
• No Reservations (9 Seasons)
• A Cook’s Tour (2 Seasons, 2002-2004)
• Departures (3 Seasons, 2008-2011)
• Long Way Up (1 Season, 2020)
• Long Way Down (1 Season, 2007)
• Long Way Round (1 Season, 2004)

FOOD TRAVEL TV SHOWS

• Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix) (5 Seasons, 2018)
• Street Food – Asia (Netflix) (1 Season, 2019)
• Street Food – Latin America (Netflix) (1 Season, 2020)
• Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse (Amazon Prime) (1 Season, 2016)

NATURE TRAVEL TV SHOWS

• Planet Earth (2 Seasons, 2006)
• Planet Earth II (1 Season, 2016)
• Human Planet (1 Season, 2011)
• Win the Wilderness (1 Season, 2020)
• Our Greatest National Parks (Narrated by Barack Obama) (1 Season, 2022)

BONUS!!! My personal list of 95 MORE well rated travel movies to watch (and rate)

• 2 Days In Paris (2007)
• 7 Days in Havana (2012)
• A Map For Saturday
• Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert
• Amélie
• Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
• Away We Go (2009)
• Baraka (1992)
• Black Mountain Poets (2015)
• Brooklyn (2015)
• Call Me By Your Name (2017)
• Carol (2015)
• City of God (2002)
• Doctor Zhivago (1965)
• Duma (2005)
• Easy Rider (1969)
• Eight Below (2008)
• Encounters at the End of the World (2007)
• Fitzcarraldo (1982)
• French Kiss
• Girls Trip (2017)
• Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
• Hector and The Search for Happiness (2014)
• Hit the Road: India
• Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
• In Bruges (2008)
• Into the Cold (2013)
• Julie & Julia
• Kundun (1997)
• L’Auberge Espagnole (2002)
• La La Land (2016)
• Last Holiday
• Lion (2016)
• Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
• Lost in Translation – Tokyo
• Meek’s Cutoff (2010)
• Midnight in Paris
• Midsommar (2019)
• Monsoon Wedding
• Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
• My Life in Ruins
• Nomadland’ (2020)
• Not Without My Daughter (1991)
• Nowhere in Africa
• On the Road (2012)
• One Week (2008)
• Out of Africa (1985)
• Paris, Je T’aime (2006)
• Patagonia (2010)
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
• Queen of Katwe (2016)
• Riding Solo to the Top of the World
• Roma (2018)
• Romancing the Stone
• Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)
• The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
• The Art of Travel (2008)
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
• The Big Year
• The Endurance (2000)
• The English Patient (1996)
• The Farewell (2019)
• The Good Lie (2014)
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
• The Kite Runner (2007)
• The Lost City of Z (2017)
• The Road Within
• The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
• The Terminal (2004)
• The Tourist
• The Trip (2010)
• The Trip to Italy
• Thelma & Louise (1991)
• Tracks (2013)
• Tracks (2014)
• Up in the Air
• Wadjda (2013)
• Whale Rider
• Withnail & I (1987)
• World’s Fastest Indian 
• Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

Like the thoughts you’ve seen here?  Then share them with friends..

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carlos is a nomad, slow traveler, and writer dedicated to helping others live abroad and travel better by using his 7+ years of experience living abroad and background as a management consultant and financial advisor to help other nomad and expats plot better paths for an international lifestyle. Click here to learn more about Carlos's story.

17 Travel movies on Netflix, you need to stream right now!

traveller Divya

Travel movies on Netflix are the best way to treat your travel bug right now. When you can’t visit the places yourself, the best way to experience virtual travel is through cinema.

In this blog, I am going to take you through a list of travel movies streaming right now on Netflix. These movies are perfect to soothe your wanderlust right now.

I have tried to add all the travel movies on Netflix available right now. While some of these movies are really good, others are decent and a one time watch.

Netflix has a wide range of travel-based content. From travel documentaries to travel series and movies, there is enough to keep your travel desires fulfilled.

Here’s the updated list of Travel movies on Netflix, you need to add to your binge list:

I am not saying that these are the best travel movies on Netflix. This is the list of all the movies that you can stream on Netflix right now.  Take note that I haven’t included documentaries of any kind in this list.

1.   Before Sunrise:  One of the Best Travel Movies on Netflix

This movie is actually a part of a trilogy – Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight. However, Netflix has only the first one. The movie describes a relationship between two travellers who meet on a training Europe.

While talking to each other in the lanes of Vienna, they share stories and form a beautiful connection. The reason I love this movie so much is that despite having a simple story, it displays human emotions in a very beautiful manner.

• Main Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
• Director: Richard Linklater
• Language: English
• Locations: Vienna

2.  EuroTrip:   Go on this funny Europe Trip  with a Group of Goofy Friends

This travel movie is a decent watch if you need some silly laughs. The plot of the movie revolves around friends backpacking around Europe in search of a German pen pal.

The film is set in Europe and covers some of the most well-known European travel destinations.

• Main Cast: Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Michelle Trachtenberg, Travis Wester
• Director:  Jeff Schaffer
• Locations: London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bratislava, Berlin, and Rome

3.  The Bucket List:   A heartfelt movie about living life to the fullest

A heart-warming film about two terminally ill men who head on a road trip before they kick the bucket. The movie takes you through many countries as the duo experiences life to the fullest.

Starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freemen, the movie is inspirational and sentimental. Although, if you are looking for something lighter, you might want to avoid it.

• Main Cast: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd
• Director: Rob Reiner
• Locations: India, Egypt, France, China, Tanzania, USA

4.  Wine Country:   Take a Netflix tour  with the funniest group of ladies 

I saw this movie only a few days back and totally loved it. Starring my favourite female comic Tina Fey, the movie is about a girls’ trip to Napa Valley.

A lovely heartwarming movie, what I loved most about the movie were the beautiful vineyards.

• Locations: Napa Valley, California

5.   Eat Pray Love:  Stream one of the most celebrated travel movies on Netflix 

This is one of the most celebrated travel movies and also one of my favourites. The movie is based on the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert , which I would highly recommend.

The movie takes you on the self-discovery journey of a woman as she goes off on her journey around the world. A must watch for all those who love to travel.

• Main Cast: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis
• Director: Ryan Murphy
• Locations: USA, Italy, India, Indonesia

6.  Into the Wild:   Inspired by the true story of an American hiker 

The movie is based on a true story of an American hiker, Christopher Johnson McCandless, also known by the pseudonym Alexander Supertramp.

The story chases Christopher as he sets out on a road trip through the USA before ending up in Alaska. If I say anything beyond that, it would be a spoiler! Watch it if you haven’t already.

If you would like to know more, I would recommend the book Into the Wild written by Jon Krakauer .

• Main Cast: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone
• Director: Sean Penn
• Locations:  USA- Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, and South Dakota

7.  Up in the Air:   A Movie for People, constantly on the move

Up in the Air is a movie about a person who is constantly on the move. He loves his life on the road and believes that moving is living.

The movie is based on the book Up in the air by American Novelist Walter Kirn. The movies bring out questions and emotions related to living a life that is constantly on the move.

• Main Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Danny McBride
• Director: Jason Reitman
• Locations:  USA- Las Vegas, Florida

8.  Seven Years in Tibet:   An inspiring story of a hiker who spends time with a young Dalai Lama

The movie is based on the Book, Seven Years in Tibet: My Life Before, During and After by Heinrich Harrer .  This biographical film is an account of the experience of the author in Tibet between 1944 and 1951 where he spends time with a young Dalai Lama.

Although the movie is about Tibet; it has been shot in Argentina and British Columbia. It is a wonderful movie that gives an insight into the Tibetan and Buddhist cultures.

• Main Cast: Brad Pitt, David Thewlis, BD Wong, Danny Denzongpa, Mako
• Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
• Locations:  Argentina and Canada 

9.  Indiana Jones:   Go on an adventure 

This series has to be on every traveller’s bucket list. Although the series has 4 movies, on Netflix you can watch the first in the series- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

This classic is considered to be one of the best travel films of all time. So, if you haven’t watched it yet, you must do it now.

• Main Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Locations:  USA, France

10.    My Travel Buddy:   A funny Turkish Movie of two friends on the road 

This is a two-part series and both the movies are available on Netflix. The movies revolve around the adventure and road trips of a duo. This is one of the lesser-known travel movies .

This Turkish movie is fun to watch as it takes you through beautiful Turkish towns. Give it a try if you want to watch something goofy.

• Main Cast: Oguzhan Koç, İbrahim Büyükak, Emre Kınay, Aslı Bekiroğlu, Eda Ece, Bahar Sahin
• Director: Bedran Güzel
• Language: Turkish
• Locations:  Turkey

11.  Holiday in the Wild:  A decent watch for Elephant Lovers 

This is a romantic movie that centres around a woman who goes alone on a holiday without her husband.

More than the story, what I actually liked about the movie is the location. The movie is shot beautifully and has a decent storyline.

• Main Cast: Rob Lowe, Kristin Davis
• Director: Ernie Barbarash
• Locations:  Zambia

12. Due Date:   Take a funny road trip across the United States 

If you are a Zach Galifianakis fan like me, you will like this movie. This movie takes you on a beautiful yet hilarious road trip.

The movie takes you on a road trip across the United States and the landscapes are nothing less than amazing.

• Main Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Juliette Lewis, Jamie Foxx,
• Director: Todd Phillips
• Locations:  USA- Las Cruces, New Mexico, Atlanta, Georgia, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama

13.  Easy Rider:  A Classic Motorcycle Travelogue

The movie is a motorcycle travelogue that follows the main characters on their journey from Mexico to Los Angeles to New Orleans.

The film is shot across varied landscapes including deserts and towns. I feel this is one of the best travel movies on Netflix right now.

• Main Cast: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
• Director: Dennis Hopper
• Locations:  Mexico and USA

14.  Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara:  One of the best Bollywood Travel Movies on Netflix

The movie is synonymous with Spain. The plot takes you on a road trip adventure of three friends through Spain as they discover themselves in the process.

The movie has some stunning visuals and adventures that among others include sea diving, sky falls and the Tomatina festival.

• Main Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin
• Director: Zoya Akhtar
• Language: Hindi
• Locations:  Spain

15.  Dil Chahta Hai:  An Absolute Must Watch

One of my all-time favourite Bollywood movies, Dil Chahta is a treat for travellers as well. Trust me, nothing has boosted Goa tourism more than this movie. So, much so that Chapora Fort has is famously known in Goa as the Dil Chahta hai Fort.

Feel the Goa vibe with this amazing movie to quench your wanderlust.

• Main Cast: Aamir Khan,  Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, Dimple Kapadia
• Director: Farhan Akhtar
• Locations:  Goa (India), Australia

16.  Queen:  Experience a woman’s journey of self-discovery 

This again is a simple yet heartwarming Bollywood film that takes the protagonist on a solo trip to Europe where she discovers her own identity.

The movie is a wonderful depiction of a woman’s journey as she explores friendships and learns to be independent.

• Main Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Rajkummar Rao,  Lisa Haydon
• Director: Vikas Bahl
• Locations:  Paris, Amsterdam, Delhi (India)

17.  Tamasha:  Experience the visually stunning Corsica in Spain

Shot in the beautiful city of Corsica in Spain, the movie is yet another Bollywood film where the protagonist is on a path of self-discovery.

So, if you still haven’t thought of including Spain in your Wishlist, maybe it is time to change that.

• Main Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone
• Director: Imtiaz Ali
• Locations:  Corsica (Spain), Himachal Pradesh (India)

So, while you are at home with no plans to go out, these movies should keep you entertained. Let me know in the comment section if I forgot to list any travel movie that is currently available on Netflix.

THIS POST IS AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF BUDGET WAYFARERS. ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ASSOCIATION INDULGING IN PLAGIARISM WILL BE DEALT WITH STRICTLY . IF YOU WANT TO USE INFORMATION FROM THE ARTICLE ABOVE, KINDLY QUOTE THE SOURCE.

32 of the Best Travel Movies on Netflix to Watch

This site contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Associates Program. At no additional cost to you, I may receive a commission off these links. They help fund this blog. Thanks for your support! See my Disclosure Policy  for more info.

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
• How to Plan an International Trip on Google Docs
• 17 TV Shows Set in Europe to Inspire Travel

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 female solo traveler who you’ll find road-tripping across the United States or hostel-hopping in Europe. Currently residing in Southern California with a day job in marketing.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed!

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!

Get us in your inbox

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest and greatest from your city and beyond

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

Awesome, you're subscribed!

The best things in life are free.

Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush).

Déjà vu! We already have this email. Try another?

Love the mag?

Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions.

• Things to Do
• Food & Drink
• Arts & Culture
• Time Out Market
• Coca-Cola Foodmarks
• Los Angeles

The 40 best travel movies

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

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

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

Sideways (2004)

Destination: Santa Ynez Valley, California, USA

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

Into the Wild (2007)

• Action and adventure

Destination :  Denali National Park, Alaska, USA

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

Wild (2014)

Destination: The Pacific Crest Trail, USA

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

The Sheltering Sky (1990)

Destination: Aït Benhaddou, Morocco

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

Lost in Translation (2003)

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

A United Kingdom (2016)

Destination: Serowe, Botswana

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

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

Destination: Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

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

A Room with a View (1985)

Destination: Florence, Italy

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

A Walk in the Woods (2015)

Destination: The Appalachian Trail, USA

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

Monos (2019)

Destination: Chingaza National Natural Park, Colombia

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

Journey to Italy (1954)

Destination: Naples, Italy

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

The Way (2010)

Destination: El Camino de Santiago, Spain 

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

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

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

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Destination: Paris, France

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

The Passenger (1975)

Destination: Vera, Spain

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

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

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

Leap Year (2010)

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

L'Avventura (1960)

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

Mamma Mia! (2008)

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

Tracks (2013)

Destination: Western Australia

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

The Two Faces of January (2014)

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

Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

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

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

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

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

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

Local Hero (1983)

Destination: Pennan, Scotland

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

Patagonia (2010)

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

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

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

Roman Holiday (1953)

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

Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

Destination: Lhasa, Tibet

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

The Piano (1993)

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

Australia (2008)

Destination: East Kimberley, Western Australia

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

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Destination: Barcelona, Spain

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

The World's Fastest Indian (2005)

Destination: Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA

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

The Lost City Of Z (2016)

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

Skyfall (2012)

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

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)

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

Unrelated (2007)

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

Out of Africa (1985)

Destination:   Chyulu Hills, Kenya

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

The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003)

Destination: New Zealand 

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

The Green Ray (1986)

Destination: St Jean-de-Luz, France

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

[image] [title]

Discover Time Out original video

• Press office
• Investor relations
• Work for Time Out
• Editorial guidelines
• Privacy notice
• Do not sell my information
• Cookie policy
• Accessibility statement
• Terms of use
• Modern slavery statement
• Manage cookies
• Advertising

Time Out Worldwide

• All Time Out Locations
• North America
• South America
• South Pacific

• Now Playing
• Airing Today
• Popular People
• Discussions
• Leaderboard

Expedition Niger: Real Africa (Expedition Niger - Pures Afrika)

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and is also plagued by numerous terrorist organizations that repeatedly kidnap people. Accompanied by a military convoy, the travel group explores the country and the cultural traditions of two of the last nomadic tribes, the Woodabe and the Tuareg. From the capital Niamey in the southwest, the journey continues through the interior of the country to Iférouane, where the Nigerien tour guide provides information about the country and its people.

ハネムーン Hanemun Honeymoon

A honeymoon in Japan gets examined microscopically through comics, cards, magazines, and more in this delightful animated film.

Can't find a movie or TV show? Login to create it.

On media pages

On tv season pages, on tv episode pages, on all image pages, on all edit pages, on discussion pages.

Want to rate or add this item to a list?

Not a member?

Sign up and join the community

Top 25 movies about travel and journeys

1. Sideways

2. The Straight Story

3. Planes, Trains & Automobiles

4. Little Miss Sunshine

5. The Beach

6. EuroTrip

7. Seven Years in Tibet

8. Lost in Translation

9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

10. In Bruges

11. Into the Wild

12. Up in the Air

13. Broken Flowers

14. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

15. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

16. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

17. The Darjeeling Limited

18. Cast Away

19. Stalker

21. Bunny and the Bull

22. Children of Men

23. Everything Is Illuminated

24. The Vanishing

25. Dumb and Dumber

More to explore, recently viewed.

My (Current) Ultimate List of Travel Movies

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

1. Lost in Translation

2. Whale Rider

3. Lord of the Rings

4. Into the Wild

5. In Bruges

6. Under the Tuscan Sun

7. Nowhere in Africa

8. Crocodile Dundee

9. Up in the Air

10. The Beach

11. The Motorcycle Diaries

12. Any Indiana Jones

13. Thelma and Louise

14. Lawrence of Arabia

15. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

16. A Good Year

17. Eurotrip

18. Seven Years in Tibet

19. The Darjeeling Limited

20. Midnight in Paris

21. Monsoon Wedding

22. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

23. The Way

24. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

25. Y Tu Mama También

27. Before Sunrise

28. A Map for Saturday

30. Roman Holiday

31. Queen of Katwe

32. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

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

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

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

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• InsureMyTrip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

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

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

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

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

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

Related Posts

GET YOUR  FREE TRAVEL STARTER KIT

Enter your email and get planning cheatsheets including a step by step checklist, packing list, tips cheat sheet, and more so you can plan like a pro!

101 Best Travel Movies That’ll Inspire and Transport You

If you’re searching for the best travel movies to watch, you’ve landed in the right spot! 

Not only can the best movies about travel inspire you to travel to new places, but they’re also great when you’re stuck at home with a serious case of wanderlust yet unable to travel.

This ultimate list of best travel films has done just that for me! I’ve traveled to places that I’ve seen or learned about in movies plenty of times. But also when I wanted to travel but couldn’t because of my strict teacher schedule, these travel movies have transported me across the world from the comfort of my living room.

So, whether you’re looking for backpacking movies, adventure travel movies, movies that take you on a journey in search of love or self-exploration, or the best travel documentaries, you’re sure to find movies that inspire you to dream about the world and, of course, plan another travel adventure for when the time is right.

1.  Eat, Pray, Love

Location – Italy India Indonesia 

Based on a best-selling memoir, Julia Roberts stars as Elizabeth Gilbert, as a newly divorced woman looking to step out of her comfort zone by embarking on a journey around the world.  Her travels include mouth-watering meals in Italy, the power of prayer and silence in India & finding inner peace in Indonesia.

This classic favorite is a must-see for anyone afflicted with the travel bug. I can’t watch this movie without ordering pizza and searching for flights to Bali.

• English, French, Spanish (Subtitles)
• Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)

2.  Midnight in Paris

Location -Paris 

Woody Allen’s opening 3-minute montage of  Paris  will have you booking a flight before the movie has even begun! Owen Wilson plays Gil Pender, a successful yet uninspired Hollywood screenwriter, who finds the gift of time travel and inspiration at midnight.

Going back to the Roaring 20s, he parties with the likes of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and Josephine Baker. Hemingway looked like such a blast to hang out with!

This is one of my favorite travel movies and I put it on any time I wish I was in Paris…which is a lot!

• Midnight In Paris – DVD Brand New
• Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni (Actors)
• Woody Allen (Director) – Letty Aronson (Producer)

3.  Out of Africa

Location – Kenya 

Filmed on location in Kenya including the Shaba National Game Reserve, Out of Africa was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 7 of them for this autobiographical novel by Isak Dinesen with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in the starring roles. 

Karen Blixen is a Danish woman who comes to Kenya with her husband to farm cattle. Her marriage doesn’t work out, but she falls in love with Kenya and its people, connecting with the locals as she helps with education and medical needs.

The movie tells the story of love, heartbreak, and having the strength to stay true to yourself. You had me at Africa…and of course, Meryl Streep.

• Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer (Actors)
• Sydney Pollack (Director)
• Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

4.  The English Patient

Location – Tunisia & Italy

Set in Italy during the final days of World War II, this beautiful film combines romance and adventure to tell a classic story after a man is badly burned. The movie flashes back and forth from the perspective of the patient as he shares about his life.

It was nominated for 12 Oscars, winning 9. Directed by Anthony Minghella (who also directed The Talented Mr. Ripley), the movie was shot on location in Tunisia and Italy. The scenery and cinematography are breathtaking!

• Factory sealed DVD
• Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe (Actors)
• Peter Markham (Director) – Saul Zaentz (Producer)

5.  The Talented Mr. Ripley

Location – Italy

Two years after Good Will Hunting launched Matt Damon’s career, he showed off his acting chops by playing the diabolical and talented Tom Ripley who is impersonating another character in the movie.

The film’s talented cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, and Cate Blanchette. Aside from a few opening minutes in New York, the film is shot on location, entirely in Italy, including stunning shots of Positano, Ischia, Procida, and Anzio.

Famous locations included the Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, and the Piazza di Spagna in Rome, and Cafe Florian in Piazza San Marco in Venice. I liked Matt Damon as Will Hunting much, much better but I can’t resist gorgeous Italy!

• Damon, Matt, Paltrow, Gwyneth, Law, Jude (Actors)
• Minghella, Anthony (Director)

6.  Lost in Translation

  Location – Japan

This 2003 romantic comedy-drama starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson in Tokyo provides glimpses of local Japanese spots from Temples to karaoke bars. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards. Director Sophia Coppola won the Oscar for best original screenplay. 

This relatively low-budget movie is about being lonely and the stress of trying to interact with others who are culturally different from what you’re used to. Bill Murray’s performance is understated, skilled acting but the city of Tokyo stole the show for me. Anyone up for some sushi?

• Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson (Actors)
• Sofia Coppola (Director) – Sofia Coppola (Writer)
• French, Spanish (Subtitles)

7.  Sideways

Location – Santa Ynez Valley – Wine Country 

Paul Giamatti (who I still think of as John Adams after starring in the HBO series ) stars in this black comedy-drama along with Thomas Hayden Church. Two men in their forties take a weeklong trip to Santa Barbara wine country for a quasi-bachelor party. Giamatti is a depressed writer dealing with his own personal issues while his buddy is looking for one last fling.

Even if you don’t know Pinot Noirs from Merlots, you’ll still have that yearning to see vineyards with rows of grapes, while sipping new vintages on a wine tour.

• Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen (Actors)
• Alexander Payne (Director)

8.  The Grand Budapest Hotel

Location – Fictional Country of Zubrowka

This brilliant Wes Anderson film features a great ensemble cast and won 4 Oscars from Best Costume Design to Best Original Score.

I’m a big fan of Wes Anderson films and if you’re a movie lover you know them when you see them. Anderson captures the feel perfectly of the glory days of grand luxury hotel life during the early 20th century. The owner of the hotel is falsely accused of murder and what follows is a funny series of events as others are out to get him.

P.S. When you see the movie, just try and resist your sweet tooth calling for that bakery box from Mendl’s!

• Audience Rating: R (Restricted)

9.  Into the Wild

Location – Alaska

Thinking of planning some off-the-grid travel? This is the movie for you.

This 2007 non-fiction survival film co-produced and directed by Sean Penn is based on the story of Christopher McCandless, a guy who leaves everything behind to travel and live in the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990s.  Although it has a tragic end, this story captures the essence of travel and the lessons learned only by experiences gained from a true adventure.

Without a doubt, this is one of the top travel movies ever.

• Multiple Formats, Color, Dolby
• English (Unknown)

10.  The Bond Movies

Location – All over the World 

Do you have a favorite James Bond? Mine is Roger Moore.

From 7 different actors and 26 movies, James Bond has been all over the world fighting bad guys. From the moon to Morrocco, 007 has inspired travel to just about everywhere. With so many Bond movies to choose from, start with Skyfall, The Spy Who Loved Me, From Russia with Love, Casino Royale, and Spectre. And, by the way, I’ll take that martini shaken, not stirred.

• Various (Actor)
• Various (Director)

11.  Amelie

Location –  Paris 

Amelie is a 2001 French film that was nominated for 5 Academy Awards. After spending her childhood in isolation, she becomes a waitress at a Paris cafe. Her childhood experience leaves her searching for love, but also trying to help others who want to find love, as well.

The film was a critical success, and to date, it’s the highest-grossing French-language film released in the US. It’s spoken in French, so subtitles are vital here unless you’re fluent in French. It’s also a great way to practice your French language skills…or just sit back, listen, and remember how it feels to enjoy a Paris cafe.

• Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Lorella Cravotta (Actors)
• Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Director)
• English (Subtitle)

12.  Almost Famous

Location – USA Road Trip

What’s better than a road trip? A road trip with a rock band, of course!

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, this movie is a semi-autobiography about Crowe himself. As a teenage writer for Rolling Stone, Crowe toured with the Eagles, Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Led Zeppelin. Kate Hudson also stars as a groupie who travels with the band, although, by the end of the movie we learn she’s much more than that.

Even though this movie didn’t do well at the box office, it received Academy Awards nominations and won for Best Original Screenplay. 

• Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit (Actors)
• Cameron Crowe (Director)

13.  Cast Away

Location – Deserted Tropical Island in the Pacific

Ever wish you could just get away from the world and spend time on a deserted island? What would you take? Could you build a raft out of palm trees or fish with a spear? Could you get a fire lit on a beach with just sticks? Tom Hanks teaches all the skills you need should you find yourself in a similar situation.

Shot in paradise, the ocean views and island scenes are gorgeous. As much as I like this movie and Tom Hanks, I’d much rather land on a tropical island with some lounge chairs and cocktails.

14.  Chocolat

Location –  Fictional French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes 

This film proves my longstanding theory. Chocolate makes everything better. That and hanging out in a lovely French village. Chocolat is the story of a woman who is new to town and sells the chocolates she makes in her shop.

Along the way, she changes the hearts and minds of the little town, although not without some drama which includes the arrival of Johnny Depp’s character. This part drama part romantic film was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture. The acting from Juliette Binoche and Judi Dench are stellar.

• Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Lena Olin (Actors)
• Lasse Hallstr m (Director) – Kit Golden (Producer)

15.  Vicki Cristina Barcelona  

Location – Barcelona

This Woody Allen-directed romantic comedy stars Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, and Penelope Cruz.  I felt a deep connection to this film because I love the city of Barcelona.

In the movie, you see Barcelona through the eyes of 2 American students, who both have an affair with the same Spanish artist. The artist’s ex-wife re-enters the picture for a full look at love, the institution of marriage, and the roles society expects of us…should we decide to conform. Throughout the movie, the city of Barcelona shines through its architecture, food, and culture.

• Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC
• Spanish (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language)

16.  Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Location – New Zealand 

Is there anything better than spending a winter or rainy Saturday watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy pretending you’re Frodo and Sam trekking through the New Zealand landscape?

Based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, Middle Earth’s only hope to avoid the shadow of darkness is in the hands of Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit from the Shire. Along the way on his quest, the sweeping New Zealand landscapes will leave you in awe. Load up on snacks for 9 hours of adventure…Minus the orcs. 

• Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen (Actors)
• Peter Jackson (Director)
• English, Spanish, Portuguese (Subtitles)

17.  Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Location – Iceland to the Himalayas

A feel-good movie about a man who works in an office and dreams of adventures, which ultimately takes him from Scandinavia to Central Asia in search of his destiny.

Ben Stiller’s character is on a journey of courage, whether it’s to finally ask out the co-worker he likes or to discover what the world can offer. The story is all about turning your dreams into reality. As any traveler will tell you, actual voyages usually come with an internal voyage, too. This movie will inspire all of us to find out more about ourselves as we dare to explore the world.

• Multiple Formats, AC-3, Color
• English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)

18.  Far and Away

Location – Oklahoma 

Far and Away is directed by Ron Howard and stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The two play Irish immigrants in the 1890s who’ve come to America for a better life. Arriving in Boston hoping for the promise of land in America, life is not as easy as imagined.

With little to no money and family drama, their dream of owning land and being together seems nearly impossible. The movie’s Land Run of 1893 scene shows the fight and spirit the American Midwest is known for. The movie was actually shot in Billings, Montana, not Oklahoma and the Land Run scene included nearly 800 hundred extras, plus hundreds of horses and wagons!

This movie will leave you longing for a horseback ride across the Midwest to discover the spirit of the American frontier.

• Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Thomas Gibson (Actors)
• Ron Howard (Director) – Bob Dolman (Writer) – Brian Grazer (Producer)
• English, Spanish (Subtitles)

19.  Up in the Air

Location – Airports / Planes 

Up in the Air was one of 2009’s best films and was nominated for 6 Academy Awards. George Clooney and Anna Kendrick star in this comedy-drama. Clooney’s character is training Kendrick’s character on how to fire people from their jobs as they both work for a downsizing company. They’re constantly flying to new places for work and along the way, Kendrick realizes this is not the path for her.

For points and miles aficionados, George Clooney’s character hits 10 million miles on his frequent flyer account. Is anyone else thinking upgrades?

• Anna Kendrick, George Clooney, Vera Farmiga (Actors)
• Portuguese, English, French, Spanish (Subtitles)

20.  The Motorcycle Diaries

Location – South America

The trip that made Che Guevara, Che Guevara. Traveling through South America on a trip that started as a fun adventure, ultimately made Guevara the revolutionary we know today.

The movie is a dramatization of Che Guevara’s memoirs as he traveled from the Andes in Chile to the Amazon in Peru on an 8,700-mile journey. Along the way, he discovers life in Latin America, particularly the poverty so many of the indigenous population is rooted in. What he sees inspires him to fight against unfair class systems and economic hardships.

Today, tons of travelers inquire about how to follow the same trail that turned Che into a revolutionary icon.

• Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo De la Serna, Mia Maestro (Actors)
• Walter Salles (Director) – Jose Rivera (Writer) – Michael Nozik (Producer)

21.  Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Location –  NYC to Chicago to Wichita

If I ever end up in a nightmare travel situation I would totally want to be with these two characters. 

This 1980s classic directed by John Hughes and starring Steve Martin and the late great John Candy play two men trying to get home to Chicago from New York City for the Thanksgiving holiday. After Martin’s flight gets canceled due to bad weather, all means of transport become an option. He meets John Candy who plays a shower curtain salesman full of bad jokes and, as you can imagine, hysterics follow.

• Michael McKean, Kevin Bacon, John Candy (Actors)
• John Hughes (Director)
• English, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Subtitles)

22.  Catch Me If You Can

Location – Airports and Airplanes

Any movie directed by Steven Speilberg, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks is already a keeper.

DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale, Jr. who by the age of 19 was already a cunning con man pretending to be a doctor, a prosecutor, and my personal favorite, a Pan American World Airways pilot. Hanks plays an FBI agent pursuing him the entire movie. 

The movie is based on a true story, which is mind-blowing to think about someone impersonating a pilot.  

• Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Candice Azzara (Actors)

23.  National Lampoon’s Vacation Movies

Location – U.S. Road Trip, European Vacation

How can you not love the Griswolds? They are an American family who likes to take vacations, from a U.S. road trip to a European vacation. However, every one of them goes hysterically wrong!

From 1983-2015, the Vacation movies grossed nearly $300,000,000 and I loved every minute of the nonsense that would eventually accompany every trip.

The series is based on a John Hughes short story called “Vacation 58” that was originally published for National Lampoon magazine. 

• High Contrast Alignment: High contrast alignment highlights the proper face angle from address to impact for alignment throughout your putting stroke
• A new and improved version of the #1 insert on Tour is highly engineered for more consistent sound, feel and performance across the striking surface
• The Versa line includes a handful of major winning, tour proven head shapes like the #1, #2, #6, #7, 2 Ball, Sabertooth and the 330 Mallet

24.  Slumdog Millionaire

Location – India 

Slumdog Millionaire was a sleeper hit of 2008.

The movie stars Dev Patel in the role of Jamal Malik who’s from a Mumbai slum. Jamal had quite the journey from childhood to adulthood. He ends up being a contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” with a chance to win 20 million Rupee (=$280k)!

His experiences, as well as the love of his life, serve to help him answer the questions on the show.  

• Multiple Formats, NTSC, Widescreen
• English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)

25.  Wild

Location – Oregon – California

Starring Reese Witherspoon & Laura Dern, the film is based on a biographical memoir by Cheryl Strayed and is considered one of the best travel adventure movies of all time.

In June of 1995, Strayed left Minnesota after losing her mother and the breakdown of her marriage to hike 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. The trail stretches from British Columbia in Canada through Southern California. It’s known to be one of the most difficult hiking trails in North America.

Strayed (played by Witherspoon) does this despite a lack of hiking experience. At some point, we can all use a journey of self-discovery & healing. Just bring enough water and the right boots.

• Wild – DVD Brand New
• Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski (Actors)
• Jean-Marc Vallee (Director) – Nick Hornby (Writer)

26.  Under the Tuscan Sun

Location – Tuscany, Italy 

We all can relate to things not going as planned in life and needing a complete change to find a new path.

Frances Mayes, played by Diane Lane, discovers her husband is cheating and loses everything in the divorce. A friend convinces her to take a trip to Italy. While there, she buys and fixes up a Tuscan villa on a whim, to start again. Along the way, she gains friends and a new life in Italy.

You’ll swoon over the beautiful shots of Tuscany. They had me dreaming of Chianti and burrata.

• Under The Tuscan Sun – DVD Brand New
• Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan (Actors)
• Audrey Wells (Director) – Audrey Wells (Writer)

27.  Everest

Location – Nepal – Himalayas

Based on real events from the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster, this 2015 film tells the true story of 2 groups trying to summit Mt. Everest. From blizzards to high-altitude sicknesses, the story quickly becomes a fight for survival. Injuries, lack of oxygen, and exhaustion become obstacles that ultimately determine who makes it back to Everest Base Camp and who does not.

The movie’s cast is a true ensemble with actors that include Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, Robin Wright, Emily Watson, and Jake Gyllenhaal. 

Of all the films like Into the Wild, this one had me at the edge of my seat!

• Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley, Jake Gyllenhaal (Actors)
• Baltasar Kormakur (Director)
• Spanish, French (Subtitles)

28.  Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil

Location – Savannah, Georgia 

The 1997 crime-drama is based on the novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, which spent a record-breaking 216 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Clint Eastwood directs while Kevin Spacey and John Cusack star alongside the city of Savannah itself. With its beautiful architecture and all of its eccentricities, the city becomes the real attraction. An antique dealer, played by Spacey, has been arrested for the murder of a male prostitute and faces a trial. 

John Cusack’s character is a writer for a magazine and is partially based on the book’s author himself, John Berendt.

• Kevin Spacey, John Cusack, Jack Thompson (Actors)
• Clint Eastwood (Director)

29.  Thelma & Louise

Location – Ultimate U.S. Road Trip

This 1991 classic directed by Ridley Scott stars Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. It’s considered one of the best road trip movies of all time. It was nominated for six Academy Awards and it won for Best Original Screenplay. It also launched the career of someone named Brad Pitt.

Two best friends set off for a weekend trip that quickly becomes an escape as they try to avoid the police. The authorities eventually corner them at the Grand Canyon and the 2 women are faced with a decision about what to do.

Most of the filming was done entirely in the states of California and Utah, with the primary filming locations in rural areas around Bakersfield, CA and Moab, UT. The film was met with mostly positive reviews and uncanny curiosity about a then-unknown Brad Pitt and his diet and workout routine!

• 20th Anniversary Edition.
• Commentary by Director Ridley Scott.
• Commentary by Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis and Writer Callie Khouri.

30.  French Kiss

Location – Paris and the South of France

This 1995 romantic comedy stars 90s darling, Meg Ryan, and Kevin Kline. 

Ryan’s character flies to France to get back her cheating fiance, only to be swindled by a smuggler, played by Kline. Ryan and Kline follow her cheating fiance to the south of France only to have her realize she no longer wants him. 

Along the way, she learns more about Kline’s character, Luc, and the poor choices he’s made in life, only to ultimately help him in the end.

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline, Timothy Hutton (Actors)

31.  The Bucket List

Location – Around the World 

Any movie that stars Morgan Freeman & Jack Nicholson has to be good. 

The Bucket List is about 2 men who are terminally ill who meet in the hospital. They decide to hit the road and travel around the world before they die. They skydive, visit the Taj Mahal, fly over the North Pole, see Mt. Everest, go on Safari in Tanzania, motorcycle-ride on the Great Wall, and have a legendary dinner in France. 

On their travels, each man opens up and shares about his personal life struggles as the two become good friends.

• Multiple Formats, AC-3, Blu-ray

32.  P.S. I Love You

Location – Irish Countryside 

Based on Cecelia Ahern’s 2004 novel, this romance film stars Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. They play Holly and Gerry, a couple who lives in New York City. Sadly, Gerry dies of a brain tumor. 

Before his death, Gerry plans a series of messages, which Holly starts getting after his death. The messages set her on an adventure to help get her through her grief. Each message ends with P.S. I Love You.

The messages end up taking her to the beautiful Irish countryside, where Gerry is from. By the end of the movie, you’ll be crying in your Guinness.

• Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow (Actors)
• Richard LaGravenese (Director) – Richard LaGravenese (Writer) – James Hollond (Producer) – Cecilia Ahern (Author)

33.  Before Sunrise

Location – Vienna 

Written and directed by Richard Linklater, Before Sunrise is actually based on a real-life encounter that Linklater had with a woman he met in Philadelphia while traveling.

The movie stars Ethan Hawke as Jesse and Julie Delpy as Celine, who strike up a conversation on a train bound for Vienna from Budapest. They end up walking the city all night because Jesse, who’s due to fly back to the United States in the morning, can’t afford a hotel for the night. They visit some of Vienna’s landmarks and end in a Viennese cafe, which is exactly what you need to do when you’re in Vienna. 

As they talk, Jesse and Celine talk openly about their heartbreaks and their lives. The chemistry between the two is undeniable. But, you’ll have to watch to find out what happens…before sunrise.

• Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy (Actors)
• Richard Linklater (Director) – Richard Linklater (Writer) – John Sloss (Producer)
• English, French (Subtitles)

34.  Before Sunset  

Location – Paris 

Before Sunset is the sequel to Before Sunrise. It’s 9 years later and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy reprise their roles as Jesse and Celine. This time they meet in Paris, where Celine lives and works as an environmental advocate and Jesse has come for the launch of his new book.

Celine goes to a bookstore where Jesse is holding a book event. Afterward, they spend the time they have walking, talking, and reconnecting. Back at Celine’s apartment, time runs short and Celine worries Jesse will miss the flight he’s supposed to take.

• Before Sunset – DVD Brand New
• Richard Linklater (Director) – Richard Linklater (Writer) – Anne Walker-McBay (Producer) – Kim Krizan (Author)

35.  Before Midnight 

Location –  Greece

Before Midnight is the 3rd movie in the series with Jesse and Celine. Another 9 years have gone by.

Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy have taken us on a long journey through beautiful Vienna, Paris, and now, Greece. The movie realistically highlights love and life and doesn’t avoid the struggles that come with loving another person while still wanting to remain true to who you are.

The ending may not be as storybook as you’ve come to expect from Hollywood but it does leave you hoping for a possible 4th movie.

• Multiple Formats, AC-3, Closed-captioned
• French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language)

36.  Baraka

Location –  24 Countries and 6 Continents

This 1992 travel documentary highlights life, human activities, and natural events on 6 continents. With no dialogue, this film is a journey around the globe showing the planet and all of us on it from Lake Natron in Tanzania to the chanting monks in Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery to a busy city subway terminal.

Baraka will be unlike any other film you’ve watched but one that will inspire realizations about other cultures, the world, and even yourself. Movies with beautiful scenery make you want to see the world…or transport you when you can’t travel.

• n/a (Actor)
• Ron Fricke (Director)

37.  Samsara 

Location – 25 Countries

Samsara is the follow-up to Baraka, as director Ron Fricke builds on the themes of the first movie with another visually stunning film.

Samsara was shot over 5 years in 25 countries. Again with no dialogue, the filmmakers spotlight human life and the wonders of the planet. This time, though, we see the consequences of human desires quite plainly for a more somber reflection of the planet and our role as people on it.

• English (Publication Language)

38.  A Room with a View

Location – England – Italy 

This film is set in Florence, Italy, and Surrey, England. It stars Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Rupert Graves, Simon Callow, Judi Dench, and Daniel Day-Lewis.   

While in Florence, Bonham-Carter’s character, Lucy, meets George Emerson played by Julian Sands. They share a connection and a kiss before Lucy returns home to England with her cousin. Lucy is expected to marry a man named Cecil, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. However, George Emerson resurfaces and puts Lucy’s engagement to Cecil in doubt.

This Academy Award-winning film came out in 1985 and still holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

• Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Daniel Day-Lewis (Actors)
• James Ivory (Director)

39.  The Last Emperor

Location – China 

The Last Emperor has several achievements. Director Bernardo Bertolucci was allowed by the Chinese government the right to shoot the first Western movie about China in The Forbidden City. That alone makes it a must-see. After all, The Forbidden City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site all on its own.

The movie was also nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won ALL 9. The story is biographical about a man named Puyi who was chosen to be Emperor as a child. The movie begins later in life, after he’s been captured by the Red Army, and flashes back to tell the story of his life.

A fun fact about the making of The Last Emperor was the need for 19,000 extras that were played by the Chinese army.

• John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole (Actors)
• Bernardo Bertolucci (Director)
• Korean (Subtitle)

40.  Forrest Gump

Location – USA, Vietnam, China

One of the all-time classics, Forrest Gump is the winner of 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Forrest Gump is a simple man who lives an extraordinary life that takes him to foreign countries and across the United States.

The movie includes one of my favorite scenes in movie history. It’s when Forrest describes to Jenny the different places he’s been to on his run across the country, and she says that she wishes she could’ve been there with him. He replies, that she  was  there. I need a tissue.

• Screen Tests
• Photo Gallery
• Seeing is Believing 11 Visual Effects (Including 2 Never-Before-Seen Sequences)

41.  Encounters at the End of the World

Location – Antarctica

The wild, frontier of the 7th continent is on full display in this Werner Herzog travel documentary. The stunning snow and ice landscapes steal the spotlight, along with the underwater footage of the marine life below the ice.

The documentary also shows some of the people who are living and working in Antarctica as they figure out how to survive in the harsh Antarctic environment. If you’re an explorer at heart, how could you not want to uncover the beauty of Antarctica…even if only on the big screen? 

• David Ainley, Samuel S. Bowser, Regina Eisert (Actors)
• Werner Herzog (Director) – Werner Herzog (Writer)

42.  Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Location – Bethesda, Maryland – Greece – Mexico – South Carolina 

Based on the 2001 novel, this movie is about 4 teenage girlfriends who are about to spend the summer apart. Before they go, the girls go shopping and find a pair of jeans that fits them all, despite their different shapes and sizes.

During their time away, the girls share the pants and their experiences with one another as they learn about life. The jeans are the symbolic bond that keeps them connected. 

• Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively (Actors)
• Ken Kwapis (Director) – Delia Ephron (Writer) – Debra Martin Chase (Producer) – Ann Brashares (Author)

43.  In Bruges

Location – In Bruges 

This 2008 dark comedy starring Colin Farrel, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes is set in the gorgeous city of Bruges, Belgium. Located in the northwest of the country with its many canals, Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and called the Venice of the North.

Farrel and Gleeson are 2 Irish hitmen who are hiding in Bruges because they botched a murder and also killed a young boy. Now, the 2 men have been told to wait in the city of Bruges posing as tourists. The debauchery that follows is dark and funny. 

• AC-3; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC

44.  The Godfather

Location – Italy – New York – Las Vegas

Godfather I and II follows the epic tale of the Corleone crime family from Sicily to New York. Both movies are directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie stars legendary actors like Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro.

 While the crime story is the central plot, Italian culture is heavily interwoven throughout the movie’s narrative from life in Sicily to a big, Italian wedding in New York City. You’ll surely be craving homemade pasta and meatballs every time you watch!

• Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Talia Shire (Actors)
• Francis Ford Coppola (Director)
• Spanish, French, English (Subtitles)

45.  The Descendants

Location – Hawaii

George Clooney plays an attorney and land baron who’s the trustee of a family trust that owns 25,000 acres on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. During these family discussions, Clooney’s wife has a boating accident and ends up on life support. This tragedy brings to light his wife’s affair, as well as brings him closer to his 2 daughters.

Because of Clooney’s role as a land baron, Hawaii takes center stage. Its beaches and sweeping natural beauty transport you to the middle of the Pacific and help viewers understand Clooney’s ultimate decision about what should happen with the land trust.

• The Descendants – DVD Brand New
• George Clooney, Judy Greer (Actors)

46.  The Holiday

Location – LA / UK

Have you ever considered the idea of home exchange to spur your travels and escape life? The Holiday is about 2 women played by Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz who do just that over the Christmas holiday.

Amanda, played by Diaz heads to a quaint cottage in Surrey, England, and Iris, played by Winslet, heads to a large and luxurious home in Los Angeles. The swaps end up being lucky for both women who meet men who also fall for them and treat them as they should be treated.

• The Holiday – DVD Brand New
• Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law (Actors)
• Nancy Meyers (Director) – Nancy Meyers (Producer)

47.  Murder on the Orient Express

Location – Paris to Istanbul

Based on Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel about a murder mystery that happens on the Orient Express, a luxury train travel trip. The story is a classic who-done-it after one of the passengers is found murdered. As the story progresses, it appears as though several passengers could be suspects.

The latest version sports a star-studded cast that includes Kenneth Branagh (who also directed the film) Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Judy Dench, Willem Dafoe, and Michele Pfeiffer. 

• Murder On The Orient Express – DVD + Digital Brand New
• Daisy Ridley, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad (Actors)
• Kenneth Branagh (Director) – Simon Kinberg (Producer)

48.  Mama Mia

Location – Greek Islands 

This movie transports you to the Greek island of Skopelos, although in the movie the island is called Kalokairi. Sounds pretty good right there, no?!

This movie-musical is about a soon-to-be-married girl who invites 3 different men who could be her father to her wedding. Meryl Streep plays the girl’s mother and doesn’t know her daughter has invited the men until she sees them as guests start to arrive for the wedding.

The movie score features classic, singable ABBA favorites like Mama Mia, Dancing Queen, and Take a Chance on Me.

• Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth (Actors)
• Phyllida Lloyd (Director)

49.  The Art of Travel

Location  – Central America and South America

What happens when your wedding goes south? You want to get away…which is what Connor Layne, played by Christopher Masterson, does after he discovers his high school sweetheart’s unfaithfulness. 

Connor heads to Nicaragua as an inexperienced traveler and is almost immediately robbed. Thinking he should go home, he decides otherwise and his confidence slowly grows. Weeks later in Panama, he meets a group of people who want to trek through the jungle and set the world record for crossing the Darien Gap, a swath of dangerous land between Panama and Colombia.

• AC-3, Color, Dolby
• Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Spanish (Unknown)

50.  Sleepless in Seattle

Location –  Seattle – New York City 

This 1990s romantic classic stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The screenplay was co-written and directed by the late great Nora Ephron, who also brought us the classic movie When Harry Met Sally.

Hanks plays a widower with a young son who relocates to Seattle after his wife dies. He’s heartbroken and his son calls into a radio show and persuades his father to talk about his feelings and his late wife.

Upon listening to the show, millions of women send letters hoping to be the one to fix his broken heart, one of them being Ryan’s character. What follows is one of the most romantic endings in movie history at the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day.

• Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman (Actors)
• Nora Ephron (Director) – Gary Foster (Producer)

51.  The Darjeeling Limited

Location – India

What would it be like to take a trip with your adult siblings? Comedy is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of traveling with my sister.

In The Darjeeling Limited, 3 brothers have drifted apart after their father’s death. They come together for a train trip through India to rebuild their relationship as brothers and friends. Each of them is also going through some personal struggles. The older brother, Francis, played by Owen Wilson, has ulterior motives for the trip. He hopes they can locate their mother who’s left them for a life of solitude.

When they get thrown off the train for disturbing other passengers, they’re forced to walk through rural India. Along the way, the brothers reconnect as friends and learn to trust each other.

• Hotel Chevalier
• Deleted Scene

52.  Six Days Seven Nights

Location – South Pacific

Are you the kind of traveler who loves movies about exploration and adventure?

In this Ivan Reitman-directed adventure comedy, Harrison Ford and Anne Heche crash land on a deserted island in the South Pacific. Heche had been vacationing with her fiance on a nearby island when she was called away for work.

Stranded and having to survive everything from the elements to Pirates, Ford and Heche initially don’t get along but grow to have feelings for each other. 

• Harrison Ford, Anne Heche, David Schwimmer (Actors)
• Ivan Reitman (Director) – Michael Browning (Writer)

53.  Big Fish

Location – Southern United States

Do you have someone in your life who travels a lot for business? Have you ever heard any of their travel stories?

Tim Burton directed this fantasy comedy flick. It’s not your typical Burton darkness but instead, a story that takes us on an incredible adventure where the main character’s travels include encounters with even more interesting people.

On his deathbed, Ed Bloom begins telling his son, Will, played by Billy Crudup, extraordinary tales from his adventures as a traveling salesman. The stories are so out-of-this-world it’s difficult for Will to believe they are true. After his father passes, Will comes to realize his father’s stories weren’t as outlandish as he first thought.

• Billy Crudup, Hailey Anne Nelson, Ewan McGregor (Actors)
• Tim Burton (Director) – Dan Jinks (Producer)

54.  The Beach

Location – Thailand  

This quintessential travel movie set on the beaches of Thailand has inspired countless young travelers to visit Southeast Asia whether with a travel buddy or solo. In fact, one of the beaches featured in the movie has been closed to tourists to allow the eco-system to repair itself.

The Beach stars a young DiCaprio, who learns of a secret beach where other travelers are living. He and a French couple use a map left by a friend who killed himself to find the beach. The community of travelers living there abide by a set of rules that allow them to be self-sufficient. However, what initially appears to be a utopian paradise ends up quite the opposite.

• Leonardo DiCaprio, Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet (Actors)
• Danny Boyle (Director)

55.  The Bourne Movies

Location – The World 

Matt Damon takes us all over the globe through several installments of action-filled movie adventures. Damon plays Jason Bourne, a man who’s a secret assassin, part of an unknown government agency.

Starting in the first movie, Bourne Identity, Damon’s character has suffered memory loss but soon realizes he has physical skills that surprise him. When his life is threatened, he’s forced onto a path of discovery to learn who he is and where he comes from.

Each sequel holds its own because of the continuing coherent storyline. The Bourne movies grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide.

• Multiple Formats, AC-3, Box set
• English (Published), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)

56.  Paris, je t’aime 

Location – Paris

This film will make you fall in love with Paris…if you haven’t already been struck by this beautiful city. 

Paris Je t’aime,  meaning Paris,  I Love You,  is a collection of 18 short films brought to you by 18 famous directors. The film represents stories that take place in 18 of the 20 arrondissements of Paris. Each story has its own cast and is seamlessly sequenced to the ones before and after it.

If you love Paris or dream of visiting the City of Lights, Paris, je t’aime will take you on an exploration of Paris and love. 

• Juliette Binoche, Leonor Watling, Ludivine Sagnier (Actors)
• Bruno Podalydès (Director)

57.  Lion

Based on the non-fiction book  A Long Way Home  by Saroo Brierley, this amazing true story stars Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, and Nicole Kidman. 

Lion tells the story of Saroo Brierley who at age 5 became separated from his family in India. Arriving in Calcutta not knowing where he is or how to get back home, he eventually lands in an orphanage. An Australian couple adopts him.

However, as an adult, Saroo is haunted by the memories of his brother calling his name and sets off on a return to India to find his biological family.

Lion received 6 Oscar nominations and grossed $140 million worldwide.

• Nicole Kidman, David Wenham, Dev Patel (Actors)
• Garth Davis (Director) – Iain Canning (Producer)

58.  Given

Location – Kauai + 15 other countries

Given lets us see and experience the world through the eyes of a 6-year-old boy named Given. His parents are Aamion & Daize Goodwin, famous surfers from Kauai. Aamion traveled with his father as a young boy and sees it as a generational tradition to set off with his son and family. 

Learning about the natural world and experiencing the daily lives of people around the world, Given gets an education that only travel can teach.

If you’re dreaming of traveling the world or haven’t traveled in a while, Given shows and reminds us how incredible the world is. 

59.  The Hundred-Foot Journey

Location – France

This light-hearted drama is based on the novel, The Hundred-Foot Journey about dueling restaurants in a small French village.

The Kadam family moves from India to a village in southern France and opens up an Indian restaurant directly across the road from Helen Mirren’s Michelin Star Rated French restaurant. There are several attempts to sabotage the new restaurant by Mirren and her chefs. The family also faces some discrimination as they settle into their new town.

Hassan, the Kadam’s second-oldest son is an up-and-coming chef, who attempts to impress Mirren. The resulting fusion of the 2 cuisines symbolizes how the 2 sides eventually learn to live and dine together. 

60.  An American in Paris

Dreaming of being an ex-pat in Paris? In this 1951 classic movie-musical, you can live vicariously through Jerry, played by Gene Kelly, who is an American living in Paris and trying to make it as a painter. 

Interwoven with Gershwin music and choreography by Gene Kelly himself, Jerry falls head over heels for Lise Bouvier who initially rebuffs his advances but eventually reciprocates the feelings. However, Lise is supposed to marry Henri, a French singer moving to America, even though she and Jerry love each other. 

An American in Paris won 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture and is considered one of the best movie-musicals of all time.

• Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant (Actors)
• Vincente Minnelli (Director) – Alan Jay Lerner (Writer) – Arthur Freed (Producer)

61.  Sex and the City

Location – New York City

The plot of Sex and the City may be all about Carrie Bradshaw and her wedding to the love of her life, John James Preston (aka Big). But, in actuality, the movie is much  bigger  than that. It’s a love letter all about  New York City . <3

From sweeping pre-war apartments to the New York Public Library, Central Park, and the Brooklyn Bridge, you can transport yourself to the Big Apple through the eyes of the 4 female characters who love and live (except Samantha temporarily) there.

62.  One Week

Location – Canada

What would you do if you had just been diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer?

Ben Tyler, played by Joshua Jackson, finds himself in this exact position. Needing treatment, he instead chooses to set off on a cross-Canadian road trip. On his motorcycle, he travels from Toronto to Vancouver Island. On the journey, Ben reflects on his life, his relationship, his career, and his dreams. 

The Canadian landscape is what has inspired me to visit parts of Canada like Banff or British Columbia. A drive across Canada is still on the bucket list!

• Emm Gryner, Fiona Reid, Joshua Jackson (Actors)
• Michael McGowan (Director) – Jane Tattersall (Producer)

63.  Couples Retreat

Location – Bora Bora

Need some time at an island resort in French Polynesia? Who doesn’t!

Couples Retreat isn’t a cinematic classic, but it allows you to follow 4 couples on their vacation to Bora Bora for a “couples retreat” complete with overwater bungalows, fine food, and…couples therapy!

What follows as each couple spends time  exploring their relationships  is entertaining and funny. Roles are played by Vince Vaughn (as himself, lol), Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Jon Favreau, and Faizon Love.

Couples therapy or not, you say Bora Bora, and I’m in!

• COUPLES RETREAT MOVIE
• Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau (Actors)
• Peter Billingsley (Director) – Jon Favreau (Writer) – Vince Vaughn (Producer)

64.  Only You

Location – Pittsburgh – Venice – Positano – Rome 

In the romantic comedy from the 1990s, Marisa Tomei stars as Faith, a girl who has grown up believing her soul mate is someone named Damon Bradley. Days before her wedding to someone not named Damon Bradley, she gets a tip she might find him in Italy. 

As she chases the elusive Damon Bradley from Venice to Rome, and finally to Positano, Faith gets help from a man she met named Peter, played by Robert Downey, Jr.

The film oozes romance from the storyline to Italy’s gorgeous scenery as a backdrop. 

• Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Bonnie Hunt (Actors)
• Norman Jewison (Director) – Norman Jewison (Producer)

65.  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel  

With an ensemble cast of greats like Dame Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, and Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel tells the story of 7 Brits who are wooed by a brochure to retire at the opulent Marigold Hotel in the beautiful Pink City of Jaipur, India. 

Comedy and drama follow when the hotel isn’t what it appeared to be. You have an inept building manager, culture shock, relationship drama, hip surgeries, and a heart attack. But you also have characters who are coming to terms with their past in the hope of living their golden years happy and fulfilled.

• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel -DVD Brand New
• Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton (Actors)
• John Madden (Director) – Ol Parker (Writer)

66.  7 Years in Tibet

Location – Tibet 

This 1997 biographical drama is based on the 1952 book, 7 Years in Tibet. Brad Pitt plays Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountaineer and adventurer. Despite his wife being pregnant, Heinrich leaves her behind to join a climbing buddy for a trek.

However, they are captured by the British while mountaineering in present-day Pakistan, in a wrong-place-wrong-time situation because World War II has started and they have German citizenship. The 2 men escape prison and make it to the mysterious country of Tibet where they have life-changing experiences. 

• Brad Pitt, David Thewlis, Lhapka Tsamchoe (Actors)
• Jean-Jacques Annaud (Director) – Jean-Jacques Annaud (Producer)
• English, Spanish, French (Subtitles)

67.  The Sound of Music

Location – Austria

This 1965 classic musical movie, with songs by Rodgers & Hammerstein and starring the legendary Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, takes place in the mountains of Austria in 1938.

Andrew’s character, Maria is a novice nun, who knows in her heart that she is not right for the nunnery. The Mother Abbess sends Maria to be a caretaker for Captain Von Trapp’s 7 children, whose mother has previously passed away. Maria brings music and joy back to the house, which is initially not welcomed by the Captain.

As time passes, Maria and the Captain grow closer and eventually have to flee with the children to avoid the Nazis.

• MUSICAL FEATURES
• Run Time: 176
• Release Date: 2015/03/10

68.  The Way

Location – Spain 

Is walking the Camino de Santiago on your bucket list? This historic Catholic pilgrimage has several routes that all lead to the Cathedral of the Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.

Camino Frances is one such route that begins in southern France and travels through northern Spain. It takes center stage in The Way when Martin Sheen’s character, Dr. Thomas Avery, must go to Spain after his son Daniel was killed during a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago. 

He decides to walk the pilgrimage to honor his son. The journey and the people he meets along the way help as he works through his grief.

• Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen (Actors)
• Emilio Estevez (Director)

69.  Lawrence of Arabia

Location – Middle East

Based on the life of T.E. Lawrence, this 1962 classic was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 7, including Best Picture and Best Director. The movie is considered to be one of the best of all time.

T.E. Lawrence was a British army officer who worked as a liaison between the British and Arabs during a revolt against the Ottoman Empire in World War I. Lawrence disobeys the orders of his commanding officer and suggests Prince Faisal plan a surprise attack on the city of Aqaba in present-day Jordan.

The movie was largely filmed in Jordan and Morocco. However, the city of Seville in Spain was also used because of the city’s Moorish influence and architecture.

The movie has inspired the likes of George Lucas, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. It’ll also undoubtedly inspire you to want to visit places like the Sahara and see the ancient historic sights in Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, and Israel.

• Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn (Actors)
• David Lean (Director) – Sam Spiegel (Producer)

70.  Indiana Jones Movies  

Location –  Sri Lanka – Kauai – Tunisia – France – Macau – Petra – Mexico – Spain

The Indiana Jones adventure movie series is one of the most popular of all time. The series was created in 1981 by George Lucas and directed by Steven Spielberg, with a new movie scheduled to be released in 2021.

Indiana Jones is formally known as Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr, an archeology professor. The role in the movies has been played by Harrison Ford. Indiana Jones travels the globe in search of important artifacts to make sure they don’t end up in the wrong hands. As you can imagine, not everyone wants him to find these powerful and important relics. 

The adventures of Indiana Jones will take you to locations around the world, from Sri Lanka to France to Mexico. His adventures rival any travel bucket list out there.

• Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark – DVD Brand New
• Harrison Ford, Denholm Elliott, John Rhys-Davies (Actors)
• Steven Spielberg (Director)

71.  Chasing Liberty

Location – Washington D.C. – Prague  – Venice – Austria – Berlin – London

Mandy Moore plays the first daughter of the President of the United States. She wants to be free and live like a normal teenager. The reality is that she must be followed by Secret Service agents wherever she goes.

On a State visit to Prague, Moore’s character Anna rebels by getting away from her Secret Service detail. She desperately wants her independence and ends up on an exciting escapade, first in Prague and then across Europe. 

Ultimately, she is recognized, rescued, and brought back to the United States but not before finding the passion she’s been looking for.

• Closed-captioned; Color; DVD; Fullscreen; NTSC

72.  The Fall  

Location –  India – Europe – South Africa – Indonesia – Namibia and more…

The Fall is a passion project of filmmaker Tarsem Singh. It took 4 years to make and was shot across 20 countries. The result is a visual stunner with backdrops from the Charles Bridge in Prague to the Taj Mahal to a Botanical Garden in Argentina.

Lee Pace plays stuntman Roy Walker who is injured while making a movie. As he recovers in the hospital he meets a young Romanian girl named Alexandria to whom he starts to tell a fantastical story. Alexandria’s vivid imagination has her living the story while Roy has ulterior motives. 

If you’re stuck at home and need an escape, this one-of-a-kind movie will take you across the globe with its cinematography and storytelling.

• Lee Pace (Actor)
• Tarsem Singh (Director)

73.  Casablanca

Location –  Casablanca 

Casablanca is an absolute classic and considered one of the best movies of all time. Humphrey Bogart plays an ex-pat living in Casablanca, Morocco during World War II. He owns a club where you can listen to music and gamble. 

Ingrid Bergman plays his former lover who suddenly shows up with her husband. Her husband is being tracked by the Germans because he’s part of a resistance group. She thinks Bogart’s character, Rick Blaine can help them escape the country. They also have unresolved feelings for each other that play out during the movie despite the need for safety.

The movie won Best Picture in 1942.

• Interactive Menus
• Scene Access

74.  Around the World in 80 Days  (1956 Version) 

This adventure story is about a man named Phileas Fogg who bets a few other men that he can make it around the globe in 80 days. They don’t believe he can do it and happily make the wager. 

Using every form of transportation available at the time from hot air balloons to steamships and trains, Fogg globe-trots around the world from Europe to the Far East to America.

Along the way, his many adventures include ending up in a bullfight in Spain, rescuing a Princess in India, experiencing the Wild West on the American Frontier, and fleeing from a Scotland Yard Inspector who mistakenly thinks he has robbed a bank.

If you’d like to circumnavigate the globe on a true adventure, grab your passport and stick with the original 1956 classic version, winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture.

• Dutch, English, French, Romanian, Arabic (Subtitles)

75.  Coco  

Location – Mexico  

Not many animated films make this list but Coco is a must! It spotlights Mexican culture and particularly the traditions surrounding Dia de Los Muertos, the Mexican Day of the Dead holiday.

A 12-year-old Miguel dreams of being a musician but this is not allowed in his family. Miguel’s great-great-grandfather who was a musician left Miguel’s great-great-grandmother to care for their young daughter, Coco, all alone. However, young Miguel is determined. After teaching himself to play the guitar in secret, he enters the Day of the Dead Talent Show. 

The family-friendly movie goes on to tell the emotional story of Miguel’s family while teaching about the respect Mexican families have for their ancestors. It also won for Best Animated Movie.

• Lee Unkrich (Director) – Adrian Molina (Writer) – Darla K. Anderson (Producer)

76.  Life of Pi

Location – India – Pacific Ocean – Canada

Young Piscine Molitor Patel, or Pi Patel, spent most of his childhood in India, where his family owns a zoo. At 16, Pi’s father says the family will move to Canada. He arranges for the family to travel with the animals on a freight ship. 

One night a terrible storm hits, sinking the ship and killing his entire family. Pi winds up in a lifeboat with a few of the family’s animals, including a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a Bengal tiger who Pi had named Richard Parker. Pi drifts for 227 days until he finally reaches the Mexican coast and is rescued. 

The film is absolutely stunning, and when you watch, you’ll find yourself asking questions about fate, destiny, faith, courage, and survival to understand the lessons the journey teaches.

• English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)

77.  Serendipity  

Location – New York City 

Do you believe in fate or having a destiny? Or do things happen just by chance?

Serendipity is a romantic film starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. Their characters, Jonathan and Sara meet at Bloomingdales in New York City while Christmas shopping and there is instant chemistry. They’re both in other relationships, yet spend the day together.

At the end of the night, Sara writes her name and number inside a used book and Jonathan writes his info on the back of a $5 bill. Sara is confident fate will bring them back together if it’s meant to be.

Years later Jonathan is planning to marry but can’t get Sara out of his mind. He and his best man Dean set off on a quest to find out who Sara is and how to contact her.

Along the way, viewers can tour New York City from Central Park to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to the famed cafe, Serendipity!

• John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Jeremy Piven (Actors)
• Peter Chelsom (Director) – Robert L. Levy (Producer)

78.  Titanic

Location –  UK / North Atlantic 

Sailing from the United Kingdom to New York City, Titanic was the world’s largest and grandest ship of its day. Being on its maiden voyage was supposed to be the voyage of a lifetime. 

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet star in this romantic drama, and even though their story is fictionalized, the movie is based on the real-life history and people aboard the ship. Winslet is engaged to be married to a wealthy businessman. DiCaprio is an artist and drifter who won a steerage class ticket just minutes before the ship set sail.

Fate brings them together as they speed across the Atlantic Ocean and as the ship tragically sinks in the frigid North Atlantic Waters.

Titanic was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won 11, including Best Picture and Best Director for James Cameron. It was the first film ever to hit the billion-dollar mark, grossing a whopping $1.84 billion worldwide, the most ever for any movie.

• Genre: Drama
• Rated PG-13

79.  Leap Year

Location – Ireland

Have you dreamed of a trip to Ireland? Then, you won’t want to miss the beautiful Irish landscapes that only add to the romance in this playful comedy with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode. 

Per the Irish tradition, a woman can propose to her boyfriend on February 29th and he must accept. So, Adam’s character follows her boyfriend to Dublin. But her travels land her in Wales, instead. She’s forced to hire a ride to get her to a ferry that will take her to Cork in Ireland.

Goode’s character agrees to drive her for a price. But along the way, their adventures bring them closer. When they arrive in Dublin, though, Adam’s character has a choice to make between her boyfriend and her surprising feelings for Goode’s character, Declan.

• Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott (Actors)
• Anand Tucker (Director)

80.   The Tourist

Location – Paris – Venice 

Angelina Jolie plays Elise Clifton-Ward whose husband is wanted by both the police and the mob. In a plan to help him get away from both, she heads to Venice and looks to set up an unsuspecting target, who’s played by Johnny Depp. The strategy is to have the police and the mob believe this man is actually her husband.

The Tourist is a thriller taking you from Paris to Venice as you try to figure out the plot’s twists and turns. Travel lovers who watch will want to book their luxury stays at Venice’s 5-star Hotel Danieli, which dates back to the 14th century.

• Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie (Actors)
• Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (Director)

81.  Crazy Rich Asians

Location – Singapore

If you’re dreaming of everything Southeast Asia, Crazy Rich Asians takes you there in first class and tempts you with the city’s extravagant architecture, culture, and delicious food.

Nick Young, the heir to a huge family fortune, brings his Chinese-American and native New Yorker girlfriend, Rachel Chu, home for his best friend’s wedding and to meet his mother and family. But, Nick has left out many details about his family’s wealth and his status as one of the best-catch bachelors on the island. 

This comedy-drama will have you laughing, as well as fighting for Rachel who has to figure out how to win the respect of Nick’s family. You’ll also be searching for flights to Singapore by the time the movie’s done!

• Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan (Actors)
• Jon M. Chu (Director) – Peter Chiarelli (Writer) – Tim Coddington (Producer) – Kevin Kwan (Author)

82.  Ferngully

Location – Australian Rain Forest

Travel down under to Australia and one of its rain forests located in New South Wales, near Mount Warning. 

In this animated film, the fairies who inhabit the rainforest are trying to save it from human logging and a dark pollution spirit. A fairy accidentally shrinks a human logger down to fairy-size. Together, with the other fairies and the rain forest animals, they try to save the forest ecosystem.

Ferngully was Robin Williams’s first animated voiceover role. And although Ferngully may not be as well known as some of his other animated roles, Ferngully sends an important message about how important it is to protect the planet’s natural spaces.

• Kroyer, Bill (Director)
• Audience Rating: G (General Audience)

83.  The Way Back

Location – Siberia – Central Asia – Himalayas

This movie is based on the real-life events of a man accused of being a spy in the Soviet Union during World War II. He gets sentenced to hard labor in Siberia. 

After some time, he and a few other prisoners plan a prison escape. Using a blizzard for cover, the group takes their chance to be free and sets off through the wilderness on foot for what ultimately becomes a 4,000-mile trek through Central Asia and the Himalayas.

If you’re looking for a similar movie to Into the Wild, The Way Back should be at the top of your list.

• Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess (Actors)
• Peter Weir (Director) – Peter Weir (Producer)

84.  How Stella Got Her Groove Back

Location – Montego Bay, Jamaica  

Stella Payne sets off to vacation in Montego Bay with her best friend Delilah on the beautiful island of Jamaica. Stella is a single mother with a stressful stock market job who hasn’t refreshed and recharged in a long time. 

She meets a good-looking guy 20 years younger than her who lives on the island. Flirtations turn to passion and romance but Stella has doubts about this vacation fling. She questions whether their age difference is a problem and whether it’s just a fling or something more.

Not only were the hotel and beach scenes refreshing, but so was the storyline of an older woman-younger guy relationship.

• Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg (Actors)
• Kevin Rodney Sullivan (Director) – Ronald Bass (Writer) – Deborah Schindler (Producer)

85.  Les Miserables

Les Miserables transports you back in time to the 19th century in the years leading up to and during the French Revolution in France. The classic story has been told by book, on the stage, and in this movie musical.

The story centers around Jean Valjean who is put in jail for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Finally out, he realizes he’ll need to break the terms of his parole to find work and make a new life for himself.

However, Javert is a police officer who never stops looking for him, believing once a thief always a thief. These encounters with Javert threaten Valjean’s new life and the daughter he is raising after satisfying the dying wish of Fantine, a former employee of Valjean’s who was forced into prostitution.

Whether you’re a fan of movie musicals or not, director Tom Hooper made the right decision to record live vocals on set so the acting matched the singing for a more realistic production. Les Miserables was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 4 of them.

• Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway (Actors)
• Tom Hooper (Director) – William Nicholson (Writer) – Tim Bevan (Producer)

86.  Love Actually  

Location – England…and a few minutes in Wisconsin 

Love Actually is a lighthearted movie set mostly in  London . As the title suggests, it’s all about love…in all of its glory and grief. 

The movie cleverly intertwines several storylines where the ensemble cast is experiencing everything from new love, devoted love, and love lost from infidelity and death. Hugh Grant is comical as the Prime Minister of England who’s looking for love. Liam Neeson plays a widower struggling to get over the loss of his wife.

Alan Rickman is the classic middle-aged husband who’s bored in his marriage and is tempted by a co-worker’s advances. His wife, played by Emma Thompson, is devoted as a wife and mother. And, Laura Linney’s character wants love but struggles with family responsibilities.

Love Actually is a feel-good movie that’ll give you the warm fuzzies over love and your London fix, too!

• Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth (Actors)
• Richard Curtis (Director) – Richard Curtis (Writer) – Duncan Kenworthy (Producer)

87.  The Hangover

Location  – Las Vegas

If ever there was a movie where the location was the star, it would be The Hangover. Las Vegas takes center stage…the antics of the guys in the movie wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else!

Four friends travel to Las Vegas for their buddy Doug’s bachelor party. We only get to see the remnants of what’s gone on when they wake up the next morning in their trashed hotel room. 

A missing tooth, a random baby, a tiger in the bathroom, a stolen cop car, and their friend and groom-to-be missing is only just the start.

Of all the comedy travel movies on the list, this one had me dying! If you need a good laugh or a Vegas weekend of partying, gambling, and drinking, put on The Hangover to get your fix.

• The Hangover – DVD Used Like New
• Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis (Actors)
• Todd Phillips (Director) – Jon Lucas (Writer) – Todd Phillips (Producer)

88.  Hector and the Search for Happiness

Location – China – Africa – Los Angeles

Hector is a psychiatrist who’s feeling a bit stuck. He realizes his patients are asking him how to be happy and he doesn’t know the answer for himself. He sets off on a journey hoping to find answers to his questions about what happiness is.

He travels from China to Africa to Los Angeles meeting people along the way and learning about their happiness or lack thereof. His voyages and experiences show him it’s not the pursuit of happiness, but rather the happiness of the pursuit that’s important.

The movie is based on the best-selling novel, Hector and the Search for Happiness. Travel lovers everywhere will easily relate to the lessons Hector learns from his pursuit.

• English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language)

89.  Shirley Valentine

Location –  England – Mykonos, Greece

Ever considered taking a solo trip? Shirley Valentine may be just the inspiration you need.

Shirly Valentine is a 40-something housewife who lives in Liverpool, England with her husband. Things have grown quite stale between them and Shirley professes that all she wants is to travel and drink wine near the sea.

When a neighbor wins a trip for 2 to Greece, Shirley accepts, ready and willing to travel for a fantastic girls’ trip. But when Jane, her neighbor, ditches her at the airport after running off with someone she met on the flight, Shirley embraces her solo status determined to make her travel dreams come true.

This 1989 British comedy is a must-watch for anyone who wants to travel but is nervous about going solo or needs a reminder about any unfulfilled travel dreams.

• Warner Archive Collection On Demand DVD-R
• Collins, Pauline, Conti, Tom, Steadman, Alison (Actors)
• Gilbert, Lewis (Director)

90.  127 Hours

Location – Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA

Inspired by Aron Ralston’s memoir, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, 127 Hours tells the story of a hike that goes terribly wrong.

While hiking in Canyonlands National Park, Ralston parts ways with a couple of other hikers he met on the trail and sets off on his own. He falls into a slot canyon where his arm is trapped by a large rock. Unable to get free, Ralston starts recording his attempts to survive, which as the days pass he realizes will take every ounce of his courage.

• James Franco, Kate Mara (Actors)
• Danny Boyle (Director) – Danny Boyle (Writer)

91.  Il Postino  

Location – Italy 

This 1994 film takes place on a tiny Italian island in 1950. The local postman, Mario, gets to know Pablo Neruda the famous Chilean poet who’s been driven out of his country and has settled on the island.

Mario has always loved a woman named, Beatrice, who works at a local cafe. But, he’s never known how to tell her or express his feelings. Through his friendship with Pablo and Pablo’s poetry, he is able to win the heart of Beatrice. 

Several islands including Procida in the Bay of Naples and a small island off the coast of Sicily were used for filming. Il Postino is a layered story of travel, love, and politics that’ll stay with you long after the movie is over.

• Massimo Troisi, Poesie, Poems

92.  Letters to Juliet

Location –  Verona, Italy

What could be more beautiful than traveling through Italy for amore?!

Amanda Seyfried plays Sophie, an American traveling with her fiance Victor. The couple visits Verona, the place where Shakespeare’s romantic heroine waited on her balcony for her Romeo. 

She discovers that thousands of letters have been left for Juliet, where visitors have asked for guidance on or confessed their romantic woes. Sophie finds one she has to answer and it sets her on a quest with the woman who wrote the letter many years ago. Each of them finds the answers about the love they’re looking for.

If you’re looking for movies similar to Eat Pray Love, give Letters to Juliet a watch. 

• Amanda Seyfried, Gael García Bernal (Actors)
• Gary Winick (Director)

93.  A Walk in the Woods

Location – The Appalachian Trail 

There’s nothing like hiking when you want to reflect and feel restored, right?

Robert Redford plays the author Bill Bryson who decides to hike the Appalachian Trail after attending a funeral. And lucky for us, we get to hike along with him through all the natural beauty along the trail.

Bill enlists a long-lost buddy played by Nick Nolte to make the trek with him. They gear up with backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags and set off.

The 2,200-mile journey forces the pair to reconnect and plow on despite challenges along the way from bears to bad weather to their physical limitations. For anyone who’s done a long trek or dreamed of doing one, the movie shows the journey is a metaphor for life and doing the best you can is all you can expect, even when things don’t go as planned.

• Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Nick Offerman (Actors)
• Ken Kwapis (Director)

94.  Romancing the Stone

Location – Columbian Jungle 

Romancing the Stone will have you pining for a jungle adventure!

Joan is a writer whose sister, Elaine, is kidnapped. She gets a map and is told to go to Cartagena for her sister’s ransom. However, things go wrong when Joan is duped into getting on the wrong bus by a man named Colonel Zolo, who also wants the map.

After the bus crashes, Joan meets Jack, an American who agrees to get her out of the jungle for a price. All the while, Ralph, one of Elaine’s kidnappers is following Joan, too.

Throughout the movie, Jack and Joan have to avoid Zolo as they journey through the jungle.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, Romancing the Stone is a thrill for all adventure lovers.

• Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito (Actors)
• Robert Zemeckis (Director) – Diane Thomas (Writer)

95.  The Davinci Code  

Location – France – England  

This popular thriller is based on Dan Brown’s book, The Davinci Code. The first scenes include a murder at the Louvre in Paris. The crime scene is full of symbolism, riddles, and codes that the murdered Jacques Sauniere left to be deciphered.

Tom Hanks stars as Robert Langdon, a symbol expert who’s called to the crime scene unaware that he is the prime suspect. With the help of Jacques Sauniere’s granddaughter, he escapes and the two of them set off across Paris, the French countryside, and onto London and the English countryside in the hopes of solving the mystery of the murder while avoiding the police.

Along the way, travel lovers watching will visit famous landmarks in both Paris and London.

• Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen (Actors)
• Ron Howard (Director) – John Calley (Producer)

96.  Tracks

Location – Australian

Based on a memoir by Robyn Davidson, Tracks tells the true story of her journey across the Australian desert. She plans to walk 1,700 miles with 4 camels and her dog from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean. A National Geographic photographer played by Adam Driver accompanies her to document the trek.

Not only does this movie show the harsh landscape that sprawls across Australia, but Tracks will also inspire anyone watching with a love for travel and adventure. Robyn’s test of self-courage is a similar voyage of survival and perseverance as Cheryl Strayed’s Wild.

• Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver (Actors)
• John Curran (Director) – Marion Nelson (Writer) – Emile Sherman (Producer)

97.  The Impossible

Location – Thailand

The Impossible is based on the real-life events of a husband and wife and their 3 sons who were vacationing on the beaches of Thailand when the devastating 2004 tsunami hit.

Naomi Watts was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Maria, a wife and mother, who gets swept away by the waters. She finds her eldest son in the water, too, and fights for both of them to survive. 

The family’s story is unforgettable. And as horrible as the situation is, you’ll be inspired by the kindness of strangers and the strength of the human spirit to overcome such a great natural disaster. 

• Watts, Naomi, McGregor, Ewan, Holland, Tom (Actors)
• Spanish (Subtitle)

98.  Blue Hawaii

Who would have thought an Elvis Presley movie would make this list of top travel movies?!

The award-winning Blue Hawaii stars the King himself as a guy named Chad who lives in Hawaii. Chad doesn’t want to work at his father’s fruit company and decides to become a tour guide for Hawaii tourists. Naturally, his first group of visitors are all pretty girls, which doesn’t exactly thrill his longtime girlfriend.

The tropical Hawaiian scenery combined with the recognizable sound of Elvis’ songs makes this movie classic travel fun!

99.  A Good Year

Location – London – Provence, in the south of France

This romantic comedy had me at Provence. The south of France is on many a traveler’s bucket list! And if you’re looking for movies like Under the Tuscan Sun, A Good Year is worth a watch.

Max Skinner, played by Russel Crowe, is a financial trader in London who inherits his Uncles’ vineyard in Provence. He travels there, planning to sell the house and quickly return to London. 

But, a series of mishaps delay his return to London and, at the same time, a potential love interest unexpectedly enters his life. Another woman enters the scene claiming to be the daughter of his Uncle, throwing the sale of the vineyard into question. 

Max ultimately has to decide whether to return to his high-powered job in London or stay in Provence.

100.  View from the Top

Location – Nevada – Cleveland – Paris

Travel lovers all over the globe can relate to the urge to travel and wanting to see the world. That’s what Donna Jensen a girl from a town in Nevada, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, wants to do with her life.

While watching TV, she’s inspired by Sally Weston, a flight attendant who has written a memoir about her travels. Donna goes after her dream by starting at a commuter airline and, throughout the movie, works hard to get assigned to the route she’s dreaming of, Paris in first class.

In the end, Donna has to figure out how to balance her happiness with her love for travel and the sky.

• Paltrow, Gwyneth, Applegate, Christina, Ruffalo, Mark (Actors)

101.  Nowhere in Africa

Location – Kenya

This autobiographical movie tells about the Redlich family who leaves Germany in 1938 to avoid Nazi persecution. Walter Redlich goes first to Kenya and then sends for his wife, Jettel, and daughter Regina shortly afterward. 

Their new life in East Africa is very different from their life in Germany. The cinematography shows us what life in Kenya is like through its landscapes and people. During the movie, each member of the Redlich family faces challenges that come with their new life and we get to see how each one handled them.

When you watch, you’ll understand why this travel movie gem deserved its Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. 

• Kohler, Juliane, Zimmermann, Regine, Ninidze, Merab (Actors)
• Link, Caroline (Director)

Have These Travel Movies Inspired You?

So, there you have it! More than 100 of the best travel movies ready to transport you around the globe…all from the comfort of your own home.

I hope you’ll feel inspired to plan a trip after seeing one of these movies or you’ll reminisce or dream about a trip, past or future!

What are your favorite travel inspiration movies?

Like this post? Please share it on social media using the share buttons below.

Your Trip Planning Checklist

• Search for flights with Skyscanner or Momondo .
• Get the best hotel rates with Booking.com and Hotels.com .
• World Nomads makes it easy to get a travel insurance quote for that amazing bucketlist trip you just booked!
• Get Your Guide is my go-to for tours, tickets, and experiences.
• Use my list of travel packing basics to make sure you have what you need for your trip.
• Check out my free miles & points course to learn how to travel for less/free.
• See my full list of travel resources on my resource page . These are what I've used to book travel over the years.

Related Posts

How to Avoid the Most Common Travel Mistakes

Cheap Flights with Momondo: 5 Reasons to Use It to Find the Best Airfare

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Privacy Overview

• Work With Me

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! 

PIN for Later

Related Guides

Arctic Expedition on the Seabourn Venture – Greenland and Canada

The 5 Best Beginner Mountain Biking Tips

How To Stay Healthy When Traveling

Join our mailing list for exclusive resources, events, and more.

Thank you for subscribing!

Wonderful & Amazing Blog Post about Travel Movies on Netflix!

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!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Follow Along on Instagram

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 73% Blink Twice Link to Blink Twice
• 96% Strange Darling Link to Strange Darling
• 85% Between the Temples Link to Between the Temples

New TV Tonight

• 96% Only Murders in the Building: Season 4
• 100% Terminator Zero: Season 1
• 92% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 83% City of God: The Fight Rages On: Season 1
• 73% Kaos: Season 1
• -- Here Come the Irish: Season 1
• -- K-Pop Idols: Season 1
• -- Horror's Greatest: Season 1
• -- After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• 92% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• 78% Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• 100% Pachinko: Season 2
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 92% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2 Link to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

The Best Shows on Amazon Prime Video to Watch Right Now (August 2024)

100 Best Netflix Series To Watch Right Now (August 2024)

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

TV Premiere Dates 2024

Your Full List of All Upcoming Marvel Movies — With Key Details!

• Trending on RT
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• Rings of Power S2 First Reviews
• Venice Film Festival
• Fall Horror Movie Preview

Travel Movies to Stream at Home (2024)

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

The 25 Greatest Time-Travel Movies Ever Made

It must say something, surely, about humans, how often time-travel movies are about returning to the past rather than jumping to the future. As Mark Duplass’s forlorn character says in Safety Not Guaranteed , “The mission has to do with regret.” With all the potential to explore the unknown world of the future, so often when our minds conspire to bend the rules of time it’s instead to rehash the old. It’s compelling to watch a character in a movie do what we cannot — right past wrongs or uncover the reason for or meaning behind the events in their lives, whether they be emotionally catastrophic or merely geopolitically motivated.

So absent is the future from the canon, in fact, that when it is involved, typically future dwellers are leaving their own time to come back to the present. Back to the Future Part II aside, it seems as if there’s something about going forward in time that just doesn’t track for humans. (Of course, you could argue that this is because the present-day concept of bidirectional time travel would infinitely multiply or change beyond recognition any future that may occur, but that’s a knot for another article.)

In any case, the time-travel stories deemed worthy of Hollywood budgets aren’t always straightforward in their mechanics. Some films on this list barely qualify as time-travel movies at all; others could hardly qualify as anything else. There are movies about trips through time but also ones about the bending and fracturing and muddying thereof; then there are those about, as Andy Samberg aptly puts it in Palm Springs , “one of those infinite time-loop situations you might have heard about.” There’s even a movie in which we get only 13 seconds’ worth of time travel, when it functions more like a joke whose punch line hits at the film’s climax.

What these films all do have in common is a fascination with changing the way time works. That being said, the list leaves out movies in larger, more extended franchises in which time meddling is a one-off dalliance thrown into a sequel with little by way of foreshadowing: think Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Avengers: Endgame , and Men in Black III . (It also leaves off perhaps the Ur-time-travel movie, Primer , and the quite good Midnight in Paris because their directors don’t deserve the column inches.) We’re looking at self-contained stories using time mechanics from the start, with preference given to those that involve themselves more intently with the ins and outs of time travel; that ask questions about time, aging, memory and so forth; and that try to succeed at it in new and interesting ways. So let’s get to it.

25. Galaxy Quest (1999)

Does Galaxy Quest really count as a time-travel movie? Some compelling reasons argue that it doesn’t: Time travel isn’t a major factor in the plot, and the time traveling that does occur is, yes, only a 13-second jump. But its use of time travel is meaningful insofar as the movie itself is a loving spoof of Star Trek , which makes use of time travel in three films ( one of which made this list ), not to mention dozens of episodes across its various TV iterations. Tacking on time travel as a deus ex machina for the actors in a Star Trek– like show pressed into service as an actual space crew by an endangered alien race is the exact right amount of ribbing in a movie that’s as on point as it is hilarious.

Galaxy Quest is available to rent on Amazon .

24. Happy Death Day (2017)

Pick away at the surface of a time-loop movie and you find a horror movie. Most of the entries on this list are covered in enough feel-good spin to land as comedies, but Happy Death Day stares the horror of the time-loop phenomenon right in the face. (It’s also quite funny.) Reliving the same day over and over is an unimaginably potent form of psychological torture, and adding murder to the equation does little to dull that edge. The film follows a college-age protagonist struggling to escape from a masked slasher hell-bent on killing her again and again while she tries to solve the mystery of how she got stuck in a time loop.

Happy Death Day is available to rent on Amazon .

23. Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Seriously, this may be the only good movie in which the film’s whole focus is using a time machine to travel into the future. The fact that it’s a sequel is telling — the characters already traveled into the past in the first movie , and the filmmakers decided to save “traveling even further into the past“ for the third film in the trilogy. Still, Back to the Future Part II is a fun time that makes great use of sight gags and references, recasting scenes from the first film in the distant future year of 2015 with all its hoverboards and self-lacing Nikes.

Back to the Future Part II is available to rent on Amazon .

22. See You Yesterday (2019)

It’s a dirty little secret of time-travel movies that they tend to be, well, pretty white. Tenet ’s Protagonist aside, if Hollywood’s sending someone through time, they’re almost certainly not a Black person, and for obvious reasons: Most of post-contact North American history is deeply unfriendly to people of color, and the problems a person running around out of time and place is going to encounter are deeply compounded if they’ll likely be the target of racist abuse or violence — which makes See You Yesterday all the more compelling. Produced by Spike Lee and featuring one of filmdom’s most famous time travelers in a cameo role, it follows a Black teenage science prodigy who uses a time machine to try to save her brother from being killed by a police officer.

See You Yesterday is streaming on Netflix .

21. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

No offense to the Back to the Future franchise, but time travel never looks more fun on film than it does in the first Bill & Ted movie. It’s a concept that feels distinctly of a different era, so pure is its zaniness, that it’s hard to imagine anyone concocting it today. The titular duo, Californian high-school students in the ’80s, travel through the past looking for historical figures in order to ace a history project, then bring them all back to the present. High jinks ensue! We get Genghis Khan in a sporting-goods store and Mozart on an electric keyboard. What more could you want?

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is streaming on HBO Max .

20. Source Code (2011)

Time-travel-film aficionados know this won’t be Jake Gyllenhaal’s only stop on this list, but no matter. Source Code finds him repeating the same eight minutes over and over as he struggles to find the culprit in a train bombing — with each replay ending in his own death by explosion. For some reason, a romantic subplot is shoehorned into this, along with a bunch of frankly unnecessary technical mumbo-jumbo, but the core idea is a compelling mix of the time-loop movie and the train whodunit that Gyllenhaal is a perfect fit for.

Source Code is available to rent on Amazon .

19. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Some sort of law of nature dictates that every genuinely good idea and/or piece of true art has to at some point be turned into a Hollywood movie. Thank God La Jetée was adapted into something that can stand on its own feet artistically. 12 Monkeys may not retain its source material’s black-and-white look or stripped-down, static-image presentation, but it is a rollicking good time nonetheless. That’s in no small part due to director Terry Gilliam getting the best out of Bruce Willis and a young Brad Pitt, and recasting World War III as a planet-decimating virus. Which, like at least one other movie on this list , “speaks to the present moment,” or whatever.

12 Monkeys is available to rent on Amazon .

18. Run Lola Run (1998)

Unlike almost all of the other films on this list, the terms time travel and time machine don’t show up anywhere in Run Lola Run . Rather, it’s a sort of de facto time-loop scenario in which the protagonist tries repeatedly to pay a ransom to save her boyfriend’s life. In fact, if not for a few key details, it could easily be characterized (and often has been) as an alternate-endings movie rather than a time-travel film. But the fact that Lola seems to be learning from her past attempts with each successive one suggests that she is, indeed, using knowledge gained from previous loops to bring a satisfactory end to this situation.

Run Lola Run is available to rent on Amazon .

17. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

One of the most striking things about Groundhog Day is the mutability and replicability of its core conceit. Perhaps the best case in point is Edge of Tomorrow , sometimes known as Live. Die. Repeat. after its original tagline. It’s the kind of physically grueling movie only an actor as genuinely unhinged as Tom Cruise could pull off. A noncombatant thrust into a war against invading aliens, Cruise’s character finds himself reliving day one of combat over and over, slowly but surely refining his techniques in order to survive the extraterrestrial onslaught. Like the central twosome in the much less violent Palm Springs , he winds up with a partner in (war) crime, teaming up with the similarly time-trapped Emily Blunt, and the explanation for the replay glitch here is actually pretty satisfying.

Edge of Tomorrow is streaming on Fubo TV .

16. Star Trek (2009)

If you could create some sort of an advanced stat to measure controversy generated per unit of interesting filmmaking decisions, J.J. Abrams would have to be near the top in terms of his ability to rig up movie drama from almost nothing. This is a guy whose filmography is like Godzilla rip-off, Spielberg homage, safe reboot of cherished IP, repeat. Star Trek may be his best film, though, a sure-footed reinvention of a dorky sci-fi franchise that made it, well, cool. Somehow, the beauty of Spock and Kirk’s bromance being woven through chance encounters with future selves kind of … works?

Star Trek is available to rent on Amazon .

15. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

There’s a relative dearth of time travel in animated film, which perhaps is a function simply of the fact that it’s less impressive to stage in a world that’s already unreal. If you can Looney Tunes your way through physics, what’s so special about grabbing the flow of time and tying it into a bow? Still, the original Girl Who Leapt Through Time deserves mention here. It’s a beautiful story that interlaces the complexity of time leaping with the intensity of teenage emotion and the thorny process of growing up where the opportunity to redo things leads, over time, to growth — a less shitty Groundhog Day , in a way.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is available to rent on Amazon .

14. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

She may not be the most famous, decorated, or emulated actress of her generation, but Aubrey Plaza is someone whose personality spoke to the irony-soaked 2010s in a way that simply could not be denied. Her character on Parks and Recreation , April Ludgate, was, by all accounts, created specifically to channel Plaza’s real-life personality to the screen, and she plays essentially the same character in Safety Not Guaranteed . Here, she’s a sarcastic intern at a magazine working on a story about a would-be time traveler and using her feminine wiles to slowly gain his trust. The chemistry between Plaza and Mark Duplass is probably the film’s high point; the subplot about the FBI feels like it was clipped out of a bad X-Files episode.

Safety Not Guaranteed is streaming on Tubi .

13. La Jetée (1962)

At only a 28-minute run time, La Jetée is arguably too short to merit inclusion on this list. However, what it lacks in content (and in, well, moving images; it’s almost exclusively a collection of static black-and-white shots set to voice-over), it more than makes up for in inventiveness and influence, and it would be a travesty to leave it out in favor of more recent by-the-book fare. Tracing the tale of a man held prisoner in post-WWIII Paris being used in time-travel experiments as his captors seek to remedy the postapocalyptic state of the world, he’s sent into both the future and the past and ends up unraveling a lifelong personal mystery while he’s at it.

La Jetée is streaming on the Criterion Channel .

12. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Unlike the worse but more straightforwardly time-traveling Tim Burton remake, the relationship between the original Planet of the Apes and time travel is inexact — technically, the astronaut crew that lands on the titular planet does travel forward 2,000 years, but it’s not done via a time machine. The travel isn’t instantaneous: It literally does take them 2,000 years to get there; they’re just unconscious and on life support. Still, the way the film’s ending handles the iconic reveal is exactly in line with the best of the time-travel canon, the telescoping, mise en abyme feeling of the world shifting in front of your very eyes without your moving an inch.

Planet of the Apes is available to rent on Amazon .

11. Groundhog Day (1993)

The famous Bill Murray vehicle essentially invented the infinite-time-loop genre (and it’s hardly a movie that succeeds on the strength of its concept alone), but the idea at its core is so steeped in the casual misogyny of late-’80s and early-’90s cinema that it’s hard to watch today without cringing. Murray’s character employing what amounts to PUA-style techniques over and over and over in a desperate bid to fuck his hapless co-worker just doesn’t hit the way it did back then. If the story arc didn’t present a guy detoxifying himself of the worst aspects of masculinity in order to be worthy of a woman’s love as the primary way for a 20th-century white man to achieve full personhood, this would be much higher on the list.

Groundhog Day is streaming on Starz .

10. Predestination (2014)

This is probably the most complicated film on the list. Following a “temporal agent” (played by Ethan Hawke) who’s trying to prevent a bombing in 1970s New York, it’s based on a Robert A. Heinlein short story and features Shiv Roy herself, Sarah Snook, in a star-making turn as someone with a complicated backstory and a secret. Like the best sci-fi, the film’s premise raises all kinds of fascinating questions about the titular concept and throws in some interesting musings on sex, gender, and the self in the process.

Predestination is streaming on Tubi .

9. Looper (2012)

Wes Anderson gets a lot of flak for his overwrought twee visuals, but Rian Johnson has a knack for making movies that feel and function like dioramas even if they don’t look it. Narratively speaking, everything here is constructed just so — and there’s a certain beauty in that — but who ever had a profound experience of art by looking at a diorama? Looper was probably Johnson’s least precious pre– Star Wars film, which is nice because the temptation to drastically overmaneuver the mechanics of a time-travel story can lead to disaster. The tech used to Bruce Willis–ify Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s face is distracting, and the third act’s retreat from the postapocalyptic city of the future to the postapocalyptic corn farm of the future is a brave choice that the film struggles to land. Still, Johnson’s vision of a future in which organized crime runs time travel is compelling and well worth a watch.

Looper is streaming on Netflix .

8. Donnie Darko (2001)

Donnie Darko is a bit of a genre mash-up. Part high-school movie, part sci-fi flick, part bleak meditation on the soullessness of late-’80s America, it’s nevertheless a weirdly successful piece of filmmaking that makes fantastic use of a young Jake Gyllenhaal, a great supporting cast (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Jena Malone, and Patrick Swayze among others), and an absolutely iconic haunting cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” Watching high schoolers navigate parallel universes, wormholes, and time travel is a dicey proposition, but director Richard Kelly makes it work, somehow.

Donnie Darko is streaming on HBO Max .

7. Back to the Future (1984)

While it’s clearly superior to the sequel (and leagues ahead of the final film in the trilogy), the original Back to the Future is a bit of a mess (John Mulaney was right , to be honest). Its racial and gender politics are cringey, and the incest subplot is weird (“It’s your cousin Marvin. Marvin Pornhub . You know that new plot element you’ve been looking for?”), but there’s a clear interest in time travel beyond its shimmering surface: the very real addressing of the “grandfather problem” in time travel via the slow disappearance of Marty from his family photo, the accidental invention of rock music, and a genuine curiosity about the nuts-and-bolts mechanics of time machines. Ahh, what the hell. It’s a romp.

Back to the Future is available to rent on Amazon .

6. Palm Springs (2020)

No offense to Gen-Xers and boomers, but the best time-loop movie of all time is Palm Springs . The film isn’t without its missteps, but it’s much more curious about life than Groundhog Day was through the eyes of Murray’s misanthrope. Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg‘s characters, stuck in the loop together, are a perfect comedic match, and their shared humanity makes for a beautiful arc. The film raises questions about what’s worth doing in life when nothing lasts and how to stay sane when every day is the same. Of course, as a sort of polar opposite of Tenet , it benefited from coming out during the pandemic by speaking, as it does, to the experience of lockdown.

Palm Springs is streaming on Hulu .

5. Tenet (2020)

Interstellar wasn’t enough for Chris Nolan, apparently. Tenet ’s legacy may end up being little more than that of the COVID action movie no one saw — a bloated thriller that Nolan fought to get into theaters and bar from home viewing reportedly to swell the size of his own pockets. It really did suffer from bad timing, though, because this is genuinely a quintessential big-screen popcorn movie whose absurdity is all the more palatable when it’s given the audiovisual bombast it deserves. Ambitious in scope as it traces a war on the past by the future (yes, you read that right), Tenet is as enamored of action tropes as it is in bucking them, and its investment in rendering visible the brain-bendingly knotty mechanics of moving through time is laudable, even when the movie itself remains opaque — as impenetrable as the future, as hazy as the past.

Tenet is streaming on HBO Max .

4. The Terminator (1984)

A partner to Blade Runner in the mid-’80s invention of sci-fi noir, The Terminator is a stunning film in many ways, despite the third act’s now-iffy visual effects. While it’s not James Cameron’s debut, and it would go on to be bested by its sequel , it functions as an incredible showcase for an emerging young director who would exclusively make big stories for the rest of his career. Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as the relentless, unemotional killer cyborg sent back from the future to terminate the mother of the eventual resistance leader, and the film’s romantic subplot has just the perfect amount of time-travel-induced cheesiness for it to work.

The Terminator is streaming on Amazon Prime Video .

3. Interstellar (2014)

It’s not inaccurate to say Christopher Nolan is a director who’s more interested in scale and scope than in expressing the minutiae of the human experience in its purest form. But in Interstellar, a Nolan movie in its titular ambitions, there’s a core element of time travel wrought not as sci-fi fireworks but as a paean to the sheer force and will of the power of love. It both does and doesn’t work, depending on your capacity for cheese in space, but even besides that, Nolan’s use of time as story arc — the way Miller’s planet functions, in particular — is conceptually masterful in the best kind of time-travel-movie way.

Interstellar is streaming on Paramount+ .

2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Whereas the franchise’s first movie spends more time on the question of time travel, in the second it takes a bit of a back seat to the action itself. It’s hard to fault director James Cameron for this decision; T2 remains one of the best action movies of the ’90s and — along with Jurassic Park and The Matrix — one of the decade’s best when for special effects. The groundbreaking T-1000 would honestly be enough to get this movie on the list; a tween John Connor grappling with questions of predestination and the fact that he is vicariously responsible for his own conception feel almost like icing on the time-travel cake. Much as in 12 Monkeys , time travel here is mistaken for delusion, as valiant Sarah Connor, in a Cassandra-esque nightmare, has to battle against the future only she knows is coming. Of course, Cassandra never had access to any firepower stored in underground desert arsenals.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is streaming on Netflix .

1. Arrival (2016)

It’s fair to wonder whether Arrival really is, in fact, a time-travel movie. The Ted Chiang short story it’s based on isn’t about time travel per se; rather, it’s an exploration of alternate forms of temporal understanding. The linguist protagonist, played by Amy Adams, doesn’t travel through time so much as come to experience it differently. Still, the plot ends up hinging on foreknowledge that she is granted not via visions but by actually experiencing her future simultaneously with her present and past. For our purposes, though, that’s time fuckery enough to merit inclusion, and boy howdy does the film deliver in overall quality. Partly, that’s simply a question of the source material. Chiang is arguably the most talented (and possibly the most decorated) American sci-fi writer of his generation. But the source story is not especially Hollywood friendly, and director Denis Villeneuve has adopted it lovingly, borrowing a plot device from another of Chiang’s stories, the more straightforwardly time-travel-based “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” in order to add some third-act blockbuster flavor. The result is a beautiful meditation on love, choice, and courage that packs art-film ethos into a genuine sci-fi blockbuster.

Arrival is streaming on Hulu and Paramount+ .

• vulture homepage lede
• timey-wimey
• vulture lists
• time travel
• vulture picks

Most Viewed Stories

• Cinematrix No. 157: August 30, 2024
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Premiere Recap: Sauron Unmasked
• This Is Not Angelina Jolie’s Big Comeback
• A Breakdown of Armie Hammer Allegations, Controversies, and Time-share Drama
• 27 Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Fall
• 56 TV Shows We Can’t Wait to Watch This Fall

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Currently available on 1 streaming service.

Travel Log (1978)

retail price

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Let us notify you once it becomes available on more services.

We checked for updates on 130 streaming services on August 12, 2024 at 6:21:42 a.m.. Something wrong? Let us know!

Travel Log - watch online: streaming, buy or rent

Currently you are able to watch "Travel Log" streaming on NFB for free.

Where can I watch Travel Log for free?

Travel Log is available to watch for free today. If you are in Canada, you can:

• Stream it online on NFB

If you’re interested in streaming other free movies and TV shows online today, you can:

• Watch movies and TV shows with a free trial on Apple TV+

This short, experimental road movie is a study in mystery and atmosphere. Juxtaposing photographs on the screen with a woman's words, the film tells the story of a couple who drifts apart, of a journey with no return. Introspective and haunting, this mood piece is a travel album about intimacy and dispossession.

Popular movies coming soon

Upcoming Documentary movies

Similar Movies you can watch for free

12 Best Time Travel Movies on Netflix (August 2024)

Whether altering the past, glimpsing the future, or visiting alternate realities, time travel concepts brim with potential. They seem to add intriguing twists to every genre of film they are utilized in. Such works often greet us with refreshing settings and unique dynamics, putting their characters through imaginative scenarios. From heart-pounding thrillers to heartwarming romances, these are the absolute of best time-traveling movies offered on Netflix.

12. See You Yesterday (2019)

Directed by Stefon Bristol, ‘ See You Yesterday ’ is a Netflix teen-adventure film that blends racial themes with a time travel plot. When a police officer senselessly shoots African American teen C.J. Walker’s caring brother, she and fellow prodigy Sebastian Thomas complete their time-traveling device to save him. However, they find that changing the past turns out to be incredibly difficult.

With their device’s charges running low, the two become desperate to prevent the shooting and try to alter the sequence of events at various points. The poignant and impactful tale addresses themes of racial injustice, grief, and sacrifice. It conveys a sense of helplessness felt by the protagonist, which is symbolic of her community’s emotional state, making great progress but falling victim to old prejudices. You can see the movie here .

11. Captain Nova (2021)

In the directorial hands of Maurice Trouwborst, ‘ Captain Nova ’ is a Dutch sci-fi film that follows Nova, a fighter pilot from a dystopian future where the Earth is on the brink of environmental collapse. She is sent on a mission from 2050 to 2025 to alter key events and save the future. However, she unexpectedly becomes a young teen girl as a side effect and struggles to be taken seriously. Nas, an outcast teen, assists her on the mission as the Secret Service tries to capture her. With striking visual effects and creative future technology, the film adds a touch of humor for a refreshing sci-fi experience aimed at audiences of all ages. You can see the movie here .

10. In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)

With Jim Mickle at the helm, ‘ In the Shadow of the Moon ’ combines a noir-style serial killer mystery with time travel in a high-concept thriller filled with twists and turns. The story centers on Philadelphia police officer Thomas Lockhart, who becomes obsessed with a series of inexplicable murders committed by a woman appearing every nine years despite having died in front of him. As Lockhart delves deeper into the investigation, he uncovers a chilling connection that challenges his understanding of reality and time itself. The Netflix sci-fi film features a thought-provoking, imaginative plot that explores themes of fate, justice, and the burdens of the past. You can stream the movie here .

9. The Flash (2023)

While not a conventional time-traveling film, ‘ The Flash ’ sees the titular superhero blaze through his fair share of timelines. Directed by Andy Muschiett, the film follows Barry Allen as he taps into the speed force to save his mother, inadvertently altering the timeline to a catastrophic degree. He teams up with his past self and must gather an unfamiliar and scattered Justice League to defend against General Zod’s invasion of Earth. The film explores the potential divergence of the timeline far beyond the Butterfly Effect, with a single seemingly mundane event of time manipulation changing both past and future dramatically. Featuring an array of cameos and plenty of fan service, the film maintains a decent pace with explosive action sequences. You can see the movie here .

8. Long Story Short (2021)

Loosely based on the Indian film ‘Baar Baar Dekho,’ ‘Long Story Short’ follows Teddy, a man who wakes up the day after his wedding to discover that his life is fast-forwarding, with each day skipping ahead a year. As Teddy struggles to understand this strange phenomenon, he begins to miss the most important moments of his life. The Josh Lawson directorial combines humor with a poignant message about love, regret, and the fleeting nature of time. The impactful film creates an increasingly charming and thought-provoking narrative with the use of fantastical time travel. You can stream the movie here .

7. The Door Into Summer (2021)

Also known as ‘Natsu e no Tobira: Kimi no Iru Mirai e,’ ‘The Door Into Summer’ narrates a tale of mystery, betrayal, and advanced technology interwoven with the delicate threads of time travel. Directed by Takahiro Miki and based on Robert A. Heinlein’s eponymous novel, the film follows Soichiro Takakura, an ingenious inventor who finds himself betrayed by his girlfriend and business associates who take over his life’s work. Hoping to live in a brighter future, he enters cold sleep and wakes up thirty years later in 2025. Finding his wealth completely dissolved and his company closed down, he traces down figures from the past in search of answers. The Japanese-language film essays as a thoughtful time travel story, offering a combination of romance and sci-fi with moving performances from the lead cast. You can see the movie here .

6. Still Time (2022)

Directed by Alessandro Aronadio, ‘Still Time’ is a poignant Italian comedy-drama about a workaholic man who finds his life skipping a year ahead every day. The film is based on Josh Lawson’s ‘Long Story Short.’ Dante barely makes time to spend with his friends and family, being late to his own fortieth birthday. Blowing out the candles, he makes a wish that causes him to begin leaping in time. From missing the birth of his baby to witnessing his relationships withering owing to overwork, each day makes him grieve the life slipping through his fingers.

‘Still Time’ stands out as a touching and thought-provoking time travel movie that encourages us to cherish each moment before it’s too late. The narrative depicts how everyday choices and habits can paint the picture of one’s life in the long term, offering a glimpse into the future without even requiring time travel. You can stream the movie here .

5. When We First Met (2018)

‘When We First Met’ narrates the story of a man going back in time to win the affection of the woman he loves in a delightful romantic comedy directed by Ari Sandel. Noah meets Avery, the girl of his dreams, but waits too long to make a move and is friend-zoned. After she marries someone else, he wishes for another chance and inadvertently travels back in time through a photo booth. Jumping with joy, Noah tries to woo Avery in a series of hilarious and ill-fated attempts, traveling back to the night they met repeatedly. With its humor, heart, and refreshing twists, ‘When We First Met’ offers a relatable and gratifying take on a time-tested formula. You can see the movie here .

4. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Helmed by Steve Pink, ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’ transports a group of washed-out friends to the 1980s, when they are tempted to change their lives and the timeline. Four friends suffering through various shades of disaster in their lives are sent to the past via a malfunctioning hot tub. At a bustling ski resort, they seek to relive their youth by immersing themselves in ‘80s culture while attempting to make better choices for the future.

The irreverent comedy doesn’t take itself or the concepts of time travel too seriously; instead, it uses its premise to go all out with silly references and hilarious sequences. Despite the zany humor, the characters gain unexpected depth and charm, making ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’ an easily recommendable lighthearted and raunchy adventure into the ‘80s. You can stream the movie here .

3. The Adam Project (2022)

Helmed by Shawn Levy, ‘ The Adam Project ’ narrates a humorous and action-packed time travel tale of a pilot from the future teaming up with his past self to save the world. Adam is a young boy grappling with the recent loss of his father while facing bullying at school. One day, he finds an injured pilot hiding in his shed, who is revealed to be his future self. On a secret mission, the older Adam (Ryan Reynolds) is being pursued by a powerful organization and seeks to save the future from it.

The interactions between the Adams are both heartwarming and hilarious, with the two bonding over their woes and sharing comparable mannerisms. Their futuristic pursuers attack with gunships, pulse weaponry, and “not lightsabers,” making for stylish chase and fight scenes. ‘The Adam Project’ is a solid sci-fi romp which accomplishes its goal of thorough entertainment with Ryan Reynolds delivering his signature charm. You can see the movie here .

2. Mirage (2018)

Originally titled ‘Durante la tormenta,’ ‘ Mirage ’ revolves around Vera Roy, a mother who finds that she is able to influence past events through her television set. With the old device and a peculiar thunderstorm overhead, she communicates with a boy living 25 years in the past and saves his life before he meets with a tragic accident. The intervention unknowingly alters the course of her own life, and she wakes up in a reality where her daughter never existed.

Vera must restore her timeline within 72 hours or be stuck in her new reality. Helmed by Oriol Paulo, the gripping Spanish thriller blends complex time travel with suspense and mystery, its post-Cold War setting creating a foreboding atmosphere. The well-written film manages to keep us in the dark with its twists and is further enhanced by stellar performances from the cast. You can stream the movie here .

1. Back to the Future (1985)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, ‘ Back to the Future ’ is a timeless classic when it comes to time travel films, transporting us to the ‘80s and ‘50s. The film follows the journey of Marty McFly, a teenager who accidentally travels back to 1955 in a DeLorean-turned-time machine invented by the eccentric Dr. Emmett Brown. There, he must ensure that his parents meet and fall in love to prevent his existence from being erased.

The lighthearted yet sophisticated comedy captures the imagination with clever writing and great special effects that hold up in the modern context as well. The film isn’t afraid to have fun through its time-traveling concepts, with Marty going through a number of awkward and comical scenarios during his iconic adventure. You can see the movie here .

Read More: Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix

SPONSORED LINKS

• Movie Explainers
• TV Explainers

Review: 'The Deliverance' is full of cliches and gets laughs, not scares

The Lee Daniels film stars Andra Day, Glenn Close and more.

It's no fun to hate-watch when talented people make terrible films. Such a specimen is "The Deliverance," an all-star, devil-made-me-do-it horror show now on Netflix with an overqualified cast, underfunded special effects, a sinkhole of a script and a nutso confidence in its own nonexistent profundity.

The creative force behind "The Deliverance" is Lee Daniels, deservedly Oscar nominated as best director for "Precious" and lauded for the hip-hop drama series "Empire." "The Paperboy," The Butler" and "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" are also on Daniels' resume, but "The Deliverance" stands alone as his first -- and hopefully last -- foray into the supernatural.

Review: 'Blink Twice' is a ticking time bomb of a movie that makes every second count

It's a blessed relief to report that Daniels initially holds back on the scare stuff in the campy, cumbersome screenplay by David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum. There is, however, a kernel of a socially aware Black family addiction drama in the story that should have been nourished.

The vivid, versatile Andra Day, who earned an Academy nod as the blues-singing Billie Holiday, takes the central role of Ebony, a recovering alcoholic and struggling mother raising three kids on her own while her husband is deployed in Iraq. Ebony is neglectful, even abusive, relying on drink and drugs to dull the financial and emotional pain of depending on scraps to raise teenaged Nate (Caleb McLaughlin of "Stranger Things"), Shante (Demi Singleton of "King Richard") and younger Andre (Anthony B. Jenkins).

Ebony leans on her formerly abusive white mother, Alberta (Glenn Close), who is now undergoing chemotherapy at a local hospital where her newfound Christianity does not stop her from hitting on Melvin, a Black nurse half her age played by Omar Epps.

Review: Clichés come fast in 'It Ends With Us'

Close, one of the best actors on the planet, is willing to go for broke in the role. Over-the-top Alberta wears a frightful wig to hide the tufts of hair still standing on her bald head, stuffing herself into tight blouses and winking lewdly at any passing hunk. But Alberta, ashamed as a parent, is determined to redeem herself with her grandkids, allowing Close to bring empathy and depth to a character that a lesser actor would reduce to a coarse cartoon.

The funny, ferocious byplay between this white mother and biracial daughter could have made for searing drama. But about 40 minutes in, Daniels sends in the hell hounds of demonic possession and the movie falls to cliched pieces.

The result is a scare flick that borrows from "The Exorcist" to the point of grand larceny. "The Deliverance" is very loosely based on a true story, but nothing about the subpar hauntings in "The Deliverance" feel remotely believable. Buzzing flies and creaking basement doors? Please!

Editor’s Picks

Review: Beauty can be an ugly business in 'Skincare,' a summer fun flick

Review: 'Alien: Romulus' is hard to resist

Review: 'Trap' quickly dives off the cliff from disappointment to disaster

The actors do their best to redeem the rank cliches they're handed. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, nominated for an Oscar for her role in "King Richard," brings strength and dignity to the role of Reverend Bernice, who performs the exorcism, er, the deliverance. And Mo'Nique, who won a supporting Oscar as the monster mom in "Precious," plays Cynthia, a social worker who finds it hard to believe that Satan is responsible for the bruises on the tender bodies of Ebony's children.

Who's the real villain here -- a demon who turns innocents into raging beasts, or an abusive parent who claims the devil is the culprit? Daniels lets that provocative question hang in the air while filling the screen with every cheap terror trick in the book. It's hard to be scared by a movie that makes it so easy to laugh it off the screen.

Popular Reads

Review: 'Strange Darling' is a gut-punch of a film

• Aug 30, 4:04 AM

Fisher-Price recalling over 366K dumbbell toys

• Aug 29, 5:42 PM

See Joan Vassos in new 'Golden Bachelorette' clip

• Aug 28, 7:12 PM

Easy recipes for a leisurely Labor Day

• Aug 30, 8:19 AM

Sarah Jessica Parker rewears iconic Chanel top

• Aug 29, 2:10 PM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events