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The best films don’t only entertain; they offer the ultimate escape. By immersing us in vibrant cultures and exotic locales, they can transport us anywhere in the world, giving us a taste of travel when we can’t head off ourselves.
From comedies set on bustling city streets to untouched natural landscapes doubling as fantasy worlds, cinema can also inspire our real-life travels and remind us why we explore in the first place.
So, if you’re planning your next movie night and want something truly transportive, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ve pulled together 17 films to spark your wanderlust, whether you’re looking for travel inspiration or want to embark on an adventure from your sofa.
1. Roman Holiday (1953)
Shot almost entirely on location (quite a rarity at the time), this classic rom-com centres on Joe (Gregory Peck), an American newsman living in Rome. Hijinks and romance ensue when he meets a runaway princess (Audrey Hepburn), who’s eager to escape her suffocating regal responsibilities for a night and explore the Eternal City.
Roman Holiday launched Audrey Hepburn into stardom in 1953, earning her an Oscar win. Yet, as audiences fell in love with the fresh-faced starlet, they were equally wooed by the cobbled streets and ancient architecture of the Italian capital.
2. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is writer-director Taika Waititi at his zany and heart-warming best. What’s more, this offbeat odyssey is filled with so many lush shots of the New Zealand countryside that we dare you not to add it to your travel bucket list after watching.
It follows Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), a ‘problem child’ from the city, who absconds into the wilderness with his reluctant foster father (Sam Neil), sparking a nationwide manhunt.
3. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Director Anthony Minghella has a knack for stirring our wanderlust. His sweeping shots of the Egyptian desert in The English Patient could inspire even the most travel-averse viewers. And later, with The Talented Mr. Ripley, he turned his camera to Amalfi’s sun-kissed shores to even greater effect.
Based on the Patricia Highsmith novel of the same name, the film follows psychopathic conman Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) to Italy to retrieve the errant son of a wealthy magnate. But when Ripley becomes obsessed with his target and his luxe lifestyle, things turn sinister.
This story of murder and deception was also adapted into a Netflix miniseries in 2024. You can read our review here.
4. Romancing the Stone (1984)
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner star in this comedy-adventure. A romantic thriller writer (Turner) teams up with a rugged mercenary (Douglas) to save her kidnapped sister from villains seeking an emerald jewel in the steamy Colombian jungle.
One of the few Raiders of the Lost Ark-inspired flicks of the ’80s that hit the mark, Romancing the Stone makes for enjoyable, lighthearted escapism, and might inspire your own romantic adventure to the tropics.
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Ang Lee’s celebrated action-romance Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon introduced many Western viewers to wuxia, a Chinese genre of martial arts stories featuring swords, sorcery, and chivalrous heroes.
Set in the 19th century, Crouching Tiger tells the tale of a young Chinese noblewoman who steals a sword from a legendary warrior. Between fantastical fight scenes, cinematographer Peter Pau captures China’s allure better than any travel brochure – from its lantern-lit streets to its temple-topped mountains.
6. Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Seventeen-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) lives a picturesque life with his family in rural Italy, filled with sunbathing, volleyball games, and leisurely al-fresco meals. But when Oliver (Armie Hammer), his academic father’s dashing student, comes to stay, Elio has to grapple with new feelings of love and desire.
This gorgeous coming-of-age story is set over a single sultry summer in Italy’s Lombardy region.
7. Lost in Translation (2003)
Two lost souls form an unlikely bond in the bustling streets and low-lit bars of the Japanese capital. This wistful tale of connection is still hailed by many as Sofia Coppola’s best film. The knock-out performances from Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are only overshadowed by Tokyo’s magical ambience.
8. To Catch a Thief (1955)
Hollywood has always associated the French Riviera with splendour, and never more so than in Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief.
In this classic romantic thriller, a retired cat burglar (Cary Grant) is suspected of a robbery spree along the Côte d’Azur. To clear his name, he sets about finding the real culprit, stumbling across a restless heiress played by the Princess of Monaco herself, Grace Kelly.
9. Y tu mamá también (2002)
Two hormone-fuelled teens (Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal) embark on a road trip across Mexico with a seductive older woman (Maribel Verdú) in search of a mythical beach. As the boys confront their impending manhood, viewers come face-to-face with stunning Mexican landscapes, as well as the intense poverty that plagues them.
In 2002, a time when soulless, raunchy road trip movies were the norm, audiences welcomed this artful and thoughtful piece as a breath of fresh air.
10. A Room With a View (1986)
In this adaptation of E.M. Forster’s famous novel, young Englishwoman Lucy (Helena Bonham-Carter) is travelling through Italy with her chaperone (Maggie Smith) when she meets the passionate and free-spirited George (Julian Sands).
Lucy and George’s burgeoning romance is interrupted when she returns to England and gets engaged to the priggish and pretentious Cecil (Daniel Day-Lewis). However, when George reappears, she’s forced to decide what she really wants.
Set between the Renaissance streets of Florence and the glorious English countryside, A Room With a View boasts a 100% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.
11. Mamma Mia! (2008)
Mamma Mia! is the ultimate feel-good film for many. Not only is it lighthearted and stuffed full of ABBA sing-alongs, but it’s also set amongst the gorgeous scenery of the Greek Islands.
Amanda Seyfried stars as Sophie, a spirited young woman about to get married at her mother’s hotel. Sophie’s mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), raised her alone, but Sophie wants to discover her father’s identity so he can walk her down the aisle. With this in mind, she devises a plan and invites three men from her mother’s past to the celebrations.
12. The Endless Summer (1966)
In this classic documentary, filmmaker Bruce Brown follows two surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave. The trio travels from the sunny state of California to Hawaii, Australia, South Africa, and other picturesque shores.
You don’t need to know anything about surfing to enjoy The Endless Summer. As NPR’s Ian Buckwalter writes, it “taps into the wanderlust that sends us to far-flung beaches in search of an escape from life that we can’t find at home.”
13. Midsommar (2019)
From gloomy, hill-top castles to moon-lit city streets, most horror film settings don’t inspire us to travel. However, 2019’s folk-horror flick Midsommar bucks the trend, featuring bucolic wildflower meadows and sparkling lakes aplomb.
The film centres on Dani (Florence Pugh), a haunted young woman who, following a family tragedy, visits a rural Scandinavian community during their sacred ‘midsommar’ ceremony. What, at first, seems like an idyllic festival – full of flower crowns and maypole dancing – eventually turns into a violent nightmare.
14. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
The Australian Outback has a bewitching beauty unlike anywhere else in the world. Here, rust-red sands are punctuated by lime tufts of grass and twisting eucalyptus trees – and staggering rock formations loom against piercing blue skies.
This is the setting for the 1994 cult classic comedy: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Full of humour and tenderness, it follows two drag queens and a trans woman on a road trip from Sydney to Alice Springs.
15. Two for the Road (1967)
While on a trip to the South of France to visit one of his wealthy clients, architect Mark (Albert Finney) and his wife, Joanna (Audrey Hepburn), look back on their 10 years of marriage.
Through a series of flashbacks, we witness how they met, their travels through the French countryside, and the circumstances that threaten to tear them apart.
16. Sideways (2004)
Jack (Thomas Haden Church) is engaged. But before tying the knot, he sets off on a wine country trip with his amateur sommelier friend Miles (Paul Giamatti). Both men are disappointed with how their lives have turned out, and tensions arise when they meet two women (Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh).
Sideways is a comic and compelling tale of midlife angst, set against the luxurious backdrop of California’s rolling, sun-lit vineyards.
17. Midnight in Paris (2011)
Woody Allen’s fantasy comedy follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a disillusioned screenwriter with an interest in the Lost Generation of 1920, visiting Paris with his fiancée (Rachel McAdams). One night, on a midnight stroll, Gil finds himself transported back in time, coming face-to-face with some of his heroes, such as Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein.
Night after night, Gil travels back to the 1920s, an experience that forces him to confront his dissatisfaction with his life in the present. Midnight in Paris is a great movie night pick for those interested in cultural history.
Final thoughts…
From the narrow alleyways and vibrant trattorias of Rome to the tumbling waterfalls and chattering jungles of Colombia, cinema can transport us far beyond the screen.
And whether you’re dreaming of Greece’s sparkling seas or the Australian Outback’s rugged rock formations, this list hopefully shows that there’s a film out there to inspire every kind of traveller.
For more movie-inspired travel ideas, check out our articles: 25 great travel films that will take you on an adventure and As seen on screen – 11 travel destinations inspired by film and TV.
What films spark your wanderlust? Have we missed any from our list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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