22 Top Travel Films to Inspire Your Wanderlust

This has been one of the most fun blog posts to write so far. My “research” involved asking friends, family, and followers for their recommendations on movies that inspire wanderlust, and then proceeding to watch every movie on that list. I have included movies across a range of genres, with settings scattered all around the world. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your next trip, or simply need a little escape from the daily routine, I hope that this list of 25 travel films will include a little something for everyone.

1. About Time

FILMED IN ENGLAND

One of my favourite travel films of all time, but don’t let that sway you. About Time is a a rom-com about a young English bloke who discovers he can time travel and uses this power to win over the love of his life. Both heartwarming and hilarious, About Time is filmed partly in London and partly in Cornwall, featuring some stunning shots of the south Cornish coastline.

2. Lion

FILMED IN INDIA AND AUSTRALIA

Get the tissues ready. Lion is a true story that follows a young boy named Saroo, who is separated from his family at just five years old. He is adopted by an Australian couple, but he finds himself returning to India 25 years later to search for his birth mother and family. The movie follows a magnificent storyline, with an impressive cast including Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. It also features incredible scenery from Ganesh Talai and Kolkata (India), as well as Melbourne and Tasmania (Australia).

3. The Grand Budapest Hotel

FILMED IN GERMANY

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a comedic drama that follows a concierge who has been wrongly accused of murder. The hotel is based in a fictional country, the Republic of Zubrowka. Director Wes Anderson shared in an NPR interview that Zubrowka was inspired by the city of Prague, but the movie is actually filmed in Germany. Much of the movie is filmed in a small German town called Görlitz, which won the EUFCN Location Award in 2017. With his distinct and eccentric style, Wes Anderson pulls you into his story and exposes you to the wonderful Grand Budapest Hotel.

4. Under the Tuscan Sun

FILMED IN ITALY

An American writer, while going through a rocky divorce, decides to escape on a 10-day holiday to Tuscany. While in Italy, she impulsively buys a villa and spends the rest of the movie fixing up the house, meeting locals, and falling in love. Under the Tuscan Sun might not be an Oscar-worthy film, but it will definitely have you blissfully dreaming about a life in the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside.

5. In Bruges

FILMED IN BELGIUM

A comedic thriller, In Bruges follows two hitmen attempting to lay low in Belgium after a botched mission. I won’t give away the ending, but let’s just say it is worth hanging around for. As the title eludes, the film is set in the charming streets of Bruges. Think scenes of ethereal canals and medieval, cobblestoned market squares. Dreamy sites to say the least.

6. The Talented Mr. Ripley

FILMED IN ITALY

This psychological thriller will keep you on your toes while dazzling you with scenes of destinations across Italy. Tom goes to the fictional town of Mongibello to convince Dickie to return home to New York. In the process, he falls in love with Dickie’s lavish lifestyle, so much so that he begins emulating Dickie himself. The Talented Mr. Ripley takes viewers on adventures from the cliffs of Positano, to the islands near Naples, to the iconic cities of Rome and Venice. This film will have you struggling to decide which Italian city to visit first.

7. Hunt for the Wilderpeople

FILMED IN NEW ZEALAND

Absolutely hilarious. Hunt for the Wilderpeople follows a troubled young teen and his foster father, who are both on the run in the New Zealand wilderness. This film by Taika Waititi, who is from New Zealand and also directed Jojo Rabbit, will leave you bursting with laughter and longing to hike Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges.

8. Eat, Pray, Love

FILMED IN ITALY, INDIA, AND INDONESIA

Basic? Perhaps. But let’s be honest, this one is too good not to include. The film is based on the memoir of author Elizabeth Gilbert’s travels, as she seeks to find herself after a tough divorce. Eat, Pray, Love leads viewers through the romantic and vivacious streets of Rome and Naples (Italy), the bustling yet holy corners of Delhi and Pataudi (India), and the serene, scenic island of Bali (Indonesia).

9. Midnight in Paris

FILMED IN FRANCE

Owen Wilson plays a screenwriter and novelist who is on holiday in Paris with his fiancee, Rachel McAdams. When exploring the city alone at night, he is transported back in time to 1920s Paris, and he finds himself crossing paths with the likes of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. While not terribly hard to do, Midnight in Paris shows viewers just how romantic and picturesque the city of lights truly is.

10. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

FILMED IN SPAIN

Two Americans, Vicky and Cristina, travel to Barcelona for a summer holiday. At an art gallery, they meet a painter who invites them to his rural home for a weekend of scenic views, good food, and great sex. Things get even more spicy when his ex-lover shows up. Vicky Cristina Barcelona brings to life the sultry Spanish summer that many of us can only dream of.

11. Call Me By Your Name

FILMED IN ITALY

A coming-of-age romance for the decade. Elio is spending the summer with his family at their home in Lombardy, when he meets a doctorate student named Oliver. Oliver is staying with them for the summer, while working as an intern for Elio’s father. Call Me By Your Name follows Elio and Oliver’s unexpected love story. The film will have you reminiscing on what it was like to be young and in love, and it will leave you wishing for your own idyllic summer home in Northern Italy.

12. Chef

FILMED IN USA

Jon Favreau plays Chef Carl Casper, who trades in his job as head chef of a fancy restaurant to open his own food truck. He uses travels across America to rediscover his passion for cooking, stopping in food capitals such as Los Angeles, New Orleans, Austin, and ultimately Miami. Chef is a feel-good movie that exemplifies one of my favourite aspects of traveling, discovering the soul of a city through its unique food and drink culture.

13. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

FILMED IN USA, CANADA, CAMBODIA AND INDIA

Based on the 1922 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is about an orphan who is born as an elderly man, but ages in reverse. The movie is filmed mostly in New Orleans, but it also follows Benjamin to beautiful parts of the world, such as Paris (which is actually filmed in Montreal), Cambodia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and India.

14. Crazy Rich Asians

FILMED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

This modern day rom-com follows Rachel and her boyfriend Nick, as they travel to Singapore to meet his family. To Rachel’s surprise, Nick is a member of one of the richest families in Singapore. Crazy Rich Asians is a light-hearted, feel-good film that features jaw-dropping exotic scenes across Malaysia and Singapore. Perfect for some travel inspiration as you lay on the couch all Sunday.

15. Out of Africa

FILMED IN AFRICA

A 1985 classic, this film won seven Academy Awards. Although a bit dated, the cinematography of Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve are just as impressive today. Out of Africa follows lead actress Meryl Streep in her journey to Kenya to start a coffee plantation. I will admit, the plot line isn’t overly thrilling, however the sweeping shots of The Mara’s savannah will have you planning your safari escape to Kenya in no time.

16. Into the Wild

FILMED ACROSS THE USA

This biographical drama is based on Christopher McCandless, a young man who graduates from college and sells all of his possessions to hitchhike across the United States of America. He ultimately ends up in the Alaskan wilderness, where he sets up camp and lives in the wild. Into the Wild is one of those movies that is sure to leave a lasting impression on the viewer. Between the riveting story line and the scenic road trip views across North America, this travel film is one you will not soon forget.

17. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

FILMED IN HAWAII

With a cast including Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Russell Brand, and Paul Rudd, it is almost impossible for this movie to not be side-splittingly hilarious. Our main character, Peter Bretter, breaks up with his girlfriend, Sarah Marshall, and escapes on a holiday to Hawaii in an effort to forget her. To his dismay, he finds out she has checked into the same hotel with her new beau. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is not only one of the best comedy travel films out there, it features enticing shots across the island of Oahu.

18. The Motorcycle Diaries

FILMED ACROSS SOUTH AMERICA

Ernesto Guevara is known by many of us today as the Argentine Marxist revolutionary and guerilla leader, Che Guevara. This movie follows a young Che, as he sets out on a road trip across South America with his best friend Alberto Granado. The Motorcycle Diaries brings you on their journey of discovering themselves, as well as the magnificent, natural beauty of a South American road trip.

19. A Bigger Splash

FILMED IN ITALY

A rockstar and her boyfriend are holidaying on the Sicillian island of Pantelleria when her ex boyfriend and his sultry teenage daughter show up for a surprise visit. What starts as a rom-com quickly turns to a thriller in the end. A travel film by Luca Guadagnino, who also directed Call Me By Your Name, A Bigger Splash has a whimsical feel to it that instantly transports you to the rocky cliffsides of Pantelleria.

20. The Proposal

FILMED IN ALASKA

Margaret, a ball-busting New York editor, faces imminent deportation back to Canada. To avoid being sent home, she blackmails her assistant Andrew into marrying her, which leads them to returning to his hometown in Alaska. The Proposal is hilarious, light-hearted, and will have you realising by the end that Alaska might soon reach the top of your travel list.

21. 50 First Dates

FILMED IN HAWAII

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore are a match made in cinematic heaven in 50 First Dates. The film follows a veterinarian named Harry, who falls in love with a young women named Lucy who suffers short-term memory loss. Each day represents a new opportunity for Harry to convince Lucy of their romantic feelings towards one another. Set in dreamy locations across the island of Oahu and the North Shore of Hawaii, I found myself wishing I could also relive their first dates over and over again.

22. Pride and Prejudice

FILMED IN ENGLAND

The original Bridgerton, Pride and Prejudice is a classic based on Jane Austen’s 1813 novel. Starring Keira Knightly, the film follows five sisters in their quest for love and the need to overcome pride and prejudice for it. Featuring beautiful shots of lavish estates and quaint English countrysides, this travel film instantly transports you to 19th century England.

Travel Movies on Netflix

Although their offerings are constantly changing, below are the travel films from the list that can be found on Netflix. Majority of the other movies provided on the list can be found on Amazon Prime for free with a membership or for a small rental fee.

Conclusion to Our Top Travel Films

I truly hope you enjoyed this compilation of our top travel films. No matter which movie you choose, I can confidently say that any one from this list will transport you to an exotic destination and leave you excited to plan your next adventure. Is there a wanderlust movie we may have missed? Let us know in the comments below!