SOMETIMES THE BEST way to experience a destination you haven’t been to is to watch a movie that takes place there.
From the Lord of the Rings movies, which were filmed in New Zealand to Into the Wild, which was shot in Alaska, here are 15 movies that will make you want to travel all over the world.
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Based on the novel by JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring takes place in a fantasy world filled with hobbits and dark lords.
This movie, along with the others in the series, has inspired much travel to New Zealand.
Slumdog Millionaire
Featuring a teen who grew up in India’s slums and then makes it on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the film shows India in its true form: overcrowded and poverty-stricken, but beautiful.
It’s sure to spark some curiosity in avid travellers who have never been. The movie was filmed mostly in the cities of Agra and Mumbai.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The classic western is about two bank robbers who travel to Bolivia to escape the law.
Although the movie was actually filmed mainly in the Western US and not in Bolivia, the movie’s scenery is still beautiful. Filming locations include California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Mexico.
Roman Holiday
A classic black and white film featuring a young and elegant Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday shows 1950s Rome through the eyes of a sheltered princess and the American man she falls in love with.
The movie was filmed in a variety of iconic landmarks throughout the city.
Thelma & Louise
Thelma & Louise is the feel-good story of two friends who decide to abandon their boring lives for an adventure-packed road trip in a classic ’66 Thunderbird.
Filming locations include Utah, California, and Colorado.
Amélie
“Amélie” chronicles a young naive girl’s life in Paris as she helps others around her and falls in love.
The movie is somewhat bizarre, but offers stunning views of Paris, where it was mainly filmed, along with Cologne, Germany
Into the Wild
Into the Wild is the true story of a top student and athlete who gives up everything after his college graduation in favor of hitchhiking to Alaska and surviving in the wilderness.
The movie was filmed throughout the United States: Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and South Dakota.
The Darjeeling Limited
Three brothers decide to take a train trip through India in hopes of reconnecting with each other a year after their father’s funeral.
Plenty of entertaining things happen during their travels through Osian, Udaipur, and Jodhpur, the Indian cities where the movie was filmed.
Manhattan
Woody Allen plays a divorced writer in Manhattan who is dating a girl 25 years his senior and who falls in love with the mistress of one of his closest friends.
The movie was filmed all over Manhattan.
The Descendants
Yes, the premise of The Descendants is sad — a father trying to raise his two daughters as his wife dies — but the movie is filmed in a gorgeous place: Hawaii (specifically in Hanalei, Honolulu, and Kaua’i).
Out of Africa
The film is a love story s between a baroness/plantation owner and a hunter. It was shot in Kenya and England.
The wide open plains and big game animals will make you want to book your next safari.
Easy Rider
Easy Rider features a classic road trip across America: from Los Angeles to New Orleans.
The movie was filmed among the desert and red rocks of the Western US, with some scenes in the south. Filming locations include New Mexico, California, Utah, Arizona and Louisiana.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is all about a heated love triangle that occurs between a painter, his ex-wife and two friends spending the summer in Spain.
You’ll not only be intrigued by the plot, but also the idyllic Spanish countryside. The movie was filmed in Barcelona, Oviedo and Aviles.
Wild
The film focuses on one woman’s journey as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone after the failure of her marriage and the death of her mother.
The movie’s scenery would make any hiker drool. It was filmed mostly in Oregon (Crater Lake National Park, Ashland, and Bend) as well as Vancouver, Washington.
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a classic that was made in the ’60s but set in 1930s Austria. It’s the story of a woman who instead of becoming a nun, leaves her convent and becomes a nanny for the children of a naval officer who is also a widow.
It was filmed mostly in Salzburg in Austria, where tourists can still take a tour inspired by the movie.
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