I learned a new word today

I guess we are just starting out set-jetting. Going to be in England for three weeks this June, the first week in York to do as much All Creatures Great and Small touring we can do. I grew up reading the books and we are both loving the new tv series. Less directly planned was seeing locations in Hawaii where Lost was filmed.

I've never actually planned a trip destination because of a movie, book, or TV show, but when visiting countries that have been settings I have always incorporated some scene locations in my plans if feasible. I didn't go to Scotland because of Outlander series because it hadn't been filmed yet, but I had read some of the books and did seek out the Clava Cairns because I had read it was the author's inspiration for the standing stones. Likewise I had just read Under the Tuscan Sun shortly before my trip to Tuscany with a Minneaplis Institute of Arts group and was glad that we would be including Cortona on our tour.

Most, if not all, of my Europe traveling is likely in the past but if I was to go again I would probably include the Northumberland area of England for the Vera locations and also make it a point to get to the Shetlands because of that series.

I seek out tv and film locations when abroad, but have never planned a trip for that purpose.

On a recent trip to Paris, I surprised my wife with the location of the "Emily in Paris" apartment building and Gabriel's restaurant near the Pantheon...I didn't say a word, just let her recognize it, and she did, immediately.

In 2011 I stumbled upon a film location shoot in Paris, and later watched the movie (the final scene of "Safe House", great thriller starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, was filmed in Paris).

Great topic. Count us in!

We loved seeing Doc Martin's house and related settings when we visited Port Isaac as part of the South England RS tour. And we got chills having the Outlander song sung to us in a smoky hut when we visited Aberfeldy on the Best of Scotland tour.

On my own, I visited Quebec City, and went to as many places as possible that Louise Penny's Gamache visited while in QC in "Bury Your Dead."

Years ago, while visiting London with my sister, we took the train to Dover and snuck past the barricades at the castle (surely these "stay out" signs can't mean US!) where we quite by accident got to watch Helena Bonham Carter filming Lady Jane, until one of the crew shoo'd us out.

Very often, a great movie, TV show or book will give us our next travel destination.

Not that I specifically travel to visit filming locations, but it's hard to not notice that my interests in a site for its historic significance, often intersects with the location's attractiveness to the film industry.

Here at home Williamsburg has been a location for a number of productions and I occasionally talk to visitors asking about filming locations.

When it visited Iceland, where ever I went in kept hearing that "this is where they filmed Game of Thrones" or Flags of Our Fathers. I've still never watched GoT.

I don't think one can visit a city like London and somehow avoid visiting a filming location. It's fun to watch a British cop show or mystery and recognize the location where the scene takes place and know that I've been there. Then theres walking into an area and suddenly realizing that I recognize it from the a show l watched the week before. In 2017 I went down to Blackwall to visit East India Docks and Virginia Quay. A year later the location turned up in a a scene in the series London Kills.

I live near the Opera House in Budapest. Its also Andrassy ut and the W Hotel all great back drops for movies. Without exaggeration there is something being filmed once a month. One day I walk out to find all the signs had been turned to russian and this baby was parked in the street: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Moscow_Parad_2008_Ballist.jpg/1200px-Moscow_Parad_2008_Ballist.jpg Another day I walk out and all the signs are turned to French and 19th century French cops are walking up and down the street. Then there was the Zombie movie I may have accidently ended up in late one night.

the list on Wikipedia is a bit mind blowing and I doubt complete: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_shot_in_Budapest

EDIT: Just this second read that John Wick is in town. https://hungarytoday.hu/film-shooting-starts-in-budapest-starring-keanu-reeves/

Last summer I went on a small road trip between Soria and Burgos. I stopped at some castles and historic monasteries, etc, but there was only one place I ran into a crowd: Sad Hill Cemetery.

Sad Hill is where the final of The Good The Bad and the Ugly was filmed. It was also the most out of the way and difficult to get to place I visited, but the parking lot was full. Quite a few Germans. Due to the success of the cemetery, they have also just restored the Betterville prison set.

The Navarra Film Commision has a webpage of films shot Navarra. Mostly they are Spanish films, but there are some famous films like Patton, or Robin and Marion with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn.

When I was in fourth grade the school librarian read us The Trumpeter of Krakow and fifty+ years later we went to Krakow and it’s all her fault. On another trip, we visited Glastonbury Tor because it featured in a book my husband had read and it piqued his curiosity. Otherwise, no other such destination planning for us. But we have met set-jetters (thanks, Allan for giving it a name) in our travels. For many it seemed to me almost akin to what I’d imagine the experience of pilgrimage could be. We have met Harry Potter devotees and Midsomer Murder fans.
One day in Paris we took a rambling walk and kept seeing gobs of people at what looked like inconspicuous spots. Eventually I asked someone clustered among dozens of others milling about on a staircase and learned it featured in a scene from Midnight in Paris. All these folks seemed to be having a wonderful time.

Although I have not visited a spot specifically due to its connection with a movie, we do get a kick out of a place that coincidentally happens to be in a favorite movie, most recently with Ireland and a couple of location connected to Star Wars and The Banshees of Inisherin. I just read an article about a month ago where the owner of the brownstone lived in by Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and The City fame had to put up gates at the the bottom of the steps to prevent visiting fans from climbing the steps. They were becoming a bit of a nuisance.

Not Europe but the best ones: Hobbiton and the Queensland area of New Zealand. An ACGS trip is on my bucket list.

What a fun word. :)

I have never planned a whole trip around this but have definitely incorporated sites into my trip. New Zealand for Lord of the Rings - and loved Port Isaac for Doc Martin.

Isn’t this part of the problem that is often brought up? How would Dubrovnik be if people did not go for Game of Thrones. Extrapolate this to other sites. Is there a link between set jetting and people who travel to repeat instagram shots?
I am not talking about visiting Scotland as a country after watching Braveheart. I am talking specifically about “set” locations.

I just read an article about a month ago where the owner of the
brownstone lived in by Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and The City fame had to
put up gates at the the bottom of the steps to prevent visiting fans
from climbing the steps. They were becoming a bit of a nuisance.

I've read that it is a problem in Notting Hill in London as well.

I am not talking about visiting Scotland as a country after watching
Braveheart. I am talking specifically about “set” locations.

Scotland is an interesting example, but I'll use Outlander as an example instead of Braveheart. Unlike movies like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones which are strictly fantasy and people are visiting for the set locations, Outlander created a re-interest in Scottish history. That's where my wife and I fit in with some of our jet-setting. We dove into Scottish history. Same for our trip to England, we took a deep dive into the Dane Law period of pre-England.

Isn’t this part of the problem that is often brought up?

What exactly is the problem, and what part of it is set-jetting?

Ha! I love this word! I did not know I was a bit of a Set-Jetter but we have planned travel around shows/books. Specifically, Skellig Michael (Star Wars), Florence/Rome (Davinci Code), various locations for Bond movies, this crazy amusement park in Sydney that was featured on a 90's TV show. Bath for Jane Austen. NYC for Friends! Wow, my list is endless...

I'm loving reading everyone's Set-Jetting locations!

Spent a very pleasant fortnight in southern Sicily visiting locations from Inspector Montalbano. Absolutely wonderful architecture, beautiful small towns, lovely beaches etc, etc. And almost nobody else there in early May.

As a resident of the Isle of Skye in Scotland I am somewhat bemused that we get so many Outlanders visitors. It wasn't filmed here as far as I know but the Skye Boat Song in the theme music apparently convinces some that it was.....

Allan, I too love the name and think we have been outed. This summer we will spend a few days in London poking around some places we’ve enjoyed on a recent tv series before we go to Cornwall to stay near Port Isaac. I loved Denny’s comment about the Trumpeter of Krakow book and the emotion that it brings up, even 50 years after reading the book when you see the window. I was a children’s and YA librarian and many of our European trips have had these book come to life moments. Most often we are the last ones to leave a theater because the location credits are so near the bottom.

Having been a fan of the 60’s (?) Patrick McGoohan series ‘The Prisoner’ I was keen to visit ‘The Village’ which turned out to be Clough Ellis’s almost single handed recreation of a miniature Italianate village, Portmeirion, bizarrely situated in North Wales, where it was filmed. The first day trip we did made me extremely uneasy, but when we actually returned to stay there for a couple of days, because of The Prisoner’s connotations, it completely freaked me out! Lovely place and wonderful stay all the same though.

Be seeing you!

My 30 year career was securing and managing film and tv locations.

Two trips come to mind:

1.) one afternoon watching the late great Anthony Bourdain wander the streets of Havana I thought why him, why not me. Long story short at the invite of the film and tv school in San Antonio Cuba spent 2 weeks on the island in 2012. Such an intriguing country. Memorable trip. Will always recall being shocked by how clean the streets were. Dirt streets, paved streets, etc. Immaculate. No garbage anywhere.
2.) watching an episode of Inspector George Gently there was a scene of Gently and his cohort standing on a bridge above a river with a cathedral in the background. Later in the series Gently is shot inside that cathedral. With my location mind in gear I wondered where was the location and how the heck was permission granted to permit gunfire in a cathedral? Researched.
The answer was Durham Cathedral so I contacted the local film liason and arranged for a meet up. Even wrote an article for our guild’s magazine. Flew to London then a train to Durham. Stayed in a BnB.

Retired now but on my travel excursions still look at sites with a Location Manager/Scouts eye. Always bemused as I often wondered where would the 40’ semi’s and the porta potties go.

On my 2024 London trip Lol’d when I looked out my accommodation’s window spied a production being filmed in the open space across from my lodging.
Had to check it out. Was a Burberry commercial.

Nice chat with my counterpart who inquired “ you wanna help?” I politely said “ No thank you,” and walked away.

If any of you visit the Land of La and desire to know where Jonny Tran in 2001’s The Fast and The Furious met his demise let me know. That or if you are followers LAPD Homicide Detective Harry Bosch from the Amazon Prime series wanted to visit locations ….

While working I always had the frame of mind that the locations I found added context to the visual storylines. My cohorts and I provided the canvasses.

Lastly, I’ll never watch the film La La Land. Why? Because the director publicly thanked his first AD for his work in closing down an LA freeway for filming.
Trust me the first AD had nothing to do with that closure. That was negotiated, secured and paid for out of the Location’s Department budget.

I just saw two episodes of House Hunters International featuring Koh Samui, Thailand. One filmed prior to the news of HBOs The White Lotus season 3 being filmed there, and one just after the filming wrapped (season 3 airs this weekend). They played it up BIG TIME in the newer episode with comments on the home seekers being "super fans". I figured it was more product placement by HBO as they carry HHI on HBO.

In any case, it really has no impact on me wanting to visit a place. Watching the various shows does make notice places that normally would be off my radar, but actually visiting specific buildings or beaches or restaurants shown in a show is not something I get the urge to do from a seeing the show. If anything, a restaurant made famous by a TV show or movie usually gets avoided by me. I go to enough of the "tourist hotspots" on vacation, I don't need to add ones that are simply based on a brief glimpse in a show vs actually relevant to a place (Colosseum, Eiffel Tower, Sagrada Familia, etc).

Rare exceptions might be something like Downton Abbey but that would definitely be the exception. Broader areas - like Sicily from White Lotus s2 or Atrani, Italy from Talented Mr Ripley - definitely get showcased in a good light and like ideas from a traditional travel show (like RS Europe), I am drawn to considering them for a vacation visit.

Growing up near LA, you know much of what is portrayed can be smoke and mirrors. The location is portrayed as one place, yet it's really something else. My son used to live walking distance to "Phil & Claire's" house in Modern Family, and it's such a nice neighborhood and my sister lives around the corner from the house in the Bird Box starring Sandra Bullock. I used to work for a hotel in a charming LA suburb where we had lots of movies being filmed. So, I don't necessarily find it all magical and worth chasing...

Yet, I do think the first time I experienced a desire to go seek adventure travel was when as a 6th grader our teacher read us "The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler." I thought seeing The Metropolitan Museum of Art might be pretty amazing. And sure enough, as a grown up it sure was! The crazy unplanned thing about it was we happened to go the day before the Met Gala which is held on a Monday. So we visited on a crowded Sunday. There were a few rooms closed off, but it seemed business as usual. Yet as we were leaving we were in the lobby surrounded by throngs of people. For some unknown reason my husband turned around, then said, "who is that?" Off in quite a distance, there hiding in plain site, writing frantically in a notebook wearing obviously expensive clothes and sunglasses was Anna Wintour herself. There were a thousand people walking by her unknowing; as she leaned against the lobby desk. As I looked right at her, she looked up and right up at me; how did she feel my eyes on her from so far away? But even behind those glasses we looked at each other. Then she looked back down; and I thought, wow this is a bonus chapter to my childhood book!

Also, while watching Downton Abbey in it's hey day, I was "get me there pronto" and it did not disappoint. We rented a BMW to drive out there from London; and for some reason you could pretty much park your car at the front door, and we were about the only car there when we arrived so I have a great photo of my then teenagers in the car in front of "Downton Abbey." So yes I set-jet myself to the Crowley's!

I don't visit Paris as a set jetter, but have definitely checked out Midnight in Paris scenes and Emily in Paris' neighborhood since I was already there!

My son used to live walking distance to "Phil & Claire's" house in
Modern Family,

Not that I'd make a specific trip to LA out of it, but I always thought it would be fun to drive by the Brady House. The other LA location I want to walk by is Bronson Cave in Griffith Park. https://youtu.be/b5xt2z07ebk?feature=shared

Allan you do know that the Bronson Cave is where Tonto found a wounded Texas Marshal who became The Lone Ranger?

Clayton Moore was my first crush!!!

It’s also known as being the entrance to the Bat Cave for the 1960’s Batman series.

Word is due to instability the Cave is now inaccessible

Tomorrow think I’ll check to see if that's true.

We did Tunisia a few years back and stayed at the hotel that was used as the Lars Homestead in Star Wars. It was definitely a factor in how we planned our route.

If we’re passing near a filming location we’re aware of, we’ll stop, like Notting Hill, Leadenhall market, Sad Hill Cemetery. We’ve stumbled upon a couple locations we didn’t know were locations until we got there; like Doune and Trim Castles, and Monsanto in Portugal.

One trip was loosely planned out based on set locations along with other locations. We planned our 2017 Spain trip around locations from the movies “The Way” and “Ocho Apellidos Vascos/Spanish Affair.”

We took the train to Paris for a Pink Martini concert at Le Grand Rex a few years ago and found ourselves in the neighborhood of Le Panthéon one evening. Couldn't resist moseying over to Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont to sit on the steps Gil from Midnight in Paris rested on before being coaxed to climb into the old, smoke-spewing Peugeot that took him to 1920s Paris.

I'm pretty much out of touch with modern pop culture, but I know that movie and I know that location.

Allan, We're likely the same vintage since were both Brady Bunch fans. The house in North Hollywood became more Brady looking after HGTV bought it for their show. But, here is the million dollar question that I have never heard anyone comment on ever...
in the show when you walked in the front door the stairs were on the right side of the house near Mike's office. Why oh why has nobody ever mentioned that the Brady House in No Hollywood used for outside shots...the second story is on the left side of the house. When you're in LA, check it out! Just for nostalgia's sake!

Hmmm...ok maybe I'll dream up another set jet place to go to now!