Travel Movies

Check out the first episode of The Romanovs on Amazon.
Trip to Spain on Netflix.
Roma on Netflix. It's masterpiece and lead the Oscar nominations for good reason!

“A Month by the Lake” filmed on Lake Como. Amazon Prime for fee.

On Her Majesty's Service [Bond, James Bond], showcases many Swiss sights, and it's so old, it's fun to watch.
The Mission Impossible movies are also set in great locations.

I'm in CA, also, and I'm ready to build an arc! Good luck!

Suki,
I just looked up A Month by the Lake, and the summary looks great. I'm going to watch that today!

If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belgium...Yes it's old and plays into all of the ugly American stereotypes of the 1960's and 70's. bt it's good for a laugh and tours havnt really changed all that much...doubt you'll find it on Netflix.

Roman Holiday 1953 with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn a fun romance in Rome, a princess, a prince and a Frog...

And one of the greatest all time movies in my opinion and the best "Trip goes to Hell" movies...Night Of The Iguana with Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Debra Kerr and more written by Tennessee Williams. A disgraced preacher (Burton) takes to leading cheapo religious tours in Mexico where he has a total breakdown at a small hotel run by Ava Gardner. This is the movie that made Puerto Vallarta. Also the adult themes dealt with in this 1964 movie are eye opening.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert...Just watch it and laugh. To give you a clue Terence Stamp yeaa THAT Superman bad Guy plays a Drag Queen...not to be missed. A great and eye opening trip around Australia. And the most unusual tribute to ABBA one can imagine.

Oh theres more...no shortage of travel movies out there....Uh did I mention Death in Venice? A Room With A View?

A Good Year written by Peter Mayle, produced and directed by Ridley Scott. Delightful film shot mostly in Provence and London. We visited most of the location sites when in France and if you’ve traveled in Provence you’ll recognize a few.

The Trip (Steve Coogan, Rob Bryden) has some very funny moments. It has 2 or 3 sequels, good but not up to par with the original.

Shirley Valentine

Tea with Mussolini

The Captain's Paradise

The Talented Mr Ripley

Pushing the boat, Local Hero

Pushing the boat further, The Matador with Pierce Brosnan, an underatted film and performance.

Does The Third Man count?

"Long Way Round" is on the free tubi streaming service and a delightful documentary travel series with Ewan MacGregor, his trsutafarian pal Charley, and Claudio the vaguely competent camera guy. Lots of fun and a chance to see some rather off the radar spots in the former USSR

A Year in Provence: an old UK series about a couple who retires to France, based on books by the great Peter Mayle.

Tea With Mussolini.

Rome: an older HBO series.

The Medicis of Florence. On Netflix. Series 1 is great, series 2 is just bewildering.

I'd forgotten about A Month By The Lake. That is a good movie!

A few other thoughts....

• the Bourne movies have lots of European scenes
• The International has good scenes of Italy and Turkey
• as mentioned earlier, On Her Majesty's Secret Service for scenes of Switzerland. It's a bit dated but still fun to watch.
• of course, we mustn't forget all the Rick Steves videos. I don't know about Netflix or Amazon, but many complete shows are available on YouTube.
• these are probably not on Netflix, but I always enjoy this video series - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZj7JGbp3jA . The series covers most countries in Europe.

Thanks for starting this thread, I have some great ideas on what to watch next.

My recommendation isn’t a movie, but a delightful food/travelogue series, Someone Feed Phil on NetFlix. Phil Rosehthal, writer/producer is best known for the sitcom Everyone Loves Raymond visits cities all over the world with a good representation in Europe.

The other recommendation for Europe with a food orientation is Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. One of my favorite food series ever. Chef and cookbook author, Samin Nosrat, takes you on a tour of 4 foundational cooking techniques. The first episode, FAT, is filmed in Northern Italy and takes you behind the scenes of the Slow Food Movement. You see beautiful farms and villages and get to learn new cooking techniques along the way.

Sandy

We just finished watching in On her Magesties Secret Service, 007 movie from the late 60s of the Schlithorn. Was planning our week in Switzerland today, so good movie with a bottle of Italan wine!

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

The Sound of Music! Wonderful acting and beautiful scenery. My second choice for the younger individuals, A Map For Saturday.

The Ninth Gate takes you to Portugal and France.

Bread and Tulips - great flick about a woman who gets left behind while on a trip with her ungrateful family, hitches a ride to Venice, and builds a life there...temporarily. One of my all-time faves!
I also love Enchanted April - set in Portofino, Italy. Four strangers rent a villa together to get away from their lives in London. Another one I watch every so often.
A really good one is Paris Je 'taime. It's a string of short films made by different film makers. Each film is about each of the arrondissements of Paris. It's really good!

I loved Bread and Tulips too!

Another couple, Band of Brothers and Monuments men for WW II history buffs. We stopped in Bastogne for a couple nights, and afterwards, had to watch Band of Brothers again. CDs Made the cut for Italy.

When I was young my parents took us to see the original "Around the World in 80 Days", I think David Niven was in it.

I told them later that I wanted to go to those places, they just smiled and said ok.

Hubby and I lived in Okinawa, Japan for 4 years and traveled all over Asia. it was great!
We have been all over Europe and what some people call Eastern Europe.

I'm so glad I saw that movie.

Underlining Selkie's rec of "Long Way 'Round"! So good. And, there was a follow up called "Long Way Down". Ewan McGregor and Charlie ride from Scotland to Cape Town. Hilarious, immersive, poignant. Better than the Steve Coogan films, which I have enjoyed.

For an epic that builds slowly, but stay with you for years!: the 6 hour Italian "The Best of Youth". Im due to re-watch that

And of course Call Me by Your Name. Sigh

SandyO the movie FAT is costing us $$$ this summer. Our granddaughters saw that episode and got the biggest desire to travel to Italy and take cooking classes so we are getting to fulfill one of our travel dreams this summer. Can’t wait! Travel movies can lead to some wonderful memories I hope.

French Kiss (Meg Ryan & Kevin Kline) Paris, Provence, Cannes

If you are interested in the Camino de Santiago, The Way, with Emilio Estevez and Martin Sheen is outstanding. It was on Amazon Prime. For northern Spain, Spanish Affair 1 and 2 (1 is better) (Netflix) has some good scenes in the Zumaia and Getaria area. The beginning of the movie was filmed in Sevilla.

My favorite: Only You 1994 romantic comedy staring Robert Downey, Jr and Marisa Tomei. Great shots of Italy from Venice to Positano.

So many good suggestions here. Bread and Tulips is one of my favorites right up there with Enchanted April. Just ordered A Month by the Lake from the library.

Note, Bread and Tulips is with subtitles so you have to actually watch it. But I have seen it so many times, I can tell what is going on with my back to the TV.

Don't forget Summertime. Hmmm, Wings of the Dove?

Loved Tea with Mussolini, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Bread and Tulips. Also Pranzo di Ferragosto (Mid-August Lunch.) Don't forget Life is Beautiful, although that's not exactly a travel movie. Neither is Pranzo, for that matter, but what the hell.

Hi,

Here's some older lists that have LOTS of travel movies listed:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/movies-to-get-in-the-mood-31381307-e8a5-4798-92f8-2d3228b5ecec

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/european-movies-40-part-2-41

Have fun!!!!

:)

The answer is always The Third Man.

Here's an interesting travel film from Spain, Welcome Mr. Marshall!. It humorously deals with Spanish and American cultural relationships and expectations. The premise revolves around a small town in Castilla in Spain, who hear some Americans will be visiting so they "pretend" to be Andalucians for a week. The villagers think that this is the Spanish cultural stereotype that Americans like most, so it will be more profitable for them. It does not go the way they think, to say the least :)

“My Life in Ruins” about Greece. I still remember her description of the Temple of Hephaestus

I really enjoyed "Spanish Affair" on Netflix. "Midnight in Paris" was surprisingly good. "Chocolat" takes place in Burgundy. Just watched "Hundred Foot Journey Again". I also agree with the Bourne and James Bond suggestions. For Italy, besides "Roman Holiday", "Under the Tuscan Sun", "My house in Umbria". "The Way" with Martin Sheen is fabulous and for Iceland, 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

"Patriot Games" in Great Britain, and there are the rom coms in London, too. The Bridget Jones movies and the Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts movie(s)

In Minnesota we are just waiting for a "normal" winter. We had no snow for Christmas, just got off of almost a full week of -20F weather, to warm weather and rain yesterday which then froze on the streets and parking lots, and I guess soon to back to the really cold. We just would like some pretty, fluffy snow and temps in the 20s. :)

SandyO - I was going to mention Somebody Feed Phil as well - the ep in Venice just brought the yearning to return so badly - and I can't ever get over how much food that man eats (I do realize he shares some with his crew, but still...).

Oh, absolutely! If people haven't seen, "I'll have what Phil's having" and "Someone Feed Phil", they absolutely must. Not only are they fun and helpful for trip planning, they give you a warm and fuzzy feeling. They are all really good, I especially liked the Italy, Paris and Barcelona episodes of the first season (I'll have what Phil's having)

Another great movie is "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" based in London and Guernsey Island between France and GB. Lily James (Downton Abbey and Mama Mia Here we go again) is wonderful

Il Postino: The Postman 1994
The Flying Classroom (saw it at the Portland IFF a few years ago)
Syrian Bride
English Patient
The Best of Youth - but it's like 6 hours long

My Old Lady - set in Paris in La Marais - with Kevin Kline, Maggie Smith and Kristin Scott Thomas.

On YouTube: some episodes of "Italy Unpacked", a great combined cooking and art series.

EuroTrip

You were young, once.

For the car chasing scene in Paris, "Ronin" with R. DeNiro.

"A Hard Day's Night," "The Tourist" "Midnight in Paris" and the classic, "The Sun Also Rises"

I’ll admit to a soft spot for ‘European Vacation’. The stereotypes flow freely but the Griswolds mean well and who hasn’t recreated the roundabout scene at some point while driving?

One of the funniest films (8-hour series) I’ve ever seen: “An Idiot Abroad.”
Literally could not stop laughing.

If you want insight into Spain's history and culture, I recommend El Ministerio del Tiempo-The Ministry of Time (on Netflix) about a secret ministry where workers travel to different historical points in Spain to save history. A bit cheesy and dramatic while never talking itself too seriously.

Warning:it does have subtitles, which don't bother me but then I live with older parents who use the CC on all tv shows.

Fun thread.... my favorites are monuments men, in Bruges, midnight in Paris, Bourne movies, woman in gold, last chance Harvey, the way, the hundred foot journey and the tv bbc series Shetland.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I haven't seen Julie & Julia mentioned yet.

Daniel Craig James Bond movies-opening scenes range from Mexico and Day of the Dead to running on top of the covered market in Istanbul. s

If you want a laugh, Taken, especially the second one in Turkey. I watched this movie on the plane coming back from Istanbul and was cracking up. First, due to Istanbul looking like somewhere in Iraq/Iran with women in burkas and headscarves. Secondly, when Daughter Dumb-Dumb throws live grenades out her hotel room window to signal her dad(no Find My Friends), they explode on a parking deck in the middle of upper-class Istanbul and absolutely no police arrive. Like grenades explode every day in Istanbul. Sadly, many people in America believe this view of Turkey as I was asked by more than one person, if Istanbul/Turkey was like Taken.

I love Julie and Julia, Letters to Juliet, and Midnight in Paris.

Not exactly a travel movie - 'Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus' (both episodes), available on both Netflix & Youtube. Features - Leben und Zeiten von Albrecht Dürer & their recycled Holzfällerlied.

Wow, such great movie suggestions. I am surprised no one has mentioned my favorite travel movie “A Little Romance.” If you haven’t seen it, I hope you watch it. Even the music is perfect for the movie. If you like Paris, Verona, and Venice, you will like this movie.