Personally, I’ve always loved to travel and my love for it still shows no signs of stopping. As a result, I’ve made it my personal mission to visit the most beautiful and intriguing places in the world. Consequently, I’ve been able to cross off a lot of places on my traveling bucket list. For example, throughout the years, I’ve been lucky enough to visit stunning destinations such as Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Venice, Verona, Hawaii, New York, and Japan.
Of course, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic right now and that really threw a spanner in the works. As a result, a lot of people, myself included have to put their traveling plans on the back burner for a little while. This truly is a shame, because I really miss traveling and I hope that I will be able to do it again sooner rather than later. More concretely, I miss being able to enjoy new, exotic food, I miss meeting new people from all around the world and I missing coming into contact with the local language in the places where I’m traveling to. I also miss getting to enjoy the most stunning views out there and don’t get me started on the different cultures there are for me to experience. In short, I miss everything that has to do with traveling!
Luckily, I’ve found a way to help me cope with the current lack of traveling in my life and I hope I can help some of you as well by sharing it with you. That is, I’ve started to watch a lot of movies that remind me of my love for traveling. Namely, I make it a point to watch as many movies as possible that either remind me of places I’ve already visited or places that I’m planning to visit in the future. So, if you’re interested, keep reading to find out my recommendations of movies if you’re longing to travel again, just like me.
1. Letters To Juliet
To start strong, the first movie that comes to mind is “Letters To Juliet”. This classic rom-com tells the story of Sophie. Sophie is tired of her job and actually wants to be a writer. One day, she decides to go on an early honeymoon with her fiancé, Victor and they eventually venture off to Verona. Once there, Victor is always busy, which leaves Sophie to discover the town on her own. Consequently, she ends up at Julia’s house. This house is especially important for the plot of the movie because it’s there that Julia finds an old love letter written by a young British girl longing to be with her great Italian love. It’s upon this discovery, that Sophie decides to find this woman, years later to reunite her with her long-lost love.
As mentioned, the movie sets place in Verona, a beautiful little place in Italy. You might recognize the name of this place from “Romeo and Juliet”, which also takes place there. I’ve already visited Verona once and I must say, the movie really does it justice. Not only does it show the cozy little houses in Verona, but also the amazing landscape. What’s also great about Verona is that you can visit the famous “Romeo and Juliet”- house, so that’s great if you’re into cinematography. All in all, in my experience, Verona is a very romantic town and definitely worth a visit!
2. Walter Mitty
The second movie that definitely deserves to be on this list is “Walter Mitty”. This movie follows the lead character, Walter Mitty as he embarks on an adventure to Greenland. Namely, Walters has been working for the same magazine for years. However, in comparison to his boring work life, Walter regularly daydreams about going on all these crazy adventures that also revolve around his love for his co-worker, Cheryl. One day, there’s a crisis at work and Walter needs to chase after a specific photographer for a picture. To do this, Walter has to travel to Greenland, which finally allows him to have the adventure he has always dreamt of.
However, the movie doesn’t only take place in Greenland, but also in Iceland and even in Afghanistan. Especially Iceland is highlighted a lot throughout the movie and rightly so! I’ve never been to Iceland personally, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. For example, Iceland is known for its many natural wonders, ranging from epic volcanoes to fjords and hot water springs. Although, the most spectacular thing about Iceland might just be that when you’re there, you might be able to experience seeing the Northern Lights, which is truly a sight for sore eyes. So, there are plenty of reasons to visit Iceland!
3. Amélie
Furthermore, there’s the movie “Amélie”. This movie tells the story of a young woman, Amélie who lives in Paris. After the death of her mother, Amélie finds a little box in her apartment. Determined, she hunts down the owner of this box and she also succeeds in this quest. After seeing how happy the man is with his nostalgic box, Amélie decides to become the local do-gooder. However, the movie also touches upon Amélie’s wish to find happiness for herself.
The movie sets place in Paris, in the region around Montmartre and the Moulin Rouge. It shows maybe a less than fabulous side of Paris, but that doesn’t change the fact that Paris should be on everybody’s traveling bucket list. Not only is Paris one of the most romantic cities in the world, but there are tons of monuments you can visit there, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame. Paris is especially gorgeous at night because then, the whole city is filled with little lights, which really makes for a cozy atmosphere.
4. Under The Tuscan Sun
Next up, there’s “Under The Tuscan Sun”, a movie based on the book with the same title. In this movie, we see Frances, a writer from San Francisco that just had to deal with a bad divorce. In the light of this event, she decides to go on a trip with a good friend of hers to Tuscany. Once arrived, she purchases an old villa there, which ultimately changes her life for the better.
Tuscany is also definitely one of the prettiest places on earth. There, you’ll find many well-known cities such as Pisa en Florence. Watching this movie really made me think about the time I’ve spent in Italy and all the good memories I have as a result. Tuscany is definitely worth visiting because not only can you find a lot of historic buildings and quaint little towns there, but you’ll also be able to visit the coast there, where you’ll encounter crystal blue water. Finally, Tuscany is also known for its wine, so that’s always an added plus!
5. Call Me By Your Name
“Call Me By Your Name” is basically a love story between two men, Elio and Oliver. Oliver is an American student that comes to stay with Elio’s family in Italy for the summer. The two of them get entangled in a very passionate love affair, but it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. In short, the movie mostly focuses on the hardships that come with being gay and the identity issues around it.
The movie takes place in Northern Italy in Lombardy, very close to the city of Milan, which I’ve already been lucky enough to visit. Both Lombardy and Milan are great places to visit. Lombardy is best known for the phenomenal nature, especially all the lakes, while Milan is more of a modern city. It’s the fashion capital of Europe and that really shows!
6. Eat Pray Love
Last, but certainly not least, there’s “Eat Pray Love”. This movie’s all about Liz Gilbert who’s looking to reinvent herself after her divorce and another failed relationship. She decides to take a year off to go traveling. First, she goes to Italy, and then she ends up in India where she undergoes a spiritual journey. Lastly, she goes to Indonesia, and also there, she learns a lot about herself. The plot basically revolves around her journey to self-awareness and the question of what she’s going to do with her life in the future.
Since I’ve talked about Italy quite a lot already, I’m going to focus on India and Indonesia now. Both of these countries are mostly known for their majestic religious and spiritual temples, which you absolutely must see at least once in your life. Moreover, the food in these countries is simply amazing so that’s another reason to visit them, for sure!
Hence, if you’re struggling with the absence of traveling, just like I am, it might be a good idea to watch these above-mentioned movies. I can guarantee you that you’ll immediately be in a better mood. So, don’t be afraid to check them out!
