The other day on Matty in the Morning, our local radio station, they talked quickly about the movie Almost Famous. I own that movie and it is one of my absolute favorites. I love it because it is about a person that needs to step out of his comfort zone to accomplish a career that is exactly in his comfort zone. He travels with people he’s never met, he is challenged and through many ups and downs, he succeeds.
In a way I think the eye opening experiences in that movie are similar to those one experiences while traveling. Whether it be language barriers, cultural barriers or simply the discomfort that goes along with breaking routine, the reward, the knowledge and the enlightenment achieved is invaluable.
When I watch that movie, I not only yearn for that kind of epiphany, I yearn to get out there – to travel and to experience. This thought reminded me that there are a lot of movies that move me in this way, so I thought I’d write a list.
To start of course…
Almost Famous – makes me nostalgic for a time I never experienced. As the main character travels with Stillwater across the country, it makes me want to get in a car and just drive. It makes me want to embark on an adventure that will not only let me see new places, but challenge me and make me grow.
Sideways – reminds me of our trip to Santa Barbara and makes me want to go back. I’ve always wanted to learn more about wine, how it’s made and the people behind it.
Chocolat - makes me want to not just travel, but to go and live in a new place. To not just see the everyday of another location, but to live it.
Love Actually – one of my favorites, makes me wish I were in London every time I watch it. In a place that lacks a language barrier for me, it is still interesting to be reminded of the more minor differences in culture.
I see myself thinking of so much more as time goes on, but for now, what movies make you want to travel?
Almost Famous is one of my absokute favorite movies too! I always get mixed feelings whenever I watch it. To travel, discover, and achieve your dream. Even when we don’t discover only good things, they’re still really valuable lessons
so many great quotes in the movie too!
ahh matty in the morning….what a good show
Good topic! Slumdog Millionaire makes me never want to go to India.
HA! I was about to say that just about every movie makes me want to travel, but I’ll have to agree with K Rizzle – Slumdog Millionaire made me never want to go to India. In other Danny Boyle movies, the first half of The Beach made me want to go to Thailand, and on my last visit to Scotland, we went to one pub specifically because it had been in Trainspotting.
I love “Love Actually!” It’s one of my top favorite holiday movies and makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside
And now you have me hankering to see Almost Famous again – it’s been YEARS since the last time I watched it 
Great list!
Wow, great question! And hard to answer! I love the old South of the earlier scenes of The Notebook. I love the New England weekend home of Dan in Real Life. I love Paris in too many movie to recount – what a great question.
It’s a bit cliche but I really love The Motorcycle Diaries.
I adore Love Actually! One movie that really makes me want to travel (this is so lame) is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. It has some absolutely incredible scenes in Greece (I think shot in Oia) — Mamma Mia did, too. Those both made me really want to go to Greece, and I’m so glad I finally did this summer. Under the Tuscan Sun also makes me crave a trip to Italy!
I totally agree with Love Actually! This is really random, but I was watching The Proposal this weekend and it made me reallyyy want to go to Alaska!
What a fun post! I’m a movie junkie and my (very extensive) travel movie list would be:
In Bruges-Belgium; Lost in Translation-Tokyo,;Dear Frankie and Sweet Sixteen-Glasgow, Scotland; Once and Intermission-Dublin; The Matchmaker-Galway; Under the Tuscan Sun and Cabiria-Italy;Bread and Tulips-Venice;Into The Wild-U.S. road trip; Amelie and French Kiss-France;Vicky Cristina and Barcelona-Barcelona;Vengo-Andalucia;Lovers of the Arctic Circle-The Laplands;any Jane Austen movie-Bath, England;Love and Other Disasters and Notting Hill-London;Wings of Desire-Germany;Fanny and Alexander-Sweden;Latcho Drom-journey of the Romany people told through musicians and dancers of India, Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, France, and Spain;Motorcycle Diaries-South America;Buena Vista Social Club-Cuba;Sicko-makes me want to move to another country with nationalized healthcare;Long Way Round-motorcycle around the world;Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations-not a movie but makes me want to eat my way around the world!
There are many more but I’ll spare you the agony! LOL!
This is lame, but Made of Honor made me want to go to Scotland desperately. And to bounce of Andi, The Family Stone screamed “New England” at me. It reminds me of Hanover.
I thought Love Actually was better than what most reviewers thought of it, but perhaps it because I am something of an Anglophile that makes me like that movie as well.
Waking Ned Devine makes me want to live in a little Irish village.
Slumdog Millionaire actually made me want to go back to Mumbai.
[...] commenting on her post all these movie memories were flashing all around me. Her post is called Movies that move me to travel – go check it out and see if you have any movie memories of your [...]
“Love Actually” is one of my favorite movies.
I LOVE Love Actually! It is my favourite, such a feel good movie and Hugh Grant is awesome in it. I have never seen Chocolat, whats it about?
I love The English Patient, Frida, & Motorcycle Diaries. All are so heartwrenchingly inspiring and make me want to jump on the next plane ANYWHERE! I adore Love Actually too.
It’s funny that these movies make you want to travel because they make me feel the same way. Another one is ‘Under the Tuscan Sun,’ mostly because I lived in that town and miss it so.
[...] month I listed movies that inspire me to travel and I received a lot of comments with great new suggestions. As we settle into winter, if [...]