Films that Make Us Want to Travel
Films that Make Use Want to Travel – Part 1
I remember the first time I watched the classic film An American in Paris. The film’s idyllic portrayal of the City of Lights, with its quaint cafés, shops and streets, inspired in me a strong desire to one day visit this cosmopolitan gem in the heart of Western Europe. Years later, I’ve had the good fortune to have traveled to this iconic city 4 or 5 times. While it may not look or feel exactly the way it was portrayed in the film, the spirit of 1940’s Paris remains. Walking along the Seine, I can still imagine Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron engaged in a romantic pas-de-deux at twilight. I have a feeling that I was not the only child to have been inspired to visit the City of Love as a result of watching this movie!
There are so many great films that have inspired audiences to travel the world that it’s hard to narrow it down! However, we’ve curated what we think are some of the very best!
Grand Budapest Hotel
Even though this endearing film by Wes Anderson is set in the fictional town of Zubrowka, Anderson was inspired by various Eastern European towns in Germany when conceptualizing the backdrop for his film. The town and the hotel at the centre of the film harken back to a certain old world charm and civility that was characteristic of this part of Europe in the 1930’s and 40’s. While this may be a bygone era, there are still palpable traces of this zeitgeist alive and well in many parts of Eastern and Western Europe. On a recent trip to the town of Ljubljana in Slovenia, I was excited to see many similarities to the fictional Zubrowka! Watching this movie always instills in me a desire to head over to Eastern Europe and stay in their real-life grand old hotels and dine in their most civilized of restaurants. Like Anderson’s films, visiting these historic locals always makes one feel out of time–one foot in the past and one in the present.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
This movie has inspired many to journey to India (both young and old). With its gorgeous cinematography and locations, it’s hard not to want to pick up and visit this complex and beautiful land of contradiction. The movie is set in Jaipur and many of the locations featured in the movie can be visited! The Viceroy Club is actually called Castle Kanota, a hotel built in 1872, that offers 18 luxury rooms. The lively Janta Bazaar where Sonny bought marigolds for his girlfriend, is a wonderful experience for tourists! This movie has definitely inspired many to travel to the magical and breathtaking city of Jaipur and its surrounding areas!
Planes Trains and Automobiles
Okay, I know this film doesn’t exactly inspire traveling, but it does speak to the very real challenges of travel! How many of you can relate to being stuck on a plane next to a Chatty Cathy that won’t stop telling you their life story when all you want to do is relax and read the book you’ve brought with you! Most frequent travellers can relate to the series of unfortunate events that befall this odd couple as they miss flights, fight with car rental agencies and suffer through lineups and delays! Also, this movie is still one of the funniest road trip movies ever made! Steve Martin and the late John Candy are comedy gold!
Suggestions
Most travellers have a movie that inspired them to travel. What’s yours? Let us know in the comment section! We’d love to hear about it!
