Ever since I can remember I was fond of watching movies about foreign countries and cultures. These travel movies ignited my urge to get out and travel and inspired me to discover new places. Rocio and I enjoy watching movies a lot but we especially get motivated after watching travel movies and documentaries. That feeling when you see the credits rolling up at the end and you just want to go pack your stuff and leave immediately.
We put together a list of my personal favorite travel movies. I really do hope that these will also inspire you to travel and evoke the same feeling of adventure as they have done for us. Sit down, relax and make sure to have your bags packed 🙂
The Darjeeling Limited
Three brothers, Francis, Peter and Jack, reunite in a train trip across India looking for a life-changing experience. They haven’t spoken to each other for a long time, ever since their father has passed away. Suffering from depression and taking pain killers they go through an ultimate journey with loads of different experiences in India. First falling into old patterns of distrust they eventually find each other and rejuvenate.
A funny and, at times, very surreal movie with loads of nice scenes. Hilarious conversations and events along with an amazing soundtrack make this movie a great travel inspiration to travel, particularly India.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The movie tells the story of Walter Mitty, a normal guy living an ordinary, monotonous life as a photo editor at LIFE magazine. He fancies a fellow employee but feels unworthy of dating her, feeling his life is just missing that excitement that he is searching for. Following his very active imagination, he embarks on a journey to find his hero and the perfect picture.
A great mix of incredible visual scenes, a beautiful humor, a great soundtrack and some amazing destinations make this a good movie to inspire you to escape the normality and go out and travel.
Into the Wild
A nice runaway and escape movie featuring recent college graduate Christopher McCandless who spends all his life savings and decides to go hitchhiking to the Alaskan wilderness. He strips himself of all possessions and just goes on a journey to live life. His life there is made up of random experiences and adventures. A true story, very inspiring and dramatic.
If you want something in life, reach out and grab it! A great story of how to overcome your inner fears and how to live your life being free. Nice pictures, captivating experiences and a lesson of how to deal with the good and the bad.
Seven Years in Tibet
The movie is about an Austrian mountain climber, Heinrich Harrer, who heads out to explore the Himalayans in 1939. After being held as a POW in a prison together with his friend he manages to escape and head to the secret city of Lhasa. He begins to get close friends with the Dalai Lama, eventually becoming his tutor. They are from completely different worlds and learn from each other.
Egocentric at first, Heinrich becomes a different person while discovering a new country and culture. A great lesson learned about how travels can change you as a person. Also some beautiful scenes that make you want to go and explore Tibet.
UP
Simply love this movie! This animation movie is about an old man, Carl, who has always dreamed of taking on a great adventure and explore South America to find the forbidden Paradise Falls. After his wife dies he is left as a lonely man, refusing to move from their house despite the offers of the owner of a construction company. Eventually, he uses hundreds of balloons to fly away with his house! Together with a young boy scout he seeks and finds his adventures.
A great movie not just for kids. Life is short, so don’t push away your dreams and start living them before its too late! A perfect movie with beautiful and comical scenes that emphasize on living your life now.
Vicky Christina Barcelona
The movie is set around two friends, Vicky and Christina, who take a vacation to Barcelona together. Vicky is a bit more reserved whereas Christina is a very open spirit and loves the excitement of new adventures. They meet a mysterious painter named Juan Antonio with whom they explore the beautiful landscapes and cityscapes of Spain. The relationship is charged with sex and drama, especially when Juan’s crazy ex-wife shows up.
A nice, sensually charged movie which shows how travel can light up your senses. Very entertaining and a nice interaction between different characters on the road.
Life of Pi
A family sells their zoo in India and boards a freight ship with their sons and remaining animals to move to Canada. When a storm hits and sinks the ship only Pi, the teenage son, is left as a sole human survivor. Stuck on a lifeboat together with a dangerous Bengal tiger, they learn how to cope and trust each other to survive. An amazing story that leaves you gripped by the beautiful colors and adventures they face on the boat.
A truly enchanting movie with some incredible pictures. The movie takes you on an incredible journey and tickles out the adventure- seeker inside you. Truly memorable piece of art.
Sideways
Miles, a struggling writer and wine-lover, takes his friend Jack on a guy-bonding wine trip before he gets engaged. Miles just want to relax and take it easy while Jack is desperately in search for a fling before getting married. They eventually meet two women, Stephanie and Maya, with whom they have some dramatic moments. A great road trip with two people who cannot be more different and who go through a load of hilarious adventures.
Tragic, comical movie that shows how two different people can manage to go and travel together. Beautiful scenes of Santa Barbara wine country with loads of funny adventures. A simply hilarious, tragic and dramatic movie that will get out all your emotions and encourage travel.
The Bucket List
Billionaire Cole and mechanic Carter end up in a hospital room together. As complete strangers they both get closer and realize they have things in common – getting in touch with who they really are and what they want to do along with completeÃng a list of things they want always wanted to do before they die. This and their terminal illness makes them go on a great adventure together.
The movie takes you on a great journey to many different places around the world. A tragic yet inspiring story of how you should never regret not having done the things you always wanted to do. Also a great tale of how you can end up in amazing adventures with a complete stranger.
Eat, Pray, Love
Despite having everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of – husband, good job, a house – Liz still feels like there is something missing in her life. In the search for finding out what that is, she changes her life and embarks on a journey for the quest of self-discovery. The ride takes her eating in Italy, praying in India and finally finding her inner peace and love in Bali.
A beautiful story of how you sometimes have to leave your comfort zone to find out what is truly important for you in life. Great trip and scenes from Italy, India and Bali and a truly inspiring adventure that should get the travel bug to bite you.
Great choices here! If I were putting this list together I don’t think I would change it a bit (maybe I’d add National Lampoon’s Vacation). I might just have to have a movie night for some inspiration soon!
Thanks you, John. Will have a look at National Lampoon’s Vacation.
Great List! I’ve seen almost all of them 🙂 I would also add a couple of titles: Wild (2014) and Tracks (2014) 🙂
Hi Michela, thank you! Will check out the ones you mentioned 🙂
Some great films here! Quite a few I haven’t seen yet so going to add them to my list. I LOVE that Up is on here 🙂
Claire, glad you agree on the list, hope you get inspired by some of them. I had to add UP, it’s just amazing 🙂