More than any other piece of popular culture, the films on this list have the power to transport you across Europe (Before Dawn), across the sun-drenched African desert (Far From Home), or even take you on an adventure to the unknown Paradise Falls (Up). The 50 classic films below are 50 masterfully told, captivating stories filled with wonder (or even harsh reality) about travel and discovery, with breathtakingly beautiful scenes that overwhelm all the senses.
1. Roman holiday (Roman holiday – 1953)
How can you not love this classic black and white film? Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck and the setting in Rome all create a love story that is both quirky and humorous. Hepburn plays the charming Princess Ann on a tour of Europe, Peck becomes a journalist for an American news agency. One night, the journalist accidentally comes across a young girl with luxurious clothes, elegant demeanor, but lying on the street like a drunk and penniless. He lets her sleep in his apartment and it is not until the next morning that he realizes who she is when the newspapers report that the princess's schedule will be canceled because she is sick - she is not sick, she is lying in his house! And so, the journalist Joe played by Peck has an idea, he is ready to take Ann on a tour of Rome and become a volunteer tour guide for her. Princess Ann, who was tired of her life of confinement and just wanted to shake off her royal duties and enjoy some freedom, did not hesitate to accept. And a budding romance gradually took shape during that unexpected trip to Rome.
2. To Catch a Thief (1955)
Cary Grant plays a retired thief and Grace Kelly plays a rich young woman. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, "To Catch a Thief" is not only about the famous thief's search for the truth to clear his name but also an unexpected love story. This romantic mystery film with beautiful footage shot in Cannes and Nice (France) fully captures the golden age of tourism that we still dream of, the time when wearing a yellow cape on the beach was really not cool.
3. Doctor Zhivago (Doctor Zhivago - 1965)
Traveling to Russia during the Soviet Revolution may not sound like the best idea, but director David Lean’s film perfectly captures the haunting beauty of this beautiful country in an epic, romantic period. Some even mistakenly believe the film was actually shot in Spain. From the opulent opulence of Imperial Russia to the flower-filled fields of the Urals or the windswept Siberian tundra, Lean’s camera captures some of the most stunning vistas in the world, and they’re all so beautiful they’re beyond description.
4. The Endless Summer (1966)
This surfing documentary by director Bruce Brown brings to mind the Beach Boys' classic line: “Catch a wave and you’ll feel like you’re sitting on top of the world.” “The Endless Summer” follows two friends, Mike Hynson and Robert August, on a surfing trip around the world, taking viewers to stretches of sand in Hawaii, and pristine beaches in New Zealand and South Africa. The film has had a huge impact on surfing culture and tourism, thanks in no small part to the skillful cinematography of Bruce Brown and the great surfers.
5. Two for the Road (1967)
Travel is the central theme of this romantic comedy, about a married couple played by Albert Finney and Aubrey Hepburn. The film begins with a simple trip to Saint-Tropez, but the journey to the South of France rekindles the couple's emotions, conflicts, and unresolved issues.
6. Easy Rider (1969)
1969 was the year of Woodstock—the biggest event of the 1960s counterculture—and there could have been no better time to release Easy Rider. The film follows Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) on a motorcycle trip from Mexico through Los Angeles to New Orleans. Shot on a shoestring budget, Easy Rider's footage features desert and rural landscapes, depicting an America that is dark and unsettling.
7. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
While the 2017 remake has a much better picture quality, we have to admit that the 1974 original is the real winner. First of all, the film has an excellent cast that is hard to replace. Albert Finney plays the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot – a classic character of famous detective writer Agatha Christie. Poirot agrees to investigate a murder in the middle of the night in a first-class compartment of a train filled with characters, from a Russian princess to a beautiful young countess. And in those shots, the view from the train window looking out onto the snowy Yugoslav countryside has never been more captivating.
8. Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark (Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1981)
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" was a colossal collaboration between two of the world's biggest blockbuster directors at the time: Steven Spielberg (with Jaws), who directed it, and George Lucas (with Star Wars), who served as executive producer. The film follows the journey of explorer Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) around the world on a mission to find the legendary Ark. With filming locations in France and Tunisia (representing Egypt), this is considered one of the films with the most breathtaking natural scenes in blockbuster history.
9. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
This is a 1983 American road comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase (as Clark). Following the Griswold family's road trip, the audience will visit real places in America such as Death Valley, the Grand Canyon, and even fictional places like Walley World amusement park. With the starring role of Christie Brinkley and the famous theme song Holiday Road, this is definitely a film that anyone who loves to travel should watch at least once in their life.
10. Romancing the Stone (1984)
The 80s were the boom time for action movies, but "The Emerald Isle" seemed to have blown away all other movies and was one of the most prominent in this period, it was like a smooth combination of Indiana Jones and the light romance novel genre. The story begins when Joan Wilder (played by Turner), a shy novelist, was forced to travel to Colombia to rescue her kidnapped sister... The movie made the audience extremely excited with the wild and mysterious locations of Mexico, Zion National Park or the city of Jalapa...
11. Out of Africa (1985)
Meryl Streep and Robert Redford star in this tragic love story about a baroness whose marriage has been broken and falls in love with a skilled hunter. Based on the autobiography of Isak Dinesen, the film is one of the few adaptations that have been successful both commercially and critically. "Far From Africa" is also special in its majestic African landscapes and the wonderful scenery of colonial East Africa.
12. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
The film is set on Thanksgiving, recreating the travel fever during the bustling holiday season. In the film, Steve Martin plays Neal Page, a man facing nightmares of traveling from New York to Chicago before the official holiday.
13. Withnail & I (Withnail & I - 1987)
“This trip was a mistake!” Withnail (Richard E. Grant) laments, a desperate lament that becomes the highlight of this British comedy. The film tells the story of two alcoholic, unemployed actors trying to escape the horrors of poverty in central London by taking a trip to the countryside. But the countryside turns out to be even worse. The footage of “Withnail and I” beautifully depicts the desolate beauty of wind-swept Cumbria. The northern landscape of England is the perfect backdrop for the turbulent and depressing life of the two main characters in the film.
14. The Story of Thelma and Louise (Thelma & Louise - 1991)
"Thelma and Louise" is probably the movie that started the idea of making a buddy movie with the main actors being two women with their own adventures, breaking away from the typical movie that had to have male protagonists. For the first time, women became the center of the screen, marking the first era of a movie with feminism.
15. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
With this special film, Stephan Elliott chose an interesting fate for his characters: drag-queens (men dressed as women), transgender people... with the participation of stars Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving, and Terence Stamp. The three of them had a four-week tour in a large bus named Priscilla. The satire and the emotional range, both joyful and naked, of the work contributed to introducing Australian cinema to the global audience, especially becoming a "key" work of the LGBT community. The song "I Will Survive" also became immortal with the film.
16. Before Sunrise (1995)
Richard Linklater turned simple walks and conversations into a work of art with this classic film, the first of his slow cinema trilogy. The lovely, peaceful style is portrayed very successfully by the two actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy with a gentle story mixed with a bit of dreaminess. "Before Dawn" is simply the chance meeting of the two main characters, the wandering footsteps on the cobblestone streets of the city. Vienna seems to have become the third character in a romantic story, as does Paris nine years later in the film "Before Sunset", or Messenia and Greece nine years later in "Before Midnight". All three of these works of art are clear proof that sometimes, traveling is an opportunity for us to rearrange our lives and find ourselves.
17. The English Patient (1996)
"The English Patient" is an American epic war romance film based on Michael Ondaatje's Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name. With the plot split between two settings: pre-war Egypt and post-war Italy, director Anthony Minghella gives us skillfully crafted artistic views of both places. Love, with all its beauty and pain, set against the backdrop of devastation and desolation of war, has brought intense emotions to millions of viewers.
18. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
This is one of the most beautifully shot Italian films ever made. Set in the 1950s, it follows a group of young people on a lavish vacation, from the pristine beaches of Lazio to the luxury hotels of Lazio Venice. The plot is simple, with moments of calm that describe the breathtaking scenery.
19. The Beach (2000)
In the movie, Richard (played by a young Leonardo DiCaprio) went to Thailand to find a new feeling, leaving behind the stressful, suffocating modern life. On the trip, Richard accidentally learned the mysterious story of a real paradise island here. Maya Bay beach of Phi Phi Leh island in Thailand is the "paradise" island in "The Beach" with clear blue water, smooth white sand, a night sky sparkling with millions of stars - a beautiful place that any audience when watching the movie would want to set foot on. Unfortunately, this place became too famous after the movie was released, leading to an overload of tourists and the beautiful beach was soon filled with trash, so that people had to close Maya Bay.
20. Into the World (Y Tu Mamá También - 2001)
"Into the World" is a travelogue of two best friends and a charming adult woman. They travel across Mexico in search of a magical beach called the Mouth of Paradise. Director Alfonso Cuarón captures the beautiful, vibrant nature of Oaxaca, while also giving us a glimpse into the poverty of life in Mexico at that time.
