Movies to Spark or Soothe Your Wanderlust (Europe Edition)
When your passport is calling but real life is doing that annoying thing where it expects you to be responsible, you might not be able to get a full vacation…
But you CAN watch a movie that makes you feel like you’re on vacation.
A cobblestone street.
A misty castle.
A long table in Tuscany with food and strangers who feel like best friends.
So I asked a question to find out how you travel when you can’t travel (the movie edition).
What movies or shows Do you Watch When you Have Wanderlust?
The answers created a passport mood board.
Welcome to your Wanderlust Watch List — Europe Edition.
And yes, this is extremely No Regrets Zone. Because dreaming counts. Planning counts. Wanting more counts.
The Top 10 Most Wanderlust-Inducing Shows
(According to Real Travelers)
These came up again and again — the true main characters of this thread:
- Outlander → Scotland
- Under the Tuscan Sun → Tuscany/Cortona, Italy
- In Bruges → Bruges, Belgium
- Midnight in Paris → Paris, France
- Emily in Paris → Paris, France (ooh la la, obviously)
- The Durrells in Corfu → Corfu, Greece
- The Sound of Music → Salzburg, Austria
- Mamma Mia! → Skopelos, Greece
- Anthony Bourdain’s Travel Shows → Everywhere (honorary European citizenship)
- Game of Thrones → Iceland, Northern Ireland, Malta, Spain, and Croatia
Just don’t blame me when you suddenly own linen pants and are Googling “best months to visit Croatia”.
Croatia (My Favorite)
Let’s start with my personal favorite Croatia.
Faraway is basically a love letter to Croatia.
If you’ve ever wanted to disappear into a seaside village and accidentally find yourself again…
This is the one.
Warning: It does have a slow start but it warms up so fast!
Faraway → Croatia
Dreamy, quiet, sweet, stunning.
The kind of scenery that makes you want to book a flight and become a person who eats fresh bread near the Adriatic and has opinions about olive oil.
Croatia is underrated and this movie proves it.
See? It’s my happy place.
Italy
Italy is ridiculous. Movies don’t even try to make Italy look normal.
They make it look like a lifestyle choice.
Watch these if you want to immediately crave pasta and a fresh start:
Under the Tuscan Sun → Cortona & Tuscany
Roman Holiday → Rome
Tea With Mussolini → Florence
The Talented Mr. Ripley → Coastal Italy
The Trip to Italy → Amalfi Coast food fantasy
Medici (Netflix) → Florence, but dramatic
Italy is where you go when you want your life to feel like a montage.
Or at least like you own a scarf you don’t actually need.
France
Paris has been romanticized hard by film.
Midnight in Paris → Paris (dreamy + glowing)
Emily in Paris → Paris (chaotic + croissants)
Chocolat → Burgundy village charm
The Way → Walking through France on pilgrimage vibes
France is for slow mornings, good bread, and pretending you’re in an indie movie even if you’re just walking to the market.
Greece
Greece is where women go to remember they are alive.
Mamma Mia! → Skopelos
Zorba the Greek → Crete
Shirley Valentine → Greece as a fresh start
Summer Lovers → Santorini
The Durrells in Corfu → Corfu
Greece is basically…
What if joy didn’t require permission?
No Regrets Zone approved.
Scotland & England (All of the UK)
If one show launched a thousand trips, it’s Outlander.
Outlander → Scotland (the clear winner)
Shetland → Shetland Islands
All Creatures Great and Small → Yorkshire Dales
Harry Potter → London filming locations
The Holiday → The Cotswolds
Poldark → Cornwall
Downton Abbey → Estate daydreams
Bridgerton -> London and surrounding area
The UK is basically one long historical drama you can walk through.
Belgium
Multiple people said they watched “In Bruges” and spent YEARS saying:
“I HAVE to go there someday.”
And then they did.
Bruges is medieval fairytale energy.
See? I loved it so hard!
Austria & Switzerland
The Sound of Music → Salzburg Band of Brothers → Grand Hotel Giessbach Banner in the Sky → Switzerland
Watch these if you want to stand dramatically on a mountain and spin in circles because duh. That’s what we do!
Not sure where to Start
but you know you love food?
If there is one person who made people want to travel immediately…
It’s Bourdain.
No Reservations Parts Unknown
He wasn’t just showing food.
He was showing freedom.
If you like Anthony Bourdain, you might also love:
Somebody Feed Phil
Game of Thrones Travel
The beautiful scenery of Game of Thrones was captured all around the world.
Iceland
Northern Ireland
Malta
Seville, Spain
Croatia!
when you hear “I want more”… Listen Closely.
More beauty. More life. More places that remind me the world is big.
That’s not escapism.
That’s desire.
And desire is a compass.
To your No Regrets Zone life.
So if you need a little spark?
Start here.
Travel from your couch…
Until your next trip.
Your Turn
What movie or show made you want to pack a bag immediately?
Drop it in the comments — I want to build the sequel to this list.
Because clearly, we are all ready to buy plane tickets.
Big Love,
Nicole
