Top Travel Movies

Going to the movies is one of America's favorite pastimes for good reason. A great film could make us laugh, bring tears to our eyes, cause us to think, or inspire something within an idealist soul.

 

Some movies in particular make travel seem like an incredible adventure, while some show the downsides in a hilarious twist of mishappenings. We've chosen our favorite films that capture all the feelings that come with a life on the road.

 

 

Lost in Translation

A washed up actor (Bill Murray) and a recent college grad and bored trophy wife (Scarlett Johansson) meet in Tokyo and explore the city while developing a relationship neither expected. Exploring the massive city together, the two quell their loneliness and show just how interesting travel can be if you take chances.

 

 

 

Encounters at the End of the World

Auteur filmmaker Werner Herzog takes viewers on a journey through the frozen continent of Antarctica in a documentary unlike any other. Paired with incredible landscapes and cinematography, Herzog interviews people living on the continent about what makes it magical.

 

 

 

Up

An elderly gentleman stuck in a rut since the love of his life passed away gets a wake up call when he's forced to move into a retirement home. Determined to take the adventure his wife always wanted, the man uses balloons to lift his house like a blimp, and starts a life-changing journey. One of the best Disney-Pixar films in the past decade, Up shows that sometimes the best adventures are spent at home with the ones we love.

 

 

 

The Darjeeling Limited

In typical Wes Anderson fashion, three rich, spoiled brothers are the center of this travel flick, coming together to take a trip across India in the hopes of reconnecting after their father's death. With incredible sights and even funnier mishaps, this film will make you want to take the next train to anywhere.

 

 

 

Before Sunrise Trilogy

Told in real time, this trilogy spans a romance that takes place one night in Venice, with it's sequels occuring 9 years later in Paris, then 18 years later in Greece, respectively. This trilogy explores how just one night in a new city can change perspectives and open hearts.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u0U3dbVMHk

 

 

The Motorcycle Diaries

Based on the true story of Ernesto Guevara, later known as iconic Marxist guerilla revolutionist Che Guevara, The Motorcycle Diaries follows the young revolutionist as he journeys across South America with a friend. Showing how some trips can literally change history, this biopic is not one to miss.

 

 

 

Planes Trains and Automobiles

A classic tale of trying to make it home for the holidays, this top comedy follows Neal (Steve Martin) and Del (John Candy) as they try to get Neal home from Chicago to New York City in three days time for Thanksgiving. Opposites attract and friendships are made in this adventure that proves travel can bring anyone, no matter how different, together.

 

 

 

National Lampoon's Vacation

A classic tale of family vacation, this Chevy Chase comedy follows Clark Griswold on an epic journey to prove to his family he is capable of taking them across the states to reach Wally World. Of course, nothing goes right, and a string of unfortunate events turn this family vacation into a disastrous nightmare. Showing the zany side of travel, laughs abound in this story of what one man will do to make his family proud.

 

 

 

Little Miss Sunshine

A sort of National Lampoon's Vacation revamp for the new millenium, Little Miss Sunshine is a dark comedy following a dysfunctional family on a journey to take their unconventional beauty queen of a daughter to a pageant in California. All seems lost when each member discovers tragedy along the way, but the non-traditional family pulls together in the end in a new-found closeness that only a strange cross-country trip could bring.