Sometimes, the best way to get inspired to travel is to pop in a good flick. Here are the 16 films that had us searching for flights.
1. “Hannah and Her Sisters is my ultimate NY movie. The honest study of family dynamics, the use of the city as a character, the 80s-era shoulder-pad fashion: this Woody Allen film has it all. Every time I go to NY now I try to get one step closer to Mia Farrow’s apartment, where many scenes were filmed.” —Julia Cosgrove, editor in chief
2. “Dazed and Confused made me want to drive cross country and see all of the South (in a vintage car and bellbottoms).” —Elizabeth Spiridakis Olson, creative director
3. “The Darjeeling Limited, directed by Wes Anderson. It’s got that romanticism of bygone travel, with the opulent train cars and all, and they get into such adventures (and mis-adventures, though I don’t believe in calling them that)—acquiring poisonous snakes at a local market, falling in love with train attendants, joining a sacred Indian funeral. It’s textbook journey. And while Wes Anderson could make me believe in anything, here I crave more than ever the transformative and thrilling experience of just moving through a place, taking it in, and letting that movement heal you.”—Juliette San Fillipo, associate marketing manager
4. “Amelie really got my eye on Paris. I donned my twee-est dress and listened to the soundtrack while exploring Montmartre.” —Danielle Walsh, associate editor
5. “In 1956, two major films were released that changed this suburban middle-class kid’s perspective on the world: Around the World in 80 Days (with David Niven as Phileas Fogg and the great Mexican actor Cantinflas as Passepartout) and the Cinerama epic Seven Wonders of the World, starring Lowell Thomas as the mellifluous guide to Rio, Athens, the Parthenon, and more. I may not have seen them upon their initial release, but I did see them on the big screen as a child and kept those images (and Thomas’s baritone voice) on file in my mental Wanderlist.”—Derk Richardson, senior editor
6. “I’ve been to Hawaii a few times but hadn’t branched out beyond Oahu or Maui. Until I saw The Descendants. The shots of those raw, jagged cliffs, wild Pacific, and almost acid-green vegetation totally mesmerized me. I finally got to see it myself this past spring and it was everything I’d hoped it would be, especially hiking the Kalalau Trail and sunset cocktails at the St. Regis.” —Aislyn Greene, associate editor
7. “Pedro Almodovar’s great film, All about My Mother, inspired my recent trip to Barcelona and Madrid. The film is a vibrant portrayal of women in Barcelona, and beautifully captures the attitude of the city. I wanted to see every Gaudi site, and eat as much Tortilla Espaniola as possible while I was there.” —Jason Seldon, art director
8. “The Gods Must Be Crazy wasmy first glimpse of Africa and I dreamed of a visit to the Kalahari for years after. And I’ve been drinking Coca Cola ever since.” —Bryan Kinkade, associate publisher
9. “The Endless Summer totally tapped into my surfer-girl fantasies. After I watched it I signed up for a week-long surf camp on the North Shore of Hawaii and was very tempted to keep traveling and chasing waves around the world.” —Jen Murphy, hotels editor
10. “ANY James Bond film inspires wanderlust for me. Cuba (Die Another Day), Barcelona (Goldeneye), Istanbul (From Russsia With Love), and dozens of others.” —Barry Brown, executive director of sales
11. “The film Blow inspires me to travel because the characters go all over the U.S. (Miami, Chicago, Boston, L.A.) and to some places in Latin America that I’d love to see. Although, I could do without the drugs. The first time I went to Miami, I thought of that movie.” —Erin Jeffrey, marketing coordinator
12. “Thelma & Louise, aside from being one of the best chick-flicks of all all time, it inspired me to grab a girlfriend, rent a convertible, and explore the Southwest—especially Monument Valley.” —Claudia Santino, event marketing manager
13. “After seeing Cinema Paradiso, I knew I had to go to Italy. A year later. I was in Siena watching Il Palio before heading to the University of Padova for the year where all courses were taught in Italian!” —Sean Nakamura, digital audience marketing director
14. “The real reason I went to the Peloponnese last year is because it was off season, so the isles were complicated to get to, and I really love wine, which the Peloponnese has in spades. The other reason was because Before Midnight, Richard Linklater’s third installment of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy’s on-screen affair, is the best advertisement for the region it will ever get.” —Andrew Richdale, senior editor
15. “I loved Into the Wild. It showed how much there was to discover in your own backyard.” —Diana Smith, digital intern
16. “Blood Diamond shows a really intense part of African history, but a story that needs to be told nonetheless. I haven’t made it to Africa, but the storyline definitely makes me want to go and experience the culture, traditions and learn more about the hard past happenings of the region.” —Michaela Trimble, sales manager
