We all know the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, so how many words worth does that the make the movies that we see?

Movies have the power to inspire and can evoke a desire for travel through the sense of freedom they portray as they take you on an adventure with them.

There are loads of travel movies out there, in different languages, featuring different places and set in different times. Here’s a list of some of our favorites which inspire us and we hope will inspire you to travel and explore.

1. The Motorcycle Diaries

Where it’ll take you: South America

This movie is about two medical students who embark on a five month motorcycle trip across South America in order to use their medical training to volunteer for a leper colony along the Amazon River. It is based on the personal journals of Che Guevara and highlights the freedom, adventure, and personal discovery which are part of their travel experience. It is a beautiful and inspiring movie about one of the most influential people and what influenced him.

A must watch for the bikers, the movie would want you to pick up your bike and go on a road trip!

2. The Darjeeling Limited

Where it’ll take you: Across India

The Darjeeling Limited is a wacky film about three brothers taking a train trip through India. Haven’t spoken in a year, the trip is supposed to bond them again. Hilarity ensues as they bicker and fight with each other initially. Eventually, their crazy experiences along the way put things in perspective with them bonding. The movie is hilarious and beautifully shot and will make you want to take a train trip across India.

3. Seven Years in Tibet

Where it’ll take you: Tibet

This movie gives you a taste of Buddhist lifestyle as the movie follows an Austrian mountaineer who is captured and sent to a prison camp. He breaks out and sneaks into the holy Tibetan city of Lhasa. There he befriends the young Dalai Lama just as the Chinese attempt to invade. Both become good friends and learn from each other even though being from totally different worlds. The film shows the transition of the main character from being selfish to have his outlook on life changed as he faces new experiences in a foreign land.

The movie builds upon the idea that how travel adventures can transform your life.

4. Before Sunrise

Where it’ll take you: Vienna

Set in the romantic backdrop of Vienna, Before Sunrise is a story of an American guy who meets a French girl on a train and spends a night together roaming around the city talking and knowing each other. The scenes are beautiful and idyllic and the river, narrow alleys and streets etc, make you want to take up a trip to Europe.

5. Into the Wild

Where it’ll take you: Alaska

Every one of us dreams to just give up everything and wander off to travel the world. Based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, this a film about a recent college graduate who gives away his life savings and hitchhikes to Alaska. Meeting all kinds of people along the way with their own stories, he heads out into the wilderness to live on his own. The various adventures and experiences he faces on his way is what travel is all about.

The movie makes you want to pack your bags and take a trip to the Himalayas.

6. The Bucket List

Where it’ll take you: Around the world

Two cancer patients, one a mechanic and other a rich billionaire, decide to take up a journey across the world to fulfill their bucket list.

The movie takes you on an adventure as they skydive together, drive a Shelby Mustang, fly over the North Pole, eat dinner at Chevre d’Or in France, visit the Taj Mahal, ride motorcycles on the Great Wall of China, attend a lion safari in Africa, and visit the base of Mt Everest in Nepal . This movie will excite your travel bug like no other.

7. Eat, Pray, Love

Where it’ll take you: Italy, India and Indonesia

The movie follows Elizabeth Gilbert, a modern day woman who, running away from her life; a husband, a house and a successful career, takes a life-changing trip to 3 different countries of Europe and Asia in search of salvation, self-fulfillment and satisfaction.

The movie is a journey about her discoveries for self-fulfillment and her passion to Eat in Italy, Pray in India and for inner peace and Love in Indonesia.

8. Vicky Christina Barcelona

Where it’ll take you: Spain

This movie is a story of two friends who take a vacation to Barcelona, where they meet a mysterious painter who asks them to spend the summer with him. Put into that fray one crazy ex-wife and drama ensues. The movie is quite entertaining and is set in the beautiful landscapes & cityscapes of Spain. The movie shows how travel can open you up to new experiences and discover yourself.

9. Hangover Series

Where it’ll take you: Las Vegas, Bangkok, Mexico

These movies take you on a wild ride with ‘Wolf pack’. The trilogy is spread over the cities of Vegas, Bangkok and some of Mexico as the wolf pack finds themselves in some kind of a fix and the hilarity that ensues. The movies are a laughter-riot and showcase the cities, making you to want to have an adventure of your own!

10. Lost in Translation

Where it’ll take you: Japan

The movie follows two separate travelers visiting Tokyo at the same time. The unlikely pair of an aging actor and a bored wife meets each other to form a friendship as they experience confusion and hilarity in a strange new city. This beautifully shot film shows how funny and interesting traveling in a new country can be especially when you don’t understand the language and that the random experiences that one encounters while traveling are often the most memorable.

11. Road, Movie

Where it’ll take you: Rajasthan

Road, Movie is not one of the well known films in the Indian cinema, but nonetheless is a great travel movie. The movie follows Vishnu (Abhay Deol) as he drives a 1942 Chevy across the desert to the sea, where it has been sold to a local museum. On his journey he picks up a bunch of people as they take the journey across the desert together facing different challenges.

The movie showcases the immenseness of the desert and the joy of driving through it.

12. Highway

Where it’ll take you: Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir

The latest entrée to the list of Indian travel movies, this is a film about an abducted girl and her abductor (Randeep Hooda) who travel on a highway to avoid getting caught. The girl (Alia Bhatt) discovers new found freedom and peace in her bondage and doesn’t want to go back to her old life.

The movie has beautifully depicted the remote Sangla valley in Himachal Pradesh and takes you over the Aru valley and Chandanwari near Pahalgam. This movie will truly make you admire the beauty of these mountains and make you want to take a trip there.

13. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Where it’ll take you: Spain

Given the star cast of the movie, I was expecting big things from the movie and it did not disappoint! The film takes you on a road trip through magnificently beautiful Spain with a three friends, one of whom is about to get married. They participate in different adventure sports as per a pact, meet new people, settle their past issues and discover a new outlook towards life.
The film is a visual extravaganza and really makes you feel the joy of the characters as they travel, take up challenges and discover new things. It’s hard to watch this movie and not want to pack your bags and just go on a trip with your best buddies.

14. Queen

Where it’ll take you: Paris and Amsterdam

The trailers didn’t impress much and the only thing which got me to watch this movie was word of mouth reviews by friends. I mean so many people can’t be wrong, can they? And am I not glad I went for this! Being a travel enthusiast with a backpacking trip across Europe as my dream destination, this movie got me even more wanting to pack my bags and leave (until my bank balance played the spoiler).

This is a story about a middle class girl, Rani (Kangana Ranaut), whose to-be-husband calls of the wedding and she decides to go on their planned honeymoon trip alone. The movie follows her adventures as she travels to Paris and Amsterdam. She befriends new people, dances in the street, shares a hostel room with three guys and end up discovering life and what all she could be.

The movie gives you enough laughs and a sense of freedom and to, for once, let everything go and do what you feel like.

15. Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani

Where it’ll take you: Manali, Gulmarg, and Udaipur

Being one of those big banner films, I really thought it would be one of those run of the mill love stories, which it is in a major sense of the way. But the movie does manage to capture the spirit of youth which wants to travel and experience the world. The protagonist, Kabir (Ranbir Kapoor), is a travel lover who wants to see the world and not be bound by marriage and other social notions.

The movie takes you to snow-clad peaks of Kullu-Manali and Gulmarg as Kabir and his friends trek through the area and is visually appealing. Later half of the movie is shot in Udaipur and gives you a taste of a lavish Indian wedding.

I found the movie to be full of energy and with beautiful cinematography which captures the beauty of both the mountains and the aura of Rajasthani palaces.

16. Anjaana Anjaani

Where it’ll take you: New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco

This movie revolves around two people who are depressed with life and decide to end their live on New Years’ eve. Before that they decide to all the things they wanted to and take up a road trip to Vegas.

Though a dud as far as the story goes, watch this one just for the beautiful cinematography as the characters travel through the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas.

17. Jab We Met

Where it’ll take you: Ratlam, Bhatinda, Manali

Jab We Met is considered to be one the top romantic Indian movies but what it also is a great travel movie which showcases the journey of the characters across north Indian heartland.

The lead pair’s journey in train, buses, taxis and camel-carts as they try to get to Bhatinda make for a pretty good adventure and gets the travel bug itching. The songs shot in Kullu Manali and Rohtang pass makes you want to travel to those destinations yourself.

With great locations and equally good storyline, what more reason is required to watch or re-watch this movie!

18. Dil Chahta Hai

Where it’ll take you: Goa

You talk of a trip to Goa and you can’t help thinking about this movie. A road trip to Goa with friends has become a part of everyone’s bucket list after this movie. Who has not wanted to sit atop Aguada fort and discuss their aims and philosophies about life!

The movie follows three friends and their life as they learn and grow from life experiences while settling out their issues and maintaining their friendships.

This movie will definitely will inspire you to take a trip to Goa, no matter how busy you’re with life.

Which all have you seen?

Do comment below!

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