In the world of Netflix and other streaming services, passports can easily be replaced by remote controls. With a deluge of options of what to watch, getting lost in other people's real and fictitious adventures is simple. For other people, though, popular TV shows and movies inspire jet-setting, and before the closing credits finish, airplane tickets have been booked, and the suitcase is half-packed. Check out these favorite TV shows and movies for some travel inspiration!
Emily in Paris
Emily in Paris is about Emily Cooper, a Chicago native in her late 20s with a master's in communication. She moved to Paris for a job as a marketing executive in a French marketing firm to provide an American perspective. Paris, the City of Love, is an easy location to romanticize, and Emily in Paris definitely brings the romance! The charming cafes on every corner, the Eiffel Tower, unique fashion, and alluring personalities are enough to make anyone want to drop everything for a trip to Paris. So, throw in a love triangle with a young American marketing executive, an up-and-coming French chef, and a socialite art gallery manager, and we're ready to get on the next flight to Paris!
The show also highlights the differences between American and French workplace culture. While the level of perfection and dedication to work are the same, the methods and journey vary. Emily's struggle to learn the language is highlighted as she tries to order "un pain au chocolat" as the bakery owner corrects her multiple times. While not every trip to France will be Emily in Paris-level drama and excitement, the show gives a beautiful tour of the city and showcases many beautiful touristy places.
Bridgerton
Bridgerton is a popular historical drama television series based in 19th-century Regency-era England. The storyline follows the lives of the Bridgerton family, an influential and wealthy aristocratic family living in London, with each member playing a significant role in London's social scene.
Bridgerton was filmed in many beautiful England locations. Greenwich, London, is the home of Ranger’s House, which was the exterior of the Bridgerton Family Mansion. Holburne Museum, in Bath, Somerset, was Lady Danbur’s Estate. The Historic Dockyard Chatham, in Kent, was used to portray some of the scenes of the lower-class neighborhoods in London. Simon and Daphne’s wedding was filmed in Castle Howard, in York, North Yorkshire. And many episodes feature the gardens and state rooms of Wilton House in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Diehard fans can plan an entire Bridgerton-inspired adventure around England to tour these places.
The White Lotus
The White Lotus is a satirical comedy-drama that follows the lives and interactions of guests and staff at a ritzy Hawaiian resort called the White Lotus. The guests arriving at the resort come from different family and financial backgrounds and have an array of expectations about the perfect vacation.
The show was filmed at the height of the pandemic at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea. The cast and crew lived at the resort for the duration of filming, staying isolated and testing regularly. Although the show navigates the tricky subjects of class and privilege, the stunning tropical landscape and sandy beaches are anything but drama. Lush tropical landscapes, the sparkling clear ocean, and the luxurious beaches are enough to make anyone book a trip to Hawaii. The White Lotus also portrays a resort lifestyle, highlighting fine dining, elevated accommodations, and the pull of relaxation and pampering in an exotic location.
Sex Education
Another British-inspired show, Sex Education, is a comedy-drama series telling the life of Otis Milburn, an awkward teenager who becomes a makeshift sex therapist in his high school to his peers. Because his mother is a well-known sex therapist, Otis grew up surrounded by books, research, and general knowledge about human sexuality. Although set in a fictitious British town, the show was filmed in Wye Valley, the valley between England and Wales.
Many scenes from Sex Education were filmed in locations that can be visited today. The charming red house Otis lived in is located above the valley and is actually a B&B. The countryside scenes where Otis rides his bike to school were filmed in the Bargain Woods, Whitestone. LLandogo is the name of the shop where Adam and Ola work, both in the show and in real life! Visitors can stop by for drinks or snacks. The beautiful countryside made for a stunning backdrop for this show.
Barbie
The Barbie Movie, complete with pink dreamhouses and outfits, beach offs, and, of course, the seemingly perfect relationship between Barbie and Ken. But, as Barbie's awareness and perspective shift, she quickly becomes aware that her perfect world isn't the only world. She has unanswered questions disrupting her life. When given the choice to explore the outside world to find answers, she takes the unconventional pink Birkenstocks and sets out to find her greater purpose.
What starts out as a solo road trip in her pink convertible and a sing-along is quickly crashed by Ken, who is stowed away in her back seat. Thankfully for Ken, he also packed his neon yellow rollerblades! By speedboat, rocket ship, tandem bike, camper van, snowmobile, and finally, neon rollerblades, Barbie and Ken roll into Venice Beach. The urban ocean-side city is complete with palm trees, a blue sky, a crowded ocean walkway, and the typical comments and stares from passersby.
While Barbie and Ken run around Los Angeles searching for answers, different sites and freeways are featured in Santa Monica, Venice, and downtown. Unfortunately, Barbie's Dreamhouse and Ken's Mojo Dojo Casa House, filled with horses, aren't there to visit. Visitors can rollerblade down the Venice Beach bike path and enjoy the same ocean views.
Or maybe the importance of travel in the Barbie Movie showcases a different side of travel. The "why". Barbie needed answers and clarity, and travel was the answer. The idea of travel for Barbie is metaphorical and literal - physically traveling through the real world provides a different backdrop for her to learn new lessons and experience new things, pushing her toward finding her purpose. Through the challenge of travel (or running from a CEO), Barbie learns to adapt, improvise, and trust herself.
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso is a heartwarming American comedy television series following Ted Lasso, the ever-optimistic and amusing American college football coach. He is abruptly hired as the head coach of AFC Richmond, a struggling English soccer (football) team in the Premier League, although he has no background in English soccer. The show is set in the United Kingdom, mainly Richmond (right outside of London), and provides a glimpse into British sports culture.
The local pub in the show, the Prince’s Head, is a made-up establishment, but the exterior is an actual pub in Richmond called Crown and Anchor. Ted Lasso fans can sit on the benches outside the pub where the iconic Hey Jude scene was filmed, where Coach Beard gently coaches Henry, Ted's son, to know that things will get better despite the mess of his parents' divorce. Fans can also stop for a photo inside the red phone booths or sit on the bench in the apex by the phone booths and the pub. The tiny street Ted lives on is also a charming street to walk down, full of local shops and restaurants.
Long Story Short...
TV shows and movies serve as a pathway for wanderlust, transporting viewers effortlessly to the enchanting streets of Paris, alluring Hawaiian resorts, and the intriguing landscapes of the British countryside. From the romance in Emily in Paris to the inspiration of Ted Lasso, each series entertains while giving a glimpse into a faraway destination, making the globe seem smaller and more attainable, giving the viewers actual destinations to aspire to visit.
Written by Andrea Jeschke
