Top 14 Inspiring Travel Movies

The Fabulous Life of Amélie Poulain (French: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, shortened to Amélie) is a romantic comedy film from France, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Set in the glamorous capital of Paris, the film delights viewers not only with its captivating storyline but also with its impressive cinematography and editing techniques. It tells the story of Amelie - a beautiful, innocent, and kind-hearted French girl, whose small personal acts bring about significant changes in the lives of those around her.

The film won the Best Film award at the European Film Awards and scooped four César Awards (including Best Film and Best Director), two BAFTA Awards (including Best Original Screenplay), and received five Oscar nominations, winning awards at the Tokyo and Karlovy Vary film festivals. The New York Times selected the film as one of the '1000 Greatest Films Ever Made,' and it ranked second in Empire Magazine's '100 Best Films of World Cinema.' Shot in France - a country with enchanting and picturesque settings, the film will surely inspire viewers to visit this beautiful land.

Details:

• Release Date: April 25, 2001 (Switzerland)
• Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• Country: France; Germany
• Soundtrack: Yann Tiersen
• Writers: Jean-Pierre Jeunet (scenes); Guillaume Laurant (dialogue)

The Beach is an adventure film from 2000 directed by Danny Boyle and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Alex Garland, adapted for the screen by John Hodge. The film was shot on Phi Phi Leh Beach - which has now become a famous tourist destination in Phuket, Thailand.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this adventure film as he follows a backpacker exploring the wilderness of Thailand. Leo comes across a beach, considering it his paradise. Soon after, things get complicated with the arrival of Richard, somehow disturbing the long-established life of a community living on the beach. With such vivid beach scenes, it's hard to resist being moved, isn't it?

Details:

• Release Date: February 2, 2000 (USA)
• Director: Danny Boyle
• Author: Alex Garland
• Soundtrack: Moby, Angelo Badalamenti
  
• Nomination: Teen Choice Award for Film - Choice Chemistry

The Bourne Supremacy (alternatively titled: Power of Bourne) is the second installment in the popular action film series featuring the spy Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) based on the novel of the same name by writer Robert Ludlum. The film was directed by Paul Greengrass, adapted by Tony Gilroy and Brian Helgeland, produced by Doug Liman and Frank Marshall.

The Bourne Supremacy is the second part of the famous action film series about the spy Jason Bourne, a former CIA agent on a journey to recover his violent memories. His role as a spy will take viewers around the world and promise to leave a lasting impression. The film focuses on Bourne's efforts to learn more about his past and gets entangled in a conspiracy involving the CIA and the Treadstone operation. Universal Pictures released the film in theaters in North America on July 23, 2004. The film received critical acclaim and positive responses from film critics as well as grossed large revenues at the box office ($288 million).

Details:

• Release Date: July 15, 2004 (Los Angeles)
• Director: Paul Greengrass
• Editing: Christopher Rouse; Rick Pearson
• Series: The Bourne Series
• Box Office: $288.5 million

If other movies are scripted, Into the Wild stands as a true story about the cross-country journey of McCandless, one where he got stranded in the wilderness of Alaska, and another, his two-year odyssey through various lands before reaching Alaska. It's the kind of movie that makes you feel like with just the bare essentials, you can pack your bag and head out anywhere.

Into the Wild tells the story of Christopher McCandless - a recent college graduate who decides to forsake his affluent life and familial wishes to live life on his own terms. He plans an adventure of hitchhiking to Alaska. The film premiered at the 2007 Rome Film Festival and later screened in Fairbanks, Alaska on September 21, 2007. It was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and won for Best Original Song for 'Guaranteed' by Eddie Vedder. The film also received two Oscar nominations, including Hal Holbrook for Best Supporting Actor.

Details

• Release Date: September 21, 2007 (USA)
• Director: Sean Penn
• Country: USA
• Awards: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor,
• Nominations: Gotham Award for Best Picture

Lost in Translation is an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola, produced in 2003. It is her second feature film after The Virgin Suicides (1999). The film revolves around a relationship in a Tokyo hotel, telling the story of the connection between washed-up actor Bob Harris (Murray) and recent college graduate Charlotte (Johansson).

Lost in Translation received critical acclaim and earned four nominations at the 76th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay for Coppola, and Best Actor for Murray, with Coppola winning for Best Original Screenplay. Additionally, Murray and Johansson won for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively at the 2004 BAFTA Awards. The film was also a commercial success, grossing $119 million worldwide on a budget of $4 million. While your adventures might not align with the film's direction, exploring the humorous aspects of travel always succeeds in inspiring travel enthusiasts.

Details

• Release Date: September 9, 2003 (USA)
• Director: Sofia Coppola
• Country: Japan, USA
• Awards: Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay,
• Nominations: Academy Award for Best Actor

The Motorcycle Diaries was released on February 6, 2004, directed by Walter Salles. This is a film set in the beautiful island of Peru. The story is set in 1952, when Che Guevara was a renowned leprosy specialist. Che, along with his friend Alberto Granado, an Argentine biochemist at the time, rode together on a Norton 500cc motorcycle, which they named 'The Mighty One.' The journey of these young men in the film highlights the importance of traveling and the inspiration it brings to those around them. It's only through travel that you gain new experiences, make new friends, encounter different cultures, and learn new lessons.

The Motorcycle Diaries won the Best Film award, Best Director for Walter Salles, Best Supporting Actor for Rodrigo de la Serna, and the Norman Lear Writer award for screenwriter José Rivera. It also won the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Details:

• Release Date: February 6, 2004 (Norway)
• Director: Walter Salles
• Screenplay by: José Rivera
• Awards: BAFTA Award for Best Original Music
• Producers: Michael Nozik, Karen Tenkhoff, Edgard

The Bucket List is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Rob Reiner, written by Justin Zackham, and produced by Reiner, Alan Greisman, Craig Zadan, and Neil Meron. The film premiered on December 15, 2007, in Hollywood. It received mixed reviews from film critics but was successful at the box office, opening as the top-grossing film and grossing a total of $175.4 million worldwide.

The film follows two terminally ill elderly men who decide to embark on a journey together to fulfill their final wishes. Before they kick the bucket, they want to experience things they never got to in their youth, like driving race cars, staying in luxurious hotels, and traveling around the world. It's an adventure film suitable for all ages, including the elderly.

Details:

• Release Date: December 15, 2007 (Hollywood)
• Director: Rob Reiner
• Screenplay by: Justin Zackham
• Producers: Rob Reiner, Alan Greisman, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron
• Box Office: $175.4 million
  

A Good Year is a romantic comedy film from the UK-US, telling the story of an English detective. He inherits his uncle's vineyard in France, where he spent his childhood living in the love of Uncle Henry and the aroma of sweet, seductive wine.

But those childhood memories soon faded with time, becoming blurred, and he decides to sell the castle to continue his affluent life. However, upon returning to the lavish life in France, living amidst the grounds steeped in memories, Max suddenly feels a pang of regret and continues to wrestle with himself.

Details:

• Release Date: October 27, 2006 (United Kingdom)
• Director: Ridley Scott
• Story by: Peter Mayle
• Music by: Marc Streitenfeld
• Nomination: Satellite Award for Best Cinematography

Eat, Pray, Love (Eat, Pray, Love) is a movie for all single women and solo females out there. It's definitely a film you can't miss when starting your journey, especially if you're contemplating whether to travel or not.

The film follows Gilbert's story, a woman who travels 'around the world' to rediscover herself after enduring a heavy divorce. In the final leg of her journey, she meets and falls in love with Felipe. The movie is adapted from Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir. Julia Roberts found her joy through eating in Italy, praying in India, and unexpectedly finding the love of her life in Bali, Indonesia.

Details:

• Release Date: August 13, 2010 (United States)
• Director: Ryan Murphy
• Story by: Elizabeth Gilbert
• Nomination: People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress
• Screenplay by: Ryan Murphy, Jennifer Salt

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2014) is an intriguing tale about the life of the protagonist - Walter Mitty, an office worker with never-ending dreams, who turns himself into a clueless figure in his own life and easily becomes the butt of everyone's jokes. A person with grand dreams but unable to accomplish the smallest things in everyday life. With The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2014), viewers are taken into a completely different world, with plots far beyond ordinary imagination, crafted by the talented director, also the lead actor of the film - Ben Stiller. The film shows us that everyone's life is a long journey to find their true selves and thereby achieve true happiness.

Details:

• Release Date: October 5, 2013 (United States)
• Director: Ben Stiller
• Screenplay by: Steve Conrad
• Budget: $90 million
• Box Office: $188.5 million

Euro Trip revolves around Scott Thomas, who is helped by a person from Germany with his online homework and then invited to travel to Germany. Initially hesitant to go, Scott worries the person might be a man or a creepy pervert seeking young men to confide in.

But all his assumptions are wrong, and upon learning that the person who helped him is a beautiful young woman, he travels to Germany. Accompanying him on the journey is his friend Cooper. They embark on a plane journey across Europe, joined by twin sisters Jenny and Jamie. To reach Berlin, they begin a long trip through the major cities of Europe, from London to Paris and Amsterdam, with endless laughter along the way...

Details:

• Release Date: February 20, 2004 (United States)
• Directors: Jeff Schaffer, Alec Berg, David Mandel
• Screenplay by: Jeff Schaffer, Alec Berg, David Mandel
  
• Budget: $25 million
• Box Office: $20.8 million

The film follows the main character Ahmed. Despite being born and raised in India, he is fluent in English and always dresses in Western attire. Ahmed encounters a middle-aged woman, Mrs. Moore, at a temple, who expresses her desire for him to join her and her friend Adela Quested on a sightseeing tour of some caves.

Little did Ahmed know that his life would be turned upside down when Adela accuses him of assaulting her in a cave. He is arrested and, during the trial, realizes that his own government is indifferent to whether he is guilty or innocent, only seeking to punish him severely to deter Indians from harassing British people. Ahmed experiences firsthand the 'justice' of the colonial regime, and their motto for Indians, 'guilty until proven innocent.'

Details:

• Release Date: December 14, 1984 (United States)
• Director: David Lean
• Budget: $17 million
• Awards: Academy Award for Best Original Score
• Nominations: Academy Award for Best Picture

The Indiana Jones series is an American media franchise based on the adventures of fictional archaeologist Dr. Henry Walton 'Indiana' Jones, Jr. The series began in 1981 with the first film, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg. Indiana Jones won an Academy Award in 1984 for 'Outstanding Visual Effects' and received a nomination for 'Best Original Score'.

In 1936, archaeology professor Indiana Jones is on the hunt for a golden idol in the South American jungle when he learns about the Ark of the Covenant. This ancient artifact is also sought after by Renne Belloq and Nazi agents. Tasked by the government, Jones ventures to ruins in Nepal and Egypt to find the Ark. The film also serves as the introduction to the Indiana Jones series. Alongside Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones embodies a rugged hero archetype, in stark contrast to the suave James Bond. The character of Indiana Jones has inspired subsequent franchises such as The Mummy and National Treasure.

Details:

• Release Year: 1981
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Country: United States
• Runtime: 115 minutes

Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014) tells the story of a psychiatrist named Hector who boldly gives up his mundane yet ambitious life to embark on a quest for happiness. Starting from China, then Africa, and finally Los Angeles, Hector discovers new, intriguing insights about what he has always sought to understand – happiness.

The filming and storytelling approach by director Peter Chelsom is simple and gentle enough for a broad audience to enjoy for nearly two hours without the strain often found in many philosophical films. The movie features the talents of Simon Pegg and Rosamund Pike, who both fully embody their roles, effectively conveying the message intended by the film.

Details:

• Release Date: 08/14/2014
• Director: Peter Chelsom
• Screenplay: Maria von Heland, Peter Chelsom
• Runtime: 119 minutes