Films that inspire you to travel - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**AKguacamole** · 03-27-2008, 10:46 PM

While I'm trying to figure out which part of the world is calling me next, I love any sort of inspiration. There are so many great films out there that can inspire us, and I would like to see more!
What are some truly awesome travel movies?

I was inspired by, the classic movie of course, The Beach, and more recently the Darjeeling Limited has moved to the top of my list.

**joe7f** · 03-28-2008, 01:42 AM

Not sure this one works for everyone (in fact it seems to be the opposite on the surface) but "Lost in Translation" inspired a Japan trip in 2007.

To me it seemed to really represent a true travel experience (despite their insanely nice digs). Exhilaration, disorientation, tiredness, loneliness, random friendship, and a return to a love/appreciation for a new culture.

--Joey

**MeTurk** · 03-28-2008, 05:54 AM

Em, lets see. Hostel, Alive, National lampoons, Babel, Bambi, so many films.

Films don't really inspire me anymore.

**mbo108** · 03-28-2008, 05:58 AM

I blame it all on Indiana Jones...

My parents, using any opportunity to turn something I thought was fun into something they thought of as learning, got me all sorts of books about archeaology, anthropology, etc. but it all started with Indy.

**pinknic38** · 03-28-2008, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeTurk

Bambi, so many films.

BAMBI? LOL!!

For me, of course, there's "Under the Tuscan Sun"...duh. I recently watched "In Bruges" which is kind of funny cos the guy hated Bruges in the movie but it looked nice and made me wanna go.

Umm... Honestly the BBC's "Planet Earth" series (not a movie, I know) got me interested in several things, namely Africa and South America. The movie "Last King of Scotland" suprisingly made me want to see more of Uganda.

And not to be a huge tool but I took my little sister to see the "Lizzie Maguire Movie" when she went to Italy or whatev and I was like "hell yes!" Not going to lie about it.

I know there's more... "The Beach"... Oh and National Lampoon's "Vegas Vacation" makes me wanna roadtrip, maybe not to Vegas but somewhere. You hear that "Holiday Road" song and you wanna get in the car and go. I downloaded it!

Oh!! And "Le Vie En Rose" of course.

**maracle** · 03-28-2008, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinknic38

Umm... Honestly the BBC's "Planet Earth" series (not a movie, I know) got me interested in several things, namely Africa and South America. The movie "Last King of Scotland" suprisingly made me want to see more of Uganda.

My goal in life after seeing Planet Earth is to see the chandelier ballroom in Lechuguilla. The only problem is that access is only allowed for qualified speleological researchers, so at some point I'm going to have to become one of those...

**mollymore** · 03-28-2008, 09:19 AM

I just saw Persepolis last week and it renewed my interest in visiting both France & Iran. French films always make me want to travel to French-speaking places because I have no one here to talk with en francais. I also really love movies about road trips around Canada or the US, they make me so restless! Highway 61 is one of my oldest favorites.

Molly

dudeman · 03-28-2008, 10:13 AM

The Beach made me want to get out and about. I was also heavily inspired by Hemingway. I do have to say that I saw Irreversible not long before I left for Paris and it made me think about walking down some dark alleys.

**AKguacamole** · 03-28-2008, 12:43 PM

Oh yeah can't forget Motorcycle Diaries. Everyone must see.

**Elizabeth** · 03-28-2008, 12:50 PM

Chasing Liberty :D Also Before Sunrise.

dudeman · 03-28-2008, 01:16 PM

I forgot about Before Sunrise, another good film.

**offhegoes03** · 03-28-2008, 03:31 PM

The Beach is a cool movie, I just rented it recently because I hadn't seen it in a long time. I just saw Darjeeling Limited as well and that was a pretty sweet movie.

Let's not forget about the ultimate "road trip" movie... harold and kumar go to white castle! hah, the new one is about them going to Amsterdam too.

**aliz** · 03-28-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizz

Chasing Liberty :D Also Before Sunrise.

heh, chasing liberty is a great travel movie!

bluewaveted · 07-10-2008, 12:40 PM

For some reason, Cinema Paradiso just resonated with me ... that sparked into a full-blown Italy trip!

snowball1982 · 07-10-2008, 03:48 PM

Alive

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Midnight Express

**c0urt** · 07-10-2008, 10:20 PM

has no one said eurotrip? oh come on.

**raoulduke** · 07-10-2008, 10:37 PM

I was moments away from posting about how glad I was that no one had said Eurotrip. I seem to be the only person in the world that hated it.

More like Eurotripe (Sorry about that)

SGRHewitt · 07-10-2008, 10:47 PM

Eurotrip is what immersed me to the backpacking culture. Until then, I being from small town in Indiana had never really heard of it.

It was the single reason I did my study abroad trip. Yes, it's a tacky film, with plenty of inaccuracies and stereotypes. But it's hilarious, and does show you a bit of Europe that is worth your time. To bad a nickle doesn't go as far as it did in the movie haha.

**c0urt** · 07-10-2008, 10:54 PM

oh it is a horrible movie. but you cant take life too seriously and most of these trips are atleast partially vacations.

yes eurotrip got me into the backpacking culture. but just torque is soooooo full inaccuracies about motorcycle cutlure, it is nice to be able to laugh at myself, and also wonder is that what we look like through the wide lens to those who are not part of the culture

toby c · 07-11-2008, 09:00 AM

I can't remember the name of this movie, but it was like hostel only set in Brazil I believe. They used to play it on like cinemax at night or something. I never made it past the first half hour cuz it seemed basically like a badder version of hostel. But that first half hour or so, I thought was awesome, backpackers bus runs off the road, they walk to a beach, swim drink and play futbol with the locals, sounds like a great time! Also futbol hooligan movies inspire me to look forward to Philadelphia getting a soccer team, woot woot! I'd like to say indiana jones as well, always inspired me to look further into the occult and archeology, never got heavy into it, but it seems fun. and then movies like the pirates of the carribean, white squall, stuff like that, I really want to get a nice sailboat some day and just cruise the ocean. I also like the shots in Blood Diamond and the Lord of the Rings movies, made me want to go to Africa and NZ respectively. And then kurosawa films make me want to take a sword and travel from Japan to England on foot, dont know why, just wanted to do that since the first kurosawa film i saw.