According to a Harris Interactive Poll of 2,454 U.S. adults conducted online between June 9, 2008 and June 16, 2008, Italy is the most popular vacation destination outside of the United States, followed by Australia, Great Britain (England, Scotland, or Wales), France, and Ireland. Although men and women have different favorites – men prefer Australia, while women prefer Italy – it’s clear that most of the time these vacations serve as romantic adventures for couples.
When planning a romantic adventure to a foreign country, it helps to prepare for the journey by studying the people, culture, language, landmarks, politics, and cuisine. What better way to do this than to watch a romantic film set in that country? The following list provides a few sample suggestions for romantic films to prepare couples for visiting these top vacation destinations outside the United States.
Romantic Movies Shot in Italy
A Room With a View (1985) Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands, and Daniel Day-Lewis star in this romantic drama about a young English woman visiting Florence, Italy, in the early 1900s.
Roman Holiday (1953) Starring Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, and Eddie Albert in the story of a bored princess on holiday in Rome who goes on an adventure with an American journalist.
Romantic Movies Shot in Australia
Australia (2008) An aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) and a rough cattle driver (Hugh Jackman) must herd cattle through difficult territory Down Under in the late 1930s.
Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Crocodile Dundee II (1988) Starring Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski in an adventurous love story (and its sequel) that occur – at least in part – in the Australian outback.
Romantic Movies Shot in Great Britain
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell star in this romantic comedy about a British man who falls in love with an American woman he meets at weddings and funerals all around England.
Notting Hill (1999) Another romantic comedy set in England where Hugh Grant falls in love with another American woman, this time played by Julia Roberts.
Romantic Movies Shot in France
Before Sunset (2004) A man (Ethan Hawke) and woman (Julie Delpy) reunite in France nine years after their first encounter.
French Kiss (1995) Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline star as an unlikely pair who meets on a plane headed to France where she hopes to reclaim her lost fiancé.
Romantic Movies Shot in Ireland
Far and Away (1992) Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman portray a young couple who leave Ireland and head for America to start a better life.
The Playboys (1992) Starring Robin Wright Penn, Albert Finney, and Aidan Quinn, this romantic drama concerns a scandalous woman in a small 1950s Irish town who has an illegitimate baby and keeps the father’s identity a secret.
For information about comedy movies shot on-location in foreign countries, read Top Vacation Destinations in Comedy Films.
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
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