By David Saunders | UPDATED: 11:28, 07 April 2020
Travelling is not a possibility for the time being, and yet it is the main thought that we constantly find creeping into our heads.
Although it is impossible to leave our homes, it is not impossible to try to escape…
With this spirit in mind, Holidu, the search engine for holiday rentals, decided to rank the best movies of all time that will allow you to escape as far away from home as possible.
We present a somewhat surprising ranking of cinematic masterpieces, promising to take you to a wide variety of places!
In order to develop this ranking, over one hundred films about travel (or that inspire the viewer to travel) were studied.
They were then ranked according to several criteria: the number of awards obtained at the Academy Awards, the average rating obtained on imdb.com, and finally the number of times the film was mentioned in travel film lists.
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 2003
Let’s first take a trip to Middle-earth and discover the unique landscapes of New Zealand. While The Lord of the Rings may seem somewhat unconventional for a travel movie list at first glance, it won’t be for long.
Each of the three films allow us to travel not only to the other side of the world, but further afield, to the fantastic world of J. R. R. Tolkien.
With eleven nominations and eleven Oscar awards, it is also the highest rated film in the ranking, with 8.9/10 on IMDb.
Watch it online: available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime and YouTube from £2.49.
2. Titanic – 1997
Time to channel the excitement of a first big trip, Titanic may not make you want to go on an Atlantic cruise anytime soon, but it’s surely the best portrayal of the anticipation you feel when you’re about to embark on a great journey.
Twenty-three years after its creation, the trips may be different, but the sensations have remained the same!
A record number of fourteen Oscar nominations and eleven victories! As is often the case, the IMDb rating does not necessarily reflect the cinematic excellence rewarded at the Oscars, but Titanic nevertheless gets a good score with 7.8/10.
Watch it online: available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Google Play from £3.49.
3. Out of Africa – 1985
Following the footsteps of a strong and independent woman, we set off to discover Kenya and its fabulous landscapes. Incredible images that take us to our wildest desires of safaris, meeting lions and giraffes!
A story of love, desire for freedom and emancipation led by Meryl Streep in the form of a young girl from Denmark, forced to leave everything to follow her husband and conquer her journey to East Africa.
Two iconic actors in the lead roles, Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, eleven Oscar nominations, seven wins… Need we say more? The film averages 7.2/10 on IMDb.
Watch it online: available for rental or purchase on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Google Play from £2.49.
4. Slumdog Millionaire – 2008
Now we have the amazing adventure of two brothers from the slums of Mumbai on a quest for love and a better life… Slumdog Millionaire allows us to discover India for a total change of scenery, following Jamal Malik in search of his childhood sweetheart.
Between the vibrant city of Bombay in full expansion, the rural landscapes of deep India and the visits to the Taj Mahal, we are left desperate to book a trip to India to discover the country by ourselves, as soon as our lockdown duties are up!
With eight Oscar awards and ten nominations, Slumdog Millionaire has managed to charm its audience with its unique Bollywood vibe. It also received an excellent 8/10 rating on IMDb.
Watch online: available for rental or purchase on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Google Play from £2.50 and on Netflix.
5. Forrest Gump – 1994
And what a crazy life Forrest has led! He tells of his adventures around the world, chasing Jenny and taking us with him. A fresh and different look at life’s trials, a touching story of a boy unlike any other. From Vietnam to the crossing of the United States…
Leaving everything and starting to run, at the end of the road, the street, the avenue, the city, going on and going far away without looking back! It makes you dream, doesn’t it?
Thirteen Oscar nominations for six wins, Forrest Gump conquers hearts and transports minds! The film also received the second highest rating of any film on IMDb with 8.8/10.
Watch online: available for rental or purchase on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Google Play from £2.49.
6. Raiders of the Lost Ark – 1981
Brace yourselves, we’re going on an adventure in the footsteps of the one and only Indiana Jones! To escape to faraway lands, there is nothing better than to follow the infinite adventures he encounters during his mission.
In just one film, he manages to find the love of his life in Peru, unearth a mystical object hidden in the lost city of Tanis, Egypt, have it stolen and imprisoned by the Nazis, escape, retrieve the object and save the world! What a hero!
A true cinematic feat for the time, Indiana Jones: The Adventurers of the Lost Ark was nominated eight times and won four Oscar awards. The IMDb average score is 8/10.
Watch online: available on Amazon Prime or for rental and purchase on YouTube and Google Play from £2.49.
7. Dances with the Wolves – 1990
Promising a total change of scenery and a complete immersion in a fast-moving America. A cultural and ethnic confrontation, John Darbard takes us on a journey through time and space during more than three hours of film.
He then makes us discover the most incredible landscapes of the Far West and the Grand Teton National Park, where he became friends with the Sioux Indian tribe. Breathtaking panoramas of still immaculate territories, this is the history of America before the United States.
Twelve nominations and eight Oscar awards, not bad for a Western that nobody wanted to produce! On IMDb, it gets an average score of 8/10.
Watch online: available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Google Play from £2.49.
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8. Inception – 2010
The youngest film in this ranking is a fascinating fiction with an uncertain ending that presents a different journey, a journey that has only the limits of imagination! Escape through dreams, dreams so real that you don’t know they’re fake until you wake up. Discover Paris, Los Angeles, Morocco, Japan… And you? Where do you go in your dreams?
The second film with Leonardo DiCaprio in this ranking, which also performed well at the Oscars with eight nominations and four victories! It gets the third best score among the films in the ranking with 8.7/10.
Watch online: available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Google Play from £3.49.
9. Doctor Zhivago – 1965
A trip back to a time a little less wonderful, in an era that makes you dream a lot less… but a trip nevertheless! We are taken on a journey across Russia, starting from imperial Moscow, followed by the hard Ukrainian front during the First World War, to finish in the snowy Ural…
Dr. Zhivago tells us his life and his story, a tragic and impossible romance in a bruised country… Throughout the film, we discover icy and majestic landscapes of the Russian winters as we have never imagined them before.
It has been nominated ten times and awarded five times at the Oscars and gets a score of 8/10 on IMDb.
Watch online: available for rent or purchase on YouTube and Google Play from £3.49.
10. Before Sunrise – 1995
Who doesn’t want to explore Vienna with a stranger you met on the train? It’s the story of two young people who do what you’ve always dreamed of doing but never really thought possible!
Make a random encounter, turn all your plans upside down, and spend a day exploring a new destination. This is a romantic film which shows, as a bonus, beautiful pictures of the Austrian capital.
No Oscar for this film, which stands out from the rest of the list by being lighter and easier than the others. However, it gets the well-deserved 8/10 rating on IMDb and will transport you for a while to the beautiful city of Vienna.
Watch online: available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Google Play from £3.49
Methodology: In order to develop this ranking, more than one hundred films about travel (or inspiring us to travel) were studied.
They were then ranked according to several criteria: the number of awards obtained at the Oscars, the average rating obtained on imdb.com, and finally (with a lesser importance) the number of times the film was mentioned in travel film lists.
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