Top Ten Favorites - Summer Vacation Movies

"Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain." (Joseph Campbell)

Hello, my lovely friends! 

    I was thinking about how much we all need a collective escape right about now. Since we can’t all magically pack our bags and jet off together this very second, I did the next best thing and put together a list of our absolute favorite summer vacation movies. These are the classics we’ve talked about a million times, the ones that feel like a warm breeze and an open road, or just make us laugh until our stomachs hurt. It’s the ultimate lineup for those nights when you just want to curl up on the couch and pretend you’re anywhere else.
 

    We have to start with the ones that completely capture that old-school, sweeping European romance we always dream about. Think about Suzanne Pleshette in Rome Adventure, wandering through Italy and falling in love when everything felt a bit more glamorous, or Katharine Hepburn in Summertime, capturing that beautiful, bittersweet ache of a Venice vacation. There is just something about those vintage colors and the sheer drama of a holiday romance that never gets old. And speaking of Italy, you know we can’t talk about escaping to the Mediterranean without bringing up Under the Tuscan Sun and Letters to Juliet. Every single time Diane Lane starts rebuilding that gorgeous, crumbling villa, or Amanda Seyfried goes hunting for a long-lost love in Verona, it makes me want to immediately buy a one-way ticket, drink endless red wine, and start fresh in a tiny stone cottage.

    If you're looking for pure, unadulterated joy and a soundtrack that will stay stuck in your head for days, Mamma Mia! is always the answer. It’s basically our friendship group chat in movie form—dancing on a Greek island, singing ABBA at the top of our lungs, and dealing with a chaotic but beautiful life. On the complete opposite end of the vacation spectrum, we have the Griswolds in National Lampoon's European Vacation. Honestly, nothing makes me feel better about our own travel mishaps than watching Chevy Chase trap a whole family in a London roundabout for hours or accidentally knock over Stonehenge. It’s the perfect reminder that sometimes the best trip memories come from everything going completely wrong.

 

    For those quiet, rainy summer nights when you want something a little deeper, Before Sunrise is the ultimate mood. Just two people walking through Vienna, talking about everything and nothing until the sun comes up, perfectly capturing how a random encounter on a trip can change your whole life. Then there’s Nights in Rodanthe, which gives us that cozy, coastal storm energy, wrapped up in a beautiful, mature love story that proves it’s never too late for a second chance.

     

    Of course, we have to throw in Weekend at Bernie's, because no summer list is complete without a little ridiculous, late-eighties beach party chaos. Carrying a dead boss around a luxury beach house is objectively absurd, but it still makes me laugh every single time. And finally, we have to close it out with the blueprint for all vacation movies, Roman Holiday. Audrey Hepburn escaping her royal duties to eat gelato, see the sights on a Vespa, and fall for Gregory Peck is pure movie magic. It’s the ultimate reminder of why we travel in the first place—to break out of our routines, even just for a few days, and see the world with completely fresh eyes.

 

    So, which one of these are we watching first next time we all get together? Let me know what you're craving—whether it's vintage Rome, a chaotic road trip, or just a bunch of people singing on a dock in Greece. Love you guys, and I can't wait for our next real-life adventure soon.


Top Ten Favorites - Summer Vacation Movies
1. Rome Adventure (1962)
2. Summertime (1955)
3. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
4. Letter to Juliet (2010)
5. Mamma Mia! (2008)
6. National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)
7. Before Sunrise (1995)
8. Nights in Rodanthe (2008)
9. Weekend at Bernie's (1989)
10. Roman Holiday (1953)

It means the world to me that you took some time out of your day to visit. Wishing you a beautiful, peaceful day ahead. Until next time, stay cozy and be good to yourself!