Summer is here and the rise in heat makes it the perfect opportunity to hit the beach, enjoy the outdoors (even catch a movie screening at the park), and maybe go on a much-needed vacation. 

Although packing bags and going on a trip isn’t always possible, certain movies take us on a quick getaway to another country or even a nearby city and offer the relaxation necessary to enjoy this time of the year. 

Grab your wine of choice and get ready for a warm and inspiring summer travel experience with the titles below. 

Thelma & Louise (1991)

A roadtrip classic, Thelma & Louise follows the titular characters as their plans to go fishing take a drastic turn. After Louise (Susan Sarandon) kills a man who attacks Thelma (Geena Davis), these two best friends must run away from the authorities. As they escape to Mexico by car, Detective Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) pesters them over the phone, pleading that they surrender before the police catch up to them. 

Watch Thelma & Louise on Tubi.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

This feel-good story follows the Hoovers as they hop on a VW camper to take 7-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) to a beauty pageant. As they head to California, each family member’s quirks get in the way, filling the trip with twists and turns. Although the Hoovers are a dysfunctional bunch, viewers can’t help but feel drawn to them throughout the film and hope that they get to the contest on time. 

Watch Little Miss Sunshine on Disney +

Wild (2014)

Based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, Wild captures her journey going on a hike by herself on the Pacific Crest Trail (one of the longest trails in the U.S.) with no outdoor experience. After losing her mother and undergoing a divorce, Cheryl (played by Reese Witherspoon) sees this as an opportunity to try something new and heal in the process. With nothing but a backpack, she hikes for thousands of miles in what is both the toughest and most rewarding adventure of her life.

Watch Wild on Disney +

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding, written by and starring Nia Vardalos, is often considered one of the best early-2000s rom-coms out there. The film has since gone on to have two more sequels, the most recent one being directed by Vardalos herself. In this third installment, Toula and her family return to Greece in order to fulfill her father’s dying wish for them to reconnect with their roots. As the Portokalos get to know the village where the late patriarch grew up, they are able to finally understand his fondness for his childhood home. 

Watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 on Prime Video

Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

This rom-com led by Julia Roberts has her playing Elizabeth Gilbert, a recent divorcé who decides to travel all over the world in the hopes of “finding herself”. As she visits Italy, India, and Bali, the protagonist regains her appetite for life by trying different foods, getting in touch with her spirituality, and finding a second chance at love. 

Watch Eat, Pray, Love on Netflix

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

Imagine a pair of jeans that could magically fit any body type? In The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, an entire friend group takes turns using the same pair of pants over the summer. Although they aren’t physically with each other throughout the break, the jeans that they wear become a token of their friendship and keeps them company in each of their destinations. 

Watch The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants on Crave

The Parent Trap (1998)

Lindsay Lohan plays twins who were separated at birth and meet for the first time at a summer camp. Given that they are identical, Annie and Hallie decide to swap places and finally get to meet the mom and dad that they only know through an old picture. As their father gets engaged to a younger woman, the sisters come up with a plan to sabotage the upcoming wedding and reunite their parents. 

Watch The Parent Trap on Disney +

Crossroads (2002)

This Britney Spears–led classic has her joining Zoe Saldaña and Taryn Manning on a road trip to California. The trio plays childhood best friends whose lives turned a little different from what they hoped for. Once they hop into Ben’s (Anson Mount) convertible with barely any money, the group embark on a fun, coming-of-age journey together. 

Watch Crossroads on Netflix

Letters to Juliet (2010)

Another summer flick that transports you to Italy, Letters to Juliet follows an engaged couple as they go to Verona for a romantic getaway. However, as Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) fiancé becomes busy with work, she goes on her own adventure trying to find the person who left a beautiful love letter in 1957 at Juliet’s Balcony (a tourism spot dedicated to Shakespeare’s tragic heroine). When she writes back to the author of said letter, Sophie inspires the elderly recipient to go on a quest to reunite with her long-lost love.

Watch Letters to Juliet on Prime Video