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7 Set-Jetting Vacation Destinations

These popular TV and movie locations double as great getaways

mary steenburgen jane fonda diane keaton and candice bergen taking a selfie in front of the trevi fountain in rome italy in the movie the book club two the next chapter
Travelers can stop for selfies at the Trevi Fountain in Rome just like the stars of the movie 'Book Club: The Next Chapter.'
Endeavor Content / Focus Features / Alamy
By

Kimberley Lovato,

 
AARP
Published January 04, 2024

Vacation plans find their muse in a myriad of places. These days, pop culture is elbowing its way into our suitcases.

The American Express Global Travel Trends Report showed last year that 64 percent of respondents were inspired to visit a destination after seeing it in a TV show or movie. There’s even a term for it: set-jetting.

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The travel search engine Skyscanner named set-jetting as one of the top travel trends for 2024.

In the spirit of finding travel inspiration on screens large and small, here are a few films and shows that may spark your wanderlust.

welford park country house in welford england inset prue leith and paul hollywood and noel fielding on the great british bake off
The Welford Park country house, the location for 'The Great British Baking Show,' is private property but open to visitors during special events.
D. Callcut / Alamy Stock Photo / Mark Bourdillon / ©Channel Four/Love Productions / Courtesy Everett Collection

The Great British Baking Show

Welford Park Estate, Berkshire, U.K.

The competitive baking show and its familiar white tent are filmed at Welford Park in Berkshire, about 60 miles from London. The house and grounds are private; however, visitors are welcomed at certain times of the year for special events. Welford Park is about 8 miles from Newbury, an idyllic town full of restaurants, shopping, a meandering canal and the Highclere Castle, the real-life Downton Abbey. Stay the night at Donnington Grove, a grand manor with a family-friendly feel.  

If you can’t make it to Berkshire: Boston celebrates its British roots and has many tasty spots for pastries, cakes, pies and cannolis that would make judge Prue Leith proud.

the louvre museum in paris france inset omar sy in lupin
The Louvre Museum steals the spotlight in Netflix’s 'Lupin.'
Jan Wlodarczyk / Alamy Stock Photo / Emmanuel Guimier/ Netflix/ The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Lupin

Paris

Set in Paris, Lupin spotlights the city and its famous landmarks every chance it gets, including the Louvre, where the series pilot saw your favorite gentleman thief, Assane Diop (Omar Sy), stealing a necklace worn by Marie Antoinette. Venture out to Paris’ flea market (Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen) where Diop’s best friend, Benjamin, has his antiques shop. Stay at the new Hotel des Grands Voyageurs where tempting works of art hang on the walls and cozy corners feel just right for planning a heist.

If you can’t make it to Paris: Get your French fix on this side of the pond in the Old Quebec neighborhood of Quebec City, Canada, which is full of French charm.

the grand canal in venice italy inset mary steenburgen jane fonda diane keaton and candice bergen in the book club two
The Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, makes a cameo in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter.'
eye35.pix / Alamy Stock Photo / Endeavor Content / Focus Features / Alamy Stock Photo

Book Club: The Next Chapter

Italy

To re-create this ladies-who-laugh sequel, you need to grab your crew and head to Italy. Rome’s must-see sights, such as the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Colosseum, are memorable backdrops for selfies with best friends. And (spoiler alert) the wedding scene was shot at a castle outside the city, Castello della Castelluccia, which happens to be a hotel. When the friends head to Venice, you see them zip down the Grand Canal in a private boat to the swank Hotel Danieli (called Palazzo Mardini in the film), but you can hop on and off the public transport’s water-bus Line 1 and sightsee for much less along the famous route. (Note: If you’re visiting Venice during a popular time, you might have to pay a fee to enter the city.)

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If you can’t make it to Italy: Gather your friends and road-trip to New York’s Finger Lakes to stay at the Italian-inspired Geneva on the Lake resort in the middle of the wine region.

pitt street causeway in mount pleasant south carolina inset actors madison bailey rudy pankow chase stokes and jonathan daviss from the outer banks
Pitt Street is one of the filming locations for the show 'Outer Banks.'
Daniela Duncan / Alamy Stock Photo / ©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

Outer Banks

Charleston, South Carolina

The grandkids will squeal if you plan a trip to the famous foodie town and book an Outer Banks film locations tour with Tours by Locals, Charleston Outdoor Adventures or Eclectic Tours of Charleston. The tour highlights sites such as Pitt Street in Mount Pleasant’s Old Village Historic District that is the show’s fictional town of Kildare. The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene is a real restaurant that character Kiara’s father manages in the show.

If you can’t make it to Charleston: Beaufort, South Carolina, about 90 minutes from Charleston, also boasts seaside Southern charm and is the site of several scenes in Forrest Gump.

palm trees in front of downtown los angeles california inset gabriel labelle as samy fabelman in the fabelmans
Many scenes in the movie 'The Fabelmans' were filmed around downtown Los Angeles.
LPETTET/Getty / Merie Weismiller Wallace/Universal Pictures / Alamy Stock Photo

The Fabelmans

Los Angeles

Loosely inspired by the life of Steven Spielberg (who directed the film), many scenes in The Fabelmans unfurl around Los Angeles, including downtown’s Orpheum Theatre where main character Sammy and his family see The Greatest Show on Earth. It’s been a go-to performance venue since opening in 1926, and it still boasts a robust calendar of events for visitors. It’s not L.A. without a trip to the beach, and Malibu’s popular Zuma Beach is where Sammy films his school’s senior ditch day. The 16-room Malibu Country Inn is tucked into the bluffs nearby.

If you can’t make it to L.A.: Soak up movie magic all in one place on a comprehensive tour of Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank where popular shows (Friends, Westworld) and films (Casablanca, La La Land) were created.  

waikiki beach on oahu in hawaii inset actors henry ian cusick and noah mills and alex tarrant in n c i s hawaii
O‘ahu’s Waikiki Beach is one of the beautiful backdrops for the show 'NCIS: Hawai‘i.'
Sorin Colac / Alamy Stock Photo / Photo by Karen Neal/CBS via Getty Images

NCIS: Hawai‘i

Honolulu

NCIS: Hawai‘i has been renewed for 2024, so fans can see Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) and her team sleuth their way around Honolulu, the state capital.

Tune in to catch glimpses of sandy Waikīkī Beach where you can swim, surf, paddleboard and find accommodations along the turquoise shoreline, including at the relaxed Kaimana Beach Hotel. O‘ahu’s North Shore is where some of the show’s ocean scenes are filmed, including Pua‘ena Point Beach Park. Or take a 90-minute tour of Kualoa Ranch, famous for being the filming site of Jurassic Park but also used for NCIS: Hawai‘i, as well as many other TV shows and films.

If you can’t make it to Honolulu: Miami boasts a similar set of outdoor activities, including snorkeling, surfing and soaking up the sun.

the rosecliff mansion in newport rhode island inset actors amy forsyth ashlie atkinson and harry richardson in the gilded age
Fans of 'The Gilded Age' can see Rosecliff and other mansions in Newport, Rhode Island.
TheWorldAroundUs / Alamy Stock Photo / Alison Cohen Rosa/ HBO Max/ The Hollywood Archive

The Gilded Age

Newport, Rhode Island

The writer of Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes, wrote this gold-lacquered HBO series that pits a high-society family from New York against its nouveau riche neighbors in the 1880s. Real-life magnates including the Vanderbilts built massive summer “cottages” in Newport. Many of the cottages that turn up in The Gilded Age can be visited. The exterior of character Sylvia Chamberlain’s (Jeanne Tripplehorn) house, for example, is Rosecliff, a mansion built for Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs, which was recently renovated for $7.4 million. The grandest of the Rhode Island mansions is the Breakers, built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II in the late 1800s. The Great Hall and Music Room do double duty as Bertha Russell’s (Carrie Coon) ballroom and George Russell’s bedroom in the series. Stay at Chanler, the only hotel on Cliff Walk, the location of Newport’s astonishing abodes.

If you can’t make it to Newport: Visit Hearst Castle, the impressive 127-acre estate on California’s central coast dreamed up by publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst and Julia Morgan, California’s first certified female architect.

A Sausalito, California–based freelance travel writer, Kimberley Lovato has contributed to numerous publications, including Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler and Virtuoso Life.​

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