Top 5 Travel Romances

Lucy Courtenay, author of Movie Night and Girl At Sea tells us about her top travel romances – both films and books!

Travel and romance! What a combo. With my new summer road trip romance, Girl At Sea set among the cliffs, beaches and castles of the Algarve, my mind has recently been wandering happily through the castles, cobbles, monuments and jungles that frame my top-five travel romances. Have you seen / read them all?

The Sure Thing (1985)

From an East Coast university to the fleshpots of LA, here is America in all its glory. Hitch-hiking issues, bad weather, showtunes and a minimum 2% of your recommended daily allowance of riboflavin, Gib and Alison see it all. You need a heart of stone not to want them to hook up by the end.

Roman Holiday (1953)

The princess and the journalist: Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn are adorable as they buzz around the beautiful city of Rome on a white Vespa. This is the perfect postcard romance. And even though (spoiler alert) they can’t be together forever, they make the most of what they have. And she rocks that haircut.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Homesick American Anna struggles to enjoy the glories of Paris until she meets broody St Clair with his sticky relationship issues. You can almost smell the drains, and I mean that in a good way.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Though light on romance, Ginny’s trip around Europe following her aunt’s peculiar instructions certainly has ‘road trip’ written all over it. Paris, London, Amsterdam, Greece… Heaven in a backpack.

Romancing the Stone (1984)

Nervous romance writer Joan and derring-do bird-catcher (cooler than it sounds) Jack make their way through the spectacular scenery of Colombia pursued by wicked sorts in khaki uniforms. Waterfalls, castles, jungles, this film oozes the colour green, not least on account of the enormous emerald they are chasing. Thanks to this heaven-sent romantic adventure, I can almost forgive the Colombians for those dirty World Cup tackling tricks. Almost…