Culture

The Best Holiday Movie Getaways

Take your festivities on the road: from castles to pubs and department stores, these iconic locations from your favourite Christmas flicks are places you can actually visit

By Victoria Luxford

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Ever watched your favourite Christmas movies and wished you could join the adventure? As it happens, many festive favourites were filmed in real-life locations that could feature in your next winter vacation. Here’s our pick of the best from around the world.

The Plaza Hotel, New York City (Home Alone 2: Lost in New York)

In this 1992 hit, The Plaza was where the mischievous Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) spent a wild few days while lost in New York City. The hotel is a historic vacation spot, located in the heart of the Big Apple close to many of the city’s most famous tourist attractions. While the hotel staff were suspicious of Kevin in the movie, the real Plaza positively encourages you to live like Kevin, offering Home Alone-themed packages that include visits to filming locations and dessert inspired by the movie.

671 Lincoln Ave, Winnetka, Illinois (Home Alone)

Before he got Lost in New York, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) protected his house from burglars in the first Home Alone film in 1990. The story of a boy left behind by his family at Christmas captured the imagination of audiences young and old, particularly as he turned his spacious house into a booby-trapped assault course to keep the criminals out! The house itself is a real place, located in Illinois in the American Midwest. It’s a private residence, but its unmistakable exterior draws many fans of the film who come to take photos.

Shere, England (The Holiday)

In the 2006 romantic comedy The Holiday, two heartbroken women (Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz) living on separate sides of the Atlantic agree to swap homes for Christmas. Diaz’s character finds herself getting away from it all in a quaint English village, which you can visit, too! Located in Surrey in southeastern England, Shere is a charming place with history dating back to mediaeval times. The pub featured in the film is real, too, although Jude Law is unlikely to be waiting for you there.

Trelew, England (Arthur Christmas)

If idyllic English villages are your thing, why not travel further south to the Cornwall region of the UK to Trelew, which was recreated in animation for the 2011 family hit Arthur Christmas. The coastal town has all the cosy amenities you could hope for, and perhaps you can watch the movie while you’re there, spotting memorable sites as Santa rides past!

Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, England (Nativity!)

This unassuming city in the middle of the UK has a lot of claims to fame, but Christmas fans may recognise its eye-catching cathedral from the finale of the heartwarming 2009 British comedy Nativity!. In it, Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) plays a teacher who tells his colleagues that Hollywood producers are coming to watch his class’s Christmas play – a lie that soon spirals out of control. The ruins of the former cathedral destroyed in World War II make for an amazing destination on their own, but the site is particularly beautiful at the holidays, when music from its nearby successor can really set the mood.

2121 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles (Die Hard)

If you think Die Hard (1988) is most definitely a Christmas film, then you’ll be travelling straight to 2121 Avenue of the Stars, which ‘played’ the fictional Nakatomi Plaza in the Bruce Willis classic. The building belonged to movie studio 20th Century Fox at the time, but while it has changed owners, the exterior remains exactly as you remember it from the classic action movie.

Bruges, Belgium (In Bruges)

Like Die Hard, In Bruges is technically a Christmas film – although there aren’t many viewers who would call it ‘festive’. In this 2008 tale of two hit men (Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell) hiding out in the Belgian town over the Christmas period, practically every noteworthy part of Bruges was used. The most notable sight will be the centrally located belfry tower, which became famous in the movie for Farrell’s refusal to ascend its 366 steps. A more sedate option may be Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce Hotel, the boutique accommodation where the pair stay, which is open to this day.

Selfridges, London (Love Actually)

Christmas is all around in the 2003 hit British comedy about love in the holiday season. Iconic department store Selfridges plays a part in one of the film’s interconnected stories, as the place where businessman Harry (Alan Rickman) secretly buys his assistant a Christmas present, only for the overly efficient store worker (Rowan Atkinson) to draw attention to the clandestine gift. It’s a big moment in the film, and a visit to the store – which has been around for over a century – will be a big moment for any Christmas enthusiast, as the annual festive displays are a sight to behold.

Lamp Post, Oxford (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)

The Narnia books by C.S. Lewis are considered timeless classics, and have been adapted into many films over the years (including a forthcoming epic from Barbie director Greta Gerwig). Lewis fans will tell you that the writer spent his life in Oxford, and many landmarks are said to have inspired him when writing the book. Most notably, certain unique lamp posts play a part in the first story (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), and they’re supposedly based on the design of Oxford’s lamp posts. Many have been claimed to be the particular inspiration, but our money is on the one closest to Magdalen College, where Lewis worked. The Narnia films – the first of which released in 2005 – are perfect Christmas movies, and a trip to this historic UK city will fill you with a sense of that very same magic.

The Globe, Bedale Street, London (Bridget Jones’s Diary)

Much of this beloved 2001 romantic comedy is set at Christmas, and Renée Zellweger’s beleaguered ‘singleton’ visited a lot of real London locations. In particular, it’s hard not to feel close to Bridget as you enter The Globe pub on Bedale Street in the city’s Southwark borough. The door next to the tavern is portrayed as the entrance to Bridget’s flat, and while you can’t visit the residence ,you can make yourself at home in the pub below – perhaps singing some love songs to mend your broken heart!

The Lofts at Shillito Place, Cincinnati, Ohio (Carol)

Todd Haynes’ 2015 drama Carol is an unconventional Christmas movie, but has been taken to heart by audiences who prefer their holiday films with multiple layers. The signature moment where Cate Blanchett’s title character meets the object of her affection, Therese, is set at the fictional Frankenberg’s Store – the exterior of which was filmed at The Lofts at Shillito Place in Cincinnati, Ohio. As the movie achieved cult status, many fans have begun flocking to the location, particularly when it’s time for Christmas shopping.

Peleș Castle, Sinaia, Romania (A Christmas Prince)

Many of us would love to be swept up by a handsome prince of some faraway kingdom, the way that Amber (Rose McIver) is in the feel-good movie A Christmas Prince from 2017. While the kingdom of Aldovia is fictional, the castle depicted in the film is a real place in Romania. Located 124 kilometres from capital Bucharest, Peleș Castle is open to the public via guided tours – ideal for fans who want to experience the opulence of the 19th-century design, or those who simply wish to wander the halls pretending to be royalty!

Piz Gloria, Mürren, Switzerland (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)

Which Bond film can technically be considered a Christmas movie? The answer is 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, George Lazenby’s first and only time as 007, in which he visits Switzerland during the festive season. One of the biggest moments in the film is his dinner with villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas) in a revolving restaurant called Piz Gloria. The restaurant was partly built for the movie, and maintained afterwards with the name it was given for the story. In addition to great (revolving) views and fine cuisine, an exhibition about its links to the film is often open to visitors.

Seneca Falls, New York City (It’s a Wonderful Life)

Movie lovers weep every year at the sight of George Bailey (James Stewart), feeling renewed passion for life, declaring “Hello Bedford Falls! Merry Christmas!”. Bedford Falls, the town where George lives in the 1946 film, is not a real place, but it’s said to be inspired by Seneca Falls in central New York state. Both the fictional and real places have similar architecture and toll bridges, with the main street proving so similar, you’ll swear you were on a film set. It’s A Wonderful Life is the quintessential Christmas movie, and a visit here will fill you with the same uplifting feeling.

Boho Manor, Monte Rio, California (Holiday Inn)

We end with a 1942 movie that has provided the soundtrack to the festive period for decades. If you’ve never seen Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire in Holiday Inn, chances are you’ve heard Crosby and co-star Marjorie Reynolds sing “White Christmas”, the song written for the film and performed at Boho Manor in Monte Rio, California. The scene was indeed filmed at that hotel, then known as The Village Inn, and the luxury location will immediately bring warm feelings to those who love the Hollywood classic.

[Header image: Kavalenkava Volha/iStock]