The first time I watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, I was curled up in a rented flat in Lisbon, rain tapping against the window. By the time Ben Stiller skateboards down a volcanic road in Iceland, I had already opened a new browser tab to check flight prices to Reykjavik. That is the power of a well-made travel film—it doesn’t just show you a place; it makes you feel the wind on your skin, the loneliness of a long road, and the quiet thrill of arriving somewhere unknown. Over the years, I have collected a small library of movies that do exactly that. Below are eight that have shaped my own solo journeys, each one offering a different lens through which to see the world.
1. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
This film is a love letter to the kind of travel that begins with a single impulsive decision. Walter Mitty, a daydreamer, steps out of his grey office life and into Greenland, Iceland, and the Himalayas. What makes it so potent for solo travelers is the way it celebrates the awkward, uncertain moments—the helicopter that almost leaves without him, the wrong turn on a volcanic plain. I watched it before my first solo trip to Iceland, and it taught me that you don’t need a perfect itinerary. The scene where he jumps into the sea from a cargo ship is pure, unscripted freedom. Practical takeaway: If you’re hesitant about traveling alone, start with a destination that feels slightly out of reach—like Iceland’s Ring Road—and let the journey unfold.
2. Eat Pray Love (2010)
Perhaps the most famous solo female travel movie, Eat Pray Love follows Elizabeth Gilbert through Italy, India, and Bali. While the film has been critiqued for its privilege, it remains a touchstone for women who want to redefine their lives through travel. For me, the most inspiring part is not the romance in Bali but the quiet discipline of the ashram in India. It shows that solo travel isn’t always about sightseeing—it can be about sitting still, learning to be alone with your thoughts. If you are considering a solo trip to India, I recommend reading Solo Female Travel in India: What I Wish I Knew Before My First Trip for practical advice on navigating the chaos with grace.
3. Wild (2014)
Based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, Wild is the ultimate film about walking yourself back to life. Strayed hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone, carrying a backpack so heavy it literally bruises her hips. The film doesn’t romanticize long-distance hiking—it shows the blisters, the hunger, the moments of terror. Yet it also captures the profound clarity that comes from pushing your body to its limit. After watching it, I booked a solo hiking trip on the Camino de Santiago. The lesson: you don’t need to be an experienced hiker. You just need a good pair of boots and the willingness to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
4. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
This film is a slow, sensual celebration of Italian countryside life. Frances, a recently divorced writer, buys a dilapidated villa in Tuscany and rebuilds her life stone by stone. What I love is how the movie lingers on small pleasures—the taste of fresh olive oil, the sound of cicadas at dusk, the warmth of sun on terracotta tiles. It inspired me to book a solo stay at a farmhouse in Chianti, where I spent mornings picking chestnuts and afternoons learning about winemaking. You can read about that experience in Picking Chestnuts in Tuscany: A Solo Traveler's Morning in the Woods. For anyone yearning for a slow, sensory getaway, Tuscany is a dream that delivers.
5. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
Before Che Guevara became a revolutionary, he was a 23-year-old medical student who crossed South America on a motorcycle. The film is a road trip of transformation—dusty roads, snow-capped Andes, encounters with indigenous communities. It’s not a female-led story, but it’s deeply relevant for any solo traveler seeking to understand a continent. The film’s greatest gift is its insistence that travel can change your worldview. I watched it before a solo trip to Peru, and it made me more curious about the people I met, not just the ruins I visited. Practical tip: if you’re planning a long bus or train journey, download the soundtrack—it will make the Andes look even more epic.
6. Midnight in Paris (2011)
Woody Allen’s love letter to Paris is less about travel logistics and more about the magic of being in a city that feels alive with history. The protagonist, Gil, is whisked away each midnight to the 1920s, meeting Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Picasso. While time travel is fiction, the film captures something real: the way certain cities make you feel as though you’ve stepped into a story. For solo female travelers, Paris is a wonderful destination because it’s walkable, safe, and full of cafés where you can sit alone with a book and a croissant. I once spent an entire afternoon at Shakespeare and Company, just watching the Seine flow by. That’s the kind of travel Midnight in Paris inspires—slow, romantic, and deeply personal.
7. The Beach (2000)
Before you dismiss this as a backpacker cliché, consider the film’s core message: the search for paradise often reveals our own limitations. Richard, a young traveler in Thailand, discovers a hidden island community that initially seems like utopia but slowly unravels. The film is a cautionary tale about the dangers of chasing an Instagram-perfect escape. Yet it also captures the raw beauty of the Thai islands—the turquoise water, the limestone cliffs, the sense of adventure. For solo women, it’s a reminder to ask questions before joining any “secret” group. But it also inspired me to book a solo trip to Railay Beach, where I spent three days kayaking and eating pad thai by candlelight. Just skip the secret lagoon.
8. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Wes Anderson’s film about three brothers traveling across India by train is a masterclass in the beauty of rail journeys. The train itself—the Darjeeling Limited—becomes a character: cramped compartments, chai wallahs at every station, the landscape shifting from desert to jungle to mountains. The film is not about solo travel, but it made me fall in love with the idea of a train journey as a container for introspection. I later took the overnight train from Mumbai to Goa, sharing a sleeper compartment with three strangers. It was chaotic, noisy, and unforgettable. If you’re a solo traveler, train journeys are one of the best ways to meet locals and see a country slowly. Pack a notebook and a good scarf—the air conditioning can be ruthless.
Each of these films gave me something different: permission to be impulsive, the courage to walk alone, the patience to sit still. Next time you’re scrolling through Netflix, skip the true crime and pick one of these instead. Let the opening scene wash over you. And if you find yourself reaching for your passport before the credits roll, that’s exactly the point.
