Nothing gives us comfort like the thought of predictable Christmas movie plots, like boy meets girl in an idyllic Christmas setting, falls in love, get together in the end after a few bumps.
Or 272 sub-plots get mashed together into one movie.
Or someone gets turned into a snowman.
Or it’s yet another take on Santa Claus.
Whatever it is, the Christmas movies we love most are the kind that have a touch of wanderlust and a big dose of adventure. Load up your devices for your flight, make sure your Netflix subscription’s still running or dig up those DVDs to bring with you to your holiday villa! Here are the best Christmas movies that will give you the travel bug.
Love Actually
Who’s in it: Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Chiwetel Ejiofor
This is one of the movies with multiple but connected plot lines we talked about, starring an ensemble cast. Love, Actually clocks in time in London, the US and France – all with beautiful location shots to get you thinking about your next Christmas destination (our tip: it’s never too early to start plans).
The Holiday
Who’s in it: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black
Home swap! Not too unlike holidaying in someone else’s luxury villa, right? Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet play two women who aren’t content with their lives, so they embark on a home swap programme, and find love. Sorry for the spoiler, but you knew it was coming.
The Princess Switch
Who’s in it: Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Nick Sagar
Identity swap! The Parent Trap meets The Princess Diaries meets It Takes Two in this rom-com starring Vanessa Hudgens, who plays two women who look identical. One’s a duchess longing for a normal life, the other is an uptight Chicago baker who travels to an impossibly perfect, fictional, Christmassy country called Belgravia for a baking competition, where she bumps into the duchess. Watch the trailer; we’ll let you predict what happens in the end (you’re probably correct).
Read also: Beautiful Christmas markets you must visit in 2018
Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Who’s in it: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O’Hara, John Heard
If there’s anything you can learn from the cheeky Kevin McCallister is that you need to be resourceful – this applies to any holiday you’re on. Maybe also don’t leave your kids behind, eh?
Last Holiday
Who’s in it: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J
Another popular Christmas formula is brought to you by Queen Latifah. Her character Georgia, a timid woman who’s never done an adventurous thing in her life, is diagnosed with a fatal disease with only a few weeks left to live. Finally seeing the need to get out of her bubble and live, she goes on her dream vacation. The moral of the story: life is short, so don’t put that holiday on hold!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Who’s in it: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski
Ah, it’s one of good ol’ Jim’s most iconic movies. There isn’t much travelling here, per se, unless you count him venturing out of Mount Crumpit to rob the Whos of Christmas. We’re mostly here for nostalgia. The above GIF is us whenever we’ve collectively decided where our next holiday is.
A Christmas Prince and A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding
Who’s in it: Rose McIver, Ben Lamb
So, so predictable, but that’s what makes it the perfect guilty pleasure. Watch the first movie to get up to speed about the characters, and then marathon into the sequel, which some are saying is a parody of well-travelled couple Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (hello, non-royal-marries-prince formula!).
Where will you be this Christmas?
Read also: How to make your holiday villa feel like Christmas at home
