Travel by screenplay: the rise of set-jetting

Travel by way of the silver screen - choosing where to go because that cliff, that café, or that crumbling castle appeared in a scene you can’t stop thinking about. An opportunity to relive the experience of dreamboats, detectives, shapeshifters or sovereigns - sometimes quite literally.

Pop culture with a passport is more popular than ever. Here are some of the hottest TV series and films (current and upcoming) intensifying the trend, drawing attention to some remarkable destinations.

SVALBARD, NORWAY
Scandinavia with Simon Reeve, premiering on BBC Two this month, is a three-part travel documentary series delving into the multifaceted nature of Scandinavian societies. complexities of the Nordic region. Reeve’s journey, from the Arctic to the Baltic, begins in Svalbard – remote and glaciated, it feels like the edge of the known world – and, in many ways, it is. Just 1,000km from the North Pole, this archipelago is stark, surreal, and staggeringly beautiful. Svalbard also provided a backdrop for high-stakes sequences in newly-released Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Real, CGI-free locations for Cruise’s equally authentic stunts.

A seven-night Northern Norway trip, staying in Svalbard and in the university city of Tromsø, costs from £2,633 pp (two sharing), including return flights, 23kg hold luggage, B&B accommodation, and transfers.

CORFU, GREECE

Amanda Holden and Alan Carr are back in hard hats and holiday mode for Alan & Amanda’s Greek Job. Currently filming, the fourth series of the hit BBC show sees the pair heading to sun-drenched Corfu to roll up their sleeves and renovate once more. Expect wonky walls, warm welcomes, and the usual dose of delightful chaos on this island where Venetian charm meets Greek spirit. Corfu is a glorious tangle of myth and Mediterranean mischief running through its sun-warmed alleys and into its secret coves. Plus, Joanna Lumley’s Jewel of the Med: Corfu, brand new on Channel 5, is a love letter to the island, and highly likely to spark some spontaneous holiday planning.

Stay at Villa Halikounas, a stunning three-bedroom retreat (with private pool) on Corfu’s serene southwest coast. Nearby Halikounas is a place where the world seems to stand still. Utterly unspoiled, its golden beach stretches out in a perfect arc and the air here is alive with the scent of wild herbs and saltwater. A seven-night self-catering stay costs from £769 pp, (six sharing), including flights (Gatwick), 20kg pp hold luggage allowance, and car hire.

ROME, ITALY

Emily in Paris is trading croissants for ciabatta as she heads to Rome for Season 5. Filming kicked off in May and this season – which also features Minnie Driver – will follow Emily as she navigates her new role leading Agence Grateau’s Rome office. And where better to be than in a city that doesn’t just wear its history – it struts in it. Layered in ambition and marble, Rome is a living museum, where genius hangs from ceilings and fashion floods piazzas.

The Degli Artisti Hotel, near the Spanish Steps and Via Veneto, is a four-star retreat where modern tech meets classic elegance, and rooftop cocktails meet summer sunsets over the Eternal City. A three-night B&B stay costs from £1,099 pp (two sharing), including flights, 20 kg pp hold luggage allowance, and transfers.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

In Netflix’s Secrets We Keep, a missing au pair in an upscale Copenhagen neighbourhood sparks a nerve-wracking hunt for the truth. As one woman digs deeper, she unearths unsettling secrets about her seemingly perfect circle of friends. Not, perhaps, a typical travel ad for Denmark, but the series’ portrayal of Copenhagen’s suburban charm and shadowy allure will likely entice those seeking a glimpse into the country’s hidden, complex beauty.

In the city, the Absolon Hotel is a family-owned gem, blending old-school charm with bursts of vibrant colour, offering a character-filled stay amidst the popular Veterbro district’s lively restaurant scene. A three-night B&B stay costs from £551 pp (two sharing), including flights and 20 kg pp hold luggage allowance.

PAXOS, GREECE

Maestro in Blue – the first Greek language series to be streamed globally by Netflix – deeply moved audiences worldwide. A music teacher arrives on the Greek island of Paxos to lead a local festival, but what begins as a cultural project soon fractures into a complex mess of romance and betrayal. The island itself – only seven long and three miles wide – is pure Ionian magic: over thirty sheltered beaches on the east coast, rugged western cliffs, olive groves and pines inland – all surrounded by the clearest crystal waters.

Stay at The Olive Press (sleeps two – four), a characterful villa in a quiet spot, with a glorious swimming pool and easy access to the pretty port of Gaios. A seven-night self-catering stay costs from £1,264 pp (two sharing), including flights (Gatwick), 20 kg pp hold luggage allowance, transfers to Paxos from Corfu, and car hire.

SICILY, ITALY

Streaming on Netflix, The Leopard reimagines Sicily’s aristocratic twilight in lavish style. Set amid unification-era upheaval, it was filmed in grand Sicilian locations – Palermo’s Quattro Canti, Catania’s scorched hills, and Ortigia’s baroque beauty. Meanwhile, in Season 2 of The White Lotus, the island becomes a glamorous stage for simmering tensions and bad decisions, from Taormina’s clifftop luxury to the theatrical streetscapes of Noto and beaches of Cefalù.

Relais Antiche Saline is a stylishly revived Sicilian farmhouse, tucked between windmills and salt pans in Trapani’s shimmering salt flats. A seven-night B&B stay costs from £616 pp (two sharing), including flights, 20 kg pp hold luggage allowance, and car hire.

To book any of these holidays, or to discuss alternative options, call Sunvil on 020 8758 4722 (www.sunvil.co.uk).

All holidays are protected by bonds with ATOL and ABTA – and Sunvil is proud to have received the much-coveted Which? Recommended Holiday Provider status for 2024.

Press: For further information, press trip opportunities with Sunvil, or high-res photography, please contact Jane Collyer or Sue Ockwell at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 / 07585 780076 or 07831 126 356, or email j.collyer@travelpr.co.uk or s.ockwell@travelpr.co.uk.