Adventure seekers – we understand the importance of travel; the love and power it has over our souls. We know it transforms us, understanding that we sometimes need to go beyond ourselves to experience new and beautiful things, and really push our limits in order to find what we’re capable of.

And these films capture that courage.

Following the lives of powerful and inspiring women – for the ladies, from the ladies – this list includes some of today’s best travel films guaranteed to motivate women from all over the world to hit the road and chase their dreams.

So if you find yourself aching for more passport stamps and female empowerment, these films will certainly inspire you to follow your passions while motivating you to start planning your next great adventure.

1. Mamma Mia (2008)

While helping her mother run their family business, a bride-to-be living in Greece searches for her real father as her wedding day draws near. Told through the songs of the sensational ABBA, this film is for the romantics and day-dream believers as Mama Mia will inspire you to be spontaneous, adventurous and, above all, your own woman.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkN-A00WLYE?ecver=1%5D

2. Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

They say it’s about the journey not the destination, and Eat, Pray, Love proves just that. Told from the perspective of a married woman who realizes her unhappiness and sets off in a new direction, this is a film of self-discovery. Reaffirming how greatly a new perspective can have on our lives, this film will transport you to Italy for food, India for spirituality and Bali for love as we watch Elizabeth Gilbert re-discover who she is.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjay5vgIwt4?ecver=1%5D

3. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Two best friends travel to Barcelona for their summer holidays and become sinfully enamored by the same painter. This movie expresses the true art of travel: Discovering new worlds, experiencing alternative ways of life and giving in to your desires, wherever they lead you. We only hope that you [spoiler] have more sense than to hop on a plane piloted by a strange man during a thunderstorm in a foreign city. Safety first!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-RdUcXAKiw?ecver=1%5D

4. Wild (2014)

Travel will save you and Wild reminds us of this remedy. Chronicling a brazen woman’s journey expanding 1,100 miles of solitude and the elements, Cheryl Strayed conquers the Pacific Crest Trail, hiking from Mojave Desert through to Washington State as a way to recover from a recent tragedy. As she embarks with no experience or training, this movie proves how travel has the ability to fill you up when your world feels empty, becoming more powerful than ever.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn2-GSqPyl0?ecver=1%5D

5. Tracks (2013)

Along the same trajectory, this movie highlights the importance of perseverance. Tracks follows the fearless Robyn Davidson, her dog and four camels on a 1,700-mile journey across the deserts of West Australia. Deemed an impossible and punishing feat, this film is for the solo travellers who understand the difficulties in staying the course as well as the vigourous need to achieve the unimaginable.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-DiOyxCQQI?ecver=1%5D

6. Chocolat (2000)

An incredibly important film for first-time travellers, Chocolat is set in a French town rich with history and tradition, and follows the arrival of a woman and her daughter. As they open a chocolatier and challenge every rule this town has, Chocolat embraces abnormality and other-worldly ideas, emphasizing the passion and rightness of going against the grain. It flawlessly demonstrates how desperately the world needs lovers and storytellers and that, when you’re able to find peace and happiness, you’ll always feel at home.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32x33l2sLe8?ecver=1%5D

7. Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights (2004)

This standalone sequel delves into immersion as an American teenager moves to an upper-class hotel in Havana with her parents and younger sister. Katy Miller enters a Latin Ballroom Contest with a local waiter, with whom she falls deeply in love, during times of Cuban revolution. This film depicts the ways one can travel without really experiencing local customs and culture, thus failing to grasp their true beauty.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBGEbEqQAsY?ecver=1%5D

8. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

Having me pulling out my Duolingo halfway through the film, Under the Tuscan Sun follows a writer’s big move to Italy after she impulsively purchases a villa in Tuscany. Looking to change her life after her divorce, Frances Mayes meets fascinating characters who help her see that love and friendship break through all barriers, while proving you can always start anew as you build from the ground up.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moqovwrR_gE?ecver=1%5D

9. Bride and Prejudice (2004)

This film is without a doubt the most fun and uplifting of the bunch as it brings a Bollywood twist, filled with colour and culture, to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Set in India, two parents search for the perfect husbands for their four daughters – though one child dreams of finding love and choosing a husband for herself. With wedding bells, festivities and romance, this wanderlust marvel is smothered in cheese, but you’re guaranteed to be entertained from beginning to end.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFYwqts1_TI?ecver=1%5D

10. Tangled (2010)

When a runaway thief crosses her path, a young woman named Rapunzel decides to leave the only life she’s ever known, seeking adventure and discovering the world for the very first time. While Tangled may not seem like your traditional travel film, its magic is transcending and is sure to remind you of your first excursion, taking you back to a time when travelling really was just a dream. The wonder and bliss that is found in its script will make you believe anything is possible.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsJFEqOL1UI?ecver=1%5D

11. Avis de mistral (My Summer in Provence) (2014)

Set in beautiful Provence in the south of France, this is a story of love, adventure and, most importantly, family. This film tells the story of many as three children, due to a family crisis, go on holiday with their grandparents. Intertwined harmoniously in love and shared lifeblood, generations learn from one another, strengthen their bond and get caught up in the wild surprises life throws their way. C’est trop mignonne, cet histoire!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq0ZaWsGhsE?ecver=1%5D

12. P.S. I Love You (2007)

A wonderfully heartbreaking story about finding yourself when your world has been turned upside down, this film emphasizes the importance of taking risks. When Holly Kennedy loses her Irish husband to a brain tumour, she learns he left behind letters and tasks to help her cope, breathing in a new life. P.S. I Love You is a beautiful portrayal of love, fulfillment and letting loose to help carve a new path and fulfill your life’s dreams.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rqqidmUmSk?ecver=1%5D

Bonus: Girls Trip (2017)

Cap off your bohemian, girl-powered list with a sassy night out and check out Girls Trip in theatres July 21, 2017. Telling the story of four lifelong friends who travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival, this raunchy, female-fueled film touches on sisterhood, laughing, dancing and romancing. Because no matter where you find yourself, your girls will always be there for you, so be sure to treat them to this movie and celebrate the exciting connection of friendship.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMvDfO5yXYk?ecver=1%5D