The Banshees of Inisherin
Achill Island’s Atlantic Drive, Ireland
At the heart of The Wild Atlantic Way, ahead of an epic 2,500km touring route along Ireland’s western shores, lies Achill Island. This spectacular outcrop of barren mountains and desolate peat bog provided the backdrop to the Oscar-tipped movie The Banshees of Inisherin.

The 20km Atlantic Drive loops out of Achill Sound, rising on the cliff road that overlooks the islands of Clare and Achill Beg as the waves crash below. While there won’t be a post-road trip Guinness waiting at JJ Devine’s (the film’s famous pub was only a mock-up), County Mayo has no shortage of charismatic drinking holes to welcome the weary traveller.

Take off to Ireland

Top Gun: Maverick
Lake Tahoe, California
With takings of more than $1.5bn worldwide, Top Gun: Maverick was the box-office smash hit of 2022. Like its predecessor, much of the filming was done in northern California, including Washoe Meadows State Park and other locations close to Lake Tahoe. Looping around this picturesque alpine lake, perched high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, keen film fans will be able to pick out many locations used in the film’s climactic action scenes. If you really want to immerse yourself in the Top Gun experience, rent a classic Porsche or 1980s Kawasaki for this 124km circular road trip… And don’t forget your Ray-Ban Aviators!

Take off to San Francisco

Elvis
The Blues Highway, Nashville
Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 spectacular musical, Elvis, was a riotous celebration of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s remarkable career. Elvis fans who want to fully immerse themselves in the landscapes that shaped his life will be pleased to know that US Route 61, better known as the Blues Highway, takes you on a 1,000km tour through its geographical highlights. Starting in Nashville, the spiritual home of country music, the route heads to Memphis (calling by the famous Sun Studio and Graceland estate), before heading into the Deep South and the raw and heartfelt sounds of the Delta blues that first inspired the teenage Elvis.

Take off to Nashville

All Quiet on the Western Front
Belgium and France
Set in the closing months of the Great War, Germany’s Oscar submission for best international feature film follows the life of an idealistic under-age German soldier who is quickly exposed to the horrific realities of the battlefield.

Taking in many of the locations featured in this epic historical drama, both in Belgium and France, the All Quiet on the Western Front self-guided tour through the battlegrounds of Arras, the Somme and Vimy Ridge is popular with military history buffs from across Europe. At Sanctuary Wood near Ypres, there is an opportunity to explore preserved British trenches, the backdrop to some of the darkest scenes of this poignant anti-war production.

Take off to Brussels

Fast & Furious 10
Douro Valley, Portugal
A selection of movie-themed road trips wouldn’t be complete without some reference to the Fast & Furious franchise, which returns in 2023 for its 11th instalment. Fast X is partly set in northern Portugal’s Duoro Valley, home to a spectacular 28km section of Estrada Nacional 222 that was once voted by our partners at Avis as the world’s greatest drivers’ road. Starting from Peso da Régua, the route sweeps through 93 bends as it meanders eastwards, through dramatic schist mountains and manicured terraced vineyards, towards the pretty, blue-tiled town of Pinhão, home to Porto’s most prestigious wine producers.

Take off to Porto