Summer is here, but even with the country tentatively opening up, an elaborate summer vacation may not be in the cards for most people. They take loads of time and money, and are rarely as magical in real life as they are in the movies. So if you want to take a mental vacation (while avoiding actual vacation downsides like sunburn, food poisoning, lost luggage and cranky kids), try these movies that transport your spirit – if not your body – to somewhere magical.

Roman Holiday (1953)

If vintage outfits and classic movie hunks are your speed, start off with this romantic Audrey Hepburn classic. Roman Holiday was filmed on location in Rome, starring Hepburn as an undercover princess who spends a day touring all of the city’s stunning sights with reporter Gregory Peck. Will he choose to write about the princess or fall in love with her?

The Parent Trap (1961/1998)

There are two (slightly different) versions of this film, so your favorite may indicate when you grew up. Both featured twins separated by their divorced parents as babies, who find each other in the same summer camp. In the 1961 version of this film, Hayley Mills stars as Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers, who after meeting plot a way to swap places (Susan goes to Boston and Sharon to California) and get their parents back together. The 1998 Nancy Meyers remake is basically the same, except the twins are both played by Lindsay Lohan, their names are Annie and Hallie, and the girls’ mom (Natasha Richardson) is British. The second one has more locations: you’ll travel to a camp in Maine, a chic townhouse in London, and a beautiful winery in Napa Valley, California. 

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

Clark and Ellen Griswold (Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo) and their children (Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall) take the ultimate wacky road trip, from their home in Illinois to California amusement park Wally World. The disastrous trip features car problems, the death of a family member, and more, but the often unrealistic Clark is determined to give his family the perfect summer vacation, even if he has to resort to violence. In a fun way, of course.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

You’ll have the time of your life learning to rumba in the Catskills with Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze.) Set in the 1960s, the movie is about Johnny, the resort’s dance instructor, who enlists novice Baby to be his dance partner for the last big dance of the summer. Of course, they fall in love, though Baby’s father (Jerry Orbach) forbids the romance. But everyone knows that “nobody puts Baby in the corner.” There are loads of singable, danceable numbers to enjoy as you watch this one.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

Now this is a good vacation. This movie stars Angela Bassett as our heroine Stella, who though she is a successful stockbroker, something is missing in her life. In desperate need of a getaway, she travels to Jamaica where she meets an impossibly handsome younger man (Taye Diggs), and soaks up some sun and romance and the envy of every woman everywhere.

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

It has the name “summer” in the title, so of course Wet Hot American Summer goes on this list. Michael Showalter, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks, Janeane Garofalo, Paul Rudd and more star as suspiciously old teenagers in this satirical comedy set at a camp in the 1980s. It’s the last day at Camp Firewood, located in Waterville, Maine, and the counselors have only one day to get out a summer’s worth of pent-up sexual frustrations, anxiety over upcoming separations, and talent-show performances to write home about. Can they do it?

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

It’s four vacations in one in this movie about a group of best friends, played by Blake Lively, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn. The girls discover a pair of mystical jeans that fits them all perfectly, just before they all separate for their various summer plans. The jeans travel with each girl, making their summer vacations pure magic: one goes on a trip to Greece and falls in love, one goes to soccer camp in Mexico, one stays home to make a movie and a new friend, and one goes to South Carolina to discover a family secret. 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Peter Bretter (Jason Segal) stars as a struggling musician who’s really only known as the boyfriend of TV star Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). When she dumps him, he takes a trip to Hawaii and realizes that his ex is at the same resort with her new guy (Russell Brand). Can Rachel (Mila Kunis) help Peter forget his former love? The title is kind of a spoiler, but it’s fun to see how he gets there.

Mamma Mia! (2008)

A is for ABBA, and that’s good enough for me. Amanda Seyfried stars as one woman with three potential dads: Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard and Pierce Brosnan. She wants her real dad to walk her down the aisle at her wedding and so relies on the power of While the actual singing in this Broadway musical turned movie may be questionable (Pierce Brosnan was a wonderful James Bond), but Meryl Streep sings “Dancing Queen” on a remote Greek isle so its easy to forgive the movie its flaws. 

Adventureland (2009)

It’s 1987, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) has just graduated college. His plans to take an epic trip to Europe before beginning graduate school are cancelled when his family finances go belly-up, so he’s forced to take a summer job at a Pittsburgh-area amusement park called Adventureland. There, he and his new coworker, Emily Lewin (Kristen Stewart), end up finding a summer adventure of their own together in the shady theme park.

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

The setting in Call Me by Your Name is just as beautiful as the heartbreaking romance that drives the movie (though you’ll have to ignore a lot about Armie Hammer’s personal life to enjoy this one). Timothée Chalamet is utterly charming as Elio Perlman in this coming-of-age story set in the gorgeous northern Italian countryside. It’s the summer of 1983, and Elio is living in Italy with his family. When his professor dad brings along a grad student to help with his research, Elio finds a summer full of love, lust, and peaches. The movie is a favorite in the LGBTQ+ movie genre and the performance by Chalamet is a particular standout.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Another love story with a gorgeous destination and aspirational lifestyle. Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) is a successful professor of game theory and economics at NYU and has a healthy relationship with her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding). Nick invites Rachel to come along with him to attend his best friend’s wedding in Singapore and meet his family, but what Rachel doesn’t know is that Nick’s family is an incredibly wealthy powerhouse who isn’t about to make their relationship easy. Will Nick defy his family to be with Rachel?

Midsommar (2019)

A troubled American couple and their friends travel to Sweden to experience the seemingly quaint midsummer festival, but the festivities get more sinister as time goes on. The land of the midnight sun gets progressively darker as the friends realize they are trapped with a pagan cult about to perform a brutal ritual. Will they all make it home again? And aren’t you glad you’re only watching a movie?