Vacations Inspired by TV Shows

If your favorite TV show or streaming series has inspired your travel dreams, why not plan a trip to see the places where it was filmed? 

The Netflix series “Bridgerton,” based on Julia Quinn’s romance novels, explores life among the nobility during England’s 19^th-century Regency era. The city of Bath, a 90-minute train ride from London, is a center of Regency history. A Bridgerton tour includes filming locations, as well as trivia and anecdotes about the series. Attractions include the Royal Crescent, terraced houses built in the 18^th century, and the Roman baths. Novelist Jane Austen also lived in Bath, and a festival celebrating her work takes place from Sept. 9-18. 

“Yellowstone,” on Peacock, tells the story of a family of Montana cattle ranchers. If the show has whetted your appetite for the breathtaking scenery of the West, Yellowstone National Park is a great place to start. It’s home to wildlife including buffalo and elk, as well as natural landmarks like the geyser Old Faithful. The park is located mostly in Wyoming but spreads into Montana and Idaho, too. Another option is to take a dude ranch vacation, where you can get a taste of what it’s like to live and work on a cattle ranch.  

The HBO series “The Gilded Age” is set in the late 1800s, among New York City’s “old money” and “new money” families. Filming locations you can visit include estates in the Hudson Valley, like Glenview, in Yonkers, and Lyndhurst, in Tarrytown. Wealthy New Yorkers often spent the summer at their “cottages” in Newport, Rhode Island. Today, they’re preserved for visitors and several were used in “The Gilded Age.” The grandest is The Breakers, built in the 19^th century by the Vanderbilt family in the style of an Italian palace. 

“Emily in Paris,” on Netflix, follows a young American who moves to the city for her job. You can follow in Emily’s footsteps by visiting the restaurants, cafes and parks for which the City of Light is famous. Filming locations include the Jardin du Palais Royal, the landscaped grounds of a 17^th-century palace that’s just a short walk from the Louvre; Rue de l’Abreuvoir, one of the prettiest streets in the Montmartre neighborhood; and the Café de Flore, once frequented by such famous names as Ernest Hemingway, Brigitte Bardot and Yves Saint Laurent. 

“Outlander” is the story of a woman who is swept back in time to 18^th-century Scotland. You can explore the landscape that inspired the Starz series, and the books by Diana Gabaldon, with a drive across Scotland. Your journey starts in Edinburgh, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the home of Scottish royal history. From Edinburgh, you can visit many locations that you’ll recognize, including Hopetoun House, Scotland’s finest stately home; Drummond Castle Gardens; the beautiful Highland city of Inverness and the Highland History Museum; and Glen Coe, featured in “Outlander’s” opening credits.