There’s something about vacation movies that makes us pause and dream a little. Maybe it’s the sound of the car starting up before a long drive, the shimmer of sunlight over the ocean, or the chaos of everyone trying to agree on a map. These films take us to beaches, airports, mountain trails, and family cars that barely hold together… And somehow, they always remind us of what travel really means. They’re familiar, comforting, and often hilariously honest about the way travel brings people together; even when it drives them a little crazy first.
#1: National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
Few family trips have gone as memorably wrong as the Griswolds’ in National Lampoon’s Vacation. Clark Griswold’s determination to reach the mythical Walley World turns a simple road trip into a comedy of errors. Every flat tire, wrong turn, and awkward motel stop hits that familiar nerve of “we’ve all been there.”
Chevy Chase gives Clark a mix of charm and stubbornness that keeps us laughing even when everything falls apart. It’s the kind of family misadventure that makes you grateful your own vacations never went that badly.