Entertainment
The Best Movies About Vacations
List Rules
Vote up your favorite movies about vacations, family trips, and time off from school.
There’s nothing better than the holidays or summer break when we can finally break away from our normal, boring schedule and head off on an amazing trip! Family vacations and other trips are some of the most memorable times in our lives. It’s no wonder so many movies have been made about vacation stories. What are the best movies about vacations? Vote for the vacation films you think are the best below and see what comes out on top! There are more comedy vacation movies on this list like Vacation along with dramas and coming of age movies.
The movies featured on this list all center around a vacation in one way or another, from the worst family trips people have ever taken to some truly miserable, but hilarious, bachelor party trips. This list features some very inspirational, sweet films and some very funny, comedies, and summer vacation movies. There's a vacation for everyone! These are also great movies to watch while you're on a vacation.
This list ranks the best movies about vacations including, Jaws, Weekend at Bernie’s, Taking Woodstock, Dazed and Confused, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Beach, Grown Ups, The Seven Year Itch, The Hangover, RV, Meatballs, Adventureland, The Trip, and Little Miss Sunshine. Vote up the best vacation movies and vote down any that you think other fans should skip.
Ranked by
- 1Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Christie Brinkley
- Released: 1983
- Directed by: Harold Ramis
Accompanied by their children (Dana Barron, Anthony Michael Hall), Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), are driving from Illinois to a California amusement park. As ...more - 2Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid
- Released: 1989
- Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik
As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is ...more - 3Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis
- Released: 2008
- Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Struggling musician Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) is better-known as the boyfriend of TV star Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). After she unceremoniously dumps him, he feels lost and alone but makes a ...more - 4Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis
- Released: 2009
- Directed by: Todd Phillips
Two days before his wedding, Doug (Justin Bartha) and three friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis) drive to Las Vegas for a wild and memorable stag party. In fact, when the three ...more - 5Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman
- Released: 2011
- Directed by: Dennis Dugan
His heart recently broken, plastic surgeon Danny Maccabee (Adam Sandler) pretends to be married so he can enjoy future dates with no strings attached. His web of lies works, but when he meets Palmer ...more - 6Bill Murray, Richard Dreyfuss, Julie Hagerty
- Released: 1991
- Directed by: Frank Oz
Before going on vacation, self-involved psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) has the misfortune of taking on a new patient: Bob Wiley (Bill Murray). An exemplar of neediness and a ...more - 7Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Terry Kiser
- Released: 1989
- Directed by: Ted Kotcheff
Fun-loving salesmen Richard (Jonathan Silverman) and Larry (Andrew McCarthy) are invited by their boss, Bernie (Terry Kiser), to stay the weekend at his posh beach house. Little do they know that ...more - 8Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Stephanie Faracy
- Released: 1988
- Directed by: Howard Deutch
It's vacation time for outdoorsy Chicago man Chet Ripley (John Candy), along with his wife, Connie (Stephanie Faracy), and their two kids, Buck (Chris Young) and Ben (Ian Giatti). But a serene ...more - 9Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Dana Hill
- Released: 1985
- Directed by: Amy Heckerling
After winning a European vacation on a game show, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) convinces his reluctant family to accompany him. His wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), is excited, but daughter Audrey ...more - 10Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid
- Released: 1997
- Directed by: Stephen Kessler
The Griswolds are off on a family outing to Las Vegas, where they each have their own misadventures. Hapless dad Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) immediately starts losing money at blackjack, while his ...more - 11Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Joel McHale
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: Frank Coraci
Recently divorced mom Lauren (Drew Barrymore) and widowed dad Jim (Adam Sandler) let their friends push them into a blind date, which goes disastrously wrong. Unsurprisingly, neither wants to see the ...more - 12Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo
- Released: 2015
- Directed by: Jonathan M. Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Remembering fond, childhood memories of his trip to Walley World, Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) surprises his wife (Christina Applegate) and two sons with a cross-country excursion to America's favorite ...more - 13Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby
- Released: 1991
- Directed by: Ron Underwood
Every year, three friends take a vacation away from their wives. This year, henpecked Phil (Daniel Stern), newly married Ed (Bruno Kirby), and Mitch (Billy Crystal) -- terrified of his midlife crisis ...more - 14Scott Mechlowicz, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jacob Pitts
- Released: 2004
- Directed by: Jeff Schaffer
After a brutal breakup at a high-school graduation party, lovelorn Ohio teen Scott Thomas (Scott Mechlowicz) goes on a quest across Europe to find his sexy German pen pal, Mieke (Jessica Boehrs). ...more - 15Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney
- Released: 2013
- Directed by: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Duncan (Liam James) is an awkward teen who must spend the summer at a beach house with his mother (Toni Collette), her boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and Trent's obnoxious daughter. Trent can't ...more - 16Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern
- Released: 1992
- Directed by: Chris Columbus
After snarky youth Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) loses track of his father at the airport, he mistakenly gets on a plane headed for New York City -- while the rest of the McCallisters fly to ...more - 17Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law
- Released: 2006
- Directed by: Nancy Meyers
Two women, one (Cameron Diaz) from America and one (Kate Winslet) from Britain, swap homes at Christmastime after bad breakups with their boyfriends. Each woman finds romance with a local man (Jude ...more - 18John Candy, Richard Crenna, Karen Austin
- Released: 1985
- Directed by: Carl Reiner
After air traffic controller Jack Chester loses a plane (it's covered on his screen by a fly), he's told to take a break. Jack books his family into a plush resort, but it turns out that their ...more - 19Bill Murray, Chris Makepeace, Kate Lynch
- Released: 1979
- Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Tripper (Bill Murray) is the head counselor at a budget summer camp called Camp Northstar. In truth, he's young at heart and only marginally more mature than the campers themselves. Tripper befriends ...more - 20Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans
- Released: 2019
- Directed by: Kyle Newacheck
A New York cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage. A chance encounter leads to them being framed for the murder of an elderly billionaire. - 21Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette
- Released: 2006
- Directed by: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
The Hoover family -- a man (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother (Paul Dano) and a grandfather (Alan Arkin) -- puts the fun back in dysfunctional by piling into ...more - 22Robin Williams, Kristin Chenoweth, Josh Hutcherson
- Released: 2006
- Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
RV is a 2006 American road comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, produced by Lucy Fisher and Douglas Wick, written by Geoff Rodkey, and starring Robin Williams, Jeff Daniels, Cheryl Hines, ...more - 23Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan
- Released: 2003
- Directed by: Audrey Wells
When Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) learns her husband is cheating on her from a writer whom she gave a bad review, her life is turned upside down. In an attempt to bring her out of a deep depression, ...more - 24Seann William Scott, Breckin Meyer, DJ Qualls
- Released: 2000
- Directed by: Todd Phillips
Josh (Breckin Meyer) videotapes his affair with another girl and accidentally mails it to his girlfriend. Discovering the mistake, he tows two of his college buddies -- and one not-so-eager kid who ...more - 25Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock
- Released: 2010
- Directed by: Dennis Dugan
The death of their childhood basketball coach leads to a reunion for some old friends (Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock), who gather at the site of a championship celebration years earlier. ...more
