For groups of all ages, an Italian Movie Moments vacation can be a fun way to recreate moments from favorite films. If you are traveling to Rome, you can have a "Roman Holiday" theme: sit on the Spanish Steps eating gelato, ride a Vespa, put your hand in the Mouth of Truth, and visit the Colosseum. North, in Cortona, you can follow the steps of Frances Mayes in "Under the Tuscan Sun." Sit on the steps of the town hall, which were the set for the Christmas pageant in the movie, wander through the stone walkways, and sit on the terrace where Mayes' tour companions wrote postcards. In Positano in the south, you can walk along the dramatic hillside streets that have been used as the setting for countless movies, including "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Only You."
If your family has children who have read the Harry Potter books or seen the movies, set up a vacation that focuses on the sites and places used in filming. Book tickets to London, and be sure to visit the sky bridge and Platform 9 3/4 in King's Cross station. Take a train to Gloucester Cathedral north of Bath for a look at the halls that were used as the set for parts of Hogwarts Castle. Then, head north to Scotland for the dramatic outdoor scenery used in many of the movies. At the Glenfinnan stop outside of Ft. William, you can watch a steam train go over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is used as the Hogwarts Express train in the movies. Nearby is Loch Shiel, the lake on which Hogwarts Castle sits. In Glencoe, you can climb around the hills across from the Clachaig Inn to explore the site where Hagrid's hut sat during the movie filming; though the hut has been dismantled, the surrounding scenery is easily recognizable. In Edinburgh, you can visit the Elephant Cafe, where J.K. Rowling penned the first Harry Potter sketches.
A Wild West vacation allows your group to have an adventurous vacation that can be tailored to individual preferences. For active travelers, plan a trip that includes hiking in the Grand Tetons and the Wind River Range in Wyoming, rafting the Green River through Arizona's famous Maze canyons, and hiking through narrow slot canyons in Utah. Experience a taste of the Old West by a working dude ranch vacation in Wyoming or by exploring ghost towns in Arizona and Nevada. Take a road trip on historic Route 66, or spend a few days hunting for petrified wood in Arizona or hiking in the Grand Canyon.
