10 Destinations that Inspired Classic Love Stories

Paris, France – Famous for its old romantic charm, the city of love takes on a vivid, almost unreal quality in a modern tale of love portrayed in the 2001 French film Amélie. If you wander away from the main tourist trail and into the trendy bohemian district of Montmartre where Amélie was filmed, you'll discover peculiar shops, obscure bars and assorted coffee shops including Café de Deux Moulins where Amélie worked.

Kenya – Based on the real life story of Danish woman, Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, Out Of Africa is a sweeping drama about love and life in the British Colony of Kenya during the early 20th century. Meryl Streep and Robert Redford head a superb cast, but the real stars are the spectacular African landscape and native wildlife. Fans of Out of Africa will love visiting the Karen Blixen Museum set up in the original homestead and featured in the film adaptation.

Rome, Italy – Royalty, romance and Rome's most famous landmarks, Roman Holiday has the perfect formula for a classic love story. The film is responsible for the extreme popularity of some of Rome's tourist attractions including the Trevi Fountain and Bocca Della Verita, The Mouth of Truth.

Bangkok, Thailand – Set in the old country of Siam, now known as Thailand, the musical The King and I is loosely based on the real life relationship between the revered nineteenth-century King of Siam, Mongkut, and Anna Leonowens the English woman who was school teacher to his children. The ornate buildings of the Grand Palace complex, where King Mongkut resided during his reign, are among many popular historical tourist attractions in Bangkok, including two of Thailand's most beautiful temples, Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Budda, and Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn.

Greek Islands – The recent release of a film version of the hit musical Mama Mia has thrilled ABBA fans across the globe, but it has also thrown a spotlight on the idyllic Greek Islands as a travel destination, particularly on the tiny island of Skopelos in the Western Aegean Sea where the film was made. If the cliff-top wedding, perfect weather and glimpses of blazing blue water didn't make you want to elope to the Greek Islands, perhaps Pierce Brosnan ripping his shirt off did!

New York City – Many romantic literary works and films have used New York City as a backdrop, but the most notable is probably Breakfast at Tiffany's. Originally a novella written by Truman Capote, the iconic film about the adventures of eccentric Manhattan socialite visited some of New York's most famous landmarks including the iconic jewellery store Tiffany's. Romantics will also enjoy a horse and carriage ride in Central Park, and an evening visit to the Empire State Building made a famous destination for lovers in the 1957 Carey Grant and Deborah Kerr film, An Affair to Remember.

England – Elizabeth Bennet fell in love with Mr. Darcy while touring through the untamed countryside in Derbyshire, and Jane Austen fans who read the classic novel Pride and Prejudice, fell in love with the wild beauty of Derbyshire as they followed her on her journey. The winding country roads, country pubs, historic towns and charming B&Bs of the central England county provide the perfect excuse for a lazy driving holiday, and you can also visit many of the filming locations used in the popular 2005 BBC series.

Moscow Russia – Made into a cinematographic masterpiece in 1965, Boris Pasternak's epic Russian romance, Doctor Zhivago, is a tale of a man torn between two women in a time when his country was changing out of his control due to war and politics. In addition to St Basil's Cathedral with its beautifully coloured onion domes, perhaps the most well-known of landmark outside of Russia, there are many museums, theatres and galleries that have stood for centuries and house the historical artefacts of one of Europe's most interesting countries.

Kyoto, Japan – Set in Gion, Kyoto's famous Geisha District, at the start of the 20th Century, Arthur Golden's sumptuous novel Memoirs of a Geisha about a young geisha and her enduring love for a wealthy businessman sees the Japanese landscape change over several decades. Visitors can still see real Geisha moving through the streets of Gion on their way to different engagements, and just as in Arthur Golden's novel, the 'Dances of the Old Capital' are staged in April of each year during cherry blossom season.

Vanuatu, South Pacific – A popular honeymoon destination for lovers of clear warm nights and lush tropical greenery, Vanuatu and it's American military history inspired the setting for South Pacific, one of Broadway's most romantic and successful musicals. Today, the islands are dotted with popular luxury resorts and secluded hideaways, and the surrounding reefs offer excellent diving and snorkelling for lovers of adventure, www.vanuatutourism.com.