Help me find a European summer film. I want to take a vacation tonight.

I recommend Under the Tuscan Sun.

Smiles of a Summer Night

And God Created Woman

Young Girls of Rochefort

Treat yourself to a schizophrenic Katharine Hepburn double feature, OP, with "Summertime" followed by "Suddenly, Last Summer".

I was looking at La Piscine and I am Love.

Come Undone (Presque rien) Dir. by Sébastien Lifshitz

Wild Reeds (Les roseaux sauvages), Dir. by André Téchiné

"The Good Year" + 2006

Enchanted April

Summer Lovers, beautiful young people in Santorini in 1981/82

TO CATCH A THIEF fulfills all your requirements. I like to watch it in the winter to get me out of the doldrums!

R10 Peter Gallagher at his peak beauty.

La Dolce Vita

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

Spartacus-original

The Moon Spinners

SUMMER WITH MONIKA. Hot stuff in 1953.

Rome Adventure with Suzanne Pleshette, Angie Dickinson, Troy Donahue, Rossano Brazzi, Chad Everett, and DL catnip Constance Forde -- more stars than there are in the heavens!

If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium” - PERFECT!!!! or Talented Mr Ripley …… OR “Come, September” with Rock Hudson and Gina L and lots of Vespas

[quote]Constance Forde

Is that pronounced Ford or Forday?

To Catch a Thief is probably the best Because it's a fun, light mystery. The Moon Spinners is also a great choice. Summertime is great, too. See a good print, like the blu ray.

The first one that came into my head was Bonjour Tristesse (1958), because of all the wide-screen location shooting on the Riviera. (Directed by Otto Preminger, starring Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Jean Seberg.) It's a drama, more or less. The flashbacks to Paris are in monochrome.

Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) isn't a masterpiece but it's witty and pleasant. Filmed all over Rome, in the '50s, and elsewhere in Italy. It really is kind of like taking a vacation.

Boy on a Dolphin (1957) is no masterwork, either, but it makes you feel like you're in the Greek Islands, the mountains, and Athens. I like these '50s CinemaScope movies, since they're very heavy on the scenery and locations, and I like the '50s vibe.

Obviously, Call Me By Your Name is another one.

I have two for you, OP.

(1) Wild Reeds (French title: Les Roseaux Sauvages)

(2) Near Orouet (French title: Du côté d'Orouët)

The Running Man (1963)--Malaga--Laurence Harvey, Lee Remick, Alan Bates, director: Carol Reed. Woman of Straw (1964)--Mallorca--Sean Connery, Gina Lolobrigida, Ralph Richardson, director: Basil Dearden.

Wasn't there a great one starring Isabelle Adjani? One Hot Summer or something like that? 1983 or so? I will go look

Why has no one ever seen "Bonjour Tristesse" (1958)? It's one of my favorite films.

THIS IS YOUR FILM OP! Summer vacation with a little ennui and crime!

One DEADLY Summah!

En français.

There's a recent gay Greek film called The Summer With Carmen. It was cute, I really liked it.

Here's an alternative trailer

How about Rohmer's Pauline at the Beach? It doesn't get much more French summer at the seashore than that!

French: La Piscine, La Cage Aux Folles or Plein Soleil.

You could also enjoy a light summer Hitchcock thriller like Rear Window.

I also loved the little thriller that came out a few years ago called Summer of 84'. It's about a boy who suspects that his neighbor is a serial killer. A bit a violence but not too much. Very inspired by 80s adventure movies like The Goonies, It, Fright Night and Stand By Me. It's a fun little summer movie with a chilling ending.

"Two For the Road" - (1967) Audrey Hepburn & Albert Finney

I think if Bonjour Tristesse ('58 version) had starred Cary Grant (let's say), who is still pretty popular, it would be more well known. David Niven, Deborah Kerr and Jean Seberg don't really have a lot of fans any more. A lot of good Preminger films have kind of fallen off the radar. Advise and Consent, for ex.

While they are not everyone's cup of tea, Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon star in The Trip, a series of movies where they travel around on some weak pretense of restaurant reviews or some such thing and stay in these gorgeous inns and eat amazing food. You do have to put up them, but if you can stand it, the scenery is beautiful and there's wistfulness about the passing of time and getting old

La Collectionneuse

A Kiss For a Killer is a good French thriller from the 50s, which is set in Nice

My House in Umbria

Tea With Mussolini

A Room With a View

[quote]which is set in Nice

It's nicer in Nice.

This is stretching your desire a bit, but you could binge watch "The Durrells in Corfu", though I don't think it's streaming for free anymore, unless you have PBS Passport.

I'd put it lower on the list though, considering all the great choices here.

Jean de Florette & Manon des Sources (Claude Berri) L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni) Le gamin au vélo (Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne) Suntan (Argyris Papadimitropoulos)

If you get over your aversion to violence let me know because I have *lots* more suggestions.

The Spanish film End of the Century

It's a show, not a movie but Hotel Portofino has some beautiful scenery.

National Lampoon's European Vacation

Cries and Whispers

R6, you reminded me of the film Swimming Pool (2003) which, while it pays homage to and borrows some things from La Piscine (1969), is not a remake. It's a worthy selection if you like plots with a mystery, the actresses Charlotte Rampling or Ludivine Sagnier, or French daddies with bulging Speedos.

R43- This was the other film that crossed my mind. Awesome film-

My Father’s Glory

My Mother’s Castle

Light In The Piazza, filmed in Florence and Rome

Thanks for the recommendation above of It Takes a Thief. Watched it on this sultry evening and it was just the thing.

To Catch A Thief.

It Takes a Thief was a TV series with Robert Wagner (of course both titles are taken from the same phrase).

I usually watch The Seven Year Itch once every summer on a warm night. Just seems to go with it.

I was trying to think of a good choice, but I can’t do better than Young Girls of Rochefort!

It Started In Naples

Boy On A Dolphin

R51 Thanks for agreeing with me.

I went to see CMBYN on Friday afternoon. Though I’ve seen it now four times, this is the first time the casting of Armie Hammer bothered me. I loved everything else especially Crema and Bergamo—I think those were the actual locations, Crema at least—in summer and, of course, Elio. Including Tim O’Tay’s ass. Sure, dong would have been better, and more accurate to the story, but you take what you can get.

R9, I also thought of Enchanted April. It is easy to watch and beautiful to look at.

The Swimming Pool with Charlotte Rampling.

Is Enchanted April streaming anywhere?

The Two Faces of January, with Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst is set in Greece

Like The Talented Mr. Ripley, it's based on a Patricia Highsmith novel

The Adventures of Felix (Drôle de Félix) -- gay, delightful, a well hung farmer

R56, there are paid streams on most of the platforms and a free one on YouTube.

Three Coins in a Fountain

I enjoyed this thriller about 2 girls on a bike trip through France. It really conveyed the horror of not being able to speak the language in a foreign country.

Diabolo Menthe. Very funny and touching coming of age story.

Jean de Florette and its continuation, Manon of The Spring from the mid 1980s are very slow paced, but beautifully filmed in Provence. The slow pace at least allows non-French speakers read the subtitles and also enjoy the scenery. Warning: a few years later I found myself visiting Provence and then came home with a huge credit card balance. Similarly, watching Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert repeatedly, forced me onto a 16 hour flight to Australia. And so on. No regrets.

L'auberge espagnole

In Bruges, one of my favorite movies.

The Pleasure Seekers, a campy but fun remake of Three Coins in the Fountain with Ann-Margret. Set in Madrid.

In Bruges is set during the Christmas season.

Heißer Sommer 1968

In this East German teen musical, a group of girls are planning to take their summer vacation together on the Baltic coast. When a loud and obnoxious group of boys intrudes on their holiday,...

The East German “Grease”

The East German "Grease" that was made years before Grease.

Stealing Beauty

A Summer in Genoa

The Great Beauty - beautiful film, I watch it at least once a year, usually in summer

Mid-August Lunch and The Salt of Life

So many wonderful suggestions. Thank you.

National Lampoons European Dawson’s 50 Load Weekend Vacation

It's not a movie but definitely a vacation: Hotel Portofino on PBS. I love it.

OP took one of our suggestions and watched his film days ago. But it's an interesting thread.

12 Best Books of 2025 So Far by the BBC. They selected an Ocean Vuong book; I can never get into his works.

R77 So?

This has been a great thread. So many ideas for things to check out.

Summertime Roman Holiday

Oh, Summertime!! That's such a dear movie!

How about "Light in the Piazza" where DL Goddess ODH gets rid of her "beautiful but retarded daughter" played by Yvette Mimieux by marrying her off to a hot Italian man, who is obviously an idiot.

I'm laughing so hard as I type this, I'm soooo fucking mean!!

R46 posted it first, but I prefer my description of the movie.

These have all already been mentioned.

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

Already been mentioned.

OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR, which begins in that glorious European summer just before World War I

Though it's in b&w The Passionate Friends (1949), directed by David Lean, filmed in Chamonix (France).

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1973)

That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)