Hot chocolate, baubles, and your favourite romcoms. These are all ingredients that make the holiday season perfect. What else makes the season perfect, you ask? Going on a trail through one of your favourite movies.
The 2006 romantic comedy film, The Holiday, directed by Nancy Meyers, starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black features some stunning locations that capture the contrast between the sunny California and the snowy English countryside.
The film follows two women, Amanda and Iris, who swap their homes in Los Angeles and Surrey, England, for the holiday season. Along the way, they find romance and adventure in their new surroundings. If you are a fan of the movie and want to visit the places where it was filmed, here are some tips on how to do so.
Amanda’s house is a luxurious Tuscan-style mansion in San Marino, California. It is an actual house and not a set, and it was built by the renowned architect Wallace Neff, who was known for his Californian style of architecture. The house has a beautiful pool, a spacious living room, and a cozy bedroom. The exterior shots of the house are filmed in San Marino, while the interior shots are filmed at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California.
If you want to see the house in person, you can drive by the address 1883 Orlando Road, San Marino, CA 911082. However, keep in mind that the house is a private property and not open to the public, so you cannot enter or take photos without permission.
Iris’s cottage is a charming and cozy English countryside home in Surrey, England. It is supposed to be located in the Cotswolds, but in reality, the exterior shots of the cottage are created in a field and the interior shots are sets built at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. The production team drew inspiration from a real-life cottage, Honeysuckle Cottage, in Holmbury St Mary, near Dorking.
If you want to see the real Honeysuckle Cottage, you can find it at the address Felday Road, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking RH5 6NL4. However, like Amanda’s house, it is also a private property and not open to the public. Alternatively, you can look for similar cottages in the area that are available for rent or sale.
The village of Shere is where Iris lives and where Amanda spends her holiday. It is a picturesque and quaint village in the Guildford district of Surrey, England. It is considered one of the most photographed villages in Surrey, and it has been featured in other films such as Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and The Wedding Date.
If you want to visit Shere, you can take a train from London to Guildford, and then take a bus or a taxi to the village. You can explore the village’s attractions, such as the 12th-century St James’ Church, the 15th-century White Horse pub, the Shere Museum, and the Shere Shop. You can also enjoy the scenic views of the surrounding hills and fields.
The Surrey pub featured in The Holiday is a must-visit for fans of the movie. In the film, Amanda and Graham can be seen enjoying a drink there. The pub is known for its storied history and its Grade II listed building, which dates back to 1425.
Apart from the main locations, the film also features some other places that are worth visiting. For instance, you can see the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, California, where Amanda and Graham go on a date. It is a historic landmark and a public park that offers tours and events. You can also see the Neutra Colony in Silver Lake Boulevard, Los Angeles, where Miles lives. It is a collection of modernist houses designed by the architect Richard Neutra.