One of the best parts of traveling? The pre-trip research! I’m not just talking about packing lists and passport checks- I mean diving headfirst into the soul of a destination.
I want all the interesting details: the people, the food (obviously), the landscapes, and all the wild history that shaped it. I want to soak in as much as I can.
In my opinion, books and movies are the absolute best way to create a deeper connection with a place. Instead of breezing through sights, they let you linger in the stories- the people who lived there, the dramas played out, the unforgettable moments of history.
And let’s be real: a good travel movie is basically a two-hour postcard with a plot. Nothing gets me more excited for a trip than soaking up the scenery on screen and imagining myself there. It doesn’t matter if it’s a fluffy romcom or a historical drama, I love them all.
So before every trip, do what I do and cozy up with a stack of books, a lineup of binge-worthy shows, and a travel movie (or five). It’s the perfect way to start your adventure- minus the security line.
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Books about England
I love books- especially when they have to do with travel. When I went backpacking through Europe, I brought a TON of books. I’m talking big, hefty thick ones.
>> Reading books not your thing? Don’t forget about Audible! 🎧 📚 It’s great for road trips!
I wanted to read Under the Tuscan Sun in Florence and Setting Free the Bears in Vienna. I wanted to fully BE THERE and experience the places I was reading about.
As I finished them, I gave them away to other travelers or just left them in the hotel for someone else to enjoy. And that extra space in my suitcase meant I had room for souvenirs. Yay!
You can, of course, lug 20 pounds of books around with you like I did. Or you could do what a sane person does and get a Kindle. 🤷♀️
I’m still hauling paper books around though- I can’t help myself 🙂
Memoirs about England
Notes from a Small Island- Bill Bryson
After 20 years in North Yorkshire, the author takes one last trip around the country before moving back to the U.S. with his family. His spot-on descriptions of the villages and the people he meets along the way are completely hilarious.
Love Nina: A Nanny Writes Home- Nina Stibbe
A funny and sweet tale told in letters to her sister about a girl who moves to London in the 1980s to nanny for an eccentric literary family with two lively boys.
High Tea and the Low Down: An American’s Unfiltered Life in the UK- Claire Craig Evans
A laugh-out-loud memoir of marrying a Brit and moving abroad to live the expat life in a place full of unwritten rules.
Historical Fiction Books about England
I absolutely loved this book about the hidden history of Bletchley Park where the world of the Enigma codebreakers during WWII is told through the eyes of three women. It’s a must read!
Phillippa Gregory books
Phillipa Gregory is the author that got me hooked on historical fiction. The Other Boleyn Girl is the first one I read but then I quickly devoured the other 15 in her Plantagenet and Tutor novel series. She also has several other series about different time periods in England.
The London Bookshop Affair: A Novel of the Cold War- Louis Fein
Set against the Cuban Missile Crisis, this is the story of a woman working in a bookshop whose life changes when she uncovers links to possible espionage.
Fiction Books about England
In a Dark, Dark Wood- Ruth Ware
I love all of her books (including The Lying Game- a Reese’s Book Club pick) but this psychological thriller about a girls weekend in the English countryside gone wrong kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.
Jane Austen books
Emma is my favorite of the Jane Austen’s books. Or maybe it’s Sense and Sensibility. Or Mansfield Park? Oh jeez, I don’t know. Read all of them please. Also, watch the millions of movie and TV shows that came from them. I love her sense of humor and outlook on women in society during that time.
What would happen if Jane Austen travelled forward to a time when she might actually be able to live the life she’s always dreamed of? This silly but sweet book tells the story of having to decide what’s more important- love or legacy.
Brideshead Revisited- Evelyn Waugh
This classic is about a young man from a modest background who befriends the son of an aristocratic English family during the waning days of the Empire.
Mystery Books that Take Place in England
A Ladies Guide to Etiquette and Murder- Diane Freeman
England is the home of the cozy mysteries, so I had to add at least one. This fun little fluffy mystery about a woman accused of her husband’s murder is a fun page-turner. If you like this one, it’s part of a series.
Agatha Christie books
I don’t have to tell you that she is the queen of mysteries. I’m partial to the Miss. Marple series myself. They start with The Murder at the Vicarage. But feel free to read them all 🤓
The Whitstable Pearl Mystery- Julie Wassmer
Another cozy mystery series (and now a TV show on Acorn TV), this is the story of an empty nester who always wanted to be a detective and finally gets her chance when a local oysterman is found drowned.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder- Holly Jackson
This series of novels is about a girl who tries to find the truth behind a local girl’s death five years ago. It is now a TV show on Netflix.
>> Need help planning your trip to England? I can help! Take a look at my planning tips to create your perfect trip.
Movies & TV Shows about England
There’s one thing I love almost as much as books- that’s movies and TV. For a while there, I even wrote screenplays (and had one optioned before the pandemic took the world down).
Before I travel, I try to get a little a sneak peek of where I’m headed. I want to see the sights, soak up the language, and maybe even catch a few quirky customs or hidden gems I’d never find by just flipping through a guidebook.
So I dive headfirst into a movie and TV marathon about my destination to soak it all in. It counts as research, right? 😉
Travel Shows about England
Anthony Bordain- TV
This foul-mouthed chef is delightful and is always my first stop when looking for a show to watch about travel. As far as England goes, he has several episodes on his shows:
- A Cook’s Tour- Season 1- London
- No Reservations- Season 4- London/Edinburgh (Max, Hulu)
- Parts Unknown- Season 8- London (Max)
Historical Fiction Movies about England
The Other Boleyn Girl- Movie 2008
The two Boleyn sisters, driven by their family’s ambition, fight for the love of King Henry VIII.
The Duchess- Movie 2008 (Paramount)
The life and limitations of women in 18th century England as told through the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. This movie is beautiful and heartbreaking.
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society- Movie 2018 (Netflix)
A writer journeys to the Channel Islands to research a book club the locals formed during WWII to thwart Nazi efforts.
The Imitation Game- Movie 2014 (Max)
The story of Alan Turing and the race to break the Nazi code at Bletchley Park during WWII.
The story of the woman behind the famous novel, Frankenstein, and her romance with her husband.
Dramas about England
Rivals- TV 2024 (only on *Hulu)
This raunchy and soapy show is about a long-standing conflict between a famous horse show jumper and a journalist in the 1980s English Cotswolds.
All Creatures Great and Small- TV 2020
In this semi-autobiographical show, a young vet makes a difference in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s. This is a remake of an earlier version and is based on the books of James Herriot.
Agatha and the Truth of Murder- Movie 2018 (Fandango)
A fictional account of what exactly Agatha Christie was doing when she went missing for 11 days in 1926 (which actually happened). Is it any surprise it was solving a mystery?
Shakespeare in Love- Movie 1998
When a noblewoman auditions for a role in Shakespeare’s current play, they fall in love and this forbidden love inspires his current work. This one’s a little older but I wanted to include a Shakespeare movie- also it’s dreamy. ❤️
Two loves of Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas, form an unlikely friendship in war-torn London.
Unexpectedly thrust onto the throne when his brother abdicates, King George VI is held back by his stutter until an unorthodox speech therapist steps in to help.
Comedy Movies and TV Shows about England
There is a U.S. version of this show, but if you want to get to know quirky British humor then this is the one you have to watch. A couple inherits an old estate that is inhabited by all the people who died there. I absolutely love this show.
A grieving woman throws herself into the energetic city of London to experience it all- the good and the bad.
Bridget Jones Diary- Movie 2001 (Max)
There are soon to be 4 of these hilarious movies starring Reneé Zellweger and Hugh Grant about the ups and downs of trying to find your soulmate.
Cold Comfort Farm- Movie 1995 (Fandango)
I remember seeing this witty comedy when it came out and I thought it was hilarious. A London society girl (Kate Beckinsale) is orphaned and has to move to her eccentric relative’s dilapidated farm where she motivates them to reach higher.
See How They Run- Movie 2022 (Hulu)
Set in 1950s London, a member of the crew of a hit play is murdered and detectives must take on the glamorous underground theatre culture in this whodunit.
Filmed in Yorkshire, this is the story of a group of middle-aged women who create a nude calendar to raise money for a charity. I’m giggling just thinking about it.
More Movies and TV shows about England include:
Downton Abbey, Miss Potter, Mary Queen of Scots, Harry Potter, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Elizabeth, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Atonement, Sherlock Holmes, Four Weddings and a Funeral, A Fish Called Wanda, and Topsy Turvy.
FAQ
Where can I find more books about England?
Amazon has everything. Or go to your local bookshop and support them instead. You do you.
How can I watch these shows and movies about England?
I have tried to note where they are streaming but things do come and go. You can rent most of them through Amazon or purchase them and they’re yours forever.
I hope you enjoyed diving into England with me. Leave a comment if you have any other English books, movies, or TV shows that you love!
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