Carpe Diem: European Escapade Filming Locations

London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.

Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for its art and architecture. The fantastical Sagrada Família church and other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí dot the city. Museu Picasso and Fundació Joan Miró feature modern art by their namesakes. City history museum MUHBA, includes several Roman archaeological sites.

Paris, France's capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

San Sebastián is a resort town on the Bay of Biscay in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country. It’s known for Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta, beaches framed by a picturesque bayfront promenade, and world-renowned restaurants helmed by innovative chefs. In its cobblestoned old town (Parte Vieja), upscale shops neighbor vibrant pintxo bars pairing local wines with bite-size regional specialties.

Edinburgh is Scotland's compact, hilly capital. It has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers. Arthur’s Seat is an imposing peak in Holyrood Park with sweeping views, and Calton Hill is topped with monuments and memorials.

Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the city’s red roofs.

Eymet is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is notable as a popular location amongst English speaking immigrants, with Britons accounting for a quarter of the population.

Monterey is a city on California’s rugged central coast. Its Cannery Row, one-time center of the sardine-packing industry, was immortalized by novelist John Steinbeck. Today, it's a popular strip of gift shops, seafood restaurants and bars in converted factories. Also famous is Monterey Bay Aquarium, with thousands of marine animals and plants on display in underwater and interactive exhibits.

Salinas is a city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County.

A larger-than-life symbol of the entertainment business, Hollywood beckons tourists with landmarks like TCL Chinese Theatre and star-studded Walk of Fame. Highlights include Paramount Pictures, historic music venues like the Hollywood Bowl, and Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars. Scenesters can choose from improv comedy clubs, retro-cool bars and velvet-roped nightclubs. Locals frequent eateries in nearby Thai Town.

Greenwich is a borough in London, England, on the banks of the River Thames. Known for its maritime history, it's home to the Cutty Sark, a restored 19th-century ship, the huge National Maritime Museum, and the classical buildings of the Old Royal Naval College. The modern O2 arena sits on a peninsula to the north. Overlooking peaceful Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory is the site of the Greenwich meridian line.

Drumnadrochit is a village on the western shore of Loch Ness, a long, narrow lake in the Scottish Highlands that’s supposedly home to the Loch Ness Monster. The Nessieland center celebrates the legendary beast with family-friendly exhibits and loch cruises. Ruined Urquhart Castle overlooks the lake just east of the village center. To the west, wooded Glen Urquhart and Glen Affric offer horse-riding and hiking trails.

Dover is a coastal town in England’s southeastern county of Kent. It’s a major port for ferries to Calais, in France. Built to repel invasions from across the English Channel, medieval Dover Castle overlooks the town and houses the extensive Secret Wartime Tunnels. The iconic White Cliffs of Dover are symbolic safeguards at Britain’s closest point to continental Europe.

Calais is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,625.

Pamplona is the capital of Navarre province in northern Spain. It’s best known for the Running of the Bulls (Feast of San Fermín) in July. During this legendary multiday festival, bulls are led through the city streets by daredevil runners. A major stop along the Camino de Santiago, a medieval-era pilgrimage route, Pamplona is also home to Gothic-style churches including fortresslike San Nicolás.

Nice, capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera, sits on the pebbly shores of the Baie des Anges. Founded by the Greeks and later a retreat for 19th-century European elite, the city has also long attracted artists. Former resident Henri Matisse is honored with a career-spanning collection of paintings at Musée Matisse. Musée Marc Chagall features some of its namesake's major religious works.

Whittier is a city in Southern California in Los Angeles County, part of the Gateway Cities. The 14.7-square-mile city had 87,306 residents as of the 2020 United States census, an increase of 1,975 from the 2010 census figure. Whittier was incorporated in February 1898 and became a charter city in 1955.