Take a trip inspired by one of these top TV shows
Game of Thrones
If you haven’t watched the fantasy drama Game of Thrones, you’re not only missing one of the most compelling TV shows in recent years, you’re also depriving yourself of travel inspiration. From Northern Ireland to Iceland, Croatia to Morocco, the settings for iconic locations in the fictional lands of Westeros are must-see destinations in their own right. In Northern Ireland, visit the castles of Winterfell and Dragonstone, the Stormlands and the Iron Islands. Meanwhile, Morocco has provided much of the backdrop for Daenerys Targaryen’s epic journey. On a walking tour of Croatia’s Dubrovnik (aka King’s Landing), take in the grounds of the Red Keep, the palace gardens and the Lovrijenac Fortress that looks over the fictional Blackwater Bay. For the most adventurous of all, head to Iceland to see the location of The Wall and land of the Wildlings and White Walkers.
Breaking Bad
Albuquerque may not seem like an obvious holiday destination, but it’s a gem for TV tourists who’ve seen it depicted in the drug dealer drama Breaking Bad. The show was shot entirely in New Mexico and has fuelled a boom in Albuquerque’s tourism industry. Organised tours take in locations including Walter White’s house, Saul Goodman’s office and a burger joint better known as ‘Los Pollos Hermanos’. For your final, fanatical nod to the cult of Breaking Bad, buy a bag of blue-dyed rock sugar from The Candy Lady. It’s really just candy and it was used as a prop in the series.
Downton Abbey
Screenwriter Julian Fellowes is said to have had Highclere Castle in mind when he created Downton Abbey, the highly acclaimed period drama that has garnered a gently obsessive flock of devotees over its four seasons. The Victorian castle in the English county of Berkshire is home to the real-life Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and is open to visitors at specified times throughout the year. Guided tours will also take you around one of England’s oldest towns, Bampton, the site for the fictional village of Downton, where you can see the hospital, the local church and the Crawley family home.
