Table of Contents
Film fans rarely want to just watch a love story; they want to stand where it happened. That instinct, sometimes called “set-jetting,” has turned modest coastal towns and quiet mountain passes into travel destinations in their own right, and it works the same way whether the film is an American classic like The Notebook or an Irish drama like Normal People.
This guide covers both. It keeps the original ground ConnollyCove has an existing readership for, the South Carolina locations behind The Notebook, while widening the lens to the Irish and British landscapes doing the same emotional work in more recent romantic films. ConnollyCove is an Ireland-based travel and culture platform, so we know these Irish locations first-hand; the South Carolina section draws on published production records and location guides rather than a site visit, and we’ve flagged that distinction where it matters.
Why We Chase the Screen
People visit film locations for the same reason they reread a favourite book: they want to feel close to the story again. A location trip lets you stand in the exact spot a scene was shot and notice details the camera never lingered on, the smell of salt air at a coastal set, the actual gradient of a hill that looked flat on screen. This has become a genuine travel planning category, not a niche interest, which is why tourism boards from Northern Ireland to South Carolina now actively promote their film connections.
The Notebook’s South Carolina
Boone Hall Plantation and Charleston anchor the film’s setting, with several sites still open to visitors. The Notebook, adapted from Nicholas Sparks’s novel, used the coastal and Lowcountry scenery of South Carolina to stand in for the story’s 1940s setting, and travellers exploring this region today can visit several of the actual filming sites.
Boone Hall Plantation, just outside Charleston, provided the setting for Allie’s family’s summer home. Its Avenue of Oaks, a long approach lined with moss-draped live oaks, is the site’s signature feature and remains open to visitors year-round, alongside the working plantation grounds and history exhibits.
Charleston itself appears throughout the film. The American Theatre on King Street hosted the dance scene between Allie and Noah, and the William Aiken House was used for several of the film’s interior scenes. King Street today is Charleston’s main shopping and dining strip, so it’s easy to combine a film-location walk with a normal afternoon in the city.
Cypress Gardens, in Moncks Corner, around 30 minutes from Charleston, provided the rowing-boat scenes on the water. It’s a preserved swamp garden with boat trails through cypress trees, now run as a public attraction with a butterfly house and small museum alongside the original gardens.
Savannah, Georgia and New Bern, North Carolina, also feature in the wider Notebook filming footprint. Savannah’s Forsyth Park and riverfront, and New Bern’s Tryon Palace, are both a reasonable day trip from the main Charleston-area sites if you’re building a longer itinerary around the film.
A practical note for anyone planning this as a dedicated trip: Charleston, Moncks Corner, and Savannah can be combined into a single loop of two to three days by car, with New Bern requiring a separate detour further north.
The Emerald Romance: Ireland’s Own Screen Icons
Ireland has become one of the most filmed romantic backdrops in recent television and cinema, and unlike The Notebook’s South Carolina, this is the ground ConnollyCove has covered directly. Where South Carolina gave The Notebook its sense of faded Southern grandeur, Ireland’s west coast and mountain country have given a run of recent romantic dramas their own distinct emotional register: weather-beaten, unshowy, and quietly intense.
Normal People used the Wild Atlantic Way and County Sligo’s coastline to frame its central relationship, leaning on the same rugged, uncrowded beaches that define the west of Ireland for travellers who venture beyond Dublin. If you’re planning a trip along this stretch of coast, our Wild Atlantic Way guide covers the full route, including the villages and viewpoints near the areas used for filming.
The Banshees of Inisherin was filmed on Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands, and on Achill Island off County Mayo. The stone cottages and dry-stone field walls that gave the film its texture are everyday features of Aran Islands life, not set dressing; the islands have been Irish-speaking (Gaeltacht) communities for centuries, and their prehistoric stone forts, including Dún Aonghasa, predate the film’s story by thousands of years. Our guide to the Aran Islands covers the islands’ Celtic history in more depth, for travellers who want the context behind the scenery.
P.S. I Love You used the Wicklow Mountains, just south of Dublin, for several of its outdoor scenes. County Wicklow’s mix of mountain passes and monastic ruins at Glendalough is also one of the most filmed landscapes in Irish cinema more broadly, and our Wicklow Mountains guide covers the folklore attached to this landscape alongside practical walking routes.
Northern Ireland’s contribution to screen tourism runs through Game of Thrones rather than romance specifically, but it’s built the same kind of visitor infrastructure: a self-guided trail of ten carved doors across the region, including Northern Ireland’s Game of Thrones Doors trail and the Dragonstone scenes filmed at Downhill Beach and Mussenden Temple. It’s a useful template for how a region turns filming credits into a lasting travel draw.
“The landscape of Ireland isn’t just a backdrop. It’s a character that dictates the emotional weight of the film, and that’s why our locations keep getting cast in stories about love and loss.” Ciaran Connolly, Founder of ConnollyCove
This connection between land and story isn’t new to film. Ireland’s own tradition of proverbs and oral storytelling has always used landscape to carry emotional weight, long before a camera did the same job.
Regency Hearts: Britain’s Romantic Film Trail
Britain’s recent romantic hits lean into history and period detail, and its filming locations are correspondingly grander and more formal than Ireland’s coastline. Edinburgh, Bath, and London each anchor a different recent romantic title, and each offers a straightforward day of location-following for visitors already in the city.
One Day used Arthur’s Seat, the extinct volcano overlooking Edinburgh, for one of its most quoted scenes. It’s a genuine hike rather than a stroll, roughly an hour up and back from the base, and the view over the city is worth the climb regardless of the film connection.
Bridgerton filmed extensively around the Royal Crescent in Bath, a Georgian terrace that was standing more than two centuries before the show existed. Bath’s entire city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so the Bridgerton connection sits on top of a much older reason to visit.
Notting Hill, the 1999 film, rather than a recent title, still draws visitors to Portobello Road for the blue door made famous by the film. It’s worth knowing before you go that the door and the surrounding shops are now a private residence and a gift shop rather than a working travel bookshop, and the street can get genuinely crowded at weekends.
The Reel vs the Real: Comparison Table
| Film/Show | Setting Portrayed | Real Location | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Notebook | 1940s South Carolina | Boone Hall Plantation, Cypress Gardens | Charleston area, South Carolina, USA |
| Normal People | County Sligo, Ireland | Streedagh Beach and Sligo coastline | County Sligo, Ireland |
| The Banshees of Inisherin | Fictional island of Inisherin | Inis Mór, Aran Islands | County Galway, Ireland |
| P.S. I Love You | County Wicklow, Ireland | Wicklow Mountains and Sally Gap | County Wicklow, Ireland |
| One Day | Edinburgh | Arthur’s Seat | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Bridgerton | Regency London | Royal Crescent | Bath, England |
Planning Your Own Romantic Film Pilgrimage
The biggest gap in most film-location content is honesty about crowds, cost, and access, so here’s the practical version. A few of these locations, particularly the Notting Hill blue door and the more famous Wicklow viewpoints, now see enough visitors that the quiet, romantic version of the location shown on screen isn’t the version you’ll get at midday in July. Visiting early morning or later in the afternoon, and travelling outside peak summer months where possible, gets you much closer to what the camera actually captured.
Seasonal patterns worth knowing: Ireland’s west coast locations (Sligo, the Aran Islands, Wicklow) are at their most accessible from May to September, when ferry services to the Aran Islands run most frequently and daylight hours are longest for hiking. Winter visits are possible but weather-dependent, particularly for island ferry crossings. South Carolina’s filming locations are workable year-round, though spring and autumn avoid the most intense summer humidity. Edinburgh and Bath are both comfortable city-break destinations at any time of year, with Edinburgh’s August festival season bringing the heaviest crowds.
Booking notes: Ferry crossings to the Aran Islands should be booked in advance during peak season. Boone Hall Plantation and Cypress Gardens both charge separate admission and have posted opening hours that vary seasonally; check ahead rather than assuming year-round access. For current transport and accommodation planning across Ireland, Tourism Ireland’s official travel site is a reliable source for up-to-date seasonal information.
If you’re building this into a longer Irish itinerary, our guide to Belfast date ideas and our look at Celtic mythology’s connection to landscape both make good companion reading, since the same coastline and mountain scenery behind these films carries centuries of Irish storytelling that predates any of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you visit the filming locations of The Notebook?
Yes. Boone Hall Plantation, Cypress Gardens, and several Charleston sites used in the film are open to the public with standard visitor access. Some interior locations, including the William Aiken House, may have more limited public access, so it’s worth checking current visiting hours before travelling.
How do you pronounce Inis Mór, the setting for The Banshees of Inisherin?
Inis Mór is pronounced “Inish More” and translates as “big island” in Irish. It’s the largest of the three Aran Islands off Ireland’s west coast, reached by ferry from Rossaveal or Doolin.
What’s the best time of year to visit Ireland’s film locations?
May to September offers the most reliable weather and the most frequent ferry access to island locations like the Aran Islands. Winter visits are possible for mainland sites such as the Wicklow Mountains, but island crossings become weather-dependent.
Are these filming locations expensive to visit?
Most outdoor locations, including Arthur’s Seat, the Wicklow Mountains, and Ireland’s coastal beaches, are free to access. Sites with built attractions, such as Boone Hall Plantation, Cypress Gardens, and the Royal Crescent area in Bath, typically charge separate admission.
Is it possible to stay near these filming locations?
Yes, most of these areas have local accommodation ranging from guesthouses to hotels, particularly around Charleston, Bath, and Ireland’s west coast towns. Island accommodation on the Aran Islands is more limited and benefits from advance booking in peak season.
Why do so many romantic films use Irish landscapes as settings?
Ireland’s coastline and mountain scenery offer dramatic, varied backdrops within a relatively small filming radius, alongside a strong existing production infrastructure built up through shows like Game of Thrones. The weather-shaped, unpolished quality of the landscape also suits stories built around emotional intensity rather than glamour.
Do I need a car to visit these locations?
For most Irish and South Carolina locations, yes, public transport reaches the nearest towns, but rarely the exact filming sites. Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat and Bath’s Royal Crescent are both walkable from their respective city centres without a car.
Explore More Screen and Celtic Connections
ConnollyCove covers film and TV locations across Ireland alongside the mythology, language, and traditions that shaped these landscapes long before any camera arrived. Explore our guide to the Game of Thrones Doors trail or watch more of our Ireland location coverage on the ConnollyCove YouTube channel.
