George Clooney’s new movie offers picture-perfect travel ideas, from the Big Apple to Italy.
Katie Bowman - 25 November 2025
Credit: Peter Mountain/Netflix
Jay Kelly - Available Friday Netflix
All my memories are movies,” reflects ageing Hollywood star Jay Kelly – played by George Clooney – as he looks back on his glossy life. And that’s exactly how this new Netflix film feels, as we watch nostalgic Jay travel through Europe in pursuit of his long-suffering daughter Daisy, she preferring to Interrail than spend time with him in showy California. Directed by Noah Baumbach, Jay Kelly scans like a series of sepia snapshots, a spin of a postcard rack, each card depicting a perfect scene rather than a real-life, jetlagged travel moment. It’s true, this may make for a so-so storyline (and critics are split on the stylisation) but, that aside, it makes for an utterly irresistible travelogue. We found ourselves searching for train tickets to explore Tuscany almost before the closing credits rolled. Here’s our pick of the most delectable destinations in Jay Kelly to create your next holiday…
The film opens with Jay shooting a scene. It’s New York by night, but – of course – this being a movie, it’s gorgeous, not gritty. In a cloudless, star-speckled sky, the skyscrapers of Manhattan twinkle, and Brooklyn Bridge is lit up like a landing strip across the East River. Meanwhile, the iconic 1930s neon Pepsi-Cola sign shines a spotlight on Jay as he gives his monologue.
To get as close to this scene as possible, we suggest taking the “NYC at Night” bus tour (GetYourGuide.com) – better than a private walking route because you’ll manage to see both sides of the river in just three hours, from the shiny towers of Wall Street to the cobblestones of trendy Dumbo neighbourhood (it stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass).
Counterintuitively, to best enjoy the Manhattan skyline, you don’t actually want to be in Manhattan. Instead, stay in Brooklyn on the riverfront, and you’ll get that panorama from your hotel room. 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge gives the best bang for your buck, whether that be from your in-suite hammock (yes, that’s a thing) or outdoor swimming pool. Alternatively, check in elsewhere but be sure to come for your Jay Kelly moment at Harriet’s Rooftop bar (1hotels.com/brooklyn-bridge).
Image: The Val d’Orcia in Tuscany
EUROPE BY TRAIN Jay follows his daughter’s tracks
Able to monitor Daisy’s movements by her credit-card purchases, Jay sees that his young daughter – originally in Paris for a jazz festival – is heading onwards to Italy. By now, Jay’s harassed publicist (Laura Dern) and devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) have joined him, trying – and failing – to protect him on his escapade. First, he is mobbed by fans in the station, then Jay must suffer the indignity of economy travel when he realises there’s no first-class carriage.
Despite this, the journey is ravishing and a movie highlight, as we see the vintage green-and-white train hurtle through the French countryside and later along the Italian Riviera. Great Rail Journeys offers an exact replica of Jay’s trip, from Paris (having begun in London St Pancras), via the Italian Alps, to Turin. From here, the nine-day itinerary combines train travel by day and coastal hotels overnight, and ticks off the Cinque Terre, Portofino and Genoa (greatrail.com).
Image: Exploring the Cinque Terre by train
TUSCANY Jay in the limelight
Having caught up with a seriously unimpressed Daisy, Jay decides to stay in Italy for a Tuscan arts festival, where he’s due to pick up an award. (Even in his attempts to reconnect with family, it’s clear Jay always has an agenda.) What follows is a party in the grounds of an exquisitely beautiful Tuscan farmhouse, and later a black-tie ceremony.
You can visit this Tuscan wine estate for yourself: Argiano in Montalcino is in the Val d’Orcia region and open to the public (argiano.net). Centred around a Renaissance villa among vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees, it’s possible to stay the night, too. (You’ll recognise the pool around which Jay and Ron party.) Local scenes were also shot in nearby Pienza village; Adam Sandler was so smitten with the place, he went perfume shopping for his wife at Alessandro Serpico boutique. Right in the historic centre, Clooney stayed at La Bandita Townhouse, a converted convent (la-bandita.com). Look out for his hand-written note of thanks to the hotel owners, written on a page of his Jay Kelly script.
The awards ceremony finale was filmed at Teatro Petrarca in Arezzo. It’s a working theatre, so it’s possible to catch plays, talks and opera in this historic, gilt-trimmed, velvet-swagged space. Next spring, there will be a run of the Stravinsky ballet, Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring). Considering that the spring of 2024 was when Jay Kelly was filmed, it’s a fitting production to watch – and the perfect time of year to visit the film’s shooting locations for yourself.
Credit: Peter Mountain/Netflix
Jay Kelly - Available Friday Netflix
All my memories are movies,” reflects ageing Hollywood star Jay Kelly – played by George Clooney – as he looks back on his glossy life. And that’s exactly how this new Netflix film feels, as we watch nostalgic Jay travel through Europe in pursuit of his long-suffering daughter Daisy, she preferring to Interrail than spend time with him in showy California. Directed by Noah Baumbach, Jay Kelly scans like a series of sepia snapshots, a spin of a postcard rack, each card depicting a perfect scene rather than a real-life, jetlagged travel moment. It’s true, this may make for a so-so storyline (and critics are split on the stylisation) but, that aside, it makes for an utterly irresistible travelogue. We found ourselves searching for train tickets to explore Tuscany almost before the closing credits rolled. Here’s our pick of the most delectable destinations in Jay Kelly to create your next holiday…
NEW YORK CITY Jay in the picture
The film opens with Jay shooting a scene. It’s New York by night, but – of course – this being a movie, it’s gorgeous, not gritty. In a cloudless, star-speckled sky, the skyscrapers of Manhattan twinkle, and Brooklyn Bridge is lit up like a landing strip across the East River. Meanwhile, the iconic 1930s neon Pepsi-Cola sign shines a spotlight on Jay as he gives his monologue.
To get as close to this scene as possible, we suggest taking the “NYC at Night” bus tour (GetYourGuide.com) – better than a private walking route because you’ll manage to see both sides of the river in just three hours, from the shiny towers of Wall Street to the cobblestones of trendy Dumbo neighbourhood (it stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass).
Counterintuitively, to best enjoy the Manhattan skyline, you don’t actually want to be in Manhattan. Instead, stay in Brooklyn on the riverfront, and you’ll get that panorama from your hotel room. 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge gives the best bang for your buck, whether that be from your in-suite hammock (yes, that’s a thing) or outdoor swimming pool. Alternatively, check in elsewhere but be sure to come for your Jay Kelly moment at Harriet’s Rooftop bar (1hotels.com/brooklyn-bridge).
Image: The Val d’Orcia in Tuscany
EUROPE BY TRAIN Jay follows his daughter’s tracks
Able to monitor Daisy’s movements by her credit-card purchases, Jay sees that his young daughter – originally in Paris for a jazz festival – is heading onwards to Italy. By now, Jay’s harassed publicist (Laura Dern) and devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) have joined him, trying – and failing – to protect him on his escapade. First, he is mobbed by fans in the station, then Jay must suffer the indignity of economy travel when he realises there’s no first-class carriage.
Despite this, the journey is ravishing and a movie highlight, as we see the vintage green-and-white train hurtle through the French countryside and later along the Italian Riviera. Great Rail Journeys offers an exact replica of Jay’s trip, from Paris (having begun in London St Pancras), via the Italian Alps, to Turin. From here, the nine-day itinerary combines train travel by day and coastal hotels overnight, and ticks off the Cinque Terre, Portofino and Genoa (greatrail.com).
Image: Exploring the Cinque Terre by train
TUSCANY Jay in the limelight
Having caught up with a seriously unimpressed Daisy, Jay decides to stay in Italy for a Tuscan arts festival, where he’s due to pick up an award. (Even in his attempts to reconnect with family, it’s clear Jay always has an agenda.) What follows is a party in the grounds of an exquisitely beautiful Tuscan farmhouse, and later a black-tie ceremony.
You can visit this Tuscan wine estate for yourself: Argiano in Montalcino is in the Val d’Orcia region and open to the public (argiano.net). Centred around a Renaissance villa among vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees, it’s possible to stay the night, too. (You’ll recognise the pool around which Jay and Ron party.) Local scenes were also shot in nearby Pienza village; Adam Sandler was so smitten with the place, he went perfume shopping for his wife at Alessandro Serpico boutique. Right in the historic centre, Clooney stayed at La Bandita Townhouse, a converted convent (la-bandita.com). Look out for his hand-written note of thanks to the hotel owners, written on a page of his Jay Kelly script.
The awards ceremony finale was filmed at Teatro Petrarca in Arezzo. It’s a working theatre, so it’s possible to catch plays, talks and opera in this historic, gilt-trimmed, velvet-swagged space. Next spring, there will be a run of the Stravinsky ballet, Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring). Considering that the spring of 2024 was when Jay Kelly was filmed, it’s a fitting production to watch – and the perfect time of year to visit the film’s shooting locations for yourself.
Jay Kelly - Available Friday Netflix