Epic journey in Home Alone voted most iconic movie Christmas travel moment | Films | Entertainment

Kate McCallister’s epic dash to rescue her son in Home Alone has been voted most iconic travel moment in a Christmas film, according to research. A recent poll has revealed the ultimate festive travel moment, as 57% of festive film fans believe travel scenes play a big part in what makes a good Christmas movie.

In the movie, Kevin’s mum travels from Paris to Chicago, boarding planes from the French capital to Dallas and Scranton before hitching a memorable ride home in the back of a truck. The poll of 2,000 adults also placed the sequel in second place, with Kevin’s frantic sprint through the airport before boarding a plane alone to New York.

Laura Lindsay, travel trends and destination expert for Skyscanner, which commissioned the research and has also created a map plotting some of these iconic routes, said: “What’s a Christmas film without a good airport scene?

“Festive travel is a huge part of people’s lives during the holiday season, whether it’s travelling home to be reunited with family and friends or heading off for a festive break.

“So, it makes sense these moments are captured on the big screen to help us get into the Christmas spirit.”

The research also found 63% of those who see travel scenes as a key component in festive films think they add a sense of reunion and togetherness.

Meanwhile, 22% think a race-against-the-clock scene, where characters are dashing for flights or trains, only adds to the drama.

As well as the thrill, Christmas films also give viewers a sense of warmth (33%) and nostalgia (29%) through these travel moments. And 45% find the thought of recreating a famous Christmas movie journey appealing, with 23% even booking a trip to a destination after seeing it as a festive backdrop on the big screen.

New York (48%) topped the list of destinations synonymous with these films, followed by London (37%) and Paris (21%), with Edinburgh (18%) and Vienna (14%) also ranked among the cities most associated with Christmas movies.

New York also led the list of destinations people would feature in a festive flick if they were the writer, and was the place they’d most like to spend the holiday season abroad.

Half of those who have seen a city in a movie claim the real-life sets look more appealing to visit when decked out for Christmas compared to any other time of year. And 77% said watching Christmas films helps them feel more festive, according to the OnePoll.com data.

Laura Lindsay added: “There’s movie magic everywhere, especially at Christmas time.

“Film and TV are big sources of travel inspiration for UK travellers with set-jetting becoming hugely popular as tourists aspire to step into the settings, and shoes, of their beloved movie characters.”