10 Shows and Films to Watch if You Want a European Summer But Can’t Make it This Year

Sort of like a Spanish twist to the well-loved American series “Sex and the City,” “Valeria” follows a woman named Valeria — a writer struggling with writers’ block and her dead-end marriage. To deal with her marital and creative struggles, she takes solace in her three friends: Nerea, Lola and Carmen as the four women embark on a journey. This series has three seasons and is full of heartwarming storylines.

A sequel to “Through My Window” – “Through My Window Across the Sea '' follows the return of Ares after he returns from his studies abroad in Stockholm. This time the pair reunite on a steamy beach trip, but will their love last after being put to the test? Watch to find out.

This show is not light-hearted in any stretch of the word. Zoe Walker decides to go on a mission to investigate the disappearance of her older brother several years prior in Ibiza. Although the show is at times grim, the nightlife and breathtaking shots of Portugal will transport you straight there — except if you were stuck in a detective show. 

“Love and Gelato” follows Lina, a young high school graduate who made a promise to her dying mother that she would spend her last summer before college in Italy to get to know her father. However, she brings with her her mother’s journal from when she lived in Italy unveiling her late mother’s romances, adventures and hidden gems she discovered along the way. Along her journey she discovers secrets about her mother and herself.

This movie is not exactly family-friendly but it is gripping and will transport you to the south of France. Naima’s entire summer is turned upside down when her older cousin Sofia comes to visit — an alluring young woman with some darker sides. Naima learns more than she bargained for about relationships, class and the nature of her enigmatic cousin.

Orestis is a music teacher who is sent to the Greek island of Paxos to bring together a music festival at the behest of Fanis, the want-to-be mayor of the island. On the island he meets Fanis’ daughter, Kleilia who is young, charismatic and a dangerous temptation. The show follows varying storylines and the complexities of family relations, love and the influences of greed.

After the death of her mother, a woman inherits a home in Croatia which she flees to in a spur-of-the-moment decision. At this house she reignites both her zest for life and turns over a new leaf in love. This film is charming, and a little cheesy at times but overall a feel-good watch.

An all time classic you must add to your summer watch repertoire. Taking place in the 1980s Italy, Elio’s father is a professor who hosts his research student, Oliver, in their summer family home. Elio and Oliver end up having a romance over the course of a summer that changes the trajectory of young Elio’s future. The film is stunningly beautiful, well written and has a phenomenal soundtrack. You will feel like you are vacationing in the Italian countryside yourself.

While on a vacation in Greece, Leda (Olivia Coleman) an English teacher and divorced mother to two daughters must confront the decisions of her past as she grapples with loneliness. Leda ends up having interactions with a young family on vacation in the same town as her which prove to exacerbate her feelings of mistakes and longing for better relationships with her now adult daughters. The film follows both Leda’s self re-discovery and a brutal reckoning with a past she carries shame for. 

Looking for a European summer series that lasts three seasons? Look no further. “Summertime” is a modern love story set on the Adriatic Coast. Ale and Summer are two young people who end up experiencing an undeniable attraction despite coming from very different backgrounds. Ale is a rebel at heart and Summer feels that she must be the glue of her family, but can this love story last or will it run its course?