Dreaming of a snowy escape to the U.K.? If you’re catching your flight in the winter months, then you just might be interested in visiting Surrey Hills, the area that inspired one of the most legendary Christmas-themed rom-coms of all time, “The Holiday.” Starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, the film continues to be a pop culture phenomenon every holiday season, motivating many a lover girl to purchase that cinnamon latte candle and vintage scarf in pursuance of the coziest, English-style Christmas possible.
Fed up with her sunny Christmases in California, the film follows a blonde American beauty (Diaz, of course) as she swaps homes with Kate Winslet’s character for the season. Diaz’s character ends up spending her Christmas in a sleepy Surrey village and, oh yeah, did we mention falling in love with the bespectacled and turtleneck-wearing Jude Law? While the actual location of the house-swapped cottage is not named in “The Holiday,” it was the real-life Honeysuckle Cottage in the Surrey Hills that inspired the set designers of the film.
To this day, many businesses in the Surrey area capitalize on their region’s fame from “The Holiday,” offering rural vacation packages in cottages just like the one in the film, spas, authentic pub outings, and even private car tours through the snowy Surrey Hills. So whether you’ve got your lover by your side or you’re flying solo, just like Diaz’s character in the film, you won’t be lacking in picturesque scenery if you visit this romantic filming location.