Your Next Holiday, According to Your Guilty Pleasure Comfort Show

We all have that one show.

The one we put on when reality becomes mildly offensive. The one we watch curled up in a dressing gown with a cup of tea, demolishing aggressively spicy ramen like it’s a form of self-harm, procrastinating when we’re meant to be revising, or (most dangerously) waiting for him to text back.

There is something wonderfully comforting about disappearing into another world for around 45 minutes and becoming emotionally invested in fictional people making significantly worse decisions than you ever would. But what if, instead of simply binge-watching your favourite characters, you followed them out of the screen?

Consider this your official sign to put down the remote, touch some grass and have your own main-character adventure.

Gilmore Girls - New England, USA

If your ideal evening involves coffee, books, autumn leaves and talking at approximately 400 words per minute, New England is calling.

Picture peak autumn: fiery orange foliage, pumpkin-spice lattes, cosy bookshops and enough thrift stores to completely destroy your suitcase allowance. You can spend the day wandering around small towns, rummaging through second-hand treasures and pretending you have an encyclopaedic knowledge of obscure novels.

While Stars Hollow is fictional, the real-life New England towns that inspired it give you plenty of places to create your own version. Washington Depot in Connecticut is widely associated with the inspiration for Stars Hollow, while nearby New Haven gives you that classic New England college-town atmosphere. You can also head further north into New Hampshire for the dramatic autumn scenery, covered bridges and tiny towns that look like they were designed specifically for a Gilmore Girls episode.

For breakfast, channel your inner Lorelai and Rory at The Nook Breakfast & Lunch in Dover, New Hampshire. Just don't be surprised if you suddenly develop an intense caffeine dependency and the urge to dramatically discuss your love life over pancakes.

There are so many small businesses to support, alongside independent coffee shops, bakeries and bookshops where you can happily lose an entire afternoon.

And obviously, autumn is non-negotiable. If you aren't drinking something unnecessarily pumpkin-flavoured while surrounded by orange leaves, did you even go?

How I Met Your Mother - Prague, Czech Republic

Let's be honest: if your comfort show revolves around friendship, questionable dating decisions and an impressive amount of time spent in a pub, Prague makes almost suspiciously perfect sense.

There are pubs everywhere, meaning you can find your own version of MacLaren's without much difficulty. McCarthy's Irish Pub could even become your temporary headquarters while you attempt to live your best Barney Stinson life. Suit optional. Legendary status not guaranteed.

Start in Prague's Old Town Square, wander across Charles Bridge and spend an afternoon in Letná Park overlooking the city. When the sun goes down, swap sightseeing for one of the city's many beer gardens, cocktail bars, jazz clubs or late-night spots.

You could even take a boat trip along the Vltava and pretend you're living through one of Ted's unnecessarily complicated romantic montages.

And if you're more Robin than Barney, Prague has another appeal: the city has a thriving media scene, with major Czech newspapers and journalism organisations based there.

The only rule? No proposing to someone because you met them on holiday. Ted has already suffered enough.

The Summer I Turned Pretty - Cornwall, England

For anyone whose holiday fantasy involves beaches, surfboards, beach huts and an alarming number of complicated romantic feelings, Cornwall is basically a coastal coming-of-age montage waiting to happen.

Think waves, multiple beaches, heated pools, country clubs, fresh fruit and enough opportunities to stare dramatically at the sea while questioning your life choices.

Start in St Ives for colourful streets, independent shops and beaches that look suspiciously like they belong in a teen drama. Then head to Newquay and Fistral Beach if surfing is more your thing, or spend the day at Watergate Bay before wandering into Padstow for seafood and a slightly more sophisticated evening.

There are coastal walks, beach cafés, sea-life experiences and plenty of opportunities to sit somewhere scenic while pretending you're waiting for a life-changing text.

And if you're visiting around Christmas or New Year, Cornwall's events calendar gives you plenty of excuses to dress up, drink something expensive and make decisions that would absolutely not survive a group chat.

And yes, there may also be an abundance of shirtless people.

We cannot promise Conrad, Jeremiah or emotional stability, though.

Suits - South Holland, Netherlands

Yes, London or New York would be the obvious choice for your Suits fantasy. But where's the fun in doing the obvious?

Instead, head to The Hague in the Netherlands and visit the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Suddenly, your holiday has become significantly more sophisticated.

Visit the Peace Palace, wander through the Mauritshuis and then head towards Scheveningen for a completely different side of the city. After spending the day pretending to be a terrifyingly competent lawyer, you can swap the courtroom for the beach and find a stylish beach club for dinner and drinks.

You could also explore The Hague's elegant cafés and cocktail bars and spend the evening dressed significantly better than necessary.

Then embrace your inner Louis Litt with a trip to a spa offering mineral mud treatments.

You may not leave knowing how to win a courtroom argument, but you could leave with excellent skin and the confidence to interrupt someone mid-sentence with, "Actually..."

Off-Campus - Oslo, Norway

For those whose university-life fantasy involves ice hockey, late-night library sessions, music, skating and possibly falling in love somewhere between lectures, Norway could be your fictional escape plan.

Oslo is perfect for romanticising student life. Head to Oslo Spektrum for ice hockey and other major events, then swap the sports arena for the ice yourself at one of the city's skating spots.

For the academic side of your fantasy, Deichman Bjørvika is basically begging to appear in your study-abroad montage. The spectacular library sits beside the Oslo Opera House, where you can also channel your inner Hannah and explore the city's performing-arts scene.

When you need a break from pretending to revise, head to Grünerløkka for cafés, vintage shops, bars and a younger, creative atmosphere. Vulkan is another great spot for food, music and hanging out.

There are plenty of libraries where you can recreate the intense academic atmosphere, although, fair warning, Norwegian university libraries can get seriously busy around exam season.

And for the Allie Hayes among us? There are opportunities to get involved with acting and theatre too.

Basically, pack your winter coat and prepare to romanticise your student life aggressively.

Bridgerton - Burgundy, France

Forget scrolling through Regency-inspired outfits online. Burgundy is where you can actually live out your Bridgerton fantasy.

Think grand châteaux, sprawling gardens, candlelit evenings and enough elegance to make you feel like you're about to receive an invitation to the social event of the season.

At Château du Feÿ, you can soak up the historic château atmosphere, wander through beautiful grounds and imagine yourself making an entrance at a particularly dramatic ball.

For more château energy, explore places such as Château de Cormatin or Château de Couches, then head to Beaune to wander through its medieval streets and visit the famous Hôtel-Dieu.

Of course, this is Burgundy, so wine is inevitably involved. You can spend an afternoon exploring vineyards around Beaune or Dijon, followed by a long, candlelit dinner where everyone is dressed at least slightly too well for the occasion.

Add a suitably extravagant Regency-inspired outfit and, suddenly, your holiday has become considerably more romantic than your last dating-app conversation.

Just try not to start a family feud over who you danced with.

Grey's Anatomy - London, England

If your idea of relaxation is somehow becoming more educated and sleep-deprived at the same time, London might be your natural habitat.

With libraries, museums, workshops, guest lectures and endless opportunities to learn something new, you can live out your Meredith Grey era without actually having to perform emergency surgery.

The Wellcome Collection is a particularly fitting stop for anyone fascinated by medicine, science and the wonderfully strange relationship between humans and healthcare.

You can also visit the Hunterian Museum, explore the history of surgery at the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, or wander around the Royal College of Surgeons. If you want to lean fully into the academic aesthetic, London's university libraries and historic reading rooms provide plenty of places to sit dramatically with a book you absolutely did not need to bring on holiday.

And because this is still a holiday, balance all that intellectual stimulation with a coffee somewhere cute, a walk along the Thames or dinner somewhere you definitely don't have to wear scrubs.

Just remember: this is a holiday. You are allowed to sleep. Unlike the doctors of Grey's Anatomy, you do not need to survive on three hours of rest and emotional trauma.

Criminal Minds - Vienna, Austria

Perhaps your comfort show is slightly less cosy and slightly more why-am-I-watching-this-alone-at-2am?

Welcome to Vienna.

As the birthplace of psychoanalysis, Vienna has a natural connection to the world of psychology. The Sigmund Freud Museum offers an obvious stop for anyone fascinated by the human mind, while the Vienna Crime Museum explores the development of detective work and forensic science from the 19th century onwards.

If you want to make the trip even darker, the Narrenturm offers a fascinating and slightly unsettling look at the history of medicine and psychiatry. You can also explore Vienna's archives, museums and historic streets before retreating to one of the city's famously atmospheric cafés.

And then there's Zentralfriedhof, one of Europe's largest cemeteries, which is beautiful, historic and just eerie enough to make you feel like you've accidentally walked onto the set of an episode.

It's educational, atmospheric and is likely to make you question every shadow you see on the walk back to your B&B.

For legal reasons, please do not channel your inner Spencer Reid and attempt to profile strangers on public transport.

The Vampire Diaries - Transylvania, Romania

If your dream holiday involves mysterious castles, dark forests and the vague possibility that something supernatural is watching you, Romania should probably be on your list.

With its connection to Vlad the Impaler, Romania has plenty of history to fuel your vampire obsession. Start with Bran Castle before exploring Brașov, where medieval streets and dramatic mountain scenery make it remarkably easy to convince yourself that you've wandered into a supernatural universe.

For even more gothic energy, visit Sighișoara, the medieval town associated with King Vladimir, or venture further towards Corvin Castle, one of Romania's most dramatic fortresses.

If you're feeling brave, explore the Carpathian Mountains and their forests during the day. Just perhaps don't go wandering off alone into the wilderness at midnight because you saw something moving between the trees.

There is one small catch: the forests contain bears.

Not vampires. Not werewolves.

Actual bears.

Which, depending on your survival instincts, may somehow be more terrifying.

Stefan and Damon aren’t included, but you’ll definitely feel like the main character on this trip.

Euphoria - Antwerp, Belgium

For the Euphoria fans, Belgium offers the chance to turn the volume, lights and questionable decisions all the way up.

Explore the colourful streets around the city centre, visit the MAS museum for panoramic views, wander through the old harbour and then get dressed up for the evening.

Antwerp's nightlife gives you plenty of opportunities to construct your own glittery coming-of-age montage, while the city's fashion scene is perfect for anyone wanting to channel their inner Maddy and buy an outfit that is completely impractical but absolutely necessary.

You can also go skating, bowling or catch a show, depending on how committed you are to recreating the chaotic teenage-social-life portion of the experience.

The obvious seasonal day trip would include heading to Boom just thirty minutes up the road to Tomorrowland, the enormous annual electronic music festival famous for its spectacular stages, lighting and all-night energy.

And if you're trying to recreate the full Euphoria experience on a student budget, supermarket beer can also be remarkably cheap.

Just remember: being the main character does not mean you are immune to consequences.

You Don't Actually Have to Go Abroad

Of course, there are countless destinations that can give you the vibe of your favourite show, but not every fictional fantasy requires a plane ticket.

Maybe a solo trip to Romania isn't screaming your name. Perhaps Norway is far outside your student loan. Likely your bank account has politely asked you to stop looking at flights on Skyscanner.

That's okay.

You can have tons of fun finding the little pieces of your favourite fictional world closer to home. Visit a cosy bookshop. Find a beach. Dress ridiculously well for dinner. Go ice skating. Explore a museum. Sit in a café and give sketching a go.

You could have your own Gilmore Girls afternoon in a tiny independent café, recreate your Off-Campus era at a local ice rink, dress up for a Bridgerton-inspired dinner or spend a rainy afternoon exploring a museum like you're solving a Criminal Minds case.

Because ultimately, the best part of a comfort show isn't watching someone else's life unfold.

It's getting out there and making your own.

And unlike Netflix, your main-character era doesn't have to end after eight episodes.