Where Was “People We Meet on Vacation” Filmed? All About the Netflix Show's Real-Life Locations
- - Where Was “People We Meet on Vacation” Filmed? All About the Netflix Show's Real-Life Locations
Mackenzie SchmidtJanuary 16, 2026 at 8:33 AM
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Michele K. Short/Netflix
People We Meet on Vacation is set in five international destinations, from Tuscany to British Columbia, but was really only filmed in two: New Orleans and Spain
The rom-com is an adaptation of Emily Henry's best-selling book and premiered on Jan. 9 on Netflix
Several of the locations in the movie differ from the ones in the book, but director Brett Haley tells PEOPLE, Henry gave them her blessing
People We Meet on Vacation will have viewers browsing flights before the credits even roll — but to visit the real filming locations, fans shouldn't necessarily go by the story.
In Emily Henry’s bestselling beach read turned Netflix rom-com (now streaming), the movie’s will-they-won’t-they protagonists Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth), fall in love on a series of summer vacations: camping in Canada, partying in New Orleans, sharing an ill-fated kiss in Tuscany and having a steamy reunion in Barcelona.
But in reality, Canada, Tuscany and Barcelona were all shot around Spain’s stunning Costa Brava. And NOLA plays both itself and the characters’ idyllic (fictional) hometown of Linfield, Ohio.
“I wanted nothing more than to make the audience feel like they were going on vacation with Poppy and Alex while staying true to the story and the journeys of these characters,” director Brett Haley tells PEOPLE in this week's issue.
"Our job was to make something that captured the spirit of Emily’s book," he adds, even when it meant losing or changing some settings — with Henry's okay, of course.
Michele K. Short/Netflix
Palm Springs was swapped for Barcelona as the setting of Alex's brother David's wedding, Banff became Squamish for the Canada camping trip, and a few other spots like Croatia and Iceland got the axe.
That movie magic, however is good news for fans who can now plan a trip inspired by the film for a fraction of the airfare, focussing on either a domestic getaway to the Crescent City or a bucket list trip to a particularly dreamy stretch of the Mediterranean.
Read on for all the real-life locations where the movie was filmed.
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The Streets of the French Quarter
They filmed Poppy and Alex’s night out among real revelers in the raucous heart of the French Quarter. “You cannot close down Bourbon Street on our budget. So that was all real," says Haley. "We had a group of extras that walked with us. Other than that, we were just going down the street, no lights, just a camera and the actors . We just let it be as real as possible."
The did shut down nearby Royal Street for another scene and the production drew some attention from tourists and photographers alike. Rather than be worried about leaks, Haley says, "I was like, 'You know what? People are excited. I should be so lucky to have paparazzi taking photos of my movie set. That's Avengers stuff, so I'll take it.'"
The characters also visit the Frenchman Street Art Bizarre and Pepper Palace, a local hot sauce spot
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Cafe Du Monde
The famous beignet spot on Jackson Square was also open while they filmed Poppy and Alex's breakfast. The crew got there early to lock down seats for the actors, but the patrons in the background are regular visitors. "I would go up to people and just be like, 'Hi I'm Brett and we're making a movie,'" says Haley. Luckily everyone was game and didn't pay them much mind.
They also had to hire a street performer to pretend to play in the background of the shots because a real musician's music would've interfered with the movie's sound.
Daniel Escale/Netflix
Bamboula's
Haley snuck some of his favorite local spots into the film. Poppy and Alex’s dance-off is at the popular live-music venue and Cajun-Creole eatery Bamboula's on Frenchmen Street.
Domilise's Po-boy & Bar, a local institution, also makes an appearance. “The woman who plays the cashier is the actual cashier at Domilise's," says Haley. She got a huge cheer from the audience, who recognized her, when they screened the movie in New Orleans.
St. Johns and Audubon Park
Other New Orleans neighborhoods were used to film the scenes that took place in the fictional town of Linfield, Ohio, where the characters grew up and where Alex returns as an adult.
St. Johns and Audubon Park stand in for the leafy Midwest suburb, the movie's production designer Bruce Curtis revealed to PEOPLE. And Poppy’s childhood house was located across Lake Pontchartrain, in the town of Covington.
Daniel Escale/Netflix
Casa de Santa Clotilde
The 1933 villa that hosts David’s wedding is located on Spain's Costa Brava, a stretch of coastal towns north of Barcelona, stretching east toward the French border. It was a love-at-first-sight visit for Haley. He didn’t want to get too excited in case it wasn’t logistically possible to film there, but “I secretly went, ‘I think this might be it,’” he admits. "It was the most beautiful set I've ever shot on."
The clifftop home built by the Marquis of Rviralta can only be booked for events, but the stunning gardens are open to the public for about $7.
Daniel Escale/Netflix
Sa Boadella Beach
In reality, the stretch of sand where they filmed the recreation of Henry's iconic book cover (above) is just steps from the Casa de Santa Clotilde. The wedding venue overlooks a pair of beaches in the town of Lloret de Mar.
Henry was visiting the film set when they captured the scene. “Fifteen feet on either side of that shot, there’s a lot of naked men,” she jokes, because Sa Boadella was traditionally a nude beach. "There was a lot going on. That was extremely memorable."
Daniel Escale/Netflix
Masjoan Arboretum
Curtis was tasked with finding a convincing dupe for British Columbia in the south of Spain. "It proved difficult simply for the correct forest feel," he says.
The Masjoan Arboretum, about 45 minutes inland from Lloret de Mar, proved a life saver. "These redwoods were planted over a hundred years ago. The topography and under canopy was so close to a Squamish setting, it was an amazing find."
Daniel Escale/Netflix
ME Barcelona Hotel
The showrunners stumbled upon this rooftop oasis while celebrating Haley's birthday during a scouting trip and loved the views of the city’s Eixample district so much they moved the location of a key scene to capture it.
David calling Poppy from a luxurious rooftop pool at sunset proved the perfect counterpoint to her on a rainy day in her dreary New York apartment.
Can Llambi
The villa in Tuscany where Alex and Poppy have the falling out that nearly ends their friendship is also on the Costa Brava in the town of Panedes, about 45 minutes east of the arboretum near the coast town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Can Llambi is an event venue that's equipped to host weddings and parties — and of course, film shoots — but unfortunately isn't open to visitors day to day.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
