Calling all daydreamers! Which fictional destination would you most like to escape to?

Our study revealed that Batman’s Gotham City is the fictional destination we’re most interested in, with a total 169,690 combined searches for ‘where is Gotham City’ and ‘where is Gotham City set’ in 2023. Traditionally depicted as being in the state of New Jersey, the look and feel of the location is based on New York City, with its many towering skyscrapers. The similarities between Gotham and the Big Apple didn’t go unnoticed by fans of the movies and comic book series, with a third of those asked placing the infamous city on the East Coast of the US when asked to plot its location on a map.

Atlantis follows as the second most searched for destination, with 126,200 searches for where the underwater city can be found. With its history rooted in Greek mythology, the city has been referenced countless times over thousands of years and is sometimes considered to be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Many of those searching for the lost city might just be  wondering if it’s a real place – or just dreaming of a Grecian getaway!

In third place sits Hogwarts, the spectacular castle that plays host to the Harry Potter series. With seven books, eight films and a recently released video game all using the castle as their backdrop, fans of the series will be only too familiar with the hallowed halls, winding staircases and mysteries of the location. When asked where they’d place Hogwarts on a map, 19% of people placed it in Central Scotland - which fits perfectly with the scenery shown in the films. Fans keen to see the locations in real life can head up to the Highlands and stop off at the Glenfinnan Viaduct, Loch Etive and Eilean na Moine island, which are all easily recognisable from the films. Why not go via Edinburgh too to see the cafe where the books were first written, as well as many other locations that inspired the famous story?

Aladdin’s Agrabah ranks in fourth, with the glimmering, bustling Arabian desert kingdom intriguing travellers around the world. Though the film’s narrator explains the city is near the Jordan River, Agrabah is thought to be based on a number of locations in the real-world, including Baghdad and other areas of North Africa. The Sultan’s Palace, however, seems to be inspired by the Taj Mahal in Agra, so any budding Princess Jasmine or Aladdin may be keen to visit India on their next trip.

Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls completes the top five destinations, with 67,600 searches made for the location last year. Though the series is set in New England, USA, the fictional town of Stars Hollow isn’t an actual place (despite being cited as in Connecticut). In fact, it was all filmed on a Warner Bros Studio lot in Los Angeles! Those looking to see the town itself can explore the set as part of the Warner Bros Studio tram tour, or head to New England to discover the real-life places that inspired the show. Washington Depot, Kent and New Milford all vie for the crown of ‘the Real Stars Hollow’, but you’ll have to pay them a visit and decide for yourself!
 

Video games let us immerse ourselves in another world, often freely roaming new fantasy frontiers for fun. Our research revealed that cities from Grand Theft Auto are among those that people most want to visit. Vice City ranks first, followed by Los Santos, which are based on Miami and Los Angeles respectively. Players will definitely be able to draw comparisons between the game locations and real-life ones – in fact, many may not even realise they’re fictional, with 25% of people in our survey placing Los Santos on the West Coast of America. 

Al Mazrah from Call of Duty follows as the third most searched-for gaming location, with 8860 searches last year, followed by Zelda’s Hyrule Castle in fourth and Viridian City from Pokémon rounding off the top five.
 

As well as placing in the top five overall, Stars Hollow also ranks as the TV show destination that people are most eager to visit. South Park follows in second place, with over 58,000 searches made last year alone for the satirical comedy show’s location. Though it isn’t a real place, South Park’s creators say the town is based on Colorado, and the small town of Fairplay, located 85 miles from Denver, is said to be as close as it gets.

Riverdale places in third, with ‘where is Riverdale?’ and ‘where is Riverdale set’ receiving over 40,000 combined searches in 2023. Although it’s not a real place, fans of TV/comic crossovers will know that it’s said to be close to Greendale, the home of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Pretty Little Liars’ setting of Rosewood sits in fourth and is said to be loosely based on the town of Rosemont in Pennsylvania –  though hopefully there are fewer spooky events going on there! Hawkins from Stranger Things completes the top five, with 14,300 searches made by inquisitive fans last year - though it’s a fictional location, 34% of people would place it in the central states of the US, despite the show’s writers, and many of the location names, originating from Durham, North Carolina.

Who doesn’t love escaping to another world with a good book?  Unlike games and TV shows, books let us  imagine what a setting  looks like for ourselves, resulting in a tough job for set designers if they’re later produced as movies! Locations from the Harry Potter series top the tables, with Hogwarts and Diagon Alley coming in first and second as the places we’d love to visit most – the good news is that you can get a taste of these incredible locations at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in the US and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Watford.

With just over 16,000 searches made for its location, Panem from The Hunger Games takes the third spot. With the books having been adapted into a successful film series and a prequel hitting screens in late 2023, readers can see whether their visions of Panem match up to those depicted in the films. Narnia from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – another literary classic with a popular film adaptation – follows in fourth, with Lambton from Pride and Prejudice rounding off the top five.
 

If all this talk of destinations far, far away has got you excited to discover somewhere new, we’ve got plenty of innspiration for you! Check out our city guides to make the most of your next escape, and book a hotel with us today, so you can rest easy after your next adventure.