05/12/2018
The 1965 James Bond classic Thunderball features stunning global locations. Filming took place across the Bahamas, France, Florida, and England. Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire hosted many of the interior scenes.
France: The opening sequence was shot at Château d’Anet. This beautiful castle is located near Dreux, west of Paris.
England: Bond meets Count Lippe at the Scrublands clinic. This was actually Chalfont Park House in Buckinghamshire. You can spot luxury cars here, including Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB5. The thrilling car chase that follows was filmed at the famous Silverstone Circuit. Major Derval’s hotel is The Royal Saracens Head, an 18th-century coaching inn in the Buckinghamshire Chilterns.
The Bahamas: The vibrant Junkanoo parade was filmed on Bay Street in Nassau. Here, Bond first meets Largo and Domino at Cafe Martinique. Underwater shots, including the love scene, took place at Clifton Pier. Other scenes feature the Exumas, New Providence Island, and Paradise Island.
Directed by Martin Campbell, the 1995 film GoldenEye utilized locations in Switzerland, France, Puerto Rico, Russia, and England. With Pinewood Studios unavailable, Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire stepped in for the studio work.
Switzerland: The famous opening dam jump was filmed at the Contra Dam on the Verzasca River in Ticino.
France: Monte Carlo hosted the casino scenes and the Tiger helicopter demonstration.
Puerto Rico: The climatic satellite scenes were shot at the Arecibo Observatory.
England: London often doubled for St. Petersburg. The Langham Hotel became the Grand Hotel Europe, and Somerset House stood in for a Russian square. Epsom Downs Racecourse acted as the airport where Bond meets Jake Wade. The armoured train scenes were filmed on the Nene Valley Railway in Cambridgeshire.
Spectre (2015), directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig, shot across England, Italy, Austria, Mexico, and Morocco.
Mexico: The spectacular opening was shot in Mexico City’s Zocalo Square. The square was closed for two weeks to film the festival scenes with the cathedral in the background.
England: London features heavily. Key spots include the River Thames, City Hall, Westminster Bridge, Covent Garden, and Notting Hill. Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire doubled as Rome’s Palazzo Cadenza. M’s office scenes were filmed at Her Majesty’s Treasury.
Austria: The luxurious ICE Q Restaurant in the Solden ski resort served as the private medical clinic. The plane crash action sequence was filmed in Obertilliach. Mr. White’s log cabin sits on Lake Altaussee.
Italy: Rome locations include the Colosseum, Tiber River, and Vatican City. The funeral scene was shot at the Museum of Roman Civilization. The high-speed car chase speeds past the Vatican and across ancient Roman bridges like Ponte Sisto.
Skyfall features diverse filming locations across Turkey, Japan, China, England, and Scotland.
Turkey: The opening chase speeds through Eminonu Square in Istanbul and the city of Adana. Bond falls from the Varda Bridge in Kiralan. The beachfront shack is on Koca Calis Beach in Fethiye.
England: M’s London house is at 82 Cadogan Square. MI6 headquarters are near Vauxhall Bridge. The Shanghai hotel pool was actually the Virgin Active pool in London’s Canary Wharf. Bond meets Q at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Interestingly, the famous Skyfall House was a custom-built set on Hankley Common in Surrey.
Scotland: The breathtaking drive to Bond’s childhood home was filmed in Glen Etive and Glen Coe.
Daniel Craig’s 2006 debut as Bond, directed by Martin Campbell, took the crew to Italy, the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, and England. Studio work was split between Pinewood Studios and Barrandov Studios in Prague.
The Bahamas: Nassau hosted several sunny scenes, including the ‘Nambutu Embassy’ chase. Bond stays at the luxurious One&Only Ocean Club in Nassau, where the poker game against Dimitrios takes place.
Czech Republic: The ‘House of Commons Committee Room’ is actually the Strahov Monastery Library in Prague. The Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary served as the exterior for Hotel Splendide.
Italy: Bond recovers at the beautiful Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como. The collapsing Venetian building was a CGI creation filmed at Pinewood Studios, but Palazzo Michael in Venice provided the real-life exterior.
The 1964 classic Goldfinger, starring Sean Connery, was filmed in Florida, Kentucky, England, and Switzerland.
England: Much of the film was shot near Pinewood Studios. Stanwell’s storage tanks became ‘South American holdings’. RAF Northolt Aerodrome doubled as ‘Blue Grass Airfield, Kentucky’. The famous golf match took place at Stoke Poges Golf Club in Buckinghamshire. The Fort Knox exterior was recreated in Black Park Woodland.
Switzerland: The scenic car chase featuring the white Mustang was filmed on the Furka Pass. The Pilatus Aircraft Factory served as ‘Auric Enterprises’.
Want to see these locations for yourself? Check out these fantastic tours and fan sites:
United Kingdom Tours & Events
International Tours
Italy: Rome Spectre Tour
Switzerland: Switzerland Travel Centre | On the Tracks of 007
The Bahamas: On the Tracks of 007
Fan Sites
Universal Exports: The Home of James Bond, 007
