As Barbra Streisand is honoured at this week’s Cannes Film Festival, we turn out attention to one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons.
Long before celebrity travel became a curated social media performance, Barbra Streisand was travelling through the world with the elegance of a classic movie star. Her version of luxury has never been loud, or trend driven. Instead, it sits somewhere between privacy, culture and cinematic sophistication: couture appointments in Paris, secluded cliffside homes in Malibu and sun-drenched escapes to the Mediterranean with her husband of 25 years, James Brolin. To travel like Barbra Streisand is about surrounding yourself with beauty, history and comfort while moving through the world at your own pace.
One of the most defining moments in Streisand’s relationship with travel came during the 1960s, when the rising star was invited to Paris haute couture week while filming Color Me Barbra. The trip marked her first time in Europe and quickly became part of fashion folklore. Encouraged by legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, Streisand explored Paris dressed in couture, discovering the city’s beauty. That same spirit still defines the ideal Barbra-inspired itinerary today. Begin in Paris, staying somewhere classic rather than overtly flashy.
Think Left Bank elegance, private terraces and old-school cafes. Her days would be spent wandering galleries, discovering antique stores and enjoying long lunches rather than rushing between landmarks. Evenings, naturally, call for theatre, live music and somewhere impossibly chic for dinner.
From Paris, the Streisand approach to travel heads south towards the Mediterranean. Saint-Tropez remains one of the destinations most associated with her holidays over the years, and it makes sense. There is a particular Riviera glamour to the town that feels perfectly aligned with Streisand’s world: understated luxury villas hidden behind pine trees and private boats drifting quietly across the coastline. This is not the overshared Saint-Tropez of influencer culture, but a more discreet version built around privacy and timeless glamour.
Another destination woven into Streisand’s travel world is Mallorca, where the slower rhythm of island life mirrors her preference for comfort and retreat over spectacle. Mallorca offers the softer side of Mediterranean luxury: cliffside villas, hidden coves, olive groves, and peaceful mornings away from the crowds. It is easy to imagine Streisand drawn to the island’s balance of beauty and seclusion, particularly in places like Deià or the quieter stretches of the Tramuntana mountains, where artists, writers and musicians have long escaped.
And then there is Malibu, perhaps the ultimate expression of Streisand’s personal world. Her oceanfront compound has become almost legendary over the years, not only for its dramatic clifftop setting but for its deeply personal design. The property reportedly includes a private shopping arcade where she displays collections of antiques and objects gathered over decades, turning her home into something between a retreat and a living archive.
Ultimately, the Streisand style of travel is not about chasing the newest hotel or the trendiest reservation. It is about romance, privacy, culture and emotional connection.
By Lindsay Judge
