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Key Takeaways: Where to Watch The Holiday
- ‘The Holiday’ stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude Law.
- You can watch the film for free with ads on CTV in Canada, as well as on other streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in select countries.
- If you’re not in Canada or a country where the film is on your service of choice, you can use a VPN to get access. We recommend ExpressVPN.
While not technically a Christmas movie, ‘The Holiday’ has become the perfect rom-com for a cozy winter movie night. The movie is written and directed by Nancy Meyers and stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. So if you’re looking to build up a movie list for the holidays, here’s how and where to watch ‘The Holiday’ for free from anywhere.
The story follows two women, Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who are unlucky in love. Though they’re thousands of miles apart, they impulsively swap homes for the holidays, but in doing so, both end up finding new romance.
‘The Holiday’ is available to stream in quite a few countries, but which streaming service it’s available on will depend on your location. If you want a quick answer, you can watch it for free with ads on CTV in Canada or on Netflix in the U.K. and a few other regions, which we’ll mention further down. If you’re not in those regions, a top VPN like ExpressVPN can help you get access.
How to Watch The Holiday
We know that ‘The Holiday’ is available in a few places — and we’ll tell you exactly where in the next section — but you might be wondering why you can’t access it on your favorite service in your location.
The answer is geoblocks (or regional restrictions). These blocks are implemented by streaming services to ensure they keep in line with distribution agreements. For instance, if you’re in a region where Netflix doesn’t have the rights to show the movie, you won’t be able to access it, hence why Netflix’s content libraries are different around the world.
The key to bypassing these blocks is a virtual private network (VPN). You can simply connect to a server in a country where the movie is available on your chosen service and you’ll get access. The VPN will mask your true IP address, making you look as if you’re physically there.
Where Is The Holiday Streaming?
Thankfully, you can stream ‘The Holiday’ entirely free on CTV in Canada. It is an ad-supported service, but there’s no charge and no sign-up. You can just go straight to the website and start streaming. That said, you’ll only be able to do so if you’re in Canada. If not, you can connect to a Canadian VPN server to get a Canadian IP address and unblock the movie.
‘The Holiday’ is available on Canadian service CTV for free with ads.
Aside from that, there are quite a few other services in different countries where you can watch it. They are paid services, but most offer a free trial. You can also rent or buy the film on services like Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu and Amazon Prime Video. Here are all of the places we found to stream ‘The Holiday.’
| Streaming App: | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hulu | 🇺🇸 U.S. | Free 30-day trial |
| AMC+ | 🇺🇸 U.S. | Free 7-day trial |
| DirecTV Stream | 🇺🇸 U.S. | Free 5-day trial |
| Netflix | 🇬🇧 U.K. 🇫🇷 France 🇪🇸 Spain 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇮🇹 Italy |
N/A |
| Amazon Prime Video | 🇬🇧 U.K. 🇫🇷 France 🇦🇺 Australia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇬🇭 Ghana 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
Free 30-day trial |
| Binge | 🇦🇺 Australia | Free 7-day trial |
| Stan | 🇦🇺 Australia | Free 30-day trial |
| Paramount+ | 🇫🇷 France 🇦🇺 Australia |
Free 7-day trial |
| CTV | 🇨🇦 Canada | Free with ads |
Is The Holiday on Netflix?
Yes, the comedy film ‘The Holiday’ is available on Netflix in selected countries. We found it on Netflix in the U.K., Italy, France, the Netherlands and Spain, though it’s likely available in more countries too. If you’re not in any of those countries, you can use a VPN to unblock it.
You can find ‘The Holiday’ on Netflix in certain countries.
Keep in mind that Netflix is constantly changing its content libraries, so where ‘The Holiday’ is available could change at any point. We aim to keep this information up to date, but you can move around on different VPN servers and Netflix libraries until you find the content you want. Just connect to the VPN server and log into your Netflix account as usual.
How to Watch The Holiday Online With a VPN
If you have a Netflix account but ‘The Holiday’ isn’t in your local library, the following steps show you how to watch ‘The Holiday’ on Netflix by using the best Netflix VPN, ExpressVPN. You can use similar steps to watch the film on another service, such as for free on CTV in Canada — just connect to a server in Canada.
- Sign Up for a VPN
Subscribe to a VPN service like ExpressVPN, which includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Install the VPN App
Download and install the VPN app onto the device you want to stream on. Once completed, launch the app and log in to your account.
- Connect to a U.K. Server
Find and connect to a server in the U.K. or another country where ‘The Holiday’ is available on Netflix. You can browse ExpressVPN’s full server list by clicking on the three dots next to the country name. Click on a server to connect to it.
- Sign in to Netflix
Go to Netflix and sign in to your account (or subscribe).
- Start Watching The Holiday
Search for ‘The Holiday,’ press play and start watching it on Netflix.
The Best VPNs to Stream The Holiday
The best streaming VPN needs to have fast speeds, great unblocking ability and plenty of servers. The following picks have exactly what you need.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our first choice for streaming due to its reliability.
Pros:
- Fast streaming speeds
- Unlocks all streaming apps
- Servers in 105 countries
Whichever streaming service you choose to watch ‘The Holiday’ on, ExpressVPN will help you unblock it. It has servers in more than 100 countries and fast speeds to ensure you have an uninterrupted stream. You can install ExpressVPN’s easy-to-use app on almost any device and its strong security — as detailed in our ExpressVPN review — means you’ll stay protected while you stream.
With that said, ExpressVPN has everything you need for the best streaming experience, but the price might put you off. It’s an expensive VPN when you compare it to others. However, it’s also one of the most reliable and clean-cut services you can get. Opting for the yearly plan will save you some bucks and you can take it for a spin using the 30-day money-back guarantee.
ExpressVPN Plans
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is the fastest VPN and has an affordable two-year plan.
Pros:
- Fastest average speeds
- Accesses streaming apps
- Interactive server map
Cons:
- Server map doesn’t work well on mobile
NordVPN is another good contender in the streaming game. It can access streaming platforms easily and also has the fastest speeds on average, which we noticed in our daily speed tests. There are servers in 60 countries and all can be easily accessed via NordVPN’s interactive server map. However, it’s not the greatest on mobile due to smaller screens.
NordVPN is a secure, user-friendly service that’s also more affordable than our first pick. You’ll need to sign up for the two-year plan to get the best deal, but there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee in place in case you change your mind. Read our NordVPN review for more information.
Standard
3. Proton VPN
Proton VPN offers a free plan with unlimited data and free Netherlands servers for Netflix.
Pros:
- Free Netherlands servers
- No data cap on free plan
- Unlocks streaming platforms
Proton VPN is a premium service and is the best free VPN for Netflix. With that, you get unlimited data, which means you won’t have to keep an eye on a limit. You also get the use of servers in 69 countries, including the U.S., Japan and the Netherlands. Thanks to a recent update, however, you might have to change servers several times to get connected to the right location.
Proton is easy to use, secure and offers decent speeds, so it’s a great option if you have a Netflix account and want to watch the movie there without any more expense. That said, you can always upgrade to the paid version if you want more servers, but bear in mind that it is more costly than NordVPN. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, though, which you can learn about in our Proton VPN review.
The Holiday Cast, Characters & Plot (No Spoilers)
Two women, Iris and Amanda, are both feeling dejected after having relationship troubles. Amanda, who lives in an American mansion, decides to go on a house-swapping website and comes across Iris’ quaint little cottage in England. Amanda messages Iris and they decide to switch homes over the holiday season to escape their heartbreak. While in each other’s hometown, they meet new love interests.
The film was written and directed by Nancy Meyers. Here’s the main cast and character list.
| Character | Performer |
|---|---|
| ‘Iris’ | Kate Winslet |
| ‘Amanda’ | Cameron Diaz |
| ‘Graham’ | Jude Law |
| ‘Miles’ | Jack Black |
| ‘Arthur’ | Eli Wallach |
| ‘Ethan’ | Edward Burns |
| ‘Jasper’ | Rufus Sewell |
| ‘Sophie’ | Miffy Englefield |
| ‘Olivia’ | Emma Pritchard |
| ‘Ben’ | John Krasinski |
| ‘Bristol’ | Kathryn Hahn |
| ‘Hannah’ | Sarah Parish |
| ‘Maggie’ | Shannyn Sossamon |
| ‘Norman’ | Shelley Berman |
| ‘Ernie’ | Bill Macy |
Other Christmas Classics to Watch
Aside from ‘The Holiday,’ here are some other Christmas movies that you can watch online. Check out the movie trailers or our dedicated articles to find out more.
- The Polar Express: ‘The Polar Express’ tells the story of a young boy who is invited aboard a mysterious train heading for the North Pole to visit Santa Claus. The only question is whether he still believes.
- Jingle All the Way: Two rival fathers, Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Myron (Sinbad), want to get the perfect Christmas gift for their sons — the Turbo-Man action figure. After leaving it until the last minute, they find the store has sold out, leading them on a desperate and competitive hunt to find the toy.
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: In this Christmas comedy, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants the best Christmas with his family, but while there are good intentions, things never go to plan and usually end in complete chaos.
- Christmas With the Kranks: Since their daughter is away for Christmas, Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora Krank (Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to skip the festive season in favor of a Caribbean cruise, disgruntling their neighbors in the process.
- Die Hard: New York City police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) attends a Christmas party at the workplace of his estranged wife. The celebrations are disrupted by a group of terrorists and John is the only one who can save the hostages.
Final Thoughts
Over the festive season, we often see Christmas movies aired on various channels, but it’s good to know that you can watch them in your own time on demand. Thankfully, ‘The Holiday’ is available on a good number of streaming platforms and in multiple countries, giving you a lot of options.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all of the options are available to you, and if you find yourself blocked from accessing ‘The Holiday,’ you can use a VPN to unblock it. ExpressVPN is our top recommendation, and its 30-day money-back guarantee means it’s risk-free.
Have you watched ‘The Holiday’ before? Will you need a VPN to watch it this holiday season? If you do, which VPN is your go-to? Let us know in the common section and, as always, thank you for reading.
FAQ: Watch The Holiday for Free
-
Yes, ‘The Holiday’ is available to stream on Hulu.
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No, ‘The Holiday’ is not on Max.
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No, you can’t watch ‘The Holiday’ on Peacock.
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Yes, you can watch ‘The Holiday’ on Amazon Prime Video in certain countries, such as the U.K., Australia, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Ghana.
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No, ‘The Holiday’ is not on Disney Plus.
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