The Adam Sandler–Jennifer Aniston comedy Murder Mystery (2019) was shot across multiple countries, with a focus on picturesque European locales. Key filming sites span Italy (from Milan to Lake Como and the Italian Riviera), with story settings in Monaco (Monte Carlo) cleverly recreated on Italian soil.
Some production also took place in Canada and the USA. Below is a structured guide to the Murder Mystery filming locations, including addresses, scene context, production trivia, accessibility information, and travel tips for fans.
New York
As we know, the Spitz couple resides in New York, where Nick works as a police officer and Audrey is a hairdresser. So the opening scene shows the skyline of Lower Manhattan. You can clearly see One World Trade Center, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Hudson River.
This building has clear signage of the 84th Precinct Police Station, and we are led to believe that this is where Nick Spitz works. But in reality, this exterior belongs to the Brooklyn Borough Hall, located at 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Unfortunately, there’s not much info available online as to the pharmacy, salon, where Audrey works, or the restaurant, where she has her birthday. Tips are pointing to Montreal and LA, without any specific addresses. However, if you are interested in more of Manhattan filming locations, check out the SATC guides.
Milan Malpensa Airport (Ferno, Lombardy)
Here’s another misleading location. The Spitzes’ European vacation begins at “Malaga Airport” in Spain, as the screen captions tell us. But in reality, this scene was filmed at Milan’s Malpensa Airport. The choice to use Malpensa was a practical one – it’s one of Italy’s busiest airports, offering the scale to mimic a major Spanish airport.
Address: Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), 21010 Ferno VA, Italy. Malpensa is a working international airport; fans will pass through it if flying into Milan. There are no specific markers of the film, as the scenes used the general gate areas.
If you arrive at Malpensa like Nick and Audrey, you can easily continue to Milan’s city center via the Malpensa Express train. While the airport itself is not a tourist site, knowing you’re retracing the characters’ steps adds fun to an otherwise routine travel hub.
Sarastar Superyacht
The production was anchored and filmed aboard the real superyacht Sarastar, renamed Mediterranean Queen in the movie. Sarastar is a 60.2-meter (197 ft) Mondomarine motor yacht.
It is an ultra-luxurious superyacht built in 2017, designed inside and out by acclaimed Italian designer Luca Dini. The yacht’s interiors are famously lavish and eclectic. A sensory fusion of colors and textures adorns the interior, with white onyx, backlit marble, exotic animal skins, and rich velvets throughout.
Sarastar boasts 6 sumptuous cabins for up to 12 guests (including a master suite with a private fold-out balcony) and is served by a crew of 13–15. Amenities include a flush foredeck that converts into a helipad, dance floor or sunbathing area, a fully equipped gym on deck, and an on-deck Jacuzzi.
Interestingly, a few interior scenes used in the film appear more classic in style than Sarastar’s real ultramodern décor, suggesting those scenes may have been shot on a set or dressed-up location rather than the yacht’s actual interior
Sarastar was originally owned by Monaco-based businessman Michele Tecchia, an oil-trading millionaire. Tecchia commissioned the yacht and launched it in 2017, naming it Sarastar as a tribute to his wife, Sara.
In late 2018, Sarastar was put up for sale (with an asking price reportedly around €50 million at the time). It eventually sold in 2020 to a new owner; Turkish billionaire Robert Yüksel Yıldırım acquired Sarastar for roughly $37.5 million. Despite the change in ownership, the yacht has retained the name Sarastar.
Sarastar is a charter yacht, meaning it can be rented for private cruises. In fact, after filming, it was actively marketed for luxury charters in the Mediterranean. So devoted fans (with sufficient budget!) can actually rent the exact yacht seen in Murder Mystery.
The approximate price to charter Sarastar is on the order of €348,000 – €392,000 per week, depending on season. In other words, roughly $400,000 USD per week is the starting rate for this superyacht’s charter, not including expenses like fuel, food, and crew gratuities.
Santa Margherita Ligure Harbor (Liguria, Italy)
The luxurious yacht scenes were filmed in this picturesque harbor on the Italian Riviera. In the film, the harbor is depicted as a marina in Spain (the characters believe they’re in “Mediterranean” Spain), but it’s actually Santa Margherita Ligure.
Address: Molo Foraneo and Piazzale Cagni, Santa Margherita Ligure, Province of Genoa, Italy.
Shooting took place in summer 2018 in Santa Margherita’s marina. The waterfront promenade (Piazzale Cagni) and the Molo Foraneo pier were used for on-shore scenes. Interestingly, the script set these yacht sequences in Spain, but the filmmakers opted for the Italian Riviera for its scenery.
Santa Margherita Ligure is a lively seaside town. The harbor, docks, and promenades are open to all. You can walk on the same pier where the Spitzes stepped onto the yacht. Fans can enjoy a stroll by the water, looking at the boats in the small marina and picturing the Murder Mystery yacht anchored there.
The exact spots seen on film (like Piazzale Cagni plaza) are along the main harborfront. Santa Margherita’s train station (“S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino”) is a short walk from the waterfront, making it easy to reach.
Spiaggia Baia del Silenzio (Sestri Levante, Italy)
A gorgeous beach shot appears briefly as an establishing scene early in the yacht sequence. This shot is not Santa Margherita but the Bay of Silence beach in Sestri Levante. In the film, it’s used to depict the idyllic Mediterranean setting before the yacht party, essentially a quick montage scene-setting clip.
Address: Via Portobello, 16039 Sestri Levante, Italy.
Sestri Levante is about 50 km southeast of Santa Margherita Ligure. The filmmakers inserted this beach shot to enhance the exotic vacation vibe. Viewers might assume it’s the Spanish coast or another part of the Med, but it’s pure Ligurian charm.
Baia del Silenzio is open to swimmers and visitors. It’s free to access, though in summer parts may have private lidos (for rent). Sestri Levante is reachable by train (on the Genoa-La Spezia line). The beach is a 10-minute walk from Sestri Levante station through the old town.
Monaco (Monte Carlo): Movie Magic in Milan & Montreal
The story of Murder Mystery takes Nick and Audrey to Monte Carlo, Monaco, during the Formula One Grand Prix. However, no principal filming actually took place in Monaco. The film’s Monaco sequences were achieved through a mix of clever location substitution, stock footage, and visual effects.
Actual footage from the real Monaco Grand Prix was also spliced in; for instance, wide aerial shots of Formula One cars racing on Monaco’s street circuit appear briefly, lending authenticity.
This is actual footage of Port Hercule in Monte Carlo, Monaco, during the Monaco Grand Prix, featuring the Formula 1 track running along the harbor and the swimming pool complex of Rainier III Nautical Stadium.
According to behind-the-scenes reports, the production obtained panoramic footage at the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix using an 8-camera rig mounted above the track.
Scenes showing race car driver Juan Carlos (Luis Gerardo Méndez) on the track and Nick and Audrey in a rooftop hospitality lounge overlooking the race were done on a Montreal soundstage with green screens.
Cinesite revealed that they filmed the actor (as the driver) on a blue screen with a race car, then digitally placed him into real race footage, even updating the car model to match a 2018 F1 car. The rooftop party scene, where characters watch the race and converse, was entirely green-screened.
Via Lazzaro Spallanzani (Milan, Lombardy)
In the film, Nick and Audrey find themselves amid the glamorous chaos of race weekend in Monte Carlo, with crowds, banners, and luxury cars. Those outdoor sequences were filmed along Via Spallanzani.
Address: Via Lazzaro Spallanzani, 20129 Milan, Italy (in the Porta Venezia neighborhood).
Via Spallanzani, a straight city street lined with elegant buildings, was dressed with Monaco Grand Prix decorations: faux palm trees, pennant flags, race posters, and parked race cars. Extras in upscale outfits and some in racing uniforms filled the street. The real Monte Carlo skyline (with its hills and high-rises) was later added via CGI.
Via Lazzaro Spallanzani is located in a fashionable district, just around the corner is Corso Buenos Aires, one of Milan’s busiest shopping avenues, and the historic Porta Venezia city gate.
Hotel Principe di Savoia (Milan, Lombardy)
The Monte Carlo luxury hotel where Nick and Audrey stay, and where they regroup with other characters, was actually the Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan. The film’s “Monte Carlo” hotel interiors (the grand lobby, ballroom, and hallways where the suspects convene) were all shot inside this five-star Milanese hotel.
Hotel Principe di Savoia is one of Milan’s most iconic hotels, opened in the 1920s. It has hosted royalty, Hollywood stars, and even real-life aristocrats – fittingly, it portrayed an elite Monte Carlo hotel on screen. The film doesn’t name it, but one can assume it’s meant to represent something like the Hotel de Paris or Hermitage in Monaco.
It is said to be just a hop from Milano Centrale station. The lobby, with its ornate decor, is recognizable from the film’s Monte Carlo scenes. You could enjoy an espresso or apertivo in the lobby lounge, imagining the murderous intrigue unfolding around you.
If budget allows, an overnight stay lets you fully soak in the atmosphere (rooms are plush and historically furnished). The hotel often offers afternoon tea in the lobby, which is a great way to linger in the film setting without booking a room.
Location Details
Da Giacomo Restaurant (Milan, Lombardy)
Da Giacomo restaurant hosts a crucial bar scene when Nick (Sandler) gets outed that he’s not being a detective in front of his wife (Aniston). In the movie, the setting is presumably a chic Monte Carlo bar or bistro in the evening. The rich wood paneling, vintage art, and warm lighting of Da Giacomo provided the perfect backdrop as Sandler and Aniston’s characters had a tense conversation over drinks.
Established in the 1950s, Da Giacomo is a Milan institution, renowned for its seafood and classic Italian cuisine. Its retro atmosphere made it a film favorite. It truly feels like stepping back in time. Many celebrities dine here when in town.
The address at Via Sottocorno is in a posh part of Milan (near the fashion district), adding to the Monte Carlo vibe. If you listen closely in the scene, the ambient background includes Italian being spoken by extras – a hint of the real locale sneaking through.
Location Details
Fans can absolutely visit Da Giacomo to dine in the exact film location. Ask for a table in the main dining room. The bar area where filming occurred is toward the front. You might spot the distinctive tiled floors and wood accents recognizable from the movie.
Como Old Town
Charles Cavendish, Audrey’s airplane crash, and the primary suspect, takes Audrey to Como as he needs to sort out some legal issues related to the will. He walks into a building with a signage “ASSISTENZA LEGALE COMO”, which leads us to believe that it’s a courthouse or some lawyer’s office.
In reality, nothing in this building is related to law. From the street view earlier, we can identify the address — Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 99, 22100 Como CO, Italy, and the building is just a regular Ufficio Postale Poste Italiane, or a post office.
Piazza Medaglie d’Oro & Surroundings (Como, Lombardy)
After reuniting at the legal assistance office and almost being shot, the Spitzes step out and see Suzi, walking down the street. Following her, Nick and Audrey end up on Piazza Medaglie d’Oro, where they meet Carlos.
Filmed in August 2018, the crew converted Piazza Medaglie d’Oro into an open-air market by building a faux marketplace. This square normally houses the Museo Civico Giovio (a history museum) and is not a marketplace, so set designers brought in produce stands, awnings, and local extras to sell fruits, vegetables, and flowers, creating a believable Italian market day.
But when they reach Suzi, she quickly pulls out a gun to point at them. The heated confrontation ends with Suzi being fatally wounded, and Nick sets out on a foot chase of the murderer, all of it happening on Via Serafino Balestra (address No. 3), adjacent to Piazza Medaglie d’Oro.
The filmmakers chose Como’s historic center for its charm – porticos, stone pavement, and pastel buildings. They had to secure city permits to dress the square as a market and likely filmed over a couple of days. Residents watched as their quiet piazza was transformed into a movie set; some may have even been cast as vendors and shoppers.
To relive the scene, start at Porta Torre (the medieval stone gate at Piazza Vittoria, just adjacent to Piazza Medaglie d’Oro). This is where a real open-air market takes place twice a week. On market mornings, you can get a feel for the lively atmosphere, similar to the one depicted in the film.
Then walk into Piazza Medaglie d’Oro: visualize it filled with colorful stalls as in Murder Mystery. The Museo Giovio (and its neighboring Museo Garibaldi) border the square; if open, you can peek inside to see the historic courtyard that was just off-camera.
Next, take Via Vittorio Emanuele II heading deeper into town, which was part of the chase route. Finally, find the tiny Via Serafino Balestra (it connects Via Vittorio Emanuele to Via Indipendenza): it’s a narrow alley of the kind used in the film’s foot chase. This street, with its stone arches and hanging laundry, really gives off the vibe of a classic Italian village.
For a break, the Piazza Duomo (with Como’s magnificent cathedral) is only a couple of blocks away. Of course, Como’s Duomo is less impressive than its Milan counterpart, but it’s well worth the visit
Villa Erba, Cernobbio, Lake Como
The grand mansion of Malcolm Quince, where the finale of the murder mystery takes place, is Villa Erba, a historic villa on Lake Como. In the film, all the characters convene at Quince’s lakefront estate for the dramatic reveal of the murderer. Key scenes include Nick and Audrey creeping through the opulent halls, racing up a sweeping staircase to confront the. suspects
Shot in summer 2018, the production had full access to Villa Erba’s interiors and grounds. The filmmakers utilized the villa’s ornate ballroom (with frescoed ceilings and chandeliers) as the setting for the big group scene where all suspects are gathered and the killer is exposed.
Villa Erba is a 19th-century Renaissance-style villa that once belonged to the family of famed Italian director Luchino Visconti. It’s renowned for its elegant design, marble floors, grand staircases, and sprawling parkland. Fans of heist films might recognize Villa Erba from Ocean’s Twelve (2004), where it was also used as a luxurious mansion.
Location Details
Lake Como Coastal Road: Torriggia–Laglio–Moltrasio–Carate Urio–Argegno, Italy
One of the movie’s most thrilling sequences is a high-speed car chase along Lake Como’s shore. In the story, Audrey commandeers a red vintage Ferrari to pursue the killer, with Nick alongside. This chase was filmed on the real-life Strada Statale 340 (SS340) also known as the “Regina” road, which winds along the western coast of Lake Como.
The sequence takes the characters through several lakeside villages: they zoom through narrow waterfront roads in Torriggia and Laglio, past the harbor of Carate Urio, and through Moltrasio and Argegno, with screeching turns and near-misses. The chase culminates back in the city of Como.
Driving enthusiasts might chuckle at the choice of a Ferrari Testarossa, an ultra-flashy sports car, trying to outrace a police Alfa on Como’s tiny roads. In truth, SS340 is a two-lane road that in many spots barely fits two cars side by side, which adds to the tension of the scene.
The towns featured have some claim to fame: Laglio is internationally known as the home of George Clooney (his villa is along the road there).
The final crash scene was done in Como city: the police Alfa Romeo crashes into a statue in a lakefront park between the Monumento ai Caduti (War Memorial) and the Tempio Voltiano science museum. For that, the crew installed a fake marble statue on site, while protecting the real monuments (the art deco War Memorial tower and the historic Voltiano temple) from damage.
SS340 is a public highway; the villages along it are open and welcoming to visitors. The crash site in Como is in a public waterfront park (near Viale Geno at the lakeside). The War Memorial and Voltiano Temple are monuments you can walk up to (the Tempio Voltiano is actually a small museum with regular open hours).
A great way to experience this is by driving or biking the SS340 yourself (within speed limits!). Starting from Como, you can follow the same route: head north on the lakeside road through Cernobbio (just past Villa Erba), then through Moltrasio, Carate Urio, Laglio, and onward.
It’s about 20 km from Como to Argegno, the stretch used in the chase. You’ll recognize the general scenery: the road clings to the lake with stone walls on one side and water on the other in places. Keep in mind the road is narrow and can be busy.
In Laglio, keep an eye out for Villa Oleandra (Clooney’s villa), a yellow-brown lakeside house behind high walls; while you likely won’t see the stars, you’re literally on the same road the Ferrari sped down.
Consider stopping in Argegno, a picturesque town with a little harbor and cafes, to soak in the ambiance (this is roughly where the film sequence turns around back to Como).
Once back in Como city, visit the exact spot of the crash scene: the Monument to the Fallen (Monumento ai Caduti) tower by the lake. There’s a small square between that tower and the Tempio Voltiano (which looks like a Greek temple) – that square is where the film’s crash happens. No statue there, of course, but you can stand on the very grounds seen in the movie’s finale of the chase.
Milano Centrale Railway Station
The film’s adventure culminates with the Spitz family getting aboard the Orient Express, a nod to classic detective stories and a luxurious end to their whirlwind tour. The tickets were graciously gifted by the Interpol.
Milano Centrale, one of Europe’s largest train stations, was used for both exterior and platform scenes. The production likely filmed late at night or very early morning to avoid crowds, possibly using one of the far platforms. A vintage train set or actual carriages of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (a private luxury train) were positioned on the track to stand in for the Orient Express.
Opened in 1931, Milano Centrale is an architectural gem – mixing Art Deco, Liberty, and fascist-era monumental style. Milano Centrale is open daily and free to enter. Thousands of passengers pass through its halls every day.
Even without the Murder Mystery connection, Milano Centrale is worth a visit for its grand architecture, blending Art Deco, Fascist-era monumentalism, and intricate stone carvings. Fans of the film can stand at the head of a platform and recall the final shot. For a tangible taste of that experience, step into Bar Centrale or Motta Caffè inside the station and watch actual trains come and go.
