Some can be pretty obvious, but there are also those gems that not many people think or know about and are just waiting for you to discover. The likes of Spain and France can offer busy, vibrant locations, but others such as Corsica and the Greek Islands can allow for a slightly more laid back approach to holidaying. Just remember to look for great currency exchange rates when you buy currency, as it will make the trip much more enjoyable knowing that you’ve got the best rates of foreign exchange.

On the Island of Crete, Greece by Wolfgang Staudt

Spain

Mainland Spain is possibly the most popular tourist destination in Europe and the main reason is very likely because the country offers so much versatility in terms what you can do as a family, a couple or as a group of friends.

Thanks to the country being so vast, there are numerous options of where to go, whether it be out in the countryside or a city break in Madrid or Barcelona and there’s always the endless amount of beach resorts. As if that wasn’t enough, Spain’s Balearic Islands consisting of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza, as well as the Canary Islands, offer so much more and can offer great coastline environments, but that little bit quieter than the mainland.

The coast of Mallorca, Spain by Andrés Nieto Porras

The UK

Although it may not be known for its stunning summers, the UK still offers some superb locations to visit. The British Isles has a wonderful array of destinations on its coastlines that include Cornwall, Devon and North Yorkshire towns such as Whitby and Scarborough.

The Scilly Isles and the Isle of Wight also make a visit worthwhile, whilst the likes of Wales and Scotland can offer a completely different feel to mainland England. Other notable locations include the Lake District, The Cotswolds and Norfolk.

Scilly Isles, UK by Tom Corser www.tomcorser.com

Corsica

Some may think that it is impossible to both avoid mass tourism and have a wonderfully beautiful location to holiday in Europe, but the tranquil island of Corsica can offer just that.

All 600 square miles of the island are unspoilt and delightful to behold and doesn’t suffer from being overcrowded like other Mediterranean islands. As well as beautiful coastlines, Corsica is also adorned with massive mountain ranges that can often take your breath away, as well as numerous lush forests and glacial mountain lakes.

Beach in Corsica, France by Luciano

The post Forget the cold, start planning your next European summer holiday appeared first on Best of European Union.

Photo by Mike Schmid

On top of all this, some locations seem to deliver reports of strange happenings at an alarming rate.

Chilling drafts, footsteps, blurred figures and misplaced objects – can all of these things really be explained away?

If you do fancy a bit of ghost-busting, feeling terrified, or you simply want to confirm your belief that ghosts don’t exist, why not visit one of the most haunted hotels in the UK?

Go on, I dare you…

The Georgian House, London

This 1851 hotel is renowned for strange happenings.

One member of staff awoke to find an old man sitting at the bottom of their bed, children have been heard laughing and running when there are no children in the hotel, and builders have reported a ‘strange presence’ and icy chills. BRR.

The Busby Stoop Inn, Sand Hutton, North Yorkshire

The gallows outside this hotel might give you some indication of the haunting within. Thomas Busby, the Eighteenth Century owner of the hotel, was hanged for murder and his remains were then displayed across the road.

There have been several reported sightings of a man with a noose round his neck, and a chair that he cursed was removed from the hotel after several people who sat in it died soon after.

The Talbot Hotel, Northamptonshire

There has been a building on this site since 638 AD – plenty of opportunity for ghosts to creep in!

The attested haunting here is of a royal nature…

Mary, Queen of Scots was executed at the nearby Fotheringhay Castle, and when it was demolished, the staircase stones were taken and used in the Talbot. Mary’s ghost was therefore said to have been seen descending this staircase, which led her to her death.

A variety of other paranormal events have been recorded since then..

The Prince Rupert Hotel, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

The most daring amongst us will want to book room six or seven at this hotel.

A jilted bride hanged herself in six and is apparently still in residence.

A young man committed suicide in seven. Those in other rooms, though, aren’t completely spared from otherworld encounters: Even making your way down to the bar for a drink in the evening, there’s a possibility you’ll run into the ghost of Martha the maid!

haunted looking hotel by creepyhalloweenimages

Tulloch Castle Hotel, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland

Beware of the Green Lady!

She has been spotted throughout the hotel and caught on film, too.

Paranormal activity recorded by professional teams includes thuds and balls of light. No surprise that the building dates back to the twelfth century…

Dobbins Inn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Lamenting lovers seem to make the best ghosts and ‘Elizabeth’ is no exception.

Her affair with a castle soldier led them both to be murdered by her outraged husband, Mr Dobbin.

Ever since then, she has been known to caress the faces of sleeping guests…

The Royal Castle Hotel, Dartmouth

Stay up until 2am at this hotel and you may hear the racket of a ghostly horse and carriage pull up outside.

Two spectral rogues have also been seen fighting outside, intervene at your peril!

The Skirrid Mountain Inn, Abergavenny, Wales

And so we come to our final and most spooky stay in the UK.

As seen on Most Haunted, the Skirrid is the oldest pub in Wales and is claimed by experts to be the most haunted.

At one time it was a court house where over a hundred souls met their death after being hanged. The original wooden beam from where the ropes swung is still in the hotel..

Have you stayed at any of these hotels? Have you encountered any otherworldly things in any other hotels in the uk?

Would you have believed if you had?

Sophie McGovern writes for Hotelopia, an online hotel booking system. She enjoys travelling the world looking for the best places to stay, and has a healthy interest in all things spooky!

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