We travel to make lasting memories and share meaningful moments with the people we care about. Most trips leave us with stories of adventure, laughter, and joy — but some journeys are unforgettable for much stranger reasons. These travelers didn’t return home with souvenirs — they came back with eerie stories that continue to haunt them.

Story 1

Due to a flight delay, I had to spend the night at a hotel. It was close to midnight when I checked in. After turning on the lights and walking over to the bed, I was shocked to see someone already lying in it.

I screamed — the man was staring blankly at the ceiling, completely still and unresponsive. I ran straight to the front desk and told them. They looked puzzled but came with me to check.

When we opened the door again, the room was empty. The bed was perfectly made, as if no one had touched it. They gave me another room, but I barely slept. I still have no explanation for what I saw.

Story 2

“When I was about 13, my family took a trip to Niagara Falls. We rented a two-story house for the weekend — the floors were rented separately, but no one else was supposed to be staying there.

We started hearing strange noises — footsteps, a toilet flushing, doors opening and closing. It was pretty creepy.

Eventually, we found out that a family member of the owners was secretly living in the attic — and they didn’t bother telling us.” © desertrat113 / Reddit

Story 3

During a road trip, I stayed at a small, odd motel. Around 2 a.m., I woke up to see a woman’s face peering into my window, on the second floor.

Terrified, I froze. When I finally worked up the nerve to check, there was no one there. But a chair had been placed directly under the window, and I knew it wasn’t there before.

Story 4

“When I was 4 or 5, my family stayed at a Motel 6 in Arizona. In the middle of the night, we were woken up by screaming, slamming doors, and people running down the hallways.

As we sat up in bed, it also felt like it was raining inside the room, but the ‘rain’ was moving.

When my dad turned on the lights, we realized the ceiling was completely covered in tiny ladybugs. They were falling everywhere — on the beds, the carpet, everything. And we weren’t the only room affected.” © Unknown author / Reddit

Story 5

I once got up to use the restroom on a train and saw a woman walking toward me who looked exactly like my sister — same haircut, same jacket, same walk. I even called her name.

She didn’t respond, just walked past me and disappeared into another car. About ten seconds later, I got a text from my sister — she was at home, hundreds of miles away.

Story 6

I was staying at a budget hotel for work. Around 6 a.m., I woke up to someone knocking on my door, calling out “Room service!” — but I hadn’t ordered anything.

Looking through the peephole, I saw a man in a hoodie with no cart or uniform. I stayed quiet.

He stood there for about a minute before walking away. When I told the front desk later, they said no staff had been up there at that time.

Story 7

“I came back to my campsite after cooking and cleaning up, only to see someone going through my tent and gear. I stayed hidden and watched as they rummaged around, eventually leaving without taking anything.

I packed up immediately and hiked out in the dark. Nothing good ever comes from someone poking through your stuff in the woods as night approaches — and I still have no idea what they were looking for.” © 732 / Reddit

Story 8

We checked into a rental cottage, but the bathroom door wouldn’t open — it felt like it was locked from the inside. I called the host, who told me that it was impossible because the door didn’t have a lock.

When I came back from dinner later that evening, the door was wide open. I never touched it.

Story 9

“My mom was visiting family in China when she got a call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be a friend of my uncle (let’s call him Bob), but my mom didn’t recognize the voice and got suspicious, so she hung up.

Later, after she arrived at her hotel, the room phone rang — and it was Bob again. She hadn’t told anyone where she was staying.

He told her to meet him at a restaurant far away, but she didn’t go. Instead, she checked into a different hotel just to be safe.” © honey-butter-chips / Reddit

Story 10

I once stayed in a budget hotel during a road trip. Around 2 AM, the front desk called and said there was “an issue with my payment” and asked me to come down. I was half-asleep, but something felt off, so I said I’d check in the morning.

Turns out, no one from the front desk had called me. The police later told me this was a known scam in the area, someone tries to lure guests out of their rooms late at night by pretending to be hotel staff, and then robs them. Still gives me chills thinking about what could’ve happened if I’d gone downstairs.