11 Creepy Travel Stories That Feel Straight Out of a Movie

3 hours ago

Traveling is meant to be one of the most exciting and enriching experiences in life, but not every journey leaves us with good memories. Sometimes, unexpected challenges or disappointments can turn an anticipated adventure into a story we’d rather forget.

“A few years ago, we were on a weekend getaway at a cozy mountain lodge. It was a quiet place, mostly older guests, very peaceful. Or so we thought.
At around midnight, the door suddenly creaked open and there was a little girl standing there, maybe seven or eight years old. She didn’t say a word. She just stood there, silently staring at us. We asked if she was lost, but she didn’t respond.
My partner got up to walk her to the front desk, but as soon as he got close, she turned and walked away quickly down the hall. He followed, but she had vanished. It was like she had disappeared into thin air.
The next morning, we asked the woman at the front desk if someone had reported a missing child. She frowned and said, ’No children are staying here this weekend.’ We still don’t really know who we saw.” © Briana B. / Bright Side

I went to Paris with four friends. I got my period, so I watched a movie while the others went out. I was half asleep when I heard someone come back early.
The next morning, Lisa wasn’t in her bed. We thought she was in the bathroom or maybe went out, but her phone, shoes, and jacket were still there. We looked everywhere and started to get worried. About 30 minutes later, we found her asleep on the stairs two floors up.
She had gotten up in the middle of the night thinking the bathroom was on a different floor and ended up locked out. She sat down for a second and must’ve fallen asleep. We couldn’t stop laughing once we knew she was okay, but at the time, it really freaked us out. © Elly S. / Bright Side

“I was staying in a weird hostel by myself in Barcelona, woke up to a man staring at me while I slept. He was looking over a one of those wood dividing screens that the shared room had. I pretend to still be asleep because I was afraid of what he would do if I move or confronted him, and I didn’t know if there was anyone else in the room.
He stared for like 2 hours until finally my alarm rang cause I had to take an early train, so I put all my stuff in my bag and left the room. As I left, I told the owner, but I was really in a hurry and didn’t ask what he was going to do with the guy.” © trs2848 / Reddit

“While on a recent trip visiting Iceland, my friends and I decided to visit the most powerful waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss. This was in late May and there was still deep snow pack in the area (which is absurdly remote).
I was already in a bad mood because I was tired and couldn’t care less if we saw another ‘stupid waterfall’ (seriously, that place is filthy with waterfalls). Because of the snowfall, you had to follow these inlaid trails which were rather slushy and wet with snow, so your shoes got soaked.
On the way back to the car from the second fall, I could see a shortcut through the snow that people were using because of the footprints. Thinking it safe, I trekked across the field, only to find halfway through that through the snow I was standing on ice.
I take another step and fall through and am immediately in icy water up to my chest. Luckily, I freaked out fast enough to get myself out of there and avoided hypothermia (which my buddies thought I had).” © BagsFlyFree / Reddit

“On a hiking trip in Australia, camped on top of Mt Buggery — yes, it is a place. Three of us, in two tents, within speaking distance of each other, or in this case shouting as there was a massive thunderstorm. Rolling thunder and lightning.
I was busy reassuring my friends that we were perfectly safe. Unzipped entrance to go out for a bit when a massive lightning strike hit a tree about 50 yards away. It looked like a special effect out of Lost in Space.
The tree disintegrates in a shower of sparks. Spent the rest of the night trying to maintain the lowest profile possible on the floor of the tent, and next morning trying to look nonchalant about it in front of my companions.” © riskeverything / Reddit

“As a kid, I’d always fall asleep in the car. When I was 9 my family took our vacation in Mexico City. After a long day of sightseeing, we got in the bus to head back to the apartment. I fell asleep very quickly and when we got to our stop my family forgot me.
I woke up surrounded by strangers. Luckily for me, my uncle realized I wasn’t with everyone and chased after the bus. Either, the bus driver realized what was going on or another passenger did and pulled the cord to request a stop. I’m not sure how far my uncle chased the bus, cause I was too busy panicking and didn’t see him.
A lady tried to comfort me but I didn’t understand what she was saying. The next thing I knew, the bus stopped, and my uncle climbed up and led me back. It wasn’t a long time to be lost, but being in a foreign country and unable to communicate with those around me made the whole experience terrifying.” © 1n_my_opinion / Reddit

“A couple of years ago, a friend and I were road-tripping through a quieter part of Eastern Europe. One night we stayed at this small guesthouse in a rural village, surrounded by hills and forest. It was peaceful, but a little too quiet.
That night I had a weird dream. I was underwater, like in a lake, and felt this slow, heavy pull downward. I woke up catching my breath but figured it was from being overtired.
The next day, we stopped to hike to a lake my friend had read about. When we reached it, something about the place made me uneasy. I didn’t recognize it exactly, but it gave me the same feeling I had in the dream.
Near the edge, there was a small sign about the area’s history. It mentioned that people used to swim there, but over time the locals stopped. A few swimmers had gone missing decades ago, without explanation.
I didn’t say much on the hike back. That night, I barely slept. The same pressure came over me when I closed my eyes. It wasn’t panic, but that same weight pulling me under.
I didn’t want to scare my friend, so I kept it to myself. We changed our route the next day. I just remember thinking, I don’t know what that place was, but I didn’t want to be anywhere near it anymore.” © Oliver S. / Bright Side

“I was staying at a roadside motel during a solo trip. Around 3 a.m., the room phone rang, jolting me awake. When I picked up, a woman’s voice whispered, ‘Why did you leave me here?’
I hung up immediately and called the front desk. They checked their logs and said no one had placed a call to my room. Still have no idea what that was about.” © Emilija B. / Bright Side

“I fell asleep on a long-distance bus in Greece and woke to a toothless old woman running her fingers through my hair. She kept repeating something in Greek over and over; other riders found it hilarious but wouldn’t tell me what she was saying.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get off the bus, so I had to make her get away from me, and then sat there pissed off and embarrassed for the remaining 90 minutes of the trip.” © _Z_y_x_w / Reddit

“I was backpacking through the countryside in France and stopped in a quiet field to take a quick nap. It was peaceful and sunny, nothing weird at all.
I woke up after a bit and had this strange feeling like someone was watching me. I looked around and saw a man standing near a tree, just staring. He didn’t say anything. I sat up fast, and after a few seconds, he turned around, walked to his car, and drove off.” © Ben C. / Bright Side

“Lost my baby brother at seaside boardwalk. My family went crazy for about an hour.
Finally found him sitting on the bar at an outside saloon surrounded by bikers and their girls. Bowl of popcorn and a tall soda. They were all facing the boardwalk and walking people go by, waiting to see if he recognized anyone looking for him.” © Rosanna44 / Reddit

With travel season in full swing, having a packing list can make all the difference. It simplifies the process and sets you up for a smoother journey. If you’re looking for smart tips to get started, this article has you covered!