There are quite a few travel books that are devoted to paranormal vacation destinations. There are haunted bed and breakfasts, hotels, motels, prisons and even castles around the world that stake their claims as spooky travel spots, while others try to keep their unpleasant, horrific or tragic histories out of the public's eye – but all good stories are bound to come out sooner or later.

While not a travel book by definition, the late Hans Holzer's book Ghosts: True Encounters with the World Beyond, might as well be. This gigantic book is filled with locations and case studies of over 150 ghosts and haunted locales, both in the United States and abroad.

After reading this book (and it's a HUGE book) it's amazing how it seems that wherever Holzer traveled, he encountered some amazing paranormal activity. Each story details as much as he could find out about the place or person, both in life and death, that was the subject of his investigation. From Kansas to Edinburgh, it would appear that there is no shortage of ghostly happenings that will send a chill up any traveler's spine.

If you're looking for ideas of places to look for a ghostly encounter or are just curious about the world's paranormal hot spots, stepping beyond the travel section and checking out the library or bookstore's collection of real life ghost stories might just point you in an interesting direction. They may not be intended as travel books, but often give you details and insights that you wouldn't find in a typical haunted travel guide.