Travel Gone Wrong: 14 Stories That Will Make You Think Twice

The Stairwell Mystery

“When I was around 14 or 15, my family took a trip to Las Vegas. We stayed in a two-bedroom suite off the main strip. My parents went out to enjoy the nightlife, leaving me to babysit my younger siblings. As they slept in the bedrooms, I stayed up watching TV in the living room. At some point, I dozed off. When I woke up, I was outside the room—in the stairwell, barefoot and completely disoriented. I had no phone, no room key, and no memory of how I got there. I had to go to the front desk and convince them to give me a key. To this day, I’ve never sleepwalked before or since. What happened during those missing hours remains a chilling mystery.”

The Dark Cabinet Above

“Over 30 years ago, when I was a kid, my parents and I stayed at a budget motel in the Appalachian Mountains. The place had a strange vibe, but nothing prepared us for the odd discovery in the bathroom. Above the toilet, there was a small cabinet, about 3 feet square. Curious, I climbed up and opened it. To my shock, it led directly to the outside—no screen, no window, just a gaping hole into the dark night. The lack of a lock or barrier made it even more terrifying. Needless to say, I barely slept, expecting something—or someone—to come through that opening.”

The Nightgown Nightmare

“I was staying in a hostel in Vancouver when my bunkmate arrived. She was an older woman, maybe in her late 50s or early 60s, traveling solo from Melbourne. She had an ethereal, quiet demeanor and would softly respond to everything I said with, ‘That’s amazing.’ Later that night, as I turned over in my bunk, I saw her standing by my bed, bathed in moonlight streaming through the window. She was wearing a long, white nightgown, her disheveled hair almost glowing, and her face partially hidden in shadow. She stared at me, her eyes unblinking, and whispered, ‘That’s amazing,’ before quietly returning to her bed. I didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.”