Felicity Long
There are plenty of real things to be nervous about in the world these days, but for whatever reason, it seems that Americans haven't lost their taste for being scared witless by creepy stories just as long as they're made up or date from long ago. Just look at "American Horror Story," "The Walking Dead" and "It," to name a few.
With that in mind and in honor of Halloween and all things that go bump in the night, City Wonders, a tour operator that specializes in exclusive tours throughout Italy, France and the U.K., scared up a selection of favorite haunted destinations for travelers to enjoy in Europe.
In Rome, for example, travelers can go ghost hunting via a Rome Ghost & Mystery Night walking tour that includes the house of a mass murderer and a bridge said to be haunted by the ghost of Pope Joan, the only and possibly fictional, but let's not quibble female pope.
In the Eternal City, you can also embark on a Crypts and Catacombs Dark Heart of Rome tour, which takes visitors to the Capuchin Crypt, also known as Bone Chapel, which is lined with the skeletal remains of over 4,000 monks.
Florence, most famous for its glory days during the Renaissance, was a much creepier place in the Medieval period, and the Dark Heart of Florence, Ghosts & Mysteries Night tour draws on unsettling tales of invaders and feuding families to keep participants spellbound.
In the City of Light, the Paris Ghost, Legends and Mysteries tour looks at the city's dark past, from the seventh century through the Revolution and the Nazi occupation and even throws in a serial killer or two just to keep things interesting.
Or visit areas of the Paris catacombs normally restricted to visitors and enjoy not having to wait in a line around the block with the rest of the tourists.
In London, the Criminals and Legends of London Evening Walking tour examines the spooky side of this popular city, from ghost stories apparently, Charles Dickens has been known to make an occasional spectral appearance here and there and hidden prison cells beneath pubs to grave robbers, mobsters and, of course, the gruesome and infamous Jack the Ripper.
City Wonders, whose tours are accompanied by expert guides and are limited in size to 15 or 20 participants, currently offers 10% commissions; however, a dedicated travel agent portal and tiered commission structure with higher rates based on bookings is in the works.