12 Spook-tacular Halloween Travel Getaways from Priceline.com and Priceline Europe

Want to be scared out of your socks this Halloween? Priceline.com (Nasdaq: PCLN) and Priceline Europe have just the ticket, with 12 "spook-tacular” vacation recommendations to destinations in the U.S. and Europe. For a long weekend, how about taking a moonlight tour of San Francisco’s famed Alcatraz Prison? Go hunting for witches in Salem. Or, stretch your Halloween chills into a full week with a trip to The Tower of London or Dracula’s Transylvania castle. Priceline.com’s 12 Spook-tacular Halloween Trips* 1. The Place: Salem, MA. Home of the infamous witch hysteria, Salem packs the most spookiness per square foot of any town in the country. During the day, visit the Witch Village and Witch History Museum. In the Witch Dungeon, you’ll see a witch trial re-enacted. Come sundown, pick up a candle and hike the Terror Trail, listening to tales of gruesome murders and local hauntings, or take a guided cemetery tour. Salem is also the home of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of Seven Gables. For a full schedule of events, visit http://www.salemweb.com/hh/2004/default.htm. The Trip: Round-trip airfare to Boston from all major airports and 3 nights accommodations at the 2-star Homestead Boston/Peabody. Sample trip: Departing from Washington, DC on October 27, this package would cost as little as $291 per person, double occupancy. For more information on this package or other vacation packages to Salem, visit http://tickets.priceline.com/vacationpackages/default.asp?irefid=HPTRA V1216ICON&irefclickid=VP. 2. The Place: Tombstone, AZ. From October 26-28, the "Town Too Tough To Die” is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Gunfight At The OK Corral, when Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and friends sent the Clanton and McLaurys to Boot Hill. See the gunfight unfold, then watch as the coffin-loaded Black Mariah hearse creaks down Allen Street. Through the gunsmoke, you just may see some of Tombstone’s dearly departed residents over by the graveyard or by The Bird Cage Theater. For a full schedule of events, visit http://www.okcorralgunfight.com/. The Trip: Round-trip airfare from all major airports to Tucson, mid-size car rental and 2 nights accommodations at the 2-star La Quinta Inn Tucson East. Sample trip: Departing from Los Angeles on October 25, this package would cost only $221 per person, double occupancy. For more information on this package or other vacation packages to Tucson, visit http://tickets.priceline.com/vacationpackages/default.asp?irefid=HPTRA V1216ICON&irefclickid=VP. 3. The Place: Talbot Hotel, New St. Oundle, Northamptonshire, UK. The Elizabethan Talbot Hotel is the place to potentially meet up with a very special royal ghost. The Talbot’s grand oak staircase was imported from Fotheringhay Castle. It was down this very staircase that Mary Queen of Scots walked to her execution and her spirit is said to remake that fateful journey from time to time. The Talbot boasts oak beams, open fires and transformed windows. The intimate restaurant and cosy bar offer traditional British cuisine, fine wines and real ales. The Talbot has recently been fully refurbished, keeping its charm and character while bringing the facilities up to date. There is ample free car parking adjoining the hotel. The Trip: To book round-trip airline tickets to the UK, visit www.priceline.com. Air India is offering an October special where a round-trip ticket from New York to London is $369, or $492 from Chicago, plus taxes and fees. To book a room at The Talbot, visit: http://www.talbothotel.activehotels.com/ 4. The Place: The Tower of London, London, UK. For centuries, The Tower of London has both protected the city and served as the site for royal executions, murders and intrigue. The Yeoman Warders, or Beefeaters, will tell you about the two young princes murdered in The Bloody Tower. Walk out to Tower Green and see the axeman’s block where three Queens of England met a tragic fate. Besides being filled with history, The Tower boasts an extensive collection of armor, weapons and, of course, the Crown Jewels. For a detailed Tower description, visit http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/tower_home.asp. The Trip: Round-trip airfare from all major airports to London and 6 nights accommodations at the 4-star Copthorne Tara Kensington Hotel. October 29 – November 4. Sample trip: Departing from New York on October 29th, this package would cost $775 per person, double occupancy. Combo Tower of London tickets and Thames cruise are bookable directly through priceline.com’s Tours & Attractions service. If The Tower isn’t scary enough, try the Jack The Ripper’s Sinister London walking tour, also bookable through priceline.com. For more information on this package or other vacation packages to London, visit http://tickets.priceline.com/vacationpackages/default.asp?irefid=HPTRA V1216ICON&irefclickid=VP. 5. The Place: Transylvania. Home of the historical and mythical Dracula. Start with a walking tour of the towering ruins of Poenari Castle by the Arges River, once owned by the 15th century monarch Vlad Tepes, otherwise known as Vlad The Impaler – or Dracula. From there, visit Bran Castle, known today as Castle Dracula because many believe it served as the inspiration for Dracula author Bram Stoker. Before sundown, let the local artisans show you how to fashion the perfect wooden stake. For non vampire hunters, Transylvanian historical sites are full of artifacts and other cultural exhibits. For a full schedule of events, visit http://www.draculascastle.com/. The Trip: To book round-trip airline tickets to Bucharest, visit www.priceline.com. Malev Hungarian Airlines is offering an October special where a round trip ticket from New York to Bucharest costs $827, plus taxes and fees. For lodging in Transylvania, try the 3-star Hotel Ambient in Brasov, Transylvania, conveniently located in the heart of downtown Brasov. http://www.activereservations.com/hotel/en/hotels-in-brasov/ah-39269.h tml 6. The Place: New Orleans, LA. With its lingering voodoo traditions, The Big Easy is a favorite Halloween destination. Start with a tour of the famous above-ground cemeteries with their elaborately decorated mausoleums. In St. Louis #1, you’ll find the tomb of infamous Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. Visit the Voodoo Museum on Dumaine Street and take walking ghost tour of the French Quarter. And don’t forget to stir up some of your own spirits with a drink, a meal and some revelry in a Bourbon Street club. For a full schedule of events, visit http://www.nola.com/haunted/. The Trip: Round-trip airfare from all major airports and 2-nights accommodations at the 3-star Hotel St. Marie, located in the heart of the French Quarter just a half-block from Bourbon Street. Sample trip: Departing October 30 from Chicago, this package would cost $280 per person, double occupancy. When booking a package, be sure to check out the optional walking tours available through priceline.com tours & attractions. Tours include the New Orleans Vampire Tour, the Cemetery and Gris-Gris Tour, the Garden District Ghost Tour and the Haunted History Ghost Tour. For more information on this and other New Orleans vacation packages, visit http://tickets.priceline.com/vacationpackages/default.asp?irefid=HPTRA V1216ICON&irefclickid=VP. 7. The Place: The George Hotel, Crawley, Near Gatwick, West Sussex. This former stagecoach stop is said to be haunted by the ghost of a night watchman who had the misfortune to drink some poisoned wine that had been set out to eliminate a burglar. Now, doors in the 17th century hotel close by themselves and locked cupboards mysteriously re-open as the watchman makes his rounds. Located right in Crawley town centre, the hotel staff welcomes guests with warmth and hospitality. The George Hotel is also close to the M23 and Gatwick Airport. The Trip: To book round-trip airline tickets to the UK, visit www.priceline.com. Air India is offering an October special where a round-trip ticket from New York to London is $369, or $492 from Chicago, plus taxes and fees. To book a room at The George Hotel, visit: http://www.activereservations.com/hotel/en/hotels-in-crawley/ah-226337 .html 8. The Place: Hotel de la Bere, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK. Spend the night at Hotel de la Bere and listen carefully for the ghostly matron. The hotel was once a school for girls. One day, the matron in charge of the facility was found hanged in her bedroom, which today is situated right above the hotel bar. Guests and hotel staff have claimed to hear ghostly footsteps as the nanny paces the corridors, checking on her girls. The Hotel de la Bere is actually a lovely old Tudor manor house set on grounds with a tree-lined drive, sweeping lawns and views of the Cheltenham Racecourse. The Trip: To book round-trip airline tickets to the UK, visit www.priceline.com. Air India is offering an October special where a round-trip ticket from New York to London is $369, or $492 from Chicago, plus taxes and fees. To book a room at the Hotel de la Bere, visit: http://www.activereservations.com/hotel/en/hotels-in-cheltenham/ah-230 711.html. 9. The Place: Alcatraz Prison, San Francisco, CA. For 29 years, Alcatraz Prison, otherwise known as "The Rock”, housed some of the nation’s most desperate criminals. Some may still be here – in spirit. Evening tours are available for the stout-hearted. When the sun goes down and misty fog shrouds San Francisco Bay, the old stone fortress with its creaking cell doors and echoing halls takes on a life of its own. Come see where Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly called "home”. And don’t miss the old hospital and psych ward. Alcatraz tours require ferry service to the island and must be booked in advance. For a full schedule of events, visit http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz/. The Trip: Round-trip airfare from all major airports and 3 nights accommodations at the 2.5-star Ramada Plaza Civic Center Hotel. Sample package: Departing from New York on October 29, this package would cost $350 per person, double occupancy. In addition to visiting Alcatraz, enjoy more chills by taking the optional Vampire Tour of San Francisco, bookable through priceline.com tours & attractions. For more information on this package or other vacation packages to San Francisco, visit http://tickets.priceline.com/vacationpackages/default.asp?irefid=HPTRA V1216ICON&irefclickid=VP. 10. The Place: Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, FL. Horror movies come to life at Halloween Horror Nights, Universal’s annual celebration of the macabre. This year, Universal promises seven new haunted houses, three new ghoulish scare zones and three new theme shows. When those makeup artists and prop experts get to work, visitors are virtually guaranteed to be scared out of their wits. For a full schedule of events, visit http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/. The Trip: Round trip airfare from all major airports to Orlando and 2 nights accommodations at the 2-star Comfort Suites Universal South. Sample package: Departing from Atlanta on October 27, this package would cost $304 per person, double occupancy. For more information on this package or other vacation packages to Orlando, visit http://tickets.priceline.com/vacationpackages/default.asp?irefid=HPTRA V1216ICON&irefclickid=VP. 11. The Place: The Old Bell Hotel and Restaurant, Malmesbury, Wiltshire (Southern Cotswolds). Ghost hunters looking for a special scary treat should ask for a room in the hotel’s East Wing. That’s because the wing is built directly over the former Malmesbury Abbey’s churchyard and burial ground. Situated on the edge of the Cotswold, yet only 5 minutes from the M4, The Old Bell Hotel claims to be England's most ancient inn. Within the original building there are a variety of places to eat, period bedrooms and comfortable lounges - all immaculately decorated with antique furniture. This small luxury hotel dates back to the 12th Century and was originally established as a place to serve refreshments to the visitors of the Malmesbury Abbey next door. The Trip: To book round-trip airline tickets to the UK, visit www.priceline.com. Air India is offering an October special where a round-trip ticket from New York to London is $369, or $492 from Chicago, plus taxes and fees. To book a room at The Old Bell Hotel, visit: http://www.activereservations.com/hotel/en/hotels-in-malmesbury/ah-217 862.html 12. The Place: The Winchester House, San Jose, CA. At a séance following the deaths of her husband and child, a medium told Winchester rifle heiress Sarah Winchester to "follow the sun” west to a place where she was to build a home for herself and the spirits of those killed by the gun that won the West. As long as she continued building, the spirits would not harm her. Today, the sprawling Winchester estate in San Jose is a maze of rooms, doors and stairs that often lead – to nowhere. On October 28 and 31, the Winchester House will offer special evening tours where the only illumination will be furnished by souvenir flashlights and the moon. For a full schedule of events, visit http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/. The Trip: Round trip airfare from all major airports plus 2 nights accommodations at the 2-star Homestead Studio Suites, downtown San Jose. Sample package: Departing from Phoenix on October 27, this package would cost $235 per person, double occupancy. For more information on this package or other vacation packages to San Jose, visit http://tickets.priceline.com/vacationpackages/default.asp?irefid=HPTRA V1216ICON&irefclickid=VP. * Quoted vacation package prices were shopped and available on October 11, 2006. Quoted airline ticket prices were available as of October 12, 2006. Prices and availability can change at any time. About Priceline.com® Incorporated Priceline.com Incorporated (Nasdaq: PCLN) operates priceline.com, a leading U.S. online travel service for value-conscious leisure travelers, and Priceline Europe, a leading European online hotel reservation service. In the U.S., priceline.com gives customers more ways to save on their airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises than any other Internet travel service. In addition to getting all the best published prices, leisure travelers can narrow their searches using priceline.com’s TripFilter™ advanced search technology, create packages to save even more money, and take advantage of priceline.com’s famous Name-Your-Own-Price® service, which can deliver the lowest prices available. Priceline Europe operates one of Europe’s fastest growing hotel reservation services through its Booking.com network of hotel reservation services, Activehotels.com and priceline.co.uk. Priceline Europe operates in 40 countries in 12 languages and offers its customers in Europe and the U.S. access to approximately 25,000 participating European hotels. Priceline.com also operates the following travel websites: Travelweb.com, Lowestfare.com, RentalCars.com and BreezeNet.com. Priceline.com also has a personal finance service that offers home mortgages, refinancing and home equity loans through an independent licensee. 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