City holidays, winning hotels and Halloween-themed news

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Today is not only Monday but also 31 October, which means it is Halloween. This holiday originated in Ireland and later became popular in the United States. Today, the holiday has become big in Sweden as well, so today's travel news has been spiced up with a Halloween theme.

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City holidays climb up as winter favourites

Gran Canaria and Thailand still top the list of winter travel destinations. A new trend for this year is the rise in popularity of major European cities - such as London, Barcelona and Paris, according to Ticket's booking statistics. Other cities that have increased in popularity include Vienna, Rome, Budapest and Gdansk. Most popular destinations this winter:

1. Gran Canaria
2. Bangkok
3. London
4. Phuket
5. Barcelona

These hotels won at this year's BWH Hotel Awards

BWH Hotels is a hotel network that includes three hotel chains: WorldHotelsTM Collection, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group. The BWH Hotel Awards honour those hotels that have excelled. The winners have been selected by the BWH Hotel Group based on guest reviews and were presented during the hotel group's annual conference. Here are the winners:

• Hotel of the year: Best Western Plus John Bauer Hotel in Jönköping
• Best Breakfast of the year: Hotel Frantz in Stockholm
• Improver of the year: Sure Hotel by Best Western Arena in Gothenburg
• Rewards of the year: Best Western Hotel Lerdalshöjden in Rättvik, Sweden
• Voice of the customer: Best Western Hotel Danderyd in Stockholm

SJ takes further action after a turbulent quarter

Many people choose to travel with SJ. During the third quarter, travel increased by 19 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year. Unfortunately, both travellers and SJ's employees have experienced a difficult time, with an unusually large number of disruptions. SJ is now taking action and implementing several major improvements. In addition to their own train driver training, they are taking measures to rectify the approximately 16 per cent of poor punctuality for which they themselves are responsible.

Halloween theme - spooky news around Sweden

• Film City shows Halloween-themed films such as "Halloween Ends" and "Prey for the Devil" during the autumn holidays.
• Gothenburg English Studio Theatre presents the play 'Ghost Stories', which will run until 3 December.
• Mathem reports huge demand for pumpkins, crafts and sweets. In October, they have sold almost 3 tonnes of loose candy.
• Quality Hotel in Gothenburg welcomes guests who want to stay with hotel ghosts during the autumn holidays. The hotels also organise ghost hunts.
• SL (Storstockholms lokaltrafik) is releasing a ghost story set on the T-Centralen - Kista line and revolving around the "ghost station" Kymlinge.

Halloween theme - the most haunted places in the Nordic countries

The hotel and travel search site momondo.se has listed some of the Nordic region's most haunted places - perfect for a spooky road trip that makes the hairs on your neck stand up.

1. Borgvattnet Prästgård, Jämtland, Sweden - Sweden's most famous haunted house, with rumours of crying children and priests being thrown out of their rocking chairs.
2. Sundbyholm Castle, Södermanland, Sweden - Ghost castle with peaceful ghosts, rattling keys and sliding through walls.
3. Jussarö "Ghost Town", Finland - An abandoned area in the Ekenäs Archipelago National Park, with a chilling apocalyptic feel.
4. Dragsholm Castle, Denmark - Said to be the most haunted castle in Europe. The castle is said to be home to over a hundred ghosts and spirits.
5. Nidaros Cathedral, Norway - The world's most northerly cathedral is haunted by a monk who passes between the cathedral's choir members.

Halloween theme - haunted hotels

If you want to take your Halloween celebrations one step further, check into a haunted hotel. Hotels.com has picked out a number of hair-raising places to stay. So sleep (or not!) in one of these hotels ...

1. The Salem Inn, Salem, USA - In Salem, witches are said to roam the streets and in the most haunted hotel the hands that lights are suddenly blown out ...
2. The Langham, London, England - A ghost is said to roam the corridors, and in room 333, several guests are said to have been unexpectedly visited by a man in Victorian clothes.
3. Hotel Burchianti, Florence, Italy - The most famous hotel ghosts include a woman who sits knitting and a housekeeper who keeps the hotel clean.
4. Dragsholm Castle, Hørve, Denmark - Fortunately, not all hundreds of the alleged ghosts appear at the same time...
5. Dalhousie Castle Hotel, Cockpen, Scotland - In this 14th century castle you can meet the 'Grey Lady'.

Reflection of the week

Halloween is a holiday that divides opinion. Some people love it and others hate it. For the most part, we don't celebrate, but if we happen to be invited to a party, we may find it fun. What is your relationship with Halloween?

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