Halloween lands on the last Saturday of October half-term this year, so Brits have the chance to squeeze in a spooky trip away before the kids head back to school. To make getaway planning easier, we've rounded up the top Halloween locations across the world, with Paris offering family-friendly frights at Disneyland Paris and Orlando celebrating 35 years of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort.
Oliver Brendon, CEO of AttractionTickets.com, shared his thoughts on the Halloween Destination Index results:
"With Halloween on a Saturday this year, many people are looking to book a spooky getaway, so our team decided to analyse towns and cities all over the world to find the locations that really bring the spooky season and atmosphere to life.
It's a big year for Halloween anniversaries as Halloween Horror Nights is celebrating its 35th year at Universal Studios Florida, so Orlando coming out on top won't surprise many theme park fans. And in the UK, Derry is also celebrating 40 years of its Halloween festival, which is said to be the biggest in Europe. London has hundreds of years of spooky history too, with the Tower of London known for being haunted by ghosts of its past, making it the perfect place to visit for those who are brave enough. Overall, there's a real mix of big theme park events and places with haunted history, so Halloween fans have tons of options to choose from.”
The top 20 best destinations for a Halloween getaway
Rank | Destination & Country | Events score (/15) | Popularity score (/15) | Heritage score (/20) | Celebration score (/20) | Safety score (/10) | Recognition score (/10) | Access score (/10) | Total Score / 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Orlando, USA | 15 | 14.9 | 6 | 18 | 5.7 | 0 | 6.3 | 65.9 |
2 | Anaheim, USA | 12 | 15 | 4 | 16 | 5.7 | 5 | 5.4 | 63.1 |
3 | Brasov (Transylvania), Romania | 0 | 0 | 20 | 12 | 8.4 | 10 | 9 | 59.4 |
4 | Salem, USA | 0 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 5.7 | 5 | 7.2 | 58 |
5 | Paris, France | 6 | 6.1 | 12 | 8 | 4.8 | 10 | 9.8 | 56.7 |
6 | Tokyo, Japan | 6 | 13 | 8 | 16 | 8.6 | 0 | 5 | 56.5 |
7 | Los Angeles, USA | 6 | 5.7 | 10 | 18 | 5.2 | 5 | 5.4 | 55.3 |
8 | New York City, USA | 0 | 0 | 12 | 20 | 5.6 | 10 | 7.1 | 54.6 |
9 | Sighisoara, Romania | 0 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 7.6 | 10 | 9 | 54.5 |
10 | Londonderry, UK | 0 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 5.8 | 10 | 9.7 | 53.5 |
11 | Chicago, USA | 3 | 1.4 | 12 | 16 | 3.9 | 10 | 6.7 | 53 |
12 | New Orleans, USA | 0 | 0 | 20 | 18 | 3.6 | 5 | 6.1 | 52.7 |
13 | Edinburgh, UK | 0 | 0 | 18 | 12 | 7.9 | 5 | 9.7 | 52.6 |
14 | Mexico City, Mexico | 3 | 1 | 14 | 20 | 3.8 | 5 | 5.3 | 52.1 |
15 | Sleepy Hollow, USA | 0 | 0 | 20 | 18 | 5.7 | 0 | 7.1 | 50.8 |
16 | York, UK | 0 | 0 | 18 | 12 | 5.8 | 5 | 9.9 | 50.7 |
17 | London, UK | 9 | 1.8 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 49.8 |
18 | Savannah, USA | 0 | 0 | 18 | 14 | 5.7 | 5 | 6.5 | 49.2 |
19 | Darmstadt, Germany | 0 | 0 | 14 | 16 | 6.9 | 0 | 9.7 | 46.5 |
19 | Hong Kong | 3 | 3.7 | 10 | 16 | 8.8 | 0 | 4.9 | 46.5 |
Orlando is the world's top Halloween destination
Orlando beat 125 other locations to first place, with a Halloween Destination Score of 65.9 out of 100. The city has more theme park Halloween events than any others in the index, and there's something for everyone. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort is a great option for thrill-seekers, and Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Magic Kingdom Park is a must-visit for families.
North America claims the most spots in the top 20
North American destinations proved to be popular in the rankings, taking nearly half of the top 20 spots. Anaheim came in second with 63.1 points, and Salem (4th), Los Angeles (7th), New York City (8th), Chicago (11th), New Orleans (12th), Sleepy Hollow (15th) and Savannah (18th) all made the cut. Salem was the only top 20 location to earn full marks in both the spooky heritage and Halloween celebration categories. Its well-known Salem Haunted Happenings festival is among the largest Halloween events in the world and runs throughout the whole of October.
The UK holds its own for themed city breaks
Families after a staycation have a great selection to choose from, with four UK locations ranking in the top 20. Derry (10th) is the highest-ranking, and it's home to Europe's largest Halloween festival, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Edinburgh (13th) and York (16th) both scored 18 out of 20 for spooky heritage thanks to their famously haunted pasts. London (17th) has plenty of dark history too, and The London Dungeon is a fun way to see it, with live actors and jump scares around every corner.
Planning a spooky season escape?
Some of the top destinations in the index are bookable now with AttractionTickets.com, with thrill-seekers able to come and celebrate 35 years of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort. For families, Disneyland Paris is hosting its Halloween festival until 1st of November, with the chance to meet Disney Villains and watch the Mickey's Halloween Celebration Parade, all included with a standard park ticket.
