Staying in an actual castle is the experience of a lifetime, and it’s one you’ll be telling friends and family about for the rest of your natural existence. Turns out you can enjoy fantastic gardens, gorgeous views and architecture you can’t even describe in words on the cheap thanks to Airbnb. There are quite a few great Airbnb castle options spread out across the whole of Europe, so we picked out our favorites to help make your it a little easier to plan a luxurious vacation, destination wedding, opulent honeymoon or team retreat that everyone will be talking about for years to come.
Augill Castle
Cumbria, England
Described as one of Britain’s favorite castles, Augill Castle has evolved into something truly unique—not quite a hotel and not quite a B&B—since it was originally built in the middle of the 1800’s. It’s got turrets. It’s got battlements. It’s got Gothic windows and Tudor paneling and four poster beds and garden suites and fireplaces and everything else you’d expect to find in the castle you see in your head when you close your eyes. With seventeen bedrooms that can sleep up to thirty-four adults and ten children, Augill Castle is the perfect venue for everything from an opulent house party or an exclusive wedding to a ridiculous honeymoon or family reunion, which is also why the hosts have an option for a fully catered stay that gives you full run of the grounds and the castle for a little less than $10,000 a night. Regular Visit Catered Visit
Courcelles le Roi Castle
Beaulieu sur Loire, France
Just a few hours drive from either Paris or Lyon in the Beaulieu sur Loire municipality of France is where you’ll find Courcelles le Roi Castle, an imposing piece of first French Renaissance style architecture situated in the midst of a sprawling estate. It’s the absolute definition of opulence. We’re talking sleeping room for up to four dozen people spread across multiple buildings that all look like castles or mansions in their own right and have enough history to make another National Treasure without leaving the grounds. In addition to the complete lack of neighbors, roads, and noise so you can finally get some peace and quiet, you’ll also find enormous dining rooms, a pool, workout room, bowling area, jacuzzis, bars, and, for those of you that want to keep in touch with the outside world, unlimited WiFi. Visit
Abbeyglen Castle Hotel
Galway, Ireland
Breakfast in the morning. Tea and scones in the afternoon. Complimentary champagne in the evening. Piano bar. Snooker and table tennis. Exotic African Grey Parrot (named Froda, in case you were curious) to greet you in the lobby. It’s also within walking distance of the music and fine dining of of the coastal town of Clifden. As if all that isn’t enough, you can enjoy this fantastic castle in Ireland’s County Galway for about the same amount of money as you’d spend staying in an American motel for the evening because Abbeyglen Castle Hotel has economy rooms available on the cheap. Visit
Somerleyton Hall
Lowestoft, England
Unlike some of the other options on this list, Somerleyton Hall isn’t your traditional castle with fortified walls—it’s a positively palatial mansion set on a 5,000 acre English estate that will have you feeling like you’re in an episode of The Crown as soon as you set foot on the grounds. Speaking of the grounds, Somerleyton Hall also includes its own village, pubs, shops, lake, farm, gardens, hedge maze and everything else (including a tower!) you’d expect to find in and around a castle. For our money, that makes it a castle in all the ways that matter. Besides, if there was a siege or some sort of apocalypse level event, it’s easily defensible and filled with more than enough hiding places. Visit
Melville Castle
Midlothian, Scotland
If you asked a child to draw a castle with no reference materials, we’re willing to bet the final product would look something like Melville Castle in Scotland’s Midlothian council area. Originally commissioned by the first Viscount Melville and designed by renowned Scottish architect William Playfair in the late 1700’s, Melville Castle has played host to such iconic guests as Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Victoria in its 33 classically appointed bedrooms and incredibly symmetric exterior. With WiFi, breakfast, seasonal menus with locally sourced foods and the previously mentioned bedrooms that are as spacious as they are classic, this is a charming destination that isn’t that far (only 20 minutes drive) from Edinburgh’s city center. The only thing that remains to be seen is whether or not the bagpiper in the pictures is included in the price of the stay. Visit
Ehrenberg Castle
Bad Rappenau – Heinsheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
While you’ll find most of the greatest castles in the world in the UK, Ireland or Scotland, there are a few great options like Ehrenberg Castle (aka Burg Ehrenberg—not to be confused with the castle of the same name in Austria) that you’ll find deep in the heart of Deutschland. Unlike other options on the list, and plenty of others around the location itself, Ehrenberg Castle is not open to the public, so you’re getting a truly unique experience if you decide to stay in the private apartment in the midst of the medieval surroundings. The spectacular space will give you a gorgeous vista of the surrounding areas, along with being incredibly close to awesome dining in Heidelberg, a fantastic science museum in Sinsheim, and the seat of the Porsche empire in Stuttgart. Visit
Kilcolgan Castle
Galway, Ireland
Kilcolgan Castle is the perfect depiction of a magical Irish castle. While no one responsible for the Airbnb listing explicitly says its a haunted Irish castle, based on the history from Abandoned Ireland, we wouldn’t be surprised if your encounters also included a ghost or two. At the end of the day, Kilcolgan Castle includes everything you’d expect from a castle straight out of an episode of Scooby-Doo, along with a private location, dining options, local musicians, exquisite grounds and an “I stayed in a damn castle” experience you will be able to tell your friends about. Oh yeah, and it’s also situated on a picturesque river, can accommodate a bunch of guests and includes a laptop friendly workspace with WiFi. What more do you want? Visit
Butley Priory
Suffolk, England
Butler Priory, described as “one of the most atmospheric and unusual houses in England,” was formerly an Augustinian monastery filled with vaulted arches, enormous bedrooms, grand fireplaces and eight acres of private parkland in the Suffolk countryside of England. If you take one look at this gorgeous, expansive property and decide it isn’t a castle, you have a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a castle. It has everything we’re looking for in a noble stay abroad. And who knows, maybe your perfect “monastic experience” two hours outside of London will also include discovering some ancient beer. Visit
