On your next European vacation, why settle for a hotel room when you could stay in a castle? While they're not for the budget-minded traveler, luxurious castle hotels in Ireland, Scotland, France and other countries make for a memorable vacation. Here's a quick guide to a few of Europe's amazing castle hotels.

Castle Hotels in Germany

Germany's most famous castle is Neuschwanstein, the enormous, storybook palace constructed by King Ludwig in the late 1800s. You can't stay the night there, unfortunately, but you can still live the fairy tale at Sababurg Castle, known as the home of the Sleeping Beauty. This 675-year-old castle hotel has a lovely rose garden and tower rooms.

Travelers on a budget can find a castle hotel in Germany to suit their tastes: Castle Stahleck on the Rhine River. This 12th-century castle has been converted into a youth hostel, which offers clean, cheap and basic accommodations.

Castle Hotels in France

The French know luxury. Perhaps the best example is the five-star Hotel de la Cite in Carcassonne. While the hotel itself was built in 1909, it's situated inside the medieval citadel of Carcassonne and gives its guests a chance to have the place to themselves.
While it's not the most elaborate castle hotel in France, the Chateau D'Etoges in the Champagne Valley has something that sets it apart: a moat.

Castle Hotels in Ireland

The Emerald Isle is studded with beautiful castle hotels. If luxury's what you're looking for, book a stay at the Adare Manor. This stately house in County Limerick isn't as ancient as other castle hotels in Ireland, but it offers five-star accommodations with marble bathrooms, grand stone fireplaces and designer furnishings. Be prepared for a four-figure bill, as the high-season rate for the stunning staterooms is close to $800 U.S. per night.

If you think your Irish castle hotel experience won't be complete without ghosts, stay at the vine-covered, 16th-century Ballyseede Castle hotel, which is occupied by a spirit named Hilda.

Castle Hotels in Scotland

Looking for a distinctive castle hotel in Scotland? You'll have your pick. Aikwood Tower is a small and intimate castle in the Ettrick Forest. With a gray stone exterior, surprisingly modern furnishings and just 10 bedrooms, Aikwood allows you to have an entire castle to yourself. Traquair in the Tweed Valley is Scotland's oldest inhabited house, dating to 1107. It used to serve as a hunting lodge for Scottish royalty and now offers three elegant bedrooms for guests.

Castle Hotels in England

Thornbury Castle in the Cotswolds is the epitome of English castle luxury. Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Queen Mary I once walked the grounds of this majestic estate, which still retains its Tudor trappings: stained-glass windows, suits of armor and a great hall.

With seven-foot-thick stone walls, Langley Castle in Northumberland is one of the only fortified medieval castle hotels in England. It's notable for its tower filled with garderobes -- medieval latrines. Luckily, the guestrooms include modern-day facilities.