  We present FEROS high-resolution (R~45000) optical spectroscopy of 34 Herbig
Ae/Be star candidates with previously unknown or poorly constrained spectral
types. Within the sample, 16 sources are positionally coincident with nearby
(d<250 pc) star-forming regions (SFRs). All the candidates have IR excess. We
determine the spectral type and luminosity class of the sources, derive their
radial and rotational velocities, and constrain their distances employing
spectroscopic parallaxes. We confirm 13 sources as Herbig Ae/Be stars and find
one classical T Tauri star. Three sources are emission line early-type giants
and may be Herbig Ae/Be stars. One source is a main-sequence A-type star.
Fourteen sources are post-main-sequence giant and supergiant stars. Two sources
are extreme emission-line stars. Most of the sources appear to be background
stars at distances over 700 pc. We show that high-resolution optical
spectroscopy is a crucial tool for distinguishing young stars from post-main
sequence stars in samples taken from emission-line star catalogs based on
low-resolution spectroscopy. Within the sample, 3 young stars (CD-38 4380, Hen
3-1145, and HD 145718) and one early-type luminosity class III giant with
emission lines (Hen 3-416) are at distances closer than 300 pc and are
positionally coincident with a nearby SFR. These 4 sources are likely to be
nearby young stars and are interesting for follow-up observations at
high-angular resolution. Furthermore, seven confirmed Herbig Ae/Be stars at
d>700 pc (Hen 2-80, Hen 3-1121 N&S, HD 313571, MWC 953, WRAY 15-1435, and Th
17-35) are inside or close (<5') to regions with extended 8 micron continuum
emission and in their 20' vicinity have astronomical sources characteristic of
SFRs. These 7 sources are likely to be members of SFRs. These regions are
attractive for future studies of their stellar content.
