It takes more than a couple of nightclubs to make a good party destination. We've cast our expert eyes over the biggest spots for a right royal knees-up, and weighed up the pros and cons of having your stag weekend there.
Why it's in: belting Baltic clubs, liberal women, easy on the budget
Riga's been given some pretty big boots to fill. You'll hear locals - and see guidebooks - referring to the Latvian capital as “The Paris of the North”, or “The Second City That Never Sleeps”. What they mean is, it looks great, it's full of women and the clubbing scene is beyond compare.
If you want shameless strip shows, a hectic clubbing scene and cheap beer a Riga stag do is the one. Fire-breathing DJs rock the house at Kalku Varti, a legendary underground club much-loved by locals and airline stewardesses.There's plenty of stuff to keep you occupied during the day, too - including bobsleigh. Are you nuts enough?
Pros: All of the above. Plus some epic evening options like medieval banquets and limousine bar crawls.
Cons: Coastal location brings in fog and rain during the autumn. Freezing winters.
Why it's in: best beer on earth, mud wrestling, lesbians
If your best mate is the kind of chap who thinks he was given two hands so he can hold two drinks, he's probably already been to Prague! That's no reason not to take him back on his stag weekend though. The unofficial world capital of beer, Prague has been helping ugly people get laid since the year 885.
Czech beer is genuinely the nicest in the world, and om a Prague stag do on its legendary streets you can get belting great steins of it for as little as £1.20 - and that's in the city centre! No wonder the pubs are so rowdy...
There's plenty to do while you're drinking, lots of it involving naked ladies. Eat your dessert off a stripper, have a dinner party with lesbians (and yes, they do munch on a lot more than just strawberries) or get in the ring with topless chicks covered in mud. Classic.
Pros: Big enough to handle the massive influx of stags it gets every weekend.
Cons: Gets a massive influx of stags every weekend!
Why it's in: it's Vegas, baby.
Las Vegas isn't called Sin City for nothing. Anything you can imagine, you can do here. There's even a bar where you have to swim across a pool to get to the DJ booth. And when everything gets too much, you can call in the Hangover Heaven guys to sort you out.
What Vegas doesn't know about partying isn't worth knowing, but all that glitz and glam is going to burn a hole in your wallet. On average, a Vegas stag weekend in the world capital of debauchery requires £200 per day spending money, for gambling, food, drink and shows. That said, if you play it smart and combine food and drink with casino visits (the casinos let you eat and drink for free while you're playing), you can shave the budget down considerably.
Pros: So much fun it's impossible to do everything in one stag weekend. Strippers everywhere.
Cons: Can be pricey, so you might not get everyone to agree to go.
Why it's in: Spring Breeeeeeak!
Cancun is the ultimate party paradise. Mexico's most debauched resort, the “hotel zone”, attracts thousands of revellers to its gleaming beaches every year. Even the hotels double up as nightclubs, with big-name DJs laying down sets right there in the lounge bars and courtyards.
There's plenty of other stuff to keep a feller interested, including the best driving activities we've ever seen and some insane water-based fun. And if you get bored of all the craziness you can always trek into the jungle and see some ruined Mayan cities.
Pros: Hotties in thongs, 24 hour party atmosphere, tons of places to escape if it all gets a bit much.
Cons: A big time commitment. It's best to go for a week to justify the flights.
Why it's in: we love it.
Nottingham is small - but for a stag weekend, she's also perfectly formed. A compact city centre means no dicking around with public transport when you're on the beers, and daytime activities include all sorts of outdoor awesomeness thanks to your proximity to the countryside. Just half an hour puts your motley crew in Sherwood Forest, an off road driving centre or the Peak District.
Club wise, there's plenty going on - but it's on the live music scene that Nottingham really comes into her own. From pubs and bars to the epic Rock City, there are literally dozens of venues hosting big-name bands and local heroes every night.
Pros: way more women than men, thanks to the nursing college. Ooer matron!
Cons: smaller size means big waits for beers in popular bars. Deploy your forces wisely!
What do you reckon? Do you have a favourite party destination? Let us know!
Date Posted: Wednesday 22nd April 2015
Author: Jim Alexander
