Since 2004 and the arrival of low-cost airlines resulting in cheap flights from cities across Europe such as London, Berlin and Amsterdam, Riga has established itself as one of the hedonistic hubs of the Eastern European party and stag weekend scene. Offering what is widely regarded as some of the best nightlife in the Baltics, Riga gives other stag weekends options such as stag weekends in Budapest and Krakow stag weekends a good run for their money. There’s certainly no shortage of opportunities in which to lose your inhibitions.

Riga’s reputation as a hotbed of hot beds as well as bar and club culture (with a healthy dash of adult oriented entertainment thrown in for good measure) has led to it rapidly evolving into one of Europe’s essential destinations for Stag weekends and partygoers. It’s a vibrant, fast-evolving and progressive city with a huge amount to offer from beer halls, clubs, Sports Bars, British and Irish pubs, casinos and gambling halls, live music venues, pool and snooker halls, strip clubs and massage parlours. Navigable on foot, it’s all happening in Riga’s Old Town, the beer is cold and cheap and the women are English-speaking, beautiful, intelligent and friendly – the perfect combination.

Of course there’s plenty more to do than just partying and pulling. Options for visitors are virtually limitless. Relax in one of Riga’s trendy bars, explore the old town and take in the finest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe or visit museums. Spend a night at the opera or attend a classical performance… yeah right.

Daytime thrill seekers might want to try something a little more daredevil and for weekend stag parties there’s a wide range of high-octane options. In addition to the normal paintball, go-karting, clay pigeon shooting and quad biking Riga offers some singularly outrageous experiences: get completely legless in a freefall simulator, Bond up in KGB shooting session, explore old ship wrecks in the Baltic, daredevil down an Olympic bobsleigh track (the longest in Europe) or brave an icy snowmobile safari – ‘Me Tarzan. You Svetlana.’ There’s Zorbing, kayaking, bungee jumping, thermal baths and strippers galore!

Though not quite the steal that Riga once was, (the local currency the Lat is tied to the Euro) prices are still competitive – if slightly less enticing than Krakow or Budapest. You’ll pay around 2 Lats (£2.5) for an excellent, award-winning beer such as Tērvetes or Piebalgas, which you can enjoy from Skyline bar on the 26th floor of the Hotel Latvija overlooking the Old Town. You’ll pay even less in a back street bar. (Cheap places are no more than a pound) As in all major European cities, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out. A decent meal out should set you back less than £10.

As perfect as Riga is for the ultimate stag night weekends you’d be best advised to go through a reputable travel company that can not only arrange airport collection and drop off but organise value for money accommodation, high quality activities and VIP entrance to the hottest nightclubs in town. They’ll work hard to maximize your entertainment whist minimizing any potential grief. As with similar style stag weekends in Budapest or Krakow local knowledge can also prove useful in protecting stag parties from some of the less ethical aspects of a night out such as rip off taxi fares, hyper expensive drinks and overly persuasive doormen.

Looking for a wild stag party in the heart of Europe? Try a stag do at Prague to experience a different party culture with a blend of medieval charm and cosmopolitan excitement. This city of 1.2 million has always been a favored for the uniquely ancient Prague Castle, drawing tourists from all over to revel at its unique architecture.

For the party animal with a different agenda, Prague offers a multitude of night spots offering a constant flow of cheap and world-class beer. This includes popular local beer brands such as Pilsner Urquell and Budvar, easily acquired anywhere in the city but more prominently in the night spots of the Old Town area of Prague.

If you don’t want to miss out the most exclusive clubs where only VIPs gain entrance, get a tour operator like Chillisauce to get you in. Specifically, Chillisauce will increase the fun level of your stag party with a clubbing experience that you will never forget! Marvel at the massiveness and uniqueness of the 14th Century nightclub located at the heart of Prague which incorporates 5 different dance floors. Whatever your taste in party music may be, you will be spoilt for choice with the variety of 5 different music areas.

That not good enough for you? Well, you will be definitely astounded when you discover the Roman Baths and pools here, which make this 14th century party haven no match for any other stag party venue in the city. Truly, this club must be at the top of your list before you even land in Prague!

Strip shows are also aplenty in Prague. With Chillisauce, you can be sure that you won’t mess up your itinerary and miss out on the ultimate stag experience. There is not anything more exotic than the opportunity to enjoy a sumptuous dinner while watching a strip show! You can be sure that good quality will not be compromised as your 3 course meal is served at one of Prague’s finest restaurants.

Many stag parties are travelling to Eastern Europe for a truly exceptional experience: the Trabant trek is the ultimate road-trip while combining the chance to travel in a classic of Eastern European engineering.

With a name taken from the German word for ‘satellite’, the Trabant is an East German-built car originally made as a motorbike. The once-popular car is made of a steel frame; the body is made of Duroplast, a plasticised cotton waste. It has a 600cc engine and 26 hp. One of the beauties of the car is that it is so easy to fix: a good mechanic can replace the engine in fifteen minutes! With a top speed of just over 50mph these cherished relics are becoming an ever-popular car to drive, with stag parties coming from all over Europe to drive the classic motors.

The car was so popular around 3 million cars were made up before production ceased in 1991. Many of the cars were exported and were favourites of many communist countries, being spacious for all of the family it was small, compact and very lightweight. Nicknamed Trabbi or Trabi, where were many versions, namely the Trabant 500, Trabant P 50 and the Tranbant 601. Now, the Tranbant has become a collector’s item with people all over the world and it has been used in many popular films.

Many people love the car for its nostalgic qualities, with collectors all over the world. Its bodywork made of recycled materials was the result of extensive research into alternative materials. Made of a resin, which is reinforced with cotton fibres, Duroplast is very similar to fibreglass (the latter was more widely accepted in the UK, as communist production was not very popular in other countries.)

The Trabant trek is a fantastic opportunity to take one of these enigmatic cars around the Eastern European countryside. With a couple of cars and the blokes in the back, you can have your own version of The Italian Job, or just take in the sights, while driving around at a leisurely pace. The Trabant trek is becoming a widely popular craze with people travelling all over the world in these little plastic cars. Take a picnic, or taste the local delights in the heart of the Hungarian hills.

The hottties go crazy over this little car and driving one will make you the envy of other motorists – at least in theory. You can get cosy in the back or pose with cute local girls on the bonnet. You can take part in the Trabant trek both in summer and winter; both are memorable for different reasons!

Take a soft top in the summer so you can get a closer look at the landscape or challenge your mates to a drive in the snow. The car’s two-stroke engine and dashboard gear-stick will only be the first part of the challenge. Whenever you decide to take on the Trabant trek be sure to allow the day, as you never know where this classic little car will take you.

Did you know that stag nights are thought to have originated in ancient Sparta (5th century BC)? They took the form of a traditional bachelor dinner where soldiers would toast each other on the eve of a friend’s wedding. Whilst the Spartans probably had a great old time in the way that Spartans did, they certainly wouldn’t have had the range of activities or stag weekend destinations now on offer.

The newest and hottest Europe stag weekend destinations are rapidly emerging as Krakow and Budapest. Each city a beautiful Eastern European location, rich in history and each now offering a range of exciting attractions and activities for visitors. If you’re struggling over choosing where to go on a stag weekend or what to do to celebrate a stag weekend you could do a lot worse than giving Krakow or Budapest careful consideration. There are a number of specialist online companies now offering a great range of stag weekends in both Krakow and Budapest catering for parties of different sizes and tastes, so it’s worth making the Internet your first port of call when organising a stag.

While the essential cornerstones of stag weekends remain largely the same whatever the location – booze, birds, more booze, more birds and some sort of ritual humiliation of the groom to be – there are a couple of essentials that should be considered when thinking about an ideal weekend away.

It’s often a case of organisation that can make the difference. A well-organised and planned weekend will not only prove immensely fun but also memorable for all the right reasons. A poorly organised stag weekend can turn into a nightmare. How best to organise a successful stag weekend? The best advice perhaps is to consult the experts. So whether you select Budapest, Krakow or another popular east European destination such as Bratislava or Warsaw there are a number of reasons why it’s a wise idea to hand the planning of your stag weekend over to a professional organiser.

1. Local knowledge and guidance: Organising groups of people is tough enough at the best of times. Add copious amounts of booze and high spirits to the fact that your group is in a completely new city in a new country with a new language and the problems spiral. Local knowledge is essential along with an English-speaking guide. There are numerous ways a stag party group will benefit. From being met at the airport and transferred to your tried and trusted accommodation, the organising of taxis, the selection of good quality value for money bars and clubs. Good local knowledge is an essential ingredient of a successful stag weekend. It should shield the party from some of the more unpleasant aspects of a city’s nightlife – over-zealous doormen, commission-hungry taxi drivers and unscrupulous club owners.

2. Tried and tested venues and activities: This goes hand-in-hand with local knowledge really. You’ll have a far more memorable time if the activities you’ve organised for the group have already been verified sure-fire winners. From paint-balling, go-carting, pistol shooting, wine tasting, caving, fencing, golf, city tours, pub crawls, it’s all there. What’s more the professionals have vetted the quality of the activities and the value for money leaving you with only the enviable task of getting on and enjoying them.

In recent years Budapest has become one of Europe’s most popular travel destinations, providing a unique blend of stunning architecture, nightlife and surprisingly reasonable prices.

Thanks to low cost booze, accessibility from the UK and a tolerant attitude towards larger parties, it has also become extremely popular for stag weekends. If you want a stag party that is a little different from your local pub crawl then here are some tips on drinking in Budapest, the best places to go, price and general etiquette.

Budapest has a great variety of bars from the elegant up-market establishments to more rough and ready beer halls that provide an atmosphere and charm all their own – not to mention excellent beer. With such bars aplenty you will have no problem finding one to your liking and that will fit into your Budapest stag weekend theme.

For a traditional Hungarian experience, and with some extremely cheap drinking to boot, you will want to visit a borozo, wine pub, or a sorozo, a beer bar. The former sells cheap but drinkable Hungarian wine at ridiculously low prices, while in the latter you can buy beers for as little as 60p (although decent beers will cost you around £1.50) with spirits being a little more expensive at about £1.50 a shot. Prices to get into clubs can vary in general you can expect to pay between £1.00 and about £3.20. A lot of the clubs open at 10pm but you can always find pubs and clubs that open earlier to cater for the Brit who wants to start early. On top of this the majority of clubs stay open to six in the morning – and many stay open even later. This means that a European stag weekend is a good choice whether you want to start early and party hard or not.

One of the most popular areas to go is Hajogyari Sziget (Shipyard Island), where you’ll find various clubs to suit all tastes from huge outdoor venues to more intimate spots. Another popular place, and one that is said to attract the most beautiful women, is the Café Negro club in Pest. Café Negro not only has some of the best local DJs, and drinks, but also houses a restaurant that is well worth visiting. If you’re home sick and can’t stand being away from your local boozer then there is the always the Morrison English Pub. The great thing about this place is that many travellers go there as well so it easy to find a hen night on a similar tour.

When it comes to drinking etiquette, clinking beer glasses used to be frowned upon. It is said that the Austrian’s clinked their glasses to celebrate the putting to death of a group of Hungarian Generals in 1848 and as such was viewed censoriously by the locals. However, the tradition of not clinking was set to last 150 years – thus in 1998 the widely adopted disdain for clinking expired and Hungarians now clink away with fervour.

Another thing is that although the Hungarians are fairly tolerant they will frown upon large groups of highly inebriated stag partiers – in fact their frowns may be so hard that they could give you a black eye. However, take it easy and enjoy the Hungarians hospitality and your stag weekend will remain memorable and safe – a memorable send off into married life.