Stag Weekend Guide

Congratulations on being awarded the honour of Best Man, now the real fun begins. Choosing a destination in which to celebrate your best mates last weekend of freedom can be a real headache. The average Stag party consists of between 10 - 15 people, choosing a city where no one has visited and that can fit everyones budget is just the first hurdle to jump.

Each and every stag do is different, although the elements are very similar. Your job as the best man is to book a weekend that sets it a part from all the other stag weekends you have been on, with this in mind you will need to be creative with the groups budget.

That is where Travel2Riga comes in, we are very fortunate to live in a city that is ideal for a stag weekend abroad. Below we will give a step by step guide to booking the perfect Stag Weekend in Riga...

Step 1 - The Flights

Riga is a 2.5 hour flight from the UK, with multiple low-cost flight options including RyanAir and WizzAir departing at least 2 times a day, every day of the week. The most popular flights tend to be;

London Stanstead (RyanAir)
London Luton (WizzAir)
London Gatwick (AirBaltic)

The RyanAir flight tends to be the most popular, arriving into Riga at 10:40 on a Friday and departing Sunday at 11:30, or a later flight departing 22:20. When ever you are looking to book fights, its always best to look at least 2 months in advance, the low cost flight options to Riga can really jump in price if you leave it too late.

You should expect to pay around £100 (€140) for a return flight, however if you book more than 2 months in advance you can get some bargains and book for as low as £70 (€100) return. Likewise, if you leave it too late you can expect to pay over £200 (€285) for a one way flight.

Step 2 - Booking Accommodation

Now the flights are booked the next step is to make sure you have somewhere to sleep, this is the first area that you should be budget conscious. In our experience most groups will opt for a 3* hotel either in the Old Town or within a 10-15minute walk, the price difference between the two options is not great, so if you can book in advance, the Old Town location is always the best option. If you are on a real shoestring, or you want to save more money for beer and activities you can always book a hostel although the price difference between a hostel and 3* hotel is negligible.

Its worth doing your research when it comes to hotels, but here are some that we can recommend, either in the Old Town or a short walk away;

• 3* Hotel Kolonna Riga (Old Town) from £30 (€42) per person per night
• 3* Hotel Konventa Seta (Old Town) from £35 (€50) per person per night
• 3 * Hotel Hanza (15min walk) from £30 (€42) per person per night
• 4 * Hotel Mercure (15min walk) from £45 (€64) per person per night

Riga is home to some of the most affordable 4* hotels in Europe, the average 4* hotel will cost you £50 (€70) per person per night. If the guys budget can stretch a little further then upgrading your hotel is always a nice way to kick-off the weekend.

Step 3 - Airport Transfers

With your flights booked, you might be wondering how you will get yourself and 15 mates to the right hotel without being taken for an expensive ride by a local taxi driver..?

Booking your airport transfer in advance goes a long to to assuring the group that they are in good hands. The centre of Riga is only 10km from the airport, so if you chose to try and flag down taxis the cost will be around £12 (€15). However if you wish to be met at the airport by a guide and have your own private transfer for your group, you can expect to pay around £8 (€10) each.

The benefits of taking a private transfer far outweigh the additional cost, having a guide meet you in the arrivals hall and taking you to a waiting bus will make you look like a great organiser and put the whole group at ease. Your guide will also provide some additional information and make sure that you check-in to your accommodation with no problems.

If you want to arrive in style, a Limo transfer is for you...With a selection of limo's depending on your group size, this is the ultimate way to arrive at your hotel.

The most popular transfer for a stag weekend is the Strip Limo, effectively a gents club on wheels this is the best way to kick off the weekend. The limo bus comes complete with leather seats and enough headroom for the dancers, after you may as well start as you mean to carry on right..?

Step 4 - Activities & Nightlife

The foundation of every stag weekend, the activities and nightlife. With the flights and accommodation booked, you will now need to think about some activities that will keep you out of the pub for the entirety of the weekend. There are two options here, you can either look to book these yourself, directly with the providers, or use Travel2Riga.

The first option is possible if you have the time to research and you are happy to try and negotiate local taxi drivers and the obvious language barriers. In most cases, groups will use our services, safe in the knowledge that they are booking with a reputable company who takes on that responsibility.

Most stag weekends will try to fit in two activities on the Saturday, this is a great way to shake off the hangovers from the Friday night and also stay out of the pubs all day Saturday. Usually the activities are a mixture, with one activity centred around action and the other more about bringing the guys together for a good laugh.

Riga has a number of activities that suit all budgets, group sizes and types. Some good examples of activities, including the most popular are;

• Zorb Football & Beer Bike
• Gun Shooting & Beer Tasting
• Paintball & City Kayaking
• Bobsleigh & Gun Shooting
• City Segway & Curling

For groups who are budget sensitive, some activities are more suitable than others. While the Winter bobsleigh comes in at £56pp (€79), the beer tasting is only £18pp (€25)...At Travel2Riga we will always find an activity that can make the most of your budget.

The nightlife in Riga is famous, with bars and clubs open until 07:00 affordable beer and of course the beautiful local girls Riga has developed a reputation for being the place to party.

Unfortunately, Riga has also gained a bad reputation with reports of rip-off bars and stories of stag groups being targeted by girls working for scam bars. While we can't deny that this was the case some 4 or 5 years ago, fortunately the Riga municipality has identified these bars and have either closed them down or now closely monitored them.

In any case, taking advantage of our free night tour on your first night will provide you with invaluable knowledge on where is good to party and where you should be avoiding. If you are planning to visit Riga and not use us then you can also download our free Riga Stag Guide, here you will find all the info you need to have a great weekend and stay safe.

At some point on a Stag Weekend, there will most likely be a visit to a gents club. Again taking our advice could save you and your wallet from a night to forget. Generally speaking we would advise that you visit only two gents clubs, these are the 'Jockey Club' located next to Radisson Blu Latvia and the Victory Pub, which is located in the old town.

The latter is without doubt the safest and best value for money, it might not be very big but due to its location its very accessible. Because of the clubs size, there is a good chance that you will be the only group in at any one time, although this is not guaranteed.

The Victory Pub also works with some great 'Stag' related activities, such as fake arrest and strip dinner...Both of these activities can be organised through Travel2Riga. 

After a hard night out, taking some time out to relax and reflect on a great night is a great way to spend your last day in Riga. It may not sound very 'Staggish' but visiting a Spa is a sure fire way of fixing you up before you jet home.

Riga has become one of the spa capitals of Northern Europe with many Scandinavians visiting for the weekend. Two hours of sauna, steam bath and plunge pools will be just the ticket to wash away any lasting hangovers, leaving you feeling fresh come work on Monday morning.

Travel2Riga have over 10 years of experience organising and facilitating group travel, specialising in stag and bachelor weekends. With this in mind you can rest assured that we will make sure you, the groom and the whole group will have a fantastic weekend here in Riga.

If you are thinking of visiting Riga then please feel free to contact us, either by the below contact form or by sending an email to [email protected].