Prague crowned best European destination for bachelor parties

Those living in Prague will be wholly unsurprised to learn that the Czech capital is a popular destination for stag dos (bachelor parties for men about to get married). One study, however, has named Prague the best and most popular destination in the whole of Europe for such alcohol-fueled parties.

VegasSlotsOnline examined three different variables when assessing Europe’s top 10 stag-do destinations: the annual Google search volume for bachelor parties in a particular destination, the average price of a pint, and the average cost of an Airbnb apartment per night.

Bachelor parties tend to occur over the weekend and often feature groups of men in fancy dress on bar crawls.

Prague came out on top in terms of the number of Google searches for bachelor parties in the Czech capital, at about 19,200 searches per year. It also had the cheapest pint, with an average cost of EUR 2.1 (around CZK 50).

However, its average Airbnb price was higher than the top-five average, with guests paying EUR 97 on average per night.

Overall, Prague received an average score of 9.2 (out of 10), making the city a strong choice for prospective stag parties.

Budapest, Bratislava, and Lisbon were ranked second to fourth respectively. Bratislava had the cheapest Airbnb price out of all assessed countries, at just EUR 65 per night.

Lisbon had the most expensive average cost of a pint, at over EUR 5, and also had among the most expensive Airbnb prices out of all assessed cities. Warsaw, Berlin, and Brussels also featured in the top 10. 

Prague also scores well for so-called hen dos (bachelorette parties; the female equivalent of stag dos). It is ranked the second-best destination for hen dos, mainly due to its cheap beer prices. It trails Budapest, due to the Hungarian capital’s considerably lower nightly Airbnb costs (EUR 68).

The prices of cocktails – a typically popular drink during hen parties – are also assessed in the study for hen dos. Prague’s average cocktail prices were joint-cheapest out of all assessed cities, at EUR 8. 

Lisbon was the third-most-popular hen-do destination and Liverpool the fourth; the British city had the highest amount of Google searches, at over 10,000. In comparison to the other top-10 best cities for hen dos, Prague was searched considerably fewer times (3,840). Barcelona and Brussels are also featured in the top-10 list for bachelorette parties.

Stag and hen dos are most often associated with inebriated British tourists: Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) figures show that around 270,000 guests from the U.K. visited Prague in 2022, with the average stay lasting just 2.7 nights. Only Germans (859,000 guests) and Slovaks (350,000 guests) were more numerous.

Since the end of Covid-19-related lockdowns and travel restrictions, tourist numbers to Prague have recovered significantly.

Data from the ČSÚ shows that around 4.5 million non-Czechs visited the capital in 2022, and separate ČSÚ data showed that tourism to Czechia rebounded to almost 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels last year.

Due to noise, littering, and other issues related with disorderliness, Prague is attempting to reduce the harmful effects of inebriated tourists. 

Prague City Council earlier this year renewed its “Enjoy, Respect Prague” campaign, which encourages visitors to not be excessively loud after 10 p.m. and to act sensibly. The posters can be seen around Prague city center, and also at Prague Airport.

One of the posters encourages visitors to treat Prague like they would their mother. That “mum” is spelled in British English may be coincidental or intended.

Prague Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil, responsible for culture and tourism, said earlier this year that “Prague should not be a destination where people go for alcoholic parties.” The city also announced in March this year that it will invest over CZK 8 million to attract more “culture-oriented” tourists, rather than drinkers and party-goers. 

The new study will only confirm many people’s beliefs that Prague is among the most popular destination for bachelor(ette) parties in Europe – an aspect that indubitably aggrieves many locals.