Since Hungary joined the EU in 2004 the entry has opened up to low cost airlines, including the ones from the UK that carry most of the stag groups to Budapest. The number of groups choosing Budapest for their stag party location has rapidly increased and is still growing.

Traveling abroad is generally quite stressful for most people. So if you are traveling for a stag weekend with another 10-15 hard-to-control mates of yours who are dead hungry for fun, and your stag party destination is Budapest - that is in Eastern Europe -, you might consider to try to find as much information on your destination as possible for the sake of avoiding problems and having a fantastic time.

You might have heard many rumours about Budapest. Some people, even those who have never been here will tell you horror stories, some the opposite. We all know how important word of mouth is even though it might not entirely reflect the reality. Some people will be disappointed with Budapest, however, the most will be delighted.

Many people will tell you that Budapest is just like Prague being crowded and overwhelmed by British stag groups. In reality Budapest is much larger and can easily absorb three or four times more visitors than Prague. What is more, while Prague has a tiny, compact central area, Budapest has a sprawling city center spread over more than 25 square miles.

Some people will question public safety in Budapest and tell you horror stories about Eastern European cities including Hungary's capital. As a matter of fact Budapest is generally a safe and relaxed place. It is like a western European city; forget the horror stories you have heard. Violent crime is rare and generally crime in Budapest is low by Western European standards. You are unlikely to have any problems during your stay if you follow the basic rules you wouldn't forget in other major cities. Racism or xenophobia is not too very common an occurrence here either. Petty crime however is common, but is mainly limited to pickpockets and petty theft. According to the British embassy's information: "The main type of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in Hungary in 2006 was petty crime, often including the loss of money and/or passports."

Also pub fights are very rare in Budapest! It is highly unlikely you will see any and hardly ever do problems generate between the stag groups and locals.

You might get informed that everything is very cheap in Budapest. Don't let yourself be fooled; it is not 100% true! Yes, generally we can say that compared to the prices in the UK the prices in Budapest are lower, and that the "ingredients" of a good stag party - i.e. beer (£1.50/ per pint) and food (£10 for 2-3 course), tobacco (£1.5 per pack) - are much cheaper. However, you might enter a club or restaurant where these prices are not applicable and you are required to pay similar amounts of money you would pay in the UK. Also spirits, long drinks and cocktails have similar prices like they have in the UK, but in Hungary in case of spirits the measurement is bigger. In spite of this bigger measurement many stag groups are surprised and disappointed with the price.

Perhaps people will warn you about the taxis and you might hear some terrific stag weekend stories to confirm that taxis are dangerous in Budapest. They will tell you that a 5-minute drive cost £40 for them and the driver even threatened them when they didn't want to pay. Unfortunately, some of these stories are true. However, this is not typical of Budapest and conflict is easy to avoid. Taxis don't cost that much (around £5 in the inner city) if you take our advice. The general rule for your stag weekend is that it is better to phone for a taxi from one of the reputable local companies and make sure the taximeter is on or haggle the price with the driver before starting the ride.

A real stag party would not even be that without a visit to one of the lush gentlemen's clubs; you would not want to miss out on that! For sure, you will be warned about night clubs in Budapest. And it is not without any reason. If you are not careful enough it can be an extremely expensive stag weekend, you can be charged exorbitant prices in certain strip bars. Most of the gentlemen's club in Budapest are tourist traps but - and it is very important- not all of them! A cautiously chosen club guaranties an excellent time out for all participants. To give you some idea on the prices in a non tourist trap gentlemen's club, the easiest is to say that the prices of drinks are very similar to those in the UK. If you choose the right club you might even get a 2 for 1 option on your first drink. Try to avoid buying a drink for the girls! If you want to have a private dance it costs almost the same as the drink itself.

To ensure a fantastic stag weekend in Budapest we strongly recommend using a local stag organizer company. By accepting our advice, we like to think that you are assured to belong to the long list of customers who have great memories of Hungary.