Ways to Celebrate a Bachelor Party: Your Options!

Club, house party, pub crawl or the great outdoors? How you celebrate sets the mood for the whole bachelor party – and decides your budget. We compare the four most common options, tell you which group each one suits and roughly what it costs per person, so you can quickly find the right one.

Of course the trip, activities, outfit and games are all part of it – but the heart of it is the party itself. And if none of the four options fits: you can even celebrate your stag or hen do online.

Bachelor party options compared

Here are the party options at a glance. See for yourselves what suits you best – further down there’s more information on each option.

Party option	At a club	House party	Pub crawl	Outdoors
Dancing & action	➕➕➕	➕➕	➕	➕
Stranger factor	➕➕➕	➕	➕➕	➕
Friends factor	➕	➕➕➕	➕➕	➕➕➕
Chill factor	➕	➕➕➕	➕	➕
Fancy dress	➕	➕➕➕	➕➕	➕➕➕
Your own programme	➕	➕➕➕	➕	➕➕

Bachelor party options compared: ➕➕➕ = good | ➕➕ = average | ➕ = poor

A quick word on what the factors mean. Dancing & action shows how much you can hit the dance floor and let loose. The stranger factor measures how easily you get chatting with passers-by or other guests – ideal for bachelor party games with strangers. The friends factor measures how much undisturbed time you get with each other, the chill factor how cosy it is (a comfy sofa instead of a wobbly bar stool). Fancy dress shows how free you are with costumes, and your own programme how much you decide the running order and the music yourselves.

Party at a club

A party at a club certainly has its appeal. You celebrate along with lots of other people, you can dance, perhaps sit in the VIP area, and the DJ takes care of the music. On the other hand, you’re not quite as free to shape the evening.

Costs: Per person, budget for entry (€10 to €20) and drinks (around €20 to €50).

Things to bear in mind:

• Remember that you may need to book ahead so you don’t have to queue for too long.
• Find out what music they play and whether it’s your thing.
• Fancy dress can sometimes get in the way. Check beforehand or bring a second outfit.

Who it’s for: VIP boys & girls and anyone who likes bass in their ears!

House party / holiday home party

A house party is usually cosy and can be shaped exactly the way you want. You play your music, dress up however you like, maybe have a little programme, and you’re your own boss. Then again, you have to clear up the mess afterwards, and the house should still be standing…

Costs: Per person, budget for snacks (€5) and drinks (around €15).

Things to bear in mind:

• You can of course also book a stripper and plan a strip show for the evening!
• Plan more than usual: a little programme (games, photo slideshow, gags, fancy dress, strip show etc.), good music (pick 3 playlists, for example) and a good choice of drinks liven up the evening.
• It doesn’t have to be a heavy drinking session either – you can plan a relaxed programme instead. Ideal for a pregnant bride-to-be or anyone who doesn’t fancy alcohol.
• No good place to party? Then simply book a function room or a holiday home.
• Think about the clean-up beforehand (!). Nobody wants to do it, but it has to be done. Why not book a cleaning service for the day after?

Who it’s for: Those who prefer a party among friends and care about their own programme.

Pub crawl

Heading round a few nice pubs with your best mates one more time – there are worse things, right? The evening brings variety, you’ll have good conversations and get talking to other guests.

Costs: Per person, budget for drinks (around €30).

Things to bear in mind:

• Are you in fancy dress? Then have a word with the bar owner.
• It can also pay to negotiate a special deal. That might save you a few euros.

Who it’s for: Pub lovers and beer drinkers!

Party outdoors

How about a lovely party by a lake? Maybe there’s a beautiful spot near you where you can hold an outdoor party together? You’re among yourselves, with nature, a barbecue and a guitar as your faithful companions…

Costs: Per person, budget for food (around €10), drinks (around €20) and equipment (€5).

Things to bear in mind:

• Plan your party well, because once the drinks or the power run out, the party’s over. So make sure you have food, drinks, power, lighting and so on – you’ll easily find a good packing list online.
• Check whether you’ll disturb anyone or whether partying there is allowed. You don’t want the police to end it for you.

Who it’s for: Outdoorsy lads and lasses who love being in nature.

Verdict: which way to celebrate?

In the end, three questions settle it pretty quickly. How big is the budget – that often rules out the pricier club nights straight away. What do you fancy most, a glittering night of dancing or a cosy evening among friends? And what does the group say when you ask around? Once you agree, look up specific venues in our city guides – we’ve already researched bars, clubs and experiences for each city.