Prague stag do

Prague was the original European stag destination, and for many groups it still is. The beer is some of the best in the world, the city is beautiful, and it's a short, cheap flight from most UK airports.

It has changed, though. The city has spent the last few years trying to move away from its reputation as a cheap party town, and there are rules and attitudes you need to know about before you go. Plan around them and Prague is still a brilliant weekend.

Many Praguers are tired of stag groups, and British ones in particular. Years of noisy groups in the Old Town have left a mark, and the British Embassy has in the past warned that some city-centre bars and restaurants no longer accept groups of British visitors.

The city council has acted on this. In late 2024 it banned organised pub crawls in the centre between 10pm and 6am, saying it wanted to attract more cultured tourists. A district council has also floated banning the silly costumes that stag and hen groups wear, although that hadn't become law at the time of writing. Drinking in the street is banned across most of the centre, with on-the-spot fines.

The flip side is that ordinary pubs are as welcoming as ever to a polite group. Order in Czech if you can manage it, don't shout across the bar, and you'll find most locals friendly. The groups that get a frosty reception are the ones who behave like they own the place.

Some Old Town bars and restaurants turn away large groups of British men on sight. Others have "no stag" policies. The answer, as everywhere, is to split into smaller groups and to spend more time outside the tourist core.

You can still go from pub to pub as a group. The pub crawl ban covers organised, guided tours run by companies after 10pm, not friends going for a drink. Bars will still serve you. But don't expect to join a guided crawl after dark in the centre.

Leave the fancy dress for the groom, if you bring it at all. Costumes are exactly what the city has been complaining about, and they make you a target for doormen and police.

Carry your passport, or at least know where it is. Police can ask for ID.

Old Town and Wenceslas Square

The tourist centre, beautiful in the daytime and full of stag groups and touts at night. Fine for a look around and a meal, but not where the best bars are.

Žižkov

Said to have more pubs per head than anywhere in the world. Cheap, local and a short tram ride from the centre. The best area for a proper Czech pub night.

Vinohrady

Leafy, residential and full of good bars, wine bars and restaurants. A more grown-up evening.

Malá Strana

Below the castle on the other side of the river. Historic pubs and a quieter feel.

Holešovice

An up-and-coming area with bars and clubs in old industrial buildings, and fewer tourists.

Beer spa

You sit in a hot tub of beer ingredients with unlimited lager on tap. It's a bit ridiculous and a lot of fun.

Shooting ranges

Prague has several ranges that let tourists shoot under supervision. Book through a reputable company, and never go after drinking.

Brewery visits

Strahov Monastery brewery, near the castle, and the old brewpubs in the centre are worth a visit. A day trip to the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Plzeň is about ninety minutes by train.

Football or ice hockey

Sparta and Slavia Prague are the big football clubs, and ice hockey is hugely popular in the winter. Tickets are cheap and easy to get.

A river cruise

A beer or dinner cruise on the Vltava is a good way to see the city without walking it.

Friday

Fly in, drop the bags and head to Žižkov for a proper Czech pub night with cheap beer and big plates of food.

Saturday

Walk up to the castle and the Strahov brewery, then the beer spa or a shooting range in the afternoon. Dinner in Vinohrady, then bars in Vinohrady or Holešovice.

Sunday

A slow breakfast, a walk across Charles Bridge before the crowds, and the flight home.

Stay outside the Old Town, in Vinohrady, Žižkov or Karlín. You'll get better value and quieter streets, and the trams make everything easy to reach.

The Czech government has moved to give cities more control over short-term lets, and the rules are tightening. Book apartments through properly registered hosts, and read the house rules. Many ban parties and have noise curfews.

A local accommodation fee is added per person per night, so check whether it's included in the price you're quoted.

Prices change, so check before you book.

• Avoid the bright yellow and blue currency exchange booths and standalone cash machines in the tourist centre, which often charge terrible rates. Use a bank's own ATM, and always choose to be charged in koruna.
• Use Uber or Bolt rather than hailing taxis in the Old Town, where overcharging has long been a problem.
• Drinking in the street is banned across most of the centre. Finish your drink before you leave the bar.
• Ignore anyone in the street offering you clubs, strip bars or anything else. It rarely ends well.