The Best Man's Complete Guide to Planning a European Stag Do
Nobody tells you how to be a best man. One day you're asked, the next you're responsible for 12 people having the best weekend of the groom's life in a city you've never visited, collecting money from people who don't respond to messages, and somehow keeping it a surprise. This guide covers everything you actually need to know.
Start earlier than you think you need to
The biggest organisational mistake best men make is underestimating how long everything takes. Popular accommodation in Budapest or Prague sells out 10–12 weeks ahead for summer dates. The Széchenyi Sparty in Budapest sells out 3–4 weeks in advance. Flights are £30–60 pp cheaper booked 6–8 weeks out than 2–3 weeks out. For a group of 12, that flight difference alone is £360–720 in total.
The realistic timeline looks like this:
- 12+ weeks ahead: Settle on dates and destination. Message people to hold the dates — not a group chat, individual messages.
- 10 weeks ahead: Book accommodation. This is the most time-sensitive booking.
- 8 weeks ahead: Book flights. Compare individually vs group booking — airlines sometimes charge more for large single bookings.
- 6 weeks ahead: Book any activities that sell out (Sparty, shooting ranges, boat parties).
- 4 weeks ahead: Make dinner reservations for group meals.
- 1 week ahead: Chase final payments. Share the itinerary.
Picking the destination: the three questions that matter
Every "best stag do destinations" article will give you a ranked list. Ignore it. The right destination depends on three things specific to your group:
1. What is the actual budget ceiling?
Not the average — the ceiling. The person with the least disposable income sets the destination. If one person in the group genuinely cannot afford Barcelona, Barcelona is the wrong destination. Find out privately before announcing anything. A group where everyone can comfortably afford Krakow will have a better time than a group where two people are stressed about money in Barcelona.
2. What does the groom actually want?
Some grooms want to dance until 6am. Some want to sit in a beer garden for three days. Some want activities — go-karts, shooting ranges, tank driving. Some explicitly do not want a "traditional" stag do. Ask him directly before you plan anything. The stag do is for him, not for your idea of what a stag do should be.
3. How adventurous is the group?
Belgrade is an extraordinary destination but it requires more logistical confidence than Dublin. If this is a group that has never been to Eastern Europe and several people are nervous about unfamiliar cities, Budapest or Prague are more forgiving choices — the infrastructure for international groups is well-developed and English is widely spoken.
| Destination | Budget (3 nights excl. flights) | Best for | Avoid if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krakow | £180–300 pp | Tightest budgets, beer culture, unique atmosphere | Group wants beach or sunshine |
| Budapest | £260–400 pp | Best all-rounder — activities, nightlife, culture | Group can't handle currency confusion |
| Prague | £210–340 pp | Beer culture, beautiful city, great value | Group wants beach or Mediterranean vibe |
| Lisbon | £300–450 pp | Sun, rooftops, food — works for mixed groups | Strict budget — can get expensive quickly |
| Belgrade | £250–380 pp | Wildest nightlife in Europe, unique splavovi | Group wants famous landmarks or culture |
| Berlin | £300–480 pp | Techno, arts, genuine cool factor | Group expects to get into Berghain easily |
| Dublin | £350–500 pp | No friction — language, currency, culture familiar | Tight budget — comparable to London prices |
Managing the group: the bit nobody talks about
Managing 12 people across a weekend in a foreign city is a logistics job. The best man who does this well makes it look effortless. The one who doesn't ends up spending the entire trip on their phone trying to find where half the group went.
A few things that genuinely work:
- Create a WhatsApp group the moment the trip is confirmed — not for democratic decision-making, but for logistics. Meeting times, addresses, "everyone meet at X at 7pm". Keep decisions out of the group chat.
- Choose a deputy. Pick one person you trust to be a co-organiser. Not for planning — for the actual weekend. If you need to deal with something, they keep the group moving.
- Tell people the plan the night before, not on the day. "Tomorrow: we're at the shooting range at 2pm, dinner at 7:30pm at [name], out from 10pm" the previous evening means nobody is surprised and everyone can prepare.
- Don't try to keep everyone together all the time. By Day 2, some people will want a slower afternoon. Let them. A group of 5 having a great time beats a group of 12 where 4 are miserable.
Collecting money: do this before anything is booked
The single worst thing that can happen is booking accommodation for 12 people and then finding out three of them can't actually come. Collect a non-refundable deposit — £80–100 per person — before you book anything. The accommodation deposit is the commitment mechanism.
Use Splitwise to track everything. Create the group, add everyone, and put every shared expense in there as it happens. When someone asks "what do I owe?" you send them the Splitwise link — you're not doing mental arithmetic at 2am trying to remember who paid for what.
What to book in advance vs leave flexible
Always book in advance: accommodation, flights, any ticketed activity (spa parties, shooting ranges, boat parties), group dinner reservations.
Leave flexible: which specific bars you go to, how long you stay anywhere, the route from dinner to the first bar. The best stag nights are the ones where the structure is solid enough that nothing goes badly wrong, but loose enough that the group can follow their energy.
The one thing people regret not doing: Printing or saving the key addresses and booking confirmations offline before departure. When you land in a foreign city, someone's phone will have no signal, someone else's battery will be dead, and you'll be glad you have the apartment address written down somewhere.