Riga Stag Partys
- Thread starter territt
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I've been to Riga, was a lads holiday with 5 of us, not a stag do - it's a lovely place.
Though when we went we were warned that some of the locals don't act too kindly to tourists, we got talking to a guy who had been living in Riga for a couple of years and was asked to leave a bar because he wasn't a local. When he explained that he had been living there a while they let him stay. We didn't have any problems but we heard a few stories.
I went to Krakow in Poland as well with the same bunch of lads and it was the most random holiday I've ever been on, had a good time there, there's lots of underground hidden bars and the locals were really friendly - we befriended a couple of them and they took us round everywhere. Somewhere you might want to consider.
Though when we went we were warned that some of the locals don't act too kindly to tourists, we got talking to a guy who had been living in Riga for a couple of years and was asked to leave a bar because he wasn't a local. When he explained that he had been living there a while they let him stay. We didn't have any problems but we heard a few stories.
I went to Krakow in Poland as well with the same bunch of lads and it was the most random holiday I've ever been on, had a good time there, there's lots of underground hidden bars and the locals were really friendly - we befriended a couple of them and they took us round everywhere. Somewhere you might want to consider.
Soldato
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A place famous for a concentration camp? Hopefully famous for better things now 
I went on a stag do to Riga about 6 months ago. It was good, but I went on a stag do the year before to Tallin, Estonia, and thought that Tallin was better.
We didn't do much cultural tourism, other than firing guns on a range the morning after. Food we found very cheap and good quality in all the restaurants, but alcohol quite expensive, pretty much the same prices as we would pay in the south east, in and around London.
Strip clubs, not very impressed compared to Tallin or any of the other UK places I've been. They were more expensive and of much lower quality, and no real idea of hospitality, unlike Tallin where the clubs were a lot more switched on and professional.
We were also warned by our hotel to be very careful with a list of about a dozen strip clubs to stay away from or to only enter in a large group, we stuck to those rules and were fine.
That said, we did have two good nights as we found a decent club full of locals, with only one other stag do in. We did get a bit of trouble from some drunk locals in a kebab shop after who tried to pick a fight with us, but it didn't come to much.
Overall, I would say look elsewhere in eastern Europe, it's ok, just nothing special.
We didn't do much cultural tourism, other than firing guns on a range the morning after. Food we found very cheap and good quality in all the restaurants, but alcohol quite expensive, pretty much the same prices as we would pay in the south east, in and around London.
Strip clubs, not very impressed compared to Tallin or any of the other UK places I've been. They were more expensive and of much lower quality, and no real idea of hospitality, unlike Tallin where the clubs were a lot more switched on and professional.
We were also warned by our hotel to be very careful with a list of about a dozen strip clubs to stay away from or to only enter in a large group, we stuck to those rules and were fine.
That said, we did have two good nights as we found a decent club full of locals, with only one other stag do in. We did get a bit of trouble from some drunk locals in a kebab shop after who tried to pick a fight with us, but it didn't come to much.
Overall, I would say look elsewhere in eastern Europe, it's ok, just nothing special.
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Please stay in the UK.
If you must go abroad (which I wish you wouldn't) then please go to one of the cities already blighted by a million British stag do's like Prague and leave the citizens of Beautiful Riga in peace.
If you must go abroad (which I wish you wouldn't) then please go to one of the cities already blighted by a million British stag do's like Prague and leave the citizens of Beautiful Riga in peace.
Well said sir. Stag-do tourism seems to have a horrible nature of adversely affecting cities while wanting to find the next 'different' or en vogue European city.
Bit of an assumption to make tbh... how do you know that the OP is going to be rowdy? Tbh.. their economy is in tatters Latvia needs all the cash it can get from tourism.
I've been there a few times now and never personally had any trouble though there is potential for some in the same way that say some yuppie type from London could potentially get into trouble flashing cash around in some Northern UK city.
I'd say the basic thing to do, if you do decide to go to places frequented by lots of locals then tone it down a bit, don't act like you're on holiday in Spain or some Greek island as the typical drunk brits abroad thing will not go down well.
If you're going to spend some cash then the skyline bar and studio 69 (nightclub in a casino complex) are prob good places to go - you don't have to be as worried about potential aggro from local lads put out at the sight of a group of 'rich' westerners though you do have to be careful with the girls you chat to as a decent portion are of the 'working' variety. i'd recommend phoning up and booking a table as they do have a door policy and will turn away groups of lads and also it isn't too expensive - as a group you'll end up spending what you'd normally have done on beers etc.. anyway except you get your drinks bought to you via a very nice looking waitress and it does help if you're on the pull. Met a very nice Russian girl with very little effort this way.
The old town has some cheaper places, went to a British pub there and met a group of Latvian girls (of the non working variety) and they took us to a nightclub full of Locals - fortunately, being with them, we paid about £2 to get in etc.. did get some dodgy looks from various guys but no aggro or anything.
Been back since to visit the girl I met on the stag do but it is quite a small place and there really isn't all that much to do tbh...
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Soldato
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Having been to both places on Stag weekends, I agree completely.
Riga is ok but Prague is better. Women and everything.
I love Riga, we stayed at Friendly Franks hostel. Great bunch of people there.
We got conned out of £100 and chased down by bouncers. Probably the scariest experience of my life! Im not kidding, its been 6 years and Im still thankful they didnt catch us up! Seriously be careful!
We got conned out of £100 and chased down by bouncers. Probably the scariest experience of my life! Im not kidding, its been 6 years and Im still thankful they didnt catch us up! Seriously be careful!
This is an issue with a lot of the clubs which is why it's always best to use a stag company. They will get you out to the 'safe' clubs just out of town with were great.
Every single one of the people at the stag companies were also totally hot girls
- you've got no chance but still good eye candy!