Use The SMART Method To Plan the Ultimate Stag Do!
This guide will give you the best Plan & tips to book the ultimate stag weekend
Booking a stag weekend can be a daunting task, especially if you’re the one in charge. Organising activities, accommodation, and transportation and managing the budget, it all becomes a bit to much. However, using the SMART method, you can organise a stag do that meets all your expectations with ease.
This SMART method consists of
Safety
The first thing you should consider when planning a stag-do is safety. Safety is a crucial aspect to consider when planning a stag-do, especially if you’re travelling to an unfamiliar destination. It’s essential to take precautions to ensure that everyone stays safe throughout the trip.
Here are some tips to consider:
- Research the destination: Before booking your trip, research the destination to understand potential risks and things to watch out for. Check the government travel advice website for the country you’re visiting.
- Be aware of scams: Tourist destinations can be rife with scams, so it’s important to be aware of common scams and avoid falling victim to them. Keep an eye on your belongings and be wary of anyone approaching you.
- Travel insurance: Make sure everyone in the group has appropriate travel insurance that covers the activities you have planned. In the event of an emergency, having travel insurance can provide peace of mind and financial protection. And let’s be honest, someone will get drunk and break a bone or lose something.
- Emergency contacts & Important information: Make sure everyone in the group has a list of emergency contacts and essential information, including the location and contact details of the accommodation you’re staying in. Consider giving cards to all members with your accommodation address and contact number, and write this information on their bodies. So when they wake up passed out in a gutter somewhere with no money, they will know where to go. Also, you can show it to the cab driver when going home drunk after a night out and you can’t speak.
- Stay connected: Make sure each group member has a fully charged phone with roaming enabled and find my phone turned on, or consider purchasing local SIM cards. Use group chat apps like WhatsApp or Telegram to keep everyone connected, share important information, and always pin locations.
- Money: It’s also a good idea to keep some money in your shoe and tap it to your body if you get robbed or lose all your stuff.
Money
The money or budget is one of the most crucial parts of planning a stag do, and it requires careful consideration and management. It consists of making a budget, dealing with tight arses and taking payments from everyone.
Making The Budget
The first step is to set a budget. Ensure everyone knows the budget and how much they’re expected to pay. When setting the budget for a stag do, it is vital to have everyone’s involvement in deciding how much to spend, as people are likelier to stick to it and be happy with something they had a part in.
However, this can be tricky if you have some tight areas in your group, but we also have a way to deal with them, don’t invite them.
But if you have to, there are a few things you can do.
First, give each person the option not to participate in any activity you pick. Provide multiple options for each activity, so the group can decide on the cheaper or more expensive option. Lastly, tell the cheap people that you’re getting a discount. That will normally keep them happy.
Tracking The Budget & Payments
You can use a spreadsheet to keep track of expenses, and there are, paid or free templates already available. It’s best to put a little more time into this, always overestimate the cost, and add in some extra for miscellaneous expenses (fines for pissing in public and so on).
During the stag do, there will be a lot of group dinners and drinks, and nobody wants to be the one stuck paying and having to chase up each mate for their share. So you should all download a money cost tracking app called Split Wise
This app is excellent as it allows you to make a group profile where you can add in costs, and it automatically divides up who owes what, and you customise it if some people do not take part in some expenses. At the end of the stag do, it will show who owes who what and equally it all out to make fewer payments needed.
Destination
Planning a stag do can be an exciting but daunting task, especially when it comes to choosing the perfect destination. While there are many factors to consider, one that should not be overlooked is the exchange rate. Opting for a destination with a favourable exchange rate means that you can stretch your budget further, allowing for more activities, food, and drinks. To help you make the most of your stag do budget, we’ve compiled a list of the top 7 destinations with the best and cheapest exchange rates.
Activities
Choosing suitable activities is crucial to the success of your stag do. You can either book activities with a company or book them yourself. If you’re responsible, not drinking, and want to save money, book the activities yourself. However, booking with a company is best if you’re not bothered about the cost and want convenience.
Booking alone
When booking alone, always book directly and not on TripAdvisor or Get Your Guide, as you can get them cheaper. Always ask for a discount, and don’t say where you’re from, as some places charge more if you are from a more affluent country.
Booking with a company
When choosing a company, check reviews, ask friends who they went with and post on Reddit asking for first-hand experiences, and check Google from the country you’re visiting as it can show local tour companies that are cheaper. Always ask for a discount or a free ticket for the stag. Don’t say where you’re from, as companies will charge more if you are from a more affluent country.
General Tips
- Consider the groom’s interests: The stag do is all about the groom, so choosing activities that he will enjoy is important. Think about his hobbies and interests and try incorporating them into the activities.
- Plan a mix of activities: A good stag do should have a mix of daytime and nighttime activities. This could include adventure sports, sightseeing, cultural experiences, or nightlife activities such as clubbing, pub crawls, or strip clubs.
- Book in advance: Book as much as you can in advance. This includes activities and dinner reservations, so you have nothing to book or worry about during the stag do.
Rest and Refresh
Staying fresh and rested is essential to get the most from your stag do. And there are 3 things to consider
- What sort of accommodation to book, hostel vs hotel vs Airbnb?
- Fighting the hangover.
- Staying Fresh
Accommodation
Accommodation is an integral part of any stag do. Consider the type of accommodation you want, hostel, hotel, or Airbnb.
Hostels are the cheapest and most interactive. Hotels are comfortable and offer more privacy, and Airbnb can be a good option if you want to do coke and have strippers wake you up for breakfast. Make sure you book accommodation that’s close to the activities you’ve planned.
Most popular stag decisions have accommodations specifically for stag groups; this is good as you can go crazy without worrying about getting kicked out. Still, these sorts of lodgings are normally more expensive.
Hostels are an excellent option for budget-conscious groups, and party hostels are an even better option, as alcohol fulled madness is usually encouraged.
Fighting the hangover
Hangovers are inevitable on a stag do, so planning for them is essential. The group will no doubt be battling with a hangover every morning. There are a few things that can be done in advance and on the stag do.
- Don’t book any morning tours.
- Scope out some good breakfast places: A hearty breakfast is essential for curing hangovers and starting the day off right.
- Before getting drunk, make sure you have painkillers, liquid-iv, energy drinks, and some vitamin drinks stocked up at your accommodation so you can all get up and get back into it as quickly as possible.
Staying Fresh
- Plan for downtime: While having a busy itinerary is essential, planning for downtime is also important. Ensure the accommodation has comfortable common areas or outdoor spaces where the group can relax, socialise, and recharge their batteries.
- Spa day: Consider going to a sauna or booking a massage for some extra relaxation on the mornings after a planned big night out.
- Bring earplugs: Make sure everyone has a set of earplugs and put all the bad snores together in the same room.
Titties & Games
This is arguably the most important part of the stag do, as no stag trip is complete without seeing some nice titties.
- Strip Clubs: Bring cash and leave your cards at your accommodation if you plan to visit a strip club. Pre-booking a table at a strip club through a stag-do company is always better as you will generally get ripped off less.
- Sexy Wake-Up: Another great option is to book a sexy wake-up call where a stripper maid will come to your accommodation and wake up the stag. Alternately, some cities offer a sexy stag arrest where police arrest the stag on the street and then take them to a strip club.
- Stag party games: One of the best ways to add extra fun to a stag trip is by playing some drinking games. Our favourite is Stag do bingo. You can also check out this great list of stag-do games or general drinking games. You can also check out this guide for the best stag party games.
Now it’s time to plan your stag do
In conclusion, using the SMART method, you can plan a successful stag-do meeting all your expectations. Consider safety, budget, activities, accommodation, and titties & games, and you’ll have a memorable trip. If you have any questions or need any recommendations, please get in touch with us.
If you are planning on coming to Wroclaw, check The full Wroclaw Stag Do Guide or Join The Wroclaw Boat Party
