Bucharest, Bucharest, Bucharest. What a city! The capital of Romania has been named as one of the coolest cities in Europe and as a hub of alternative counter culture where street art brightens up the buildings, and pubs, bars, clubs and culture hubs line the pavements, Bucharest is an ideal place for a stag do abroad. Not only is the booze cheap as chips, but the women are stunning, and the nightlife really is as experimental, creative and as wild as it gets.
It may not be at the top of many people’s ‘To Visit’ lists but there is a certain element of the secret, undiscovered treasure about Bucharest, which makes it all the more seductive as an off-the-beaten track place to party your stag weekend away.
Key Facts
Currency: Romanian Leu RON
Official Language: Romanian
Dialling Code: +40
Emergency Number: 112
Population: +2.27 million
Top Things to Do
- Visit the Museum of the Romanian Peasant: Undoubtedly one of the best museums in Bucharest, the Museum of the Romanian Peasant is a great alternative idea to pass the time while not boozing on your stag weekend abroad. It’s full of weird and wonderful costumes, weapons, icons, architecture and artwork.
- Laze in the Sun at Herastrau Park: Bucharest has lots of great outdoor retreats and green areas which are just perfect for an afternoon or lazing in the sun with an ice-box full of cold beers, watching the pretty girls stroll past. Top points for a stag afternoon of park life chillaxing go to Cismigiu Garden, the Botanical Garden, and Herastrau Park.
- Experience Communist Bucharest: The Romanian capital still bears many remnants of its Soviet era, communist history. If it’s a more historically enriching experience you want from your stag do in Bucharest, track down some of the famous communist landmarks such as The House of the Free Press and Revolution Square.
- Try your luck at the Casino: Tired of traditional nightlife activities? Take your stag group out to the casino for a raucous evening of gambling, drinking and smoking cigars.
- Try Alternative Clubbing: Bucharest is a great stag destination for alternative nightlife options. There are clubs, and then there are underground clubs where the party is more hard core, the people are hotter and wilder, the music is better and the drinking and debauchery never ends.
- Visit the Lipscani District: Every city has one. A district that is cooler, more unique, eccentric and quirkier than the rest. This spot is usually where you’ll find the best bars, the best clubs, the best shops and the best people. In Bucharest, this district is called Lipscani, and it is an absolute must visit for any stag group looking for a great evening out.
- Have a Traditional Romanian Dinner: Romanian food is delicious. It’s hot, spicy, meaty and rich – perfect for lining your stomach before heading out for a big stag party. Indulge in some stag pre party bonding time with a meal out at a traditional Romanian restaurant.
Top Stag Activities in Bucharest
- Try the Escape Room Experience: For an awesome stag experience, try the Escape Room. Ok, we know it’s not exactly typically Romanian, but it is typically team-building, fun and challenging. It’s a great idea to get the group to know each other at the beginning of the weekend abroad.
- Grand Prix Go Karting: Anyone for a bit of healthy competition? Find out which of your stag group is the quickest and slickest when it comes to driving. Grand Prix Go Karting is not just an exhilarating activity to take part in, it’s also fun to watch the other drivers battle it out for first place from the side lines, cold beer in hand!
- Go on a Romanian Shots Crawl: See your groom-to-be off in style with a shot of Romanian firewater Palinka in as many bars as you can handle. This is one way to get the party started, just make sure you down hit so many shots that you can’t remember your Bucharest stag nightlife experience.
What to Eat
Ciorbă de perişoare” (meatball soup), Tocaniţă (meat stew seasoned with onions and spices), ghiveci (vegetables cooked in oil), sarmale (pickled cabbage leaves stuffed with a mix of minced meats, rice and spices), mititei (small skinless grilled sausages).
What to Drink
Local Beers: Ursus, Ciuc and Timisoreana
Wines: Busuioacă de Bohotin (sweet rosé), Busuioacă de Bohotin, Feteasca Neagra (red), Feteasca Alba (white), Feteasca Regala (white), Tamaioasa Romaneasca (white)
Spirits: Tuica (prune liquor), afinata, visinata and zmeurata
Public Transport
Bucharest is served by a variety of public transport options. Stag groups wanting to travel above group can opt for a wide network of bus, tram and trolleybus lines. Almost the entire city is covered by these routes and the lines run from 5am until 11:30pm. Tickets can be picked up at sales point throughout the city and need to be validated before getting on board. Very conveniently, the tickets for the bus, tram and trolleybus can all be interchanged! Perfect for multi transportation!
The underground service is perhaps the most efficient way of traveling around Bucharest. Perfect for stag groups looking to get around quickly and easily, there are 4 different lines and metro stations are dotted across the capital and are indicated by a giant blue M above ground.
Climate
While we know that a large proportion of stag groups spend most of their time in Bucharest guzzling cheap beer, there are plenty of alternative activities to keep them occupied. While some of the more outdoor pursuits may depend on good weather conditions, Romania’s climate is working in your favour. Due to its position in the south-eastern part of Europe, Bucharest has a relatively temperate, humid continental climate.
Having said that the winter can be windy, and cold with temperatures often dipping well below 0°Celsius. Summer is warm and sunny with little rain and the occasional heavy thunder storm. In spring and autumn temperatures sway between 17 °C to 22 °C during the day, dropping a little at night.
Useful Costs
Good meal in a restaurant: 80 lei
Lunchtime snack: 25 lei
Pint of beer: 8 to 15 lei
Bottle of wine: 24 lei
Drink in a club: 21 lei
One way local public transport ticket: 1.50 lei
Cost of Taxi (min): 1.70 lei per km
Did You Know?
- The capital of Romania since 1659, Bucharest is the sixth largest capital in Europe
- Bucharest is the birth place of the man who invented the modern jet engine, Henri Coanda. He was born in the capital in 1910
- The capital of Romania is famous for its legions of stray dogs, which are said to bite around 9000 people per year
- The Romanian Palace of Parliament is the biggest office building in Europe and the second largest in the world, after the Pentagon in the United States
- Bucharest is known as “little Paris” thanks to its plethora of stunning Belle Epoque buildings