Krakow Stag Do!

[son of a vette]

Well next weekend I'm off on a friends Stag do to Krakow next weekend, and am wondering what to expect.

I've heard some horror stories of arrests, police sedating rowdy folks, kilted groups getting in trouble and general stories of groups getting fleeced and robbed.
Is it as bad as it is being made out to be?

We are not a rowdy group of guys, the plans for fancy dress and kilts have been ditched in favor of a more tactful approach. Thats not to say there won't be allot of drinking and featherless ornithology going on. Has anyone had any experience out there?

And on less of a down note, anyone got any good tips, places to visit or must see's?

Thanks.

[aizvara]

I went on a friend's stag do over to Krakow a few years ago. We were fairly restrained, but we managed to coincide with the anniversary of Karol Józef Wojtyła's death (Pope JP2). This meant that the city was absolutely rammed with people. Very sober and serious people.

Mostly it went OK, though we had to make a sharp exit from the Market square when one of our number found an acoustically tempting looking sculpture to bellow into just as a 5 minute silence was being held.

I think another stagdo-ee managed to get fleeced for a lot at a strip club - a grim place - buying expensive drinks for the laydees.

Overall, I don't think it was bad in the way you describe - we didn't even see the police, didn't have any real trouble at all. But perhaps, in the couple of years since we went, they've got fed up of parties of drunken brits menacing the locals.

One thing I would say is that its incredibly disheartening to be on a RyanJet/EasyAir flight heading over there completely filled with male stag do attendees. Oh, and the taxi drivers of Krakow are mental.

[havoc]

Was there 5 years ago for a comparatively tame affair (as stag-do's go), and we never had any bother. Having a Polish speaker in the group may have helped...

Ideas:-
- There's a gun club about 20-30mins taxi outside of town, which is a good way to spend a couple of hours. Nothing full-auto, but a range of handguns and a couple of pump-action shotguns!
- There's a great basement-restaurant just outside the main square - big long wooden benches for tables/chairs and proper Polish food.
- There's a bar beyond the other side of the square which have taps on the tables - they bring a 1m tall tube of beer to the table, plug it in and you help yourselves...Homer Simpson stylee, of course!

[shirt]

I went with a group of 6, not a stag do - just a pissup. the majority of locals we met in the bars were friendly and up for showing us the nightlife. ended up in some great places we otherwise wouldn't have found.

i'd imagine the sports bars & strip clubs would be places to find oneself ripped off. chat to the locals and go where they recommend. for instance, our hotel receptionist was a singer in an electro band who got us into her gig and the afterparty then onto an all night drinking den (black gallery). another night we met a guy who took us to his grandmas flat to pick up 'supplies' before taking us to a house party. had some storming hangovers that week but never had a bit of trouble.

[EarlOfHazard]

I was there for a stag do in July. Great place, we did shooting (uzi, shot gun, magnum 357), white water rafting - this is where the Polish rafting team practice apparently. Went air softing in a disused factory - that was cool.
And the clubs were all good, loads of strip clubs, and normal bars.
Don't get too pissed, as the police will fine you for anything ie j walking. And the taxi drivers will charge too much if you're on your own - so stay together. My mate got charged more to go 5 mins, than it cost to go to the airport 30 mins away. And finally - although I seriously doubt you'll do this on a stag do, but Auschwitz is about 20 mins away too.