Beer bike & pedal bus stag do

Amsterdam's beer bikes run from the Sloterdijk area on the western edge of the city rather than the canal ring, so allow for the short trip out, which is usually not included. A ride lasts 75 minutes with a uniformed sober driver and 20 litres of beer on board, or bubbly instead if the group prefers. Each bike takes up to 16, with the sixteenth person sitting up front beside the driver. Local licensing rules mean anything left over stays on the bike. Riders must be 18 or over. Slots run from about midday into the evening, so it works well as an afternoon warm-up.

Barcelona's beer bikes run outside the city centre, in a natural park area about 40 minutes away where noise and drinks are allowed, with transfers from a meeting point on La Rambla often included. A ride lasts an hour or so for 10 to 16 people, with beer or sangria on board. Fancy dress is fine as long as it is not offensive, and you need shoes you can pedal in. The waterfront alternative is the beer pedal boat: 90 minutes on the sea with a captain, up to 12 per boat and your own music. Boats refuse anyone who arrives intoxicated, and anyone prone to seasickness should come prepared.

Brighton has two formats. The beer bike sets off from Regency Mews in the centre, carries up to 15 and supplies cans on board, with a sober driver who can stop serving anyone who has had too much. The other starts and finishes at a brewhouse on Gloucester Place, takes six to eleven, has you bring your own drinks, and runs on Friday evenings and hourly on Saturday afternoons. Both last about an hour and are weather-dependent, so bring a jacket. Bikes are allocated first come, first served, so book early.

Lisbon's beer bikes start in Belém, on the riverside, and ride for an hour past Belém Tower, the Monument to the Discoveries, the marina and the bridge. Drinks are unlimited, with beer, sangria, wine or rosé, and an English-speaking driver steers. A bike seats 16 to 20, and unless you book every seat you may share it with another group. Arrive sober and on time: drivers refuse boarding to anyone intoxicated, and arriving more than 15 minutes late cancels the ride without a refund. Slots run from midday into the evening.

London's beer bikes start and finish in Shoreditch and loop through the City fringe, around Aldgate and Liverpool Street, for an hour to 90 minutes with a sober driver steering. A bike seats 13, so a bigger group books back-to-back sessions or a second bike. Beer is supplied in cans, about 32 for up to eight riders plus four for each extra person, and some hires let you bring a couple of drinks each instead. The driver can stop serving anyone who has had too much. Plug in your own playlist.

The Newcastle beer bike sets off from St James' Boulevard in the city centre and runs for an hour past the sights with a guide on board. Bikes hold 12 to 15, so a bigger group needs two or three running together, and they are allocated first come, first served, so book early. Beer is supplied on board in cans, with the allowance rising with group size, and the driver can stop serving anyone who has had too much. It runs year-round but is weather-dependent, so bring a jacket.