Guided bar crawl stag do

Albufeira's crawls run along the Strip in the New Town, where the bars are close together. Expect a 9pm or 9.30pm start, five or six bars over four to five hours with a shot at each, and guestlist entry to a club at the end, led by an English-speaking guide. Shorter two-hour versions start at 8pm or 10pm. Dress is casual. Some crawls run every night of the week and others only on Fridays and Saturdays, so check before fixing the night. ID for 18+ is checked.

Amsterdam crawls start promptly at 8pm and run three to four hours. The public crawls are centred on either the red light district or Leidseplein, take in up to five bars, finish with club entry and open with half an hour of free shots, so pace the start. Private crawls for your group visit three or four bars, with a shot in the first. Dress codes are strict: no fancy dress, shorts, joggers, beachwear, flip-flops or backpacks, so the stag outfit stays at the hotel. Bring ID, as crawls are 18-plus, and be at the meeting point on time.

Guided crawls in Birmingham start in the centre around Temple Street at 7pm and finish at 11pm, taking in three or four bars and ending with club entry. Photo ID is essential, fancy dress is refused and doors turn away anyone who has had too much. If you would rather go without a guide, self-led routes start on Bromsgrove Street and the itinerary arrives a week before, with four or five bars a night. Nightlife passes cover Friday and Saturday from 9pm.

Bournemouth's crawls start in the town centre, often on Old Christchurch Road, from around 7pm, and run about four hours, finishing by 11pm or heading into a club soon after. Everything is within walking distance, though one Friday and Saturday format moves the group between bars on a party bus from 7:45pm, about 45 minutes per bar, reaching the club around 11:45pm. Bring photo ID, leave the fancy dress at home on the guided routes, and keep the pace steady, as doors refuse anyone who has had too much. Self-led routes arrive a week before.

Most Brighton crawls meet at Castle Square at about 7:30pm and run four to five hours, typically four bars and then a club. Bring a passport or driving licence, as screenshots are not accepted. Dress is smart casual, and some routes refuse tracksuits, beachwear, vests, flip-flops and shorts. It is all on foot, so wear shoes you can walk in. Another route starts on Preston Street, finishes at 11pm and bans fancy dress, and one crawl stays entirely within the Lanes, which keeps the walking short. Doors refuse anyone who has had too much, so pace the early rounds.

Cardiff's crawls stay in the centre, mostly around St Mary Street, which keeps everything on foot. A private guided crawl starts at 7pm and finishes at 11pm with three or four bars and club entry. A public crawl runs every Friday and Saturday from 7.30pm for about five hours, joining other groups and visiting around five venues. Bring photo ID, wear smart casual and expect fancy dress to be refused. Doors turn away anyone who has had too much, so pace the afternoon.

Dublin crawls meet at 8pm, and the group needs to be there by 8.15pm or risk missing the start. Expect around five hours across five or six pubs and bars, a pint of stout on arrival, three or four shots along the way and entry to a club to finish. Some routes lean on live music, which is the point of a night out here. Public crawls take groups of up to about 20; from 21 upwards you can have a private guide. Smart casual is the safe choice for the club at the end, and 18+ ID is checked.

Edinburgh crawls come in three shapes. The public guided crawl visits about six bars over five hours, shots included, and finishes with club entry. A private crawl for 11 to 50 covers three bars in about three and a half hours. Self-led passes send you the route a week ahead and run from 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Some routes meet on George Street and finish by 11pm, and one bans fancy dress. Photo ID is checked, and anyone too far gone is refused at the door, which matters on the steep walks between bars.

Lisbon crawls start late, at 10pm every night, from a meeting point in Bairro Alto by Largo Luís de Camões, and run about four hours. The format is a shot of Portuguese liqueur at the first bar, then an hour of open bar on beer and sangria, discounted drinks after that, and club entry at around 1:30am. Club doors refuse anyone who arrives intoxicated, so pace the open-bar hour. Smart casual is expected and ID is checked, as it is 18-plus. For a gentler start, the rooftop crawl takes in three rooftop bars with views over the city in the afternoon.

A private guided crawl meets on Bold Street at 7pm and finishes at 11pm, with three or four bars and club entry. Around Mathew Street, bar passes cover five bars with a shot in each from 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Drag-hosted crawls through the Cavern Quarter and the gay village start at 6pm on Saturdays and are public unless you upgrade. Self-led routes arrive a week before. Bring photo ID, leave fancy dress at home for the guided crawl, and pace it: doors refuse anyone who has had too much.

Guided crawls in London run in the West End, Shoreditch, Camden and Clapham, mostly on Friday and Saturday nights from about 7.30pm. Allow four to five hours, with free entry or a shot at each bar and a club at the end. Pick the area first, as the routes do not cross town. Bring a passport or driving licence, because screenshots of ID are refused. Smart casual is the safe standard: several routes refuse tracksuits, shorts, vests and flip-flops, and one bans fancy dress. Self-led passes from 9pm are an alternative, with the route sent a week ahead.

Newcastle crawls typically start around 7pm, in the Bigg Market, on the Quayside around Sandhill or near Newgate Street, and run about four hours before finishing at a club. Bring photo ID. Several routes ban fancy dress, and doors refuse entry to anyone who has had too much, so pace the early stops. Self-led versions send the route and timings around a week before, and a two-night weekend pass is available. A pub golf format runs closer to five hours and is better started in the afternoon. With the Bigg Market and the Diamond Strip minutes apart, taxis are rarely needed.