Top stag and hen weekends outside the UK

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Been charged with organising a stag party holiday idea at short notice? Maid of honour for a best friends' wedding but short of hen party holiday ideas? Never fear! travelbite.co.uk has come up with some great holiday ideas for those looking for one more night on the tiles before the big day...

wine tasting

Wine tasting stag and hen trip in France
For a sophisticated stag or hen weekend how about a wine tasting trip in the Champagne region of France? While sure to be a great trip in itself, there is also the added bonus of a chance to pick up the wedding champagne.

Grape Escapes gourmet wine-tasting trips are a great way to relax and have fun with your hens or stags and each holiday is tailored to suit your needs.

The packages includes return Dover to Calais ferry crossing for two cars and six passengers, two nights accommodation in Reims (just 2.5 hours drive from Calais), a visit to a large Champagne House in Reims on arrival, a full day tour in a chauffeur driven MPV with visits to four Champagne Houses with tastings of at least 15 Champagnes, followed by a four course gourmet lunch at a top local restaurant with accompanying Champagnes and wines giving time to decide on the preferred Champagne.

Not enough Champagne for you? Time is also included to revisit the preferred winery to make the purchase and enjoy a full tour of the estate. This is a good opportunity to buy your wedding Champagne direct from the wineries themselves. The chosen bubbly can also be personalised as a special reminder of the trip.

City breaks off the beaten track
Ideal for either hen or stag parties, city breaks have been the choice de rigeur for cultured holidaymakers for a decade. While Prague maybe a little over exposed these days, there are still dozens of other top destinations just a stones throw away from the UK and waiting to be discovered.

Istanbul, for example, is only three and a half hours from London and is very fashionable this year as part of the mid-haul market. With the euro posing a financial conundrum for British travellers, heading to Turkey can cut costs and also offers a chance to catch some great sights such as the Sultanahmet Camii, Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia. A pint costs around £2 in the city as well – cutting the cost of those evening sessions.

Or how about Berlin? Long fashionable with the glitterati, the city has been reborn of late and this year celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

While the Festival of Freedom will light up November, the German capital is a great location for a stag or hen party year round. Infamous for its late night clubs – such as the legendary KitKatClub and Watergate - there is also a wealth of history to be discovered during the daytime.

The Visit Berlin website has plenty of information to help you plan the perfect party.

golf ball

Golfing stag breaks
Already popular on the stag trail due to its low prices and close proximity to the UK, eastern Europe has one underexploited attribute – golf. What better way to fill the days of a stag break than with a few rounds of golf with friends? With Riga, Tallinn, Budapest, Krakow and Vilnius all primed and ready to go there really is no excuse.

Hunting, karting, shooting can all also be arranged at most locations to add a little more excitement to a trip.

For example the Ozo Golf Club in Latvia is situated just outside the capital Riga, allowing guests to enjoy the medieval delights of the city before hitting the very first 18-hole course in the country.

Over in Hungary the Polus Palace Golf Resort is home to the Hungarian National Championships and offers a great location for a Hungarian stag break.

Your Golf Travel also has a great range of golfing holiday ideas in eastern Europe – perfect for that once in a lifetime stag break.

European party planners
For those running short on time for some great stay or hen party holiday ideas Release Travel might just have the answer.

Specialising in hen and stag city breaks in popular foreign locations such as Dublin, Amsterdam and Barcelona the organisation allows holidaymakers to enjoy their party over several days.

Ladies who prefer spa breaks could take things down a gear and spend the hen weekend pampering themselves so that they look especially good for the evenings - as well as for the big day itself. Or those with a saucy side might want to look into adding some spice to the weekend with a pole-dancing lesson or two.

Meanwhile, men heading away for a stag weekend might prefer golf breaks where the stag and his party can fit in a few relaxing rounds of golf - both in the UK and on the warmer shores of continental Europe, for example - before hitting the local pubs and clubs for a more traditional stag night.

Eclipse Leisure and RedSeven Leisure also both cater to the stag and hen markets.

woman gets spa treatment

Hen party spa breaks
While the stag party might be more at home out on the links, a spa break could be in order for the hens? Overlooking the capital Valletta, the Fortina Spa Resort in Malta is a temple to self-indulgence and luxury - just perfect for the unique occasion with over 300 treatments on offer.

Divided into four sections - Thalasso Therapy Spa, Spa Sante, Belle Epoque and Hypogeum – there is something for everyone. Guests can take a dip in the vast pool, stretch at a Pilates or yoga class, head to the seawater pool, or even indulge the exotic Hopi ear candling and Tri Dosha Ayurvedic treatments.

The five-star spa hotel also has the world’s first spa bedrooms! Set in the heart of Malta guests will be amply catered for – whatever the budget.

A seven-night all-inclusive package includes a-la Carte meals in a choice of six exclusive restaurants, drinks in a choice of bars, a spa sante session, a Malta harbour cruise, economy return flights from Gatwick and airport transfers in Malta.

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Stag and hen weekends in the UK