Getting your bearings

Barcelona is a great city to explore en-foot, although the cities transport system is easy to use and covers most of the city and its surrounding areas. When you first arrive in the city you may find yourself at the Placa Catalunya, the heart of the city. To get your bearing from here is quite easy.

To the north of the square is the new part of Barcelona – with new shopping centres and a business districts. To the south you will see the Las Ramblas which will lead all the way down to the port and beaches. Either side of the Ramblas you have the Gothic Quarter, Old town and the multicultural area of El Raval.

Top spots!

Las Ramblas – Wide boulevard that sweeps up from the port to the Placa Catalunya. Lined with cafes, bars and restaurants. Full of tourists meandering their way through Barcelona’s centre. There are lots of shops on either side of this popular street. Take care when walking through at night as Las Ramblas has seedy sections; pickpockets are known to target tourists in this area so be careful of your possessions.

Gothic Quarter – full of character, this lovely area in the centre of Barcelona is full of twisty little lanes all leading up to the impressive La Seu Cathedral. Great views over the city centre from the top and perfect for seeing Gaudi’s top architecture on your Barcelona hen.

Port Olympic – Since its face lift for the 1992 Olympics this area of Barcelona just keeps improving. Full of smart shops, bars and restaurants. From here you can explore Barcelona’s string of beaches.

All things Gaudi – Gaudi’s famous architectural traits can be found all over this city. In the district of La E’ixample you will find the Sagrada Familia. This cathedral is not actually finished, and could need another 80 years of funding. Like it or loath it most are still impressed with the grandeur of this building. The La Pedrera is another fine example of Gaudi’s work. This block of apartments appears to have a ripple effect to the facade. Just north of the city centre you will find the Gaudi Park, packed with amazing sculptures and mosaic work. Also enjoys lovely views over the city.

Nou Camp – Home to FC Barcelona’s football team the impressive stadium is just east of the city centre. Built with money made from selling season tickets 5 years in advance this much loved stadium is a high on the tourist trail of Barcelona. Although getting a ticket to watch a match here can be quite hard – you can take a tour of the stadium very easily.

Find out more about Barcelona hen Weekends here.

Depending on the budget of the stag party some destinations can be ruled out, such as Barcelona, London or Reykjavik, which are all on the expensive side for a weekend away. However, this still leaves many, many destinations to choose from, so just what is the best stag do destination?

A great stag do needs to have more than just a bust town centre with lots of bars and clubs, as this hardly separates it from any other night out. The venue should have a wild and quirky side and give the lads the opportunity to party for longer and crazier than normal.

Brighton, on the South Coast, is a prime example of this. It is a bohemian city with a wealth of quirky bars, cool seafront clubs and late night entertainment, while it is a fantastic place to wake up with a sore head and stroll around in a zombie state.

Edinburgh, the captial of Scotland, has a fabulous history, a wealth of cultural excellence and a unique atmosphere. This is a stag location that ticks so many boxes and is surprisingly different from the usual big UK city.

Over in Europe and we have the Czech city of Prague, which is very popular and perhaps a little too commercialised, compared to other stag weekends abroad, but nonetheless this is a city that you can not fail to have a great and certainly unforgettable time in.