1. “I can book it later with no stress- booking stag do activities and accommodation shouldn’t be a problem for a good stag operator?” – WRONG !!
Don’t leave it till the last moment ! Good travel agencies always block-book their central accommodation objects for high season dates. The problem is that the pool of central accommodation objects is limited and the places sell really fast. So in other words- if you book it advance you will most likely get an excellent central location at great rates. Booking in less than 2-3 months prior to the planned beginning of your event doesn’t mean you won’t get central accommodation- it just means the best objects might and will probably already be sold out by that time. Also convenient activity times can already be taken if you wait till the last moment.
2. “I will not let those greedy bastards earn on me and will book accommodation on my own. “ – WRONG!!
For the best prices, always book an accommodation package for your stag weekend abroad. Nobody knows why, but some people think that if they book accommodation on their own they will save a lot! This is completely untrue. Good stag do operators, especially the local ones based in the country of destination get the same or even better rates than the booking portals and will give you those rates provided you book some other services with them (airport transfers, pub crawls, lap clubs entries, etc…). Besides- activities only rates are never as attractive as the rates which you would get when booking a complete stag weekend package with accommodation. Most good operators can discount your stag do activity rates when you take accommodation package with them (have a look e.g,: here for some great Krakow stag do deals: https://partykrakow.co.uk/krakow-stag-do-packages )
3. “I want to book my stag weekend cheaply with a UK based company.” – WRONG!!
Booking with big UK based brands means paying more than you would pay if you contacted a locally based operator. It’s fair to say that they won’t be ABTA accredited, but many local stag companies provide different forms of insurance- some are tour organizers in the country of their operation, and some for example don’t require full payment until you arrive. If you opt for booking with UK brands you will likely pay 30-50% more than you would with a local organizer.
4. “I found it even cheaper than I expected- let’s go for it- the guy has a web and can even speak English” – VERY WRONG!!
Never use or attempt to use virtual companies that advertise unrealistic prices! OK, this sounds complicated, so how can you judge if a local operator is trustworthy or not ..? Well, you can try the following steps:
- Google it. Reputable local stag operators are well-positioned in terms of SEO on Google. This kind of investment is not only time consuming but also quite expensive. Think about it- if a local operator pays thousands of Pounds for his web development over many years so that it is well positioned, then he must be seriously into business and it’s extremely unlikely he would grab your money and disappear!
- Ask your friends if they have heard about a specific operator
- Check online testimonials – good operators publish testimonials on relevant trust worthy sites (such as e.g: Trustpilot)
- Check how fast your local organizer responds to your calls/mails – a good company answers phones immediately or calls you back if the line was busy when you called. Also emails are answered within 24h at the latest.
5. ” I can book my flights even a few days before the gig so why bother now” ? ? – WRONG!!
Never leave your flight bookings longer than 3 months before traveling – unless, that is, you are very rich and don’t mind paying whatever it costs for your flights to Krakow.
6. ” I’m in a foreign city- I will take my passport on a pub crawl in case I need it for some reason…” – WRONG!!
Don’t fail to advise travelers not to carry their passports unless they need them. Carry a photocopy of the page with photo but leave the original in the safe of your accommodation. Losing a passport on the town during your stag weekend abroad can prolong your stay for quite a few extra days
7. ” Healthcare ? Insurance- who cares and what for “!? – VERY WRONG!!
Don’t fail to advise your group to obtain E111/EHIC certificates and carry copies. In case of an accident, this small piece of blue paper will entitle you to free medical services in Poland. Buying additional sports insurance would also be a very good idea, especially if you plan to take some sporting stag activities which are often classified as “high-risk”. Of course you may rely on your activity supplier or tour operator being insured against accidents, but the truth is that the easiest way to get money from insurance without having to go to court is when you buy yourself a travel insurance. It costs only a few pounds so don’t be tight and don’t save on your own safety! Good health!
8. “I will ask the lads to pay their deposits later on.” – WRONG!!
Don’t leave the issue of the deposit till the last minute! The sooner you collect money from members of your group and pay the security deposit to your travel agency, the less likely members of your group will be to drop out at the last moment. Besides if you pay deposit out of your own pocket, it might be the case that you will have to cover the cancellation fees out of your own pocket as well…
9. “They are cool and nice people- they don’t require any deposits and all this stuff- just want my credit card number for security issues.” – WRONG!!
Never leave your credit card details with any travel agency. Reputable travel agencies use payment systems in which they have no direct access to your Credit Card details. If somebody is asking you for your CC details then think it over!!
