Weekend for 'De Lads'

bringitdown

Hello

Just trying to rustle up some ideas for a long weekend (October - ish) for 'the lads' if you get me. Now we do enjoy a bit of culture and sight seeing so a pure pissup is not exactly on plan (but nightlife will feature) - and we would like to get somewhere 'different' so Amsterdam, Prague, London, etc are out. Also Vienna and Budapest are out as some of us have been there already.

We were thinking of Reykavik but flights are v. expensive, Florence but no direct flights, Vilnius, Tblisi, all are a little out of the 'ryan-aer-lingus' way so to speak.

Anyone experience getting to these places or care to suggest alternatives?

Thanks in advance.
S

homercles

How about Paris for a nice mixture of culture and debauchery?

I went over there with the lads for the Ireland game last year and it's a great place. I was there for 4 days and didn't even scratch the surface.

Eifel Tower is top class

bringitdown

Paris is a good one but we have all been recently ... looking @ Oslo at the moment.

zAbbo

tallinn in estonia maybe.

bringitdown

Flights to Tallinn are proving expensive, just noticed Ryanair fly to Pisa which is a 'doable' distance from Florence.

Anyone care to comment on Firenze's nightlife? (I'm sure it has the culture ticket in the bag)

solice

Cork for the jazz weekend and the beer fest. October bank holiday.

Mind you i have only heard jazz once during the jazz weekend. the fringe is on in kinsale and you are guaranteed some jazz down there

bringitdown

solice wrote:

Cork for the jazz weekend and the beer fest. October bank holiday.

Mind you i have only heard jazz once during the jazz weekend. the fringe is on in kinsale and you are guaranteed some jazz down there

Been there done that, great weekend too, will go back but this one has to be 'abroad in it'.

Thanks for the ideas so far, keep em coming!

Lex Luthor

when are you going?

if its after the colleges return, Nottingham.

Plenty culture there

ravenhead

Have to say Venice ... I know you might think that it's a couplely place but it's not just that .. the italian's are crazy! I was there in Feb of this year & the place was mad, they drink all day long & party on the streets by night.
& It's not too expensive either.

Stimpyone

How about Sevilla Spain, direct flights with Aer Lingus and Ryan Air plus it's one of the most beautiful/historic cities I've ever been to.

Night life is pretty good, plenty of good pubs around Calle Betis, doesn't really get going until @midnight though but then again some of the clubs don't close until 7am.

Good chance of getting to a La Liga game with two clubs in the city ( Real Betis and Sevilla ) if your into that sort of thing. The brother in law has a Pub in the city so let me know if you want the addy

fjon

Tampere/ Helsinki? Cool places, and on the Ryanair route, albeit via Stansted.

kensutz

Norwich, lots to do here and plenty of sightseeing too in Norfolk.

bringitdown

I think we've settled on Florence / Pisa costs fup all with Ryanair, plenty of culture and hallegedly a good nightlife....

Cheers for all the ideas, I like the Seville one esp., maybe next time.

Kingsize

Try Salzburg i dont know who flies there but its a beautiful place & its probably easily done in a weekend or if Salzburg is a bit too quiet theres always munich which is rockin at the best of times but especially in october you might even get a weekend deal for munich in october actually...

Thomond Pk

Bilbao has the Guggenheim and direct flights

drunkenfool

Krakow - Poland, as far as i know the likes of easyjet fly there from london so just sort out a ryanair/aer lingus connection and voila. Beautfiul city, damn cheap as well. Also, could see Austwitz concentration camp, but that might put you down a bit for the weekend, and not something you wanna see hungover either, but its an option.

roberteboot

drunkenfool wrote:

Krakow - Poland, as far as i know the likes of easyjet fly there from london so just sort out a ryanair/aer lingus connection and voila. Beautfiul city, damn cheap as well. Also, could see Austwitz concentration camp, but that might put you down a bit for the weekend, and not something you wanna see hungover either, but its an option.

Seriously forget your plans and hit Krakow.Its like Prague before Prague got **** and full of Stag partys.Amazing drink(the beers like 8% and tasty and cheap as ****) amazing food the people are fantastic and theres great pubs and clubs.If the college years started when your there your sorted.

We saw Auschwitz hungover after a 12 hour train journey.It was quite the experience.Most of the hostels organize tours for a good price.

bringitdown

So many choices!! Unfortunately with time constraints, etc etc, Florence is still the venue of choice so far.

Krakow would be right up our street but I think a tour of eastern europe is on the cards next year.

roberteboot

Florence?!Florence is for pansies.Although ive never been to Florence.SO it might not be.Pansy.
But if your doing Eastern Europe next year then your better off leaving it til then.No point in returning to the same spot when you can see all sorts of different cities.

yossarin

Florence is really expensive. its a beautiful city but is a tourist trap

roberteboot

yossarin wrote:

Florence is really expensive. its a beautiful city but is a tourist trap

You heard him.Pansys.

fjon

I lived in Italy for 7 years, about 1 hour from Florence and Pisa. I would recommend against going there for a lad's holiday. Italian's don't really "do" night-life too well, or I should say they do it in their own way. As an Irish person you will be expecting pubs - you will probably not find too manyh of them. There are bars where you can drink, but these are brightly-lit places where people usually drop in for a quick espresso or a small beer. Not the place to hang out for a night. There are discos, and these are where most of the drinking is done. They usually open late-ish, and charge a high entrance fee (probably around €20, although a drink may be included). Most of the ones I have been to are ok, but you will probably end up disappointed. Plus, it means you have to head out for the night at around 11-12, and probably drink in your hotel before-hand.
Out of all the suggestions so far I think I would go for Poland myself...

bringitdown

^^^^^

Oh dear, may have to revise plans, we are have a big 'discussion' tonite so will sort it then.

Again thanks for all the feedback.