Flights and Visas

Do you handle air tickets as well?
Sorry, we don't. Go here for our online guide to getting to Central Europe cheaply and easily. We will meet you at the airport with cold beers, though!

How long is the flight from the UK ?
Direct from London Budapest and Bratislava are just less than two and a half hours, Warsaw is just under three and a half hours, Krakow is exactly three and a half.

Do I need a visa?
Not if you're British or Irish you don't. Or if you're from the rest of the EU or North America for that matter. On this page you'll find a full list of nationalities that don't require a visa to visit Hungary. But check with your local embassy.

Bookings

How do I book?
There are many ways. Quickest and easiest is to go to get quote on our website. Alternately, you can fire off an email to info@stagrepublic.co.uk or call us on our UK number: 0800 027 4836.

What are your cancellation fees?
- Cancellations are free until we receive a bank confirmation of payment of deposit
- Cancellations made more than two months before your arrival: full refund (including deposit) minus booking fees and charges
- Cancellations made within two months and up to four days before your arrival: deposit will be kept (25% of total cost per person)
- Cancellations made within three working days of your arrival or after arrival: full amount will be collected (100% of total cost per person)

What happens if I change my booking?
- Changes are free until confirmation of payment and of deposit. Please email us or call us for changes.  Please note: after the changes are applied to your booking, your quoted price will be recalculated based on current prices on our website on the date your changes are confirmed.
- If you would like to make additions (people, activities) to your bookings after your deposit has been paid, please email us or call us.  Please note: after the additions are applied to your booking, your total price will be recalculated based on current prices on our website on the date your changes are confirmed.

Accommodation

Can you provide me with more information on the hotels you use?
We use only city centre hotels. We continuously update our selection based on past groups' experiences and on new hotel entrants to the market. We know the hotel managers and can ensure that you get exactly what you pay for. Click here to see some of the hotels that we use and their amenities.

Money Issues

Should I bring Euros then?
No, just bring your cash point card. Hungary will be using its old currency, the Forint, until 2010 or later. Withdrawing forints from a cash point machine will give you the best exchange rate.

What are your payment terms?
A deposit of 25% is required to hold the booking and guarantee pricing and availability. The deposit is payable by credit card or bank transfer. For credit card payments, please call us on 0800 027 4836.
The remaining balance is due in cash (Bank of England GBP) on the first day of your arrival. If you choose to pay the balance by credit card, we can only take credit card payment if it is five working days or more in advance of your weekend. Please note that many banks in the UK charge approximately 3% in foreign transactions fees. Stag Republic will not be responsible for this charge.

About Stag Republic Holidays

What is it you do again?
We take all the hassle out of planning a lads weekend in a big Eastern European city by giving the best customer service and the best local knowledge. Take a look at the weekend packages and activities on offer, pick and choose what you want, and then all you have to do is get here. We'll handle the rest!

Do we have to book hotels AND activities with you, or can it be just one or the other?
Either or both, whichever you prefer.

Will we get stuck with other stag tours?
Of course not. You will always get your own guide for any activity that you book with us.

Does my visit have to be over a weekend? Can't I come mid-week?
You can arrange your trip for any time of the week.

Can I book my trip for extra days?
You can come for as long as you like.

What time do activities start?
It's up to you. They can start at or after 12 noon, unless otherwise requested.

How many people can I bring? Is there a minimum?
6 is our minimum group size. There is no maximum. Group discounts start at 20 people.

About Stag Republic

So basically you're like, err, a tour operator?
Well, yes and no. We don't lead groups around like children and tell them when they're supposed to eat lunch. No, what we do is listen to what our clients want, and then make it happen. Plus we get you excellent rates on hotels!

Let me guess: you take groups around to terminally empty bars, and you get a piece of the action. That's your angle, right?
Wrong! We're in nobody's pockets with regards to pub crawls. We suggest where to go based solely on the merit of a place.

How did you end up in Eastern Europe?
Please consult the seminal essay on expat living in Eastern Europe: "Cheap Beer Attracts Them, or, University Never Ends"

How long have you been doing this?
We're now heading into our fifth year in the business! We have, it should be said, been getting pissed in Eastern Europe for much longer than that.

So, you just get pissed every weekend and get paid for it? What do you do during the week?
We research bars and restaurants, of course.

Company info?
Stag Republic and Hen Nation are Impact Leisure companies. Impact Media kft is an inbound tourism company registered with the Hungarian tourism board and an accepted member of MUISZ. (The Hungarian authorities list of reputable Hungarian tour operators)

In what other countries do you work?
We can help you through Central Europe. We have operations in Budapest, Bratislava, Krakow and Warsaw.

What other type trips do you run?
We arrange trips for all types of groups - Corporate, sports, school, church, mixed friends and families.

About Eastern Europe

Whoa. Sounds like Eastern Europe is the sort of place where I'll wake up to find one of my kidneys missing.
No, no, not at all. Sure, you see dodgy stuff aimed at tourists here and there, a bit more so than in Western European cities, but by and large it's a fairly lawful and honest place. Violent crime here is rare, too, much rarer than in the UK. If you want to be drugged and have your organs harvested, we recommend Albania, or possibly Moldova.

Are the birds in Eastern Europe as good-looking as they say?
Yes!

Is there a bar where I can pull 100% of the time?
That depends on what you mean by 'pull.'

How much does a beer cost?
On average, you'll pay about 80p per pint.

How much does other stuff cost?
Food, drink, and entertainment generally costs about one-quarter to one-half what it does in the UK.

Other

Why can't I just plan and arrange this myself?
There's no reason why you can't - it might take you a while, though, and planning a group weekend the DIY way does have its risks. This is Eastern Europe, after all, and things aren't always quite so reliable. We've seen it all. Your "central three-star hotel" could turn out to be a fleabag motel on the outskirts of town. You could get ripped off all weekend by randomly-hailed cabbies. The truly unlucky might be forced by a neck less bouncer to pay the equivalent of 500 euros for a pair of brandies. Worst of all, you might end up at bars, clubs and restaurants that suck! By booking with Stag Republic - and relying on our years of experience here - you rule out having to worry about these sorts of things.