IT’S that time of year, isn’t it?
You’ve spent a year dreaming of a proper holiday away from the UK’s crap weather and you need some proper vitamin D in your system.
Classically, you and the lads have been a bit unorganised and you’ve left it late to book your summer holiday.
You don’t want to do the standard Magaluf, Ibiza or Greek island club getaway, but you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg at the same time.
Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.
I’ve had a look at flights and hostel prices for August/Sept, so basically panic buying a holiday, and found the best places that won’t completely break the bank.
Here are seven surprisingly cheap countries and cities for a holiday with your mates this summer.
1 - Portugal - Lisbon
It doesn’t appear that highly in lads’ holiday destinations of choice, but Lisbon has a lot to offer.
It has the standard great weather, bustling nightlife and cheap beer.
There are loads of neighbourhoods to explore, such as Bairro Alto, Baixa, Chiado and Cais do Sodré.
I’d also recommend heading along the coast to Estoril for a bit of beach action.
Estoril also has the Casino in which Casino Royale was filmed, but the best casino is Casino Lisboa which is fancy as hell.
Flights - around £120 return
Accommodation - £15 per night
2 - Thailand - Bangkok
Don’t just think about Europe for your lads' holiday, you can get to Bangkok for around £340.
You may start to think that this is expensive, but when you take into account how little you spend there in comparison to Ibiza, it’ll soon make a lot of sense.
Food and beer are unbelievably cheap.
This only adds to the constant happiness of the holiday as you know you’d be spending £20 for a bottle of water in Ibiza.
There are endless beautiful sights to take in during the day, but Bangkok really comes alive at night.
Countless rooftop bars (that don’t cost everything you have just to get inside), loads of cocktail bars and lots of clubs —you’ll be spoilt for choice.
When you come back from your holiday and someone asks where you went, you’ll have much cooler stories to tell, I guarantee it.
Flights - around £340 return
Accommodation - £3 per night
3 - Spain - Barcelona
OK, Spain isn’t the most original of choices, but I’m talking about the classy places and not Costa del Sol.
A long weekend in Barcelona may sound like a romantic getaway location, but it is a great place to go with your mates.
As a beach city, you’ve got the sand close by for that relaxation day, but the Barcelona nightlife is very underrated.
And there are so many different districts to explore — Las Ramblas being one of the most famous in the Old Town is a good place to start.
If that’s too ‘touristy’ for you, you can venture on to the Gothic Quarter for a more local feel.
You can let the hipster in the friendship group wax lyrical about how they once dated a girl from the area who says it’s the place to be.
Beer is cheap and if you fancy a sophisticated lads night, wine is about €3 on average.
Flights - around £90 return
Accommodation - £20 per night
4 - Hungary - Budapest
Having recently done a holiday with my mates to Budapest, I can’t speak highly enough of the place.
It’s so cheap for day to day food and drink, but the nightlife is so good it makes you wonder why you haven’t been before.
You have the clubs and bars that most decent cities will have, but the Budapest trick-up-the-sleeve is the Spa parties.
Located in the historic spas, the pool parties aren’t the cheapest to get into, but once you’re in they’re the most fun night out you’ll have had in years.
At about £80 odd per person to get in, it seems like a lot, but you get a load of drinks tokens which means you don’t need to worry about carrying cash everywhere.
You’re just in your swimming gear in a hot bath having the time of your life. DO IT.
The rest of the city is good too...
Flights - around £80 return
Accommodation - £10 per night
5 - Estonia - Tallinn
Tallinn is slowly but surely being recognised for how good the nightlife is.
Clubs, clubs and more clubs, Tallinn nightlife won’t disappoint you at all.
The beer isn’t as cheap as Budapest or Prague, coming in at about €3 a beer, but the locations make up for that.
It’s so cheap to get to and stay there that you can budget a bit of food and beer into the trip very easily.
Flights - around £85 return
Accommodation - £10 per night
6 - Mexico - Cancun
Yes, it is a bit more expensive than the other choices, but hear me out.
Once you’re in Cancun, everything is so cheap. Hostels from just £4 per night!
The white sand beaches really put a lot of European ones to shame, but the main attraction is the parties.
Vegas style pool parties all the way to Caribbean booze cruises, there are not many better places to party in the world.
It may seem a big spend at the start for flights, but you won’t regret it once you’re there.
Flight - £470 return
Accommodation - £4 per night
7 - Lithuania - Vilnius
Another Eastern European city gaining a good reputation for a cracking night out.
However, when you’re not drinking in one of the many many cheap bars, you have Europe’s best kept secret to explore with an amazing old town, incredible views and everything is unbelievably cheap.
Flight - £130 return
Accommodation - £6 per night
Have we inspired you to change the destination of your lads' holiday? Let us know if you've been to any of these places in the comments.
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