Britons facing major backlash in two big European tourist hotspots

New rules have come into effect (Image: Getty)

British stag parties, once quieted by pandemic-era travel restrictions, have returned with a vengeance and some of Europe’s most popular city destinations are reaching their breaking point. From the cobblestones of Budapest to those of Prague, local authorities and residents are pushing back against the hard-drinking, party-happy groups of people whose celebratory antics, complete with novelty hats, chants, and copious amounts of alcohol, are drawing fresh ire.

From hefty fines to bans on popular party activities, local authorities are cracking down hard to reclaim their streets and protect residents' peace. In Budapest, where the party scene in the old Jewish Quarter has long attracted stag groups, the city has introduced fines for public urination and late-night noise, handed out leaflets at the airport written in English, and banned the infamous 'beer bikes'. Now, new measures are going even further. 

There are new rules on organised pub crawls in Prague (Image: Getty)

As of June 2025, Hungarian municipalities have been given the power to restrict who can buy and rent property locally in an effort to limit foreign-run party apartments.

Venues can now turn away large groups, and bar owners report being more selective about who they let in.

As of May 31, new regulations have come into effect in Budapest’s 7th district, Erzsébetváros, the city’s infamous nightlife core and home to its legendary 'ruin bars'. 

Under these rules, strip clubs and other venues offering live erotic performances are now prohibited from operating after midnight, a move aimed at curbing the district’s rowdier elements and reshaping its image.

A WizzAir cabin crew member told The Telegraph: "London flights are the worst. A few weeks ago we called the police to meet us at Budapest as one group [of stags] got angry when we refused to sell them alcohol."

Meanwhile, in Prague, local leaders have also cracked down on party tourism with new noise restrictions, venue licensing controls, and increased police patrols in central districts.

"Beer bikes" have already been outlawed in Prague, and by the end of 2024, the city announced a further clampdown with a ban on organised pub crawls between 10pm and 6am.

Organisers who violate the curfew now face fines of up to 100,000 Czech koruna which equates to about £3,453. 

Last month, a 27-year-old man was jailed after fatally striking 31-year-old Welsh father David 'Dai' Richards with a vodka bottle during a sudden altercation between tourist groups on a stag do in Prague in September 2024.