Depending on where you are in the world, you may have heard it one or two ways. A “pub crawl” or a “bar crawl.” Well, what is a pub crawl? It is when a group of people go out and visit several bars in a single night, usually in a strategic order and with a dress theme. For example, you and your friends might dress up as Santa Clause and go to 4 or 5 local bars tonight. Sounds fun, right?
All across the world, thousands of organized pub crawls take place in major cities. It’s a cool way for people to socialize and meet others in their free time. But if you live in a smaller town, there may not be any organized bar crawls near you, but you can always do it yourself!
What Types Of Pub Crawls Are There?
There are basically 3 types of pub crawls:
Do it yourself pub crawls – College kids unite! This is the easiest way to a pub crawl. Get together with a group of friends and have the most organized person figure out all the different stops on the route. It can be challenging if you don’t know the area well but hey, it’s free! Plus, you can organize this whenever you want (and even add your own theme!). If you’re looking to do a bar crawl on your own, use our 10 best pub crawl theme ideas to get the most out of it.
Free pub crawl events – These are usually held for large celebrations or holidays. A common theme is the Halloween pub crawl scene. Across the world, thousands of people dress up and go out on the town for a night of bar hopping. Many others like this exist as well, you just have to be on the lookout for what’s happening near you.
Paid pub crawl companies – There are many local companies, especially in big cities, that hold paid pub crawls. You might be wondering, “why would I pay for a pub crawl?” Well, first of all, you definitely don’t have to. You can always organize a pub crawl yourself. But, pub crawl companies will often have perks for purchasing a ticket, like a free t-shirt, discounted drinks, or free VIP bar entry.
Pub Crawl Themes
We have written about the best pub crawl ideas (and you may be surprised what some people do in public!). But some of the most common themes are a sure way to have fun. So which bar crawl theme is right for your night out?
- Santa theme
- Halloween theme
- Magical (Wizarding) theme
- Mustache theme
- The 80s or 90s theme
These are a few ideas if you’re thinking of organizing your own. It can be a lot of fun to dress up with your friends and laugh about how ridiculous you look. And as the night goes on, it’s probably only going to get more fun.
Planning A Pub Crawl
So you have your group of friends or family. You’ve picked a theme. What’s next? Well, you have to find the perfect location to crawl. You may already know where you’re going; maybe a nearby town center or a part of the city you’re familiar with.
But maybe you’re going to Vegas. Or maybe you want to have some fun on a trip to another state.
The best way to start a pub crawl plan is to use Google Maps. It’s the most up-to-date map tool out there, and it has tons of useful info about which pubs are worth going to, and which are not.
You can even use Google to create a custom route (in case you forget…).
Additionally, you should check out our list of cities to see if we’ve done the work for you! We add new cities all the time, so if yours isn’t available, let us know!
Stay Safe!
Okay, you’re probably not reading this anymore, but it’s typical for pub crawlers to get a bit…out of hand. Just remember to drink responsibly and know when to stop! The fun should be more in getting dressed up and being with friends than overdoing and ruining your weekend ;).
Hope this helps, and have fun!
Cheers!
