The Nightlife Blogger: Cool Things to Know About European Bars

Party Tips For Going Out to Bars in Austria, Iceland and Poland

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger

All the world’s a party, and here’s some really cool things to now about going out to bars and clubs in Europe.

Let’s start with Austria, which has the world’s best ski resorts for ski apres and those who want to party (click the link for PubClub.com’s article on St. Anton).

In Austria, you can stay in one village and ski to the others, thereby maximizing the party experience, and doing it with only one lift ticket. Downhill racing was born in Austria and for those extremists there’s plenty of hot runs, but there’s also more modest choices for those who prefer to take it easy on the slopes. And stopping for a beer (or two) at a chalet along the way is just part of the culture.

Staying with the ice theme, how about Iceland? It’s actually just a five-hour flight from the East Coast and the Bar Blogger is planning to be an Iceland Weekend Warrior in February, going there from the West Coast. It’s not a stretch.

The hot party place is Reykjavik and it goes year-round, the winter being as intense as the summer. And no matter the weather, the girls race through down in heels and short skirts on their way to the bars and clubs.  They also love Americans and are eager to talk to us Uncle Sams, because they like to practice their English. I will be only too happy to talk to give them plenty of opportunities to fine-tune their skills in my native language.

This is a weekend party town with people going out only on Fridays and Saturdays, with Saturdays the biggest night. And the party doesn’t start until after midnight. Because drinks are New York City-type expensive ($8 beers) people pre-party in homes, then hit the bars. And they love – get this – mojitos! What, is this, San Juan!?

And here’s something else surprising about Iceland – there’s a huge live music scene, and many bars thrive with local bands.

You might also want to consider Reykjavik for New Year’s Eve. Some 200,000 people pour out into the streets with drinks in hand, much like they do in Amsterdam. Tourist should know there are liquor stores to stock up on their adult beverages of choice for this special occasion. And also to do some pre-partying of their own before joining the pubbers and clubbers on any weekend.

 

One of Europe’s “secret” party places is Poland. One big place to party is Krakow. It’s only a 5-hour train ride from Prague and this is more of a pubber’s paradise. That’s just the way it is in the southern part of the country. (The girls are also stunning here, by the way.) For the clubbers out there, Warsaw is a better choice.

There are local beers, German-style lagers, and Poland has kept its own currency, the zlotych, so a brew is only the equivalent of about $2 USD, even in the Warsaw clubs.

In Germany, land of beer and Oktoberfest, would you believe it’s taken a taste for wine? In fact, Germany has several wine festivals.

Keep coming to this article, for it will be updated with more cool pub and club news from more places in Europe with cool pubs and clubs.