On another travel forum have just been debating organised 'bar crawls' in Marmaris, apparently organised by reputable tour operators such as Thomas Cook. Has anyone else heard of this??
To be honest I think it is appalling, if true, that operators like Thomas Cook, should encourage binge drinking in this way. The argument some gave in support of holiday makers embarking on 'bar crawls' is that they save all year for a holiday and so should be able to do as they please, however, my argument against this is that holidaymakers, such as my family, equally save all year to go away to resorts like Marmaris and then have their holiday spoiled by drunken 18-30s behaving disgustingly.
It is one thing to have to live with this occuring in our town centres and cities at night but exporting it to other countries, giving all Brits a bad name, is very much another.
I think that Thomas Cook, if indeed encouraging binge drinking, should therefore pay out when things go wrong and people end up in hospital abroad with alcoholic poisoning or injuries after attacking each other in a drunken rage.
We heard of organised pub crawls and also that most people stupid enough to go on them were ripped off by bar staff who diluted all the drinks especially the fish bowls. To be honest am glad they were ripped off there were people in our hotel who only got up in the early evening then spent all night drinking, coming back making loads of noise and vomitting all over the pool area, they really don't need to pay loads of money to go and do that abroad but can stay at home and do it here.
This isn't anything new, it's been going on for years all over the world. Most of the organised bar crawls are done under sort of controlled conditions where guests are collected from accomodation, escorted around bars then returned at the end. It's probably safer than doing it on your own and some prefer the safety of knowing they don't need to worry about transportation at the end of the night. While the 'binge drinking' side of it shouldn't be encouraged, what people drink is really their own choice. Personally, I'd never and haven't been on any organised bar crawls, but those that do are there to enjoy themselves with tour operators simply providing a service. I understand the negative side of them and don't agree with it, but that's what some choose to do on their holiday.
Darren
As for encouraging binge drinking, the holidaymakers are adults and how they choose to spend their money is up to them- I'm sure nobody forcefully pours the drinks down their necks. Whilst it's not the way I'd choose to spend my holidays, we must remember we were young once and like it or not the times have changed.
I think it's a good thing for all that the 18-30 club have their own accomodation as they could equally complain that crowds of screaming kids around the swimming pool would not be their cup of tea either.
Not into this hobby myself so I never pick a resort that is advertised as " lively" etc. but I recognise that everyone has the right to enjoy their holiday doing the things they want to do.
When holidaying with a diverse mix of ages and nationalities you must expect to see a diverse range of behaviour. Some good, some not so good.
When booking, research the hotel and resort to be sure that you are not going to some 18/30 hotspot if you don't like that kind of thing.
Marmaris has some of the biggest opened aired night clubs in the med so of course there will be drunken people and bar crawls. Thomas cook, Thomsons , every tour op does bar crawls and has done for many years. They make a fortune from them. I personally don't go on them as I think they are a rip off and I know Marmaris clubs well enough lol
Each to their own
greenshoes wrote:I hate families on my holidays so I go to the lively resorts and hotels to avoid them
I hope I don't meet you on my holiday then greenshoes
I say each to their own, if you don't like these sort of places where there's going to be a lot of young people drinking go somewhere quiet. I myself prefer quieter holidays these days with my family, but back when I was in my late teens early 20's this sort of holiday would have appealed to me.
I was brought up in France until I was 14 years old and can honestly say that the French have a totally different attitude to drinking and think the British are stark raving mad when it comes to alcohol, as
do many other nationalities. I drank a small amount of wine with meals from being a tot and was brought up to appreciate fine wines as an accompaniment to food, not just knocked back until I was wasted.
Seems it is not only major holiday companies who encourage binge drinking, but many on this site too.
Not that we can do much about it, people will do what they want, but we can mention it when something is wrong, and though I am only in my early twenties I think that binge drinking is very, very, wrong.
Lol.
Yes thats fun.. They organize these nightlife trips to Bars Street in Marmaris.. Give it a try..
You can go on a bar crawl in any UK city so I don't see the issue. And yes each to their own, I think some peoples holidays on here sound like they are going to a retirement home for 2 weeks but I don't think anything less/go on about it/insult them about it. So yes, each to their own.
If people go on bar crawls around the bars which cater for them, then that's no problem - after it's their holiday. It's what they do afterwards - I've seen them "invade" family-friendly bars and completely spoil the evening.
I agree with live and let live - just keep to the right areas.
Jak xx
Perhaps my husband and I are just a bit old fashioned but we happen to think that when travelling abroad holidaymakers should try to give a good impression of themselves and their country of origin.
In any case that is what we think.
But as has been said before 'each to their own', so if others just don't care, it's their choice.
Of course you get your lager louts and drunken idiots in Marmaris, you also get them in every resort across the med and can be found in a town near you every Saturday night. Just because you drink on holiday and go out clubbing doesnt make you a drunken idiot. That is all my point is. Bar crawls are good fun and yes there will always be people who go too far.
My personal dislike is families with undisciplined kids running amok in restaurant , bars etc.
Knocking glasses over, getting in the way, screaming , having food fights and otherwise making a nuisance....... but the poor little dears are on holiday, aren't they?
The parents ARE on holiday, they have left parental responsibility at the airport.
Don't get me wrong, I love kids (couldn't eat a whole one ) and if you are parents who enjoy their holiday and control their kids, God bless you!
If,however you believe you and your kids are on hols and anything goes the PLEASE, pick a different resort to me!
Next gripe, the bore on the next sunbed who got the same holiday as you for ££££££'s less.
He's there every flippin year
So, after bar crawls what spoils YOUR holiday? Maybe we can educate each other
Parents please take note - you are still responsible for your kids when you are on holiday, so don't just sit around sipping your iced beverages as if you are on a Saga holiday, get up and extract your children from whichever innocent holidaymakers they are worrying like sheep. And if they get up early, apply a little parental bribery to get them to shut up.
Thanks.
As for the bar crawls, they have always happened & I (when I was younger) went on these and went abit over the top, but I think when you grow up and have a family you realised how pathetic you looked
This year to avoid similar problems we are renting an entire property from 'Owners Direct' and so will be totally independent of all other holidaymakers, young, old, badly behaved, or drunk.
Sorted.
Think we are probably going to be told we are and need to start a new thread but hey ho. I think by the time you have raised your own children you have probably earned your hard earned holiday. I agree with ardath, I don't want kids running amok, splashing my book, or throwing a ball in my face whilst I am on holiday. I choose our hotel carefully and to be honest we do spend a bit more than we would like but god love them, those families always seem to appear with the attitude,"we've paid good money for this, you do as you like my son" and the parents sit back,drinking themselves silly, totally oblivious to the chaos their little "darlings" are creating. Totally selfish, as you say they leave their parenting at the airport,before they board the plane I might add. Why do I always get the kid that kicks the back of your seat or wails for sweets,fizzy drinks and crisps? Don't get me wrong, I love kids and I work with them but some parents certainly think they are off duty on holiday and it's not just us Brits.O.k rant over.
The pub crawls were offered as trips on our holiday with First Choice just recently. But we are too old and sensible for any of that!!!!
Dawnie-Rob
PS. I have seen parents knocking them back late at night, whilst the children are running around or screaming annoying people, and playing up because they are tired and should be in bed.
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