We thought with an apartment, if we made some local friends, we could bring them back to the apartment and have some house parties...

But I do hope that you would consider the neighbours! Most city apartments aren't in blocks that are specifically for holiday/short break rentals but rather are in ordinary residential areas with year round residents in them too. So you could be surrounded by neighbours who won't take kindly to late night parties - especially if they have kids since it is more common for families to live in apartments in most of Europe than it is in the UK. It could put a real dampner on your weekend break if they call the police. And no doubt the apartment owner wouldn't be best pleased if you end up annoying the neighbours whose goodwill they might need to rely on.

So before booking, sound out the owner about how they would react to the idea of you using their property for partying!

SM

Hmmmm... now there's a point! If all we will be getting is an ordinary apartment where non-travellers will be our neighbours... maybe for a weekend break that is not where we want to be staying.. a bit boring perhaps? A hotel with other travellers might be the way to go..

I'd be very surpised if any of the apartments listed on the site you provided the link to will be in buildings specifically for holiday/shortbreak lets as you'd find in beach resorts - they do all seem to be individual apartments rather than part of holiday complexes. I often do short city breaks, basing myself in an apartment but I've never stayed in one in Europe that has been exlusively for tourists - that doesn't seem to be how they work. So given the sort of thing you had in mind then a hotel might suit you better.

I live in a small town on the east coast of Scotland best known for it's golf course and there is real trouble brewing because in a block of luxury apartments by the sea, a lot of the buyers are now struggling with their mortgages and have turned to trying to let them out instead of living in them themselves. But the people who are living in them as their permanent homes are extremely upset by the noise etc that is now a common occurence in some of the apartments which are being rented out to groups of golfers each weekend. And friends in Edinburgh find their lives being made a misery by the stag and hen party groups that seem to be the tenants of choice of one of their neighbours in an otherwise sedate New Town street.

It's understandable that as a group of lads you will want to let your hair down and irate neighbours could take the edge of it for you. So do as whether an apartment is part of an ordinary residential block or not before committing yourself and, yes, a hotel where you'll meet other visitors might be your best bet for having the sort of good time you are looking for. Or else look specifically for an aparthotel or what are sometimes referred to as 'serviced apartments'. These won't have long-term tenants staying in them, you'll have the same facilities as you would find in an apartment and possibly also have the sort of communal facilties that go with staying in a hotel. So that option might give you the best of both worlds.

SM

That's some neat advice there mate, cheers :-)

The general idea is to socialise, get some culture in, meet some pretty ladies perhaps (definitely! ), go to the clubs and bars in the evenings, day trips during the days, walk around the old town etc etc etc.

Think from what you've said, it has to be either Serviced Apartments or hotels. I usually do youth hostels, but with prices being so d@rn cheap in Lithuania, a cosy double room might be what is needed!
Cheerio, K