Although the whole purpose of a night out is to go out with your friends and have a good time, there are so many opportunities for things to go wrong and for it to end up being actually quite a stressful experience! Here are a few ways to make the night run as seamlessly as possible:

• Get to know the area you are going out in.  I would try to get familiar with road names and approximate timings. This is very useful if you need to get a taxi to/from the venue if you get lost (an idea of fares) and also means that you can plan the course of the night ahead, i.e spend this amount of time at this bar on the way to the main club/ pub crawl with a specific route planned. This can avoid getting lost and having to walk a long way possible in uncomfortable shoes and unfavourable weather conditions.

• Get a good group together. I always think that whether or not you have a good night out doesn’t depend on the venue but depends on who you are with. You could go to the best club night but be with people you don’t feel comfortable with and therefore won’t enjoy yourself to the full and let you crazy dance moves do the talking…  Go with people with the same sort of vibe as you if possible, and always have a plan for if you end up alone!

It’s always the group that make the night out so good!

• Keep your carry-on minimal. If you are going out-out (aka club and dancing), you won’t want to be burdened with carrying a large bag around. Keep it simple, keys, card, cash, ID, phone (and lippy) – you really don’t need much more! If it is cold and a jacket/coat is needed for waiting outside in queues or on route, make sure you are prepared to either carry it while dancing or find somewhere safe to put it (or hang it up in a coat room). 

• Make a meeting point. Clubs can be busy, clustered and loud. Chances are you won’t be able to hear much of what your friends are saying (or trying to shout over the music) so before you get in, decide on a place to meet if you all get split up.
  

  Some cheeky cocktails are always welcome!

• Keep track of the drinks you buy. If you already get to the club tipsy and some inhibitions lost, it can be really easy to forget about the state of your bank account and buy a round for all of your new friends at the bar. Try to keep track of what you have brought and be cautious if people buy you drinks that you haven’t seen being poured.

Hopefully these tips have helped for a more stress-free night out so you can enjoy yourself without having to worry too much about the things that could go wrong – any more tips? Let me know in the comments below…