If you are planning a stag or hen party, you don’t have to be from Bristol or nearby areas to consider the city; a new survey has shown it is one of the very best venues in the country to enjoy the celebration.

This was the conclusion of a survey by travel firm Coach Hire Comparison, which studied a range of factors across 18 leading cities in the UK to try to find the best places to go.

Using data from sites like TripAdvisor and Booking.com, it looked at factors such as the cost of accommodation, the number of bars and the price of drinks. It also looked for a listing of attractions in each city.

Perhaps surprisingly, Aberdeen emerged as the overall winner across all factors. But when it comes to the number of listed attractions, Bristol was third, beaten only by London and Edinburgh. Quite simply, when it comes to stag do ideas, Bristol is one of the very best.

With London being so expensive and Scotland’s stag-friendly cities so distant, Bristol has to be a top choice for anyone in the south or Midlands.

The study concluded that Bristol is “a city that offers diverse activities to suit all interests,” although anyone looking for a particularly wild party might not quite be going for the art galleries, museums, or engineering brilliance that produced the Clifton Bridge (and the stag may not forgive you if you dangle him off it by his ankles for a laugh).

On the other hand, there is lots more to do; the harbour offers great bars and street food with a relaxed vibe, while you can’t miss the street art, not least when so much of it comes from Banksy.

There’s much else you could do too; for sport, Bristol has two football clubs and a rugby team, while both county and international cricket take place at Nevil Road. Sadly, the zoo closed a couple of years ago, so you’ll have to devise your own monkey business.

All of these things promise lots of fun, but the fact that we can offer clay pigeon shooting and quad biking here at Weston Lodge adds another great reason to come to Bristol. It means you don’t just have to come to the city, hit the bar and make it up as you go along. Instead, you can pre-plan a trip with a bespoke day that can give your party a wonderful time.

Yes, Bristol is a fabulous place to visit and a more toned-down trip indeed might take in more of things like its maritime history, architecture and culture than your typical stag or hen party, although this is certainly an option if you wish. And unlike London, you won’t get lost on the Underground, because despite the outgoing mayor’s best efforts we haven’t built one.

However, the best thing of all is that this is a friendly city, not too big and with lots to enjoy. If you fancy some unusual antics with clay pigeons or quad bikes, it could add up to the perfect mix for a wonderful weekend away.