h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A couple of years ago, I decided to celebrate my birthday with a Monoploy pub crawl. We ended up cheating, and just used the second half of the board (the London board that is). We visited a pub/bar at each of the property locations, in order, and ignored things like the stations and utilities. If you choose the first half of the board, the route isn't very good (Old Kent Road to Whitechapel is quite a long trip for your second drink of the day), and the locations aren't as nice (the second half of the board is mostly set in London's Glittering West End). So although it's not a challenge for a serious drinker, it's a very enjoyable day out. We started with breakfast at 10, and I think we arrived at Mayfair about 9:30 and settled in for the evening. I don't suppose anybody's bothered, but if you wanted I could probably dig up our itinerary.

If you want to do it properly, you've got 2 options. a) Drink really fast and sprint between locations. This is good if you want a challenge. b) Take a weekend: do the first section on Friday night, the second and third on Saturday and the final section on Sunday afternoon. This is a much easier-going way except that you might have trouble dragging yourself out of bed on a Sunday for yet more drinking.

Is there anyone who's done/heard of Monopoly pub crawls (bar crawls?) in any other Monopoly cities?

I'd be surprised if a Monopoly pub crawl is possible for most Monopoly boards, including the original Atlantic City venue. For most venues smaller than London, UK, most of the properties wouldn't have pubs on them. And in the Douglas, Massachusetts, USA version, there'd only be one square *with* a pub. B^{C>

Presumably you have to modify the rules somewhat.

"Do not pass... out. Do not collect two hundred rounds..."

Isn't that how Lister ended up on the Red Dwarf...

In a similar vein is the Circle Line Pub Crawl (and equally likely to be fatal !). It does have the advantage of being a little more compact though.

The rules are simple, pick any station on the Circle and a direction. Have a half or a short in the nearest hostelry to each station as you work your way round.

BUT, in the event of having to answer the call of nature, a forfeit of stepping back one station is required.

Now the Circle has 26 stations. Stepping back one station in four seems about right, meaning visiting 34 hostelries. 17 pints or 34 voddys all shaken about by the Circle ... rather you than me !

Got the sums wrong, now reckon it'd be 43 drinks.

Make sure that you do it at the right time, or else you'll find the bars round the City shut (generally at weekends)

Isn't there a station on the London board that hasn't got a pub anywhere near it? Isn't it the Angel?

There are plenty of pubs near The Angel, Islington. I was in The Angel pub yesterday lunchtime

Lets see the railway stations are Fenchurch St, Liverpool St, Marlebone and kings cross. I think they'll all have pubs/bars either on or near (the only one I don't know about is Fenchurch St).

I don't know London too well (only go for the football) but I read an article in Loaded or something a while back and the whole thing got pear shaped because they got so far and couldn't find a pub. I think it was one of the streets on the sky blue's and the purples.

Know that they are VERY scarce round the Acton Town station area (as I used to work in the LUL Acton Works. Has something to do with the old boundaries of the Gunnersbury Park estate.

As I recall, there isn't a pub on either of the Bond Streets. I can't remember what we did, but we probably went to the pub near Bond Street Station (called The Pig in the Pound or something like that). There aren't any pubs on Marlborough Street because there isn't a Marlborough Street; people usually assume the designers meant Great Marlborough Street.

I don't know if this counts, but there's only one pub on Oxford Street (apparently there used to be about 20), and it's rubbish. You really don't want to spend very long there at all.

this sounds like a hell of an idea and i may well give it a stab next time i'm in London...

however, for anyone visiting Edinburgh, i defy any of you to drink a pint in each one of Rose Street's pubs.

Apparently it's never been done without passing out! Personally that's what i'm gonna be doing with a load of mates for my 21st!!!

And by the way, I'd love any tips for doing a london monpoly pub crawl... sounds like a great way to finish the exams!!

A good way of livening up a monopoly pub crawl is to leave cans of lager at each of the left luggage places in the four railway stations mentioned.

That is what some friends did and caused a near riot!

I am planning one soon. Gonna change a few bits but start at old kent road (its kinda close to my home). Had same idea of taking some shots or something at each station or at a place where we couldnt find a pub to quickly. That idea about the circle line pub crawl sounds like a very good alternative.

Well will have to post a follow up once I have done it.

I was thinking about buying a travel monopoly and playing it on the way round, but then common sense told me that we wouldnt be able to keep it up.

Just hope we dont end up like Lister - enrolled on a red dwarf tipe ship on a deep space mining expedition!