I went on the Viking Raid so you don’t have to: Here’s my honest opinion

 The Viking Raid is York’s so-called ‘best pub crawl’. As the city is taken over by thousands of students, all sporting their very fashionable Viking Raid t-shirts, I joined them to find out if the Viking Raid is really worth the hype. (Well, in all seriousness, I went to cure my freshers week blues and convince myself I am still a silly little fresher at heart).

One of the major selling points of the Viking Raid is the opportunity to explore alternative pubs and bars across the city centre during the pub crawl. The route selection this year certainly delivered on this promise. The six routes (Thor, Loki, Freya, Valkyrie, Irpa and Ran) covered over 16 bars and pubs – including Student Union ones. With all routes starting at campus locations, the night gave opportunity to revisit the Vanbrugh Arms, Glasshouse and see Courtyard after its face lift, all before making our way to town. We were spoilt for choice when it came to picking our route. 

Picking the route

One major debate my friends and I fell into was whether to pick the route with the best bars, or the route with the best club to end at. A night can be made or broken by whether you’re able to have a good boogie at the end of it. So to save yourselves the stress of this monumental decision at the front of the t-shirt collection line, please deliberate ahead of time. Who knew the Revs or Salvos debate could be so decisive? After having to have a house vote, I now do xx 

The never-ending queues

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A factor of my experience, which quickly became a running theme of my Viking Raid experience, was queuing. Before we even made it to the night of the Viking Raid, we were faced with the queue to collect our t-shirts outside the Rodger Kirke Centre. A task that is not to be overlooked, as the collection of such t-shirts guarantees whether you get your first choice route or not. The most invaluable advice I can pass on to any future ‘raider’ is to arrive early. If you snooze, you lose. 

The night itself

With all that admin out of the way, we have actually made it to the night itself. 

I cannot lie, as a second year who did not win the housing lottery by scoring a house in Badger Hill or Heslington, the idea of the hike back to campus after a 6pm finish was not ideal for me. So we decided to save a few pennies and start in town. Having picked the Valkyrie route, we started in Katie O’Brian’s. Located where the old Pitcher & Piano used to live, this new Irish bar was a brilliant start to the Viking Raid. Their excellent live music made for a very lively start to the night. With drinks on special prices, in honour of the night, we were off to a very good start. So lets just say, I will be back for some more rhubarb vodka. 

As the night went on…

Despite the fabulous start, the further we got into the night the more I was grateful that I made a comfortable shoe decision. As following leaving O’Brian’s we were queuing for entry for every venue after. As a Stone Roses lover, I will always be willing to wait in line to get my weekly dose of Champagne Supernova. However, we were left waiting an hour for entry.

Were the vibes there? Yes. Was the faint sound of Sam Fender echoing from the door the light at the end of the tunnel? Yes. Is that queue the reason I probably now have Freshers Flu? Most likely. 

Despite my complaining, please do not let queues get in the way of your night. Every location we went to was worth the wait. With Lowther’s and Stones both being packed. (Whoever was in charge of the Stones playlist on Tuesday, please drop your Spotify x) 

The budget

However, what became increasingly clear to me is whether the Viking Raid is actually designed with the student budget in mind. I will happily pay £4.75 for a vodka or a pint on occasion. Realising I am going to have to pay at least that at every bar I go to if I wish to drink is another issue. To put the cost of the night into perspective, each route consists of 6 stops before reaching the final destination. Let’s make the average cost of a drink £4. That results in a cost of £34. Just for drinks. The night as a whole costing £44 with the price of the ticket included. Nearly double what the average student pays for weekly food shop. 

While I didn’t buy a drink in every location (the student loan is not unlimited after all), it really meant that my friends and I had to be selective with where we were spending our time on the route, meaning we did give some of the pubs a miss. 

Despite this, the night was very much worth it. For any incoming freshers, it is the perfect way to continue exploring the city following Freshers’ Week. And for us returners, it’s the perfect way to revisit you favourite pub.

Will I be attempting it again when its time for the Roman Raid in February? Let’s just see how long my Freshers flu lasts first.