I used to work in customer service, and the company I worked for was big on team dinners, team nights out, etc. I grudgingly went along with it, but it was really annoying because I had nothing in common with the other people on my team, and I'm not a fan of getting that drunk. I do drink, but I like to be able to walk in a straight line at the end of the night...
One tech company I worked for made a point of arranging one single night per trip that would be a "team night". I think that's a good compromise. People get their free drinks and party time, and the ones who aren't into the party scene can excuse themselves on other nights, and only have to suffer once in the name of their job.
These days, I'm self employed. I actually travel more now than I did as an employee, but it's far less stressful and a lot more fun.