Hi Vulcan, I actually read your post before making my own and your reasoning is verrry similar to mine before I quit. So this has been my experience..
Most people would tell you to avoid bars and pubs like the plague but I'd actually give the opposite advice if that's a major concern.. go ahead and try it, exposure therapy.. because yes it's inevitable you'll wind up in some sort of triggering environment eventually.
So go to a bar with your friends and tell them you're not drinking.. if they're still trying to shove drinks down your throat after you've explained it's literally bad for your health they're probably not your real friends and/or they have their own problems you can't help them with. Or alone and just order food.. yeah it'll probably be really uncomfortable but by the time you walk out of there after successfully not ordering a drink you'll feel much more confident in your ability to stay sober.
Coping with boredom and loneliness is hard but once you stop drinking you realize that huge void you've been filing with alcohol is now an open space for you to explore more fulfilling and substantial things. Although it takes time there's no way around that.
About cravings.. I can't speak for anyone else but for me it's like flipping a switch, most of the time I don't even think about it but when I do it can be intense. I've just had to learn to recognize that feeling and sit through the discomfort, and I've found it usually goes away as quickly as it comes on so no my life is not a constant battle against it.