The Best of Eastern Europe — Self-Launched
14 days · Central & Eastern Europe (Berlin, Krakow, Prague, Český Krumlov, Vienna, Budapest)
G Adventures charges £1,699
No-markup version: ~£1,186 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on G Adventures' 14-day Berlin-to-Budapest circuit. You cover the same six stops — Berlin, Krakow, Prague, Český Krumlov, Vienna and Budapest — using trains and buses instead of a private coach, and staying in well-located hostels and budget guesthouses instead of the Marriott-affiliated hotels. Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Wieliczka/Wawel sights, the Český Krumlov castle and the Budapest thermal baths are all bookable directly or via GetYourGuide/Klook — no CEO needed. Costs below are approximate backpacker/mid-range rates per person, excluding flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Berlin — settle in and meet the city
Berlin, Germany
Fly or train into Berlin (BER airport has a direct S-Bahn/FEX link to Hauptbahnhof, ~€4.40). Check into a hostel in Mitte or Prenzlauer Berg — Circus Hostel and EastSeven are both good, sociable, and around £28-35/night for a dorm. Spend the evening walking Unter den Linden and grabbing a döner or currywurst (€6-9). If you want a group to hang out with, join your hostel's free walking tour meet-up or pub crawl on night one.
🚌BER airport to city: S-Bahn/FEX train, ~£4. Local U-Bahn/S-Bahn day ticket ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm, Mitte/Prenzlauer Berg (~£30)
- →Self-guided evening walk: Unter den Linden, Brandenburg Gate
- →Hostel social night
Berlin — Wall history and world-class museums
Berlin, Germany
Do the free East Side Gallery walk along the Wall in the morning (free, ~1.3km of murals), then a self-guided Third Reich/Wall history loop: Checkpoint Charlie Museum (€18.50), Topography of Terror (free), and the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße. Afternoon: pick one Museum Island museum (Pergamon is closed for renovation — Neues Museum or Alte Nationalgalerie ~€14). Optional Fernsehturm lift up for views (€28.50 — book a timed slot on the official site to skip queues). Free walking tours run daily from Alexanderplatz and run on tips.
🚌U-Bahn/S-Bahn day ticket ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm, Mitte (~£30)
- →East Side Gallery (free)
- →Checkpoint Charlie Museum (~£16)
- →Topography of Terror (free)
- →Free tip-based city walking tour (~£8 tip)
Berlin to Krakow by train
Krakow, Poland
Take the direct EC train Berlin Hbf to Krakow Główny (around 7.5-8 hours, ~€40-60 booked in advance on bahn.de or cd.cz; a cheaper alternative is a FlixBus, ~£25, 8-9 hrs). Arrive evening, check into a hostel in the Old Town/Kazimierz fringe — Greg & Tom, Mosquito or Let's Rock are around £15-20/night. Night walk of the Rynek Główny (Europe's largest medieval square) and a bar mleczny (milk bar) dinner for £4-6 — the real Polish budget meal the tour lists as optional.
🚌Berlin Hbf to Krakow Główny: EC train ~£45 (book ahead); alternative FlixBus ~£25
🛏Hostel dorm, Old Town/Kazimierz (~£18)
- →Rynek Główny evening walk
- →Bar mleczny dinner
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
Krakow, Poland
Book the official Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial entry directly at visit.auschwitz.org — entry is free but timed reservation is compulsory, and you pay only for a guide (~£10-14 English guided group) or go unguided with a very worthwhile guidebook. Get there by public transport: bus/minibus from Krakow MDA bus station to Oświęcim (~1h20, £5-7 return) or the direct shuttle many hostels sell (~£12). Plan 5-6 hours door to door. Evening back in Krakow: Kazimierz (old Jewish quarter) for zapiekanki from the round kiosk on Plac Nowy (~£3) and a beer in a cellar bar.
🚌Krakow to Oświęcim bus return ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm, Krakow (~£18)
- →Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum with English guide (~£12, book direct)
- →Kazimierz evening wander
Krakow — Wawel, Rynek Underground and the city
Krakow, Poland
Morning at Wawel Royal Castle and Cathedral (95PLN ~£19 for the castle state rooms; the cathedral alone is ~£4, and the grounds are free). Afternoon: Rynek Underground museum under the main square (35PLN ~£7, book a timed slot — it sells out) or the Schindler Factory museum if history is your thing. Try a proper traditional Polish breakfast — scrambled eggs, kiełbasa and a coffee for £5-6. Optionally walk up Kościuszko Mound for a cheap city panorama (~£4).
🚌Tram day pass ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm, Krakow (~£18)
- →Wawel Royal Castle (~£19)
- →Rynek Underground Museum (~£7)
- →Kościuszko Mound (~£4)
Krakow to Prague by train
Prague, Czech Republic
Direct train Krakow Główny to Praha hlavní nádraží takes roughly 6-7.5 hours — the LEO Express / IC services run from around £18-30 booked ahead on cd.cz or le.cz. Arrive into Prague and check into a hostel in Vinohrady or Žižkov — Miss Sophie's, Sophie's Hostel or Hostel One Miru run £20-28/night. Evening: wander the neighbourhood and eat at a hospoda (pub), with a svíčková and a Pilsner for around £10. Many hostels run a family dinner — a cheap way to meet people.
🚌Krakow to Prague: LEO Express/IC train ~£24 (book ahead)
🛏Hostel dorm, Vinohrady/Žižkov (~£24)
- →Žižkov or Vinohrady neighbourhood wander
- →Traditional Czech pub dinner
Prague — Charles Bridge, Old Town and the castle
Prague, Czech Republic
Get to Charles Bridge before 7.30am to have it almost to yourself (free). Self-guided Old Town loop: Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock (free to look; Old Town Hall tower 480CZK ~£16 to climb), the Jewish Quarter, and up through Malá Strana to Prague Castle grounds (free; cathedral interior ~£10 or the full circuit ticket ~£14). Cross via the free tip-based Sandeman's or Free Tour Prague walking tour if you want structure. Evening: a Czech craft beer & food tasting can be booked on GetYourGuide for ~£40, or DIY three microbreweries in Žižkov for £15.
🚌Tram/metro day pass ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm, Prague (~£24)
- →Charles Bridge sunrise (free)
- →Old Town Hall Clock Tower (~£16)
- →Prague Castle circuit (~£14)
- →Free walking tour (tip ~£8)
Prague — free day, museums and neighbourhoods
Prague, Czech Republic
Second Prague day: pick from the Mucha Museum (~£10), the National Museum (~£10), or the DOX contemporary art centre in Holešovice (~£8). Afternoon outside the centre — Letná beer garden overlooking the river with a £2 pint, or Vyšehrad fortress and cemetery (free, great views). Book your bus to Český Krumlov for tomorrow on FlixBus or RegioJet now (~£7, 3 hours).
🚌Tram/metro day pass ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm, Prague (~£24)
- →Letná beer garden
- →Vyšehrad fortress (free)
- →Optional Mucha Museum (~£10)
Prague to Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
RegioJet or FlixBus from Prague Na Knížecí to Český Krumlov (about 3 hours, £6-9 booked ahead). Drop bags at a pension in the old town — around £22-28/night for a private twin or £15 for a dorm. Afternoon: tour the State Castle and Chateau (360CZK ~£12, timed entry, bookable on the castle's own site) including the baroque theatre and the cloaked bridge. Free: the Jewish Synagogue and the riverside walk. Rent a bike for a couple of hours to ride out to the monastery and countryside (£5-10). Evening on the terrace above the Vltava bend with a Trdelník and a beer.
🚌Prague to Český Krumlov: RegioJet/FlixBus ~£8
🛏Pension/guesthouse in old town (~£22)
- →State Castle and Chateau tour (~£12)
- →Jewish Synagogue (free)
- →Bike hire 2hrs (~£8)
Český Krumlov to Vienna
Vienna, Austria
Bus/train combo to Vienna: the easiest is a direct FlixBus Český Krumlov to Vienna (~3h45, £12-16), or bus to Linz then the ÖBB Railjet in (similar price, slightly longer). Check into a hostel in Neubau or the 7th district — Wombats City Hostel and Hostel Ruthensteiner are ~£28-34/night, or a budget guesthouse near Westbahnhof. Afternoon self-guided Ringstraße walk: Hofburg, St Stephen's Cathedral (free), the State Opera exterior, and the Rathaus. Book a cheap standing-room spot at the Vienna State Opera for €14-18 (tickets go on sale 80 minutes before curtain at the box office) — one of the great budget experiences in Europe.
🚌Český Krumlov to Vienna: FlixBus ~£14
🛏Hostel dorm, Neubau (~£30)
- →Ringstraße self-guided walk
- →St Stephen's Cathedral (free)
- →Vienna State Opera standing room (~£15)
Vienna — palaces, art and coffee houses
Vienna, Austria
Morning at Schönbrunn Palace — the imperial tour is €11-15 and worth booking online to skip the queue; the gardens are free. Afternoon: Belvedere Gallery for Klimt's The Kiss (~€19) or the free Imperial Apartments alternative. Do the classic Viennese coffee house thing at Café Sperl or Café Hawelka — melange and strudel ~£8, rather than the £30-50 Hotel Sacher option. Finish at Naschmarkt for cheap produce and street food dinner.
🚌U-Bahn day pass ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm, Vienna (~£30)
- →Schönbrunn Palace imperial tour (~£13)
- →Belvedere Gallery (~£16)
- →Coffee house visit (~£8)
- →Naschmarkt food stroll
Vienna to Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
The cheapest and quickest hop of the trip: RegioJet or ÖBB Railjet Vienna Hbf to Budapest Keleti takes 2h20-2h40 for as little as €9-19 booked ahead. Check into a hostel in District VII (Jewish Quarter) — Carpe Noctem, Vitae or Maverick are £18-26/night. Afternoon: free walking tour or DIY loop of the Chain Bridge, Buda Castle exterior, Fisherman's Bastion (free; the upper turrets cost ~£3), and the Parliament from the riverbank. Visit the Nem Adom Fel Café and Bar on Magdolna utca — a social enterprise employing people with disabilities, cheap food and a genuinely good cause, the same stop the group tour makes.
🚌Vienna to Budapest: Railjet/RegioJet ~£14
🛏Hostel dorm, District VII (~£22)
- →Chain Bridge and Buda Castle (free)
- →Fisherman's Bastion (free)
- →Nem Adom Fel Café social enterprise visit
Budapest — thermal baths, museum and a bike tour
Budapest, Hungary
Morning: Széchenyi or Rudas thermal baths (5700HUF ~£13 — book online, cheaper on weekdays). Afternoon: Hungarian National Museum (3500HUF ~£8) or the free Great Market Hall for paprika, langos and souvenirs. A Budapest bike tour books on GetYourGuide for around £25-28, or rent a city bike and ride Margaret Island for a couple of pounds. Evening: a Danube river cruise (1 hour sightseeing boats from ~£10 on Viator/GetYourGuide; the party cruises cost more) to see the illuminated Parliament, then ruin-bar night in District VII — Szimpla Kert is free to enter.
🚌Tram/metro day pass ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm, District VII (~£22)
- →Thermal baths (~£13)
- →Hungarian National Museum (~£8)
- →Danube evening cruise (~£12)
- →Ruin bar night
Budapest — depart
Budapest, Hungary
Final morning: breakfast at a kávézó, a last walk across Liberty Bridge, and pick up paprika or Tokaji at the Great Market Hall. Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport is 30-40 minutes away via the 100E airport bus (2200HUF ~£5) or the M3 metro plus 200E bus. If your flight is late, drop bags at the hostel and do the House of Terror or the Memento Park communist statues for a final dose of the region's history.
🚌100E airport bus ~£5
🛏Departure day — no accommodation
- →Great Market Hall shopping
- →Optional House of Terror museum (~£8)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,186 | £1,699 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £513 per person (30%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,186
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does The Best of Eastern Europe — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,186 per person for 14 days in Central & Eastern Europe (Berlin, Krakow, Prague, Český Krumlov, Vienna, Budapest). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,699 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,186 — a saving of roughly £513 (30%) per person.
How long is the Central & Eastern Europe (Berlin, Krakow, Prague, Český Krumlov, Vienna, Budapest) trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Central & Eastern Europe (Berlin, Krakow, Prague, Český Krumlov, Vienna, Budapest).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through Central & Eastern Europe (Berlin, Krakow, Prague, Český Krumlov, Vienna, Budapest), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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