Self-Launched Central Europe Rail Adventure: London to Venice
15 days · Central Europe (London – Amsterdam – Berlin – Prague – Budapest – Vienna – Venice)
Euroventure Travel charges £2,000
No-markup version: ~£1,395 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Euroventure's 15-day 18-30s Central Europe rail tour, hitting the same seven cities in the same order: London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna and Venice. Instead of a group leader and package transport, you book your own interrail/Eurail pass or point-to-point tickets, stay in the same style of well-located hostels, and self-book the key included activities (pancake boat, TV Tower, medieval tavern dinner, Szechenyi Baths, gondola). Built for solo travellers who want the social buzz of a group trip but the freedom and savings of going it alone — join free walking tours, hostel bar nights and day-trip meetups to find travel buddies along the way. All costs are approximate per person.
Day-by-day
London → Amsterdam
London / Amsterdam
Start early at King's Cross (meet-up point at the Parcel Yard pub if you want the same send-off). Book a Eurostar London–Amsterdam direct service (approx. £45–80 if booked 2–3 months ahead) — around 4 hours to Amsterdam Centraal. Check into a central hostel such as ClinkNOORD (free ferry from Centraal) or Ecomama, then do a free evening wander through the Jordaan and grab a cheap stroopwafel and fries. Join your hostel's evening bar night to meet people.
🚌Eurostar London St Pancras → Amsterdam Centraal, ~£45–80 advance
🛏ClinkNOORD or Ecomama hostel, Amsterdam (dorm £25–35/night)
- →Self-guided Jordaan wander
- →Hostel social night
Amsterdam — canals & museums
Amsterdam
Do the classic Amsterdam Pancake Boat cruise (book direct or via GetYourGuide, ~£22) — all-you-can-eat Dutch pancakes while cruising the IJ. In the afternoon hire a bike (~£10/day) and cycle the canal ring, or pre-book the Rijksmuseum (£20) or Van Gogh Museum (£20, timed slots essential — they sell out). Free walking tour departs Dam Square daily; tip £5–10.
🚌Bike hire ~£10, walkable city centre
🛏ClinkNOORD or Ecomama hostel, Amsterdam (dorm £25–35/night)
- →Pancake Boat cruise (GetYourGuide ~£22)
- →Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum (~£20)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Bike rental
Amsterdam — Anne Frank & free day
Amsterdam
Anne Frank House tickets are released online exactly 6 weeks ahead at 10:00 CET — set a reminder, they vanish in minutes (~£14). Spend the rest of the day exploring the Nine Streets, Albert Cuyp market for cheap eats, and Vondelpark. Optional evening Red Light District walk with a guide or a pub crawl (~£20).
🚌Tram day ticket ~£7
🛏ClinkNOORD or Ecomama hostel, Amsterdam (dorm £25–35/night)
- →Anne Frank House (~£14, book 6 weeks ahead)
- →Albert Cuyp street market
- →Vondelpark
Amsterdam — windmills day trip
Zaanse Schans / Amsterdam
Take a local bus or train to Zaanse Schans (30 mins, ~£8 return) for working windmills and free cheese tasting — a budget version of the tour's free day. Back in Amsterdam, cook dinner at the hostel or hit a cheap Indonesian rijsttafel spot in De Pijp (~£12).
🚌Train/bus to Zaanse Schans ~£8 return
🛏ClinkNOORD or Ecomama hostel, Amsterdam (dorm £25–35/night)
- →Zaanse Schans windmills
- →De Pijp food wander
Amsterdam → Berlin
Amsterdam / Berlin
Take the direct IC Berlin train from Amsterdam Centraal (approx. 6h15, ~£40–60 advance; Interrail pass day if you have one). Check into Circus Hostel in Mitte or St Christopher's Alexanderplatz. Evening: cheap currywurst and a look at the East Side Gallery at dusk (free).
🚌IC train Amsterdam → Berlin ~£40–60
🛏Circus Hostel or St Christopher's, Berlin (dorm £22–30/night)
- →East Side Gallery walk
Berlin — TV Tower & history
Berlin
Pre-book the Berlin TV Tower (Fernsehturm) observation deck via GetYourGuide or direct (~£22, skip-the-line worth it). Do a free alternative walking tour of Mitte and the Wall in the afternoon (tip-based, ~£8 tip). Reichstag dome entry is free but requires online registration weeks ahead. Evening: street food at Markthalle Neun or a £3 beer by the Spree.
🚌BVG day ticket ~£8
🛏Circus Hostel or St Christopher's, Berlin (dorm £22–30/night)
- →Berlin TV Tower observation deck (~£22)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Reichstag dome (free, pre-register)
Berlin — alternative scene
Berlin
Free day. Rent a bike (~£10) and ride the Mauerweg, visit Tempelhofer Feld (free) and Kreuzberg's canals. Optional techno-club night — research door policies, go early and in small groups, budget ~£15 entry. Alternative: a street-art tour in Kreuzberg (~£15).
🚌Bike hire ~£10
🛏Circus Hostel or St Christopher's, Berlin (dorm £22–30/night)
- →Tempelhofer Feld
- →Kreuzberg street art walk
- →Optional techno club (~£15)
Berlin → Prague + medieval tavern dinner
Berlin / Prague
Take the EC train Berlin → Prague (approx. 4h15, ~£25–40 advance) or a RegioJet/FlixBus for ~£15. Check into Sir Toby's or Sophie's Hostel in Vinohrady. In the evening book the Medieval Tavern dinner show (Krčma U Pavouka) in Prague's Old Town — five courses, unlimited drinks, belly dancers and sword fights in a cave (~£45 direct).
🚌EC train Berlin → Prague ~£25–40
🛏Sir Toby's or Sophie's Hostel, Prague (dorm £18–25/night)
- →Medieval Tavern dinner show (~£45)
Prague — Charles Bridge & Old Town
Prague
Beat the crowds to Charles Bridge at 7am for photos, then climb the Old Town Hall tower (~£7) for the astronomical clock view. Free walking tour of the Old Town, Jewish Quarter and castle district (tip-based). Afternoon: Petřín Hill funicular and lookout tower (~£5). Cheap lunch of goulash and dumplings in a lokál (~£7). Optional evening bar crawl (~£15).
🚌Tram day pass ~£4
🛏Sir Toby's or Sophie's Hostel, Prague (dorm £18–25/night)
- →Charles Bridge sunrise
- →Old Town Hall tower (~£7)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Petřín Hill
Prague → Budapest
Prague / Budapest
Direct EC train Prague → Budapest Keleti (approx. 6h45, ~£30–45 advance) or RegioJet for ~£20. Check into Carpe Noctem or Maverick City Lodge in District VII. Evening: ruin bar crawl through Szimpla Kert and Instant-Fogas (free entry, pay per drink) and a langos from a street stall (~£3).
🚌EC train Prague → Budapest ~£30–45
🛏Carpe Noctem or Maverick City Lodge, Budapest (dorm £18–25/night)
- →Ruin bar crawl
- →Langos tasting
Budapest — Széchenyi Thermal Baths
Budapest
Spend a slow morning at the Széchenyi Thermal Baths (book online ~£20 with a locker; cheaper on weekdays). Afternoon free walking tour covering the Parliament, Shoes on the Danube and St Stephen's Basilica (tip-based). Sunset at Fisherman's Bastion (free, best light after 7pm) and a £6 dinner of paprika chicken.
🚌Metro/tram day pass ~£5
🛏Carpe Noctem or Maverick City Lodge, Budapest (dorm £18–25/night)
- →Széchenyi Thermal Baths (~£20)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Fisherman's Bastion at sunset
Budapest — Margaret Island & caves
Budapest
Rent a bike or a Margaret Island buggy (~£10) and loop the island's fountains and ruins. Optional: guided caving under the Buda Hills (~£20) or a Danube paddleboard session. Finish with a Hungarian dinner in the Jewish Quarter (~£10) and a soak in a cheaper local bath like Lukács (~£12).
🚌Bike hire ~£10, tram ~£3
🛏Carpe Noctem or Maverick City Lodge, Budapest (dorm £18–25/night)
- →Margaret Island loop
- →Optional Buda Hills caving (~£20)
- →Lukács Baths (~£12)
Budapest → Vienna + Prater
Budapest / Vienna
Take the hourly Railjet Budapest Keleti → Wien Hauptbahnhof (2h40, ~£20–30 advance). Check into Wombats City Hostel or St Christopher's at Naschmarkt. Afternoon in the Prater: ride the Riesenrad ferris wheel (~£11) and wander the free parkland. Evening picnic from Naschmarkt (~£8) and a cheap standing-concert ticket at Musikverein or Konzerthaus if available (~£5–10).
🚌Railjet Budapest → Vienna ~£20–30
🛏Wombats City Hostel or St Christopher's, Vienna (dorm £25–32/night)
- →Prater & Riesenrad (~£11)
- →Naschmarkt picnic
- →Optional standing concert ticket
Vienna → Venice + gondola
Vienna / Venice
Take the morning Railjet/RJX Vienna → Venice Santa Lucia (approx. 7h30 through the Alps, ~£40–60 advance; a stunning ride). Check into Generator Venice or Anda Venice on the mainland (cheaper, ~£20–28 dorm). Late afternoon book a shared gondola ride (~£30 via GetYourGuide; shared gondolas cost far less than private ones). Evening cicchetti and spritz in Cannaregio (~£12).
🚌Railjet Vienna → Venice ~£40–60
🛏Generator Venice or Anda Venice, Mestre (dorm £20–28/night)
- →Shared gondola ride (~£30)
- →Cannaregio cicchetti crawl
Venice — St Mark's & departure
Venice
Get to St Mark's Square before 8:30am to beat the day-trippers. Basilica San Marco entry is ~£3 (book the £3 campanile or the £10 Pala d'Oro if you want), and the Doge's Palace is ~£25. Wander the Rialto market, take a vaporetto down the Grand Canal with a 24h pass (~£18), and finish with a last gelato. Depart from Venezia Santa Lucia station or Marco Polo airport by bus (~£10).
🚌Vaporetto 24h pass ~£18; ATVO bus to Marco Polo airport ~£10
🛏None included (departure day) — hostels near Mestre if you extend
- →St Mark's Square & Basilica (~£3)
- →Rialto market
- →Grand Canal vaporetto ride
Self-launched vs. Euroventure Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Euroventure Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,395 | £2,000 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £605 per person (30%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Euroventure Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,395
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Central Europe Rail Adventure: London to Venice cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,395 per person for 15 days in Central Europe (London – Amsterdam – Berlin – Prague – Budapest – Vienna – Venice). 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 Euroventure Travel?+
Yes — Euroventure Travel charges around £2,000 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,395 — a saving of roughly £605 (30%) per person.
How long is the Central Europe (London – Amsterdam – Berlin – Prague – Budapest – Vienna – Venice) trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through Central Europe (London – Amsterdam – Berlin – Prague – Budapest – Vienna – Venice).
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 city-breaks, culture, budget trip through Central Europe (London – Amsterdam – Berlin – Prague – Budapest – Vienna – Venice), 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.