Ultimate Europe Self-Launched: Berlin, Tuscany & Greek Temples

Land at Schiphol and take the Sprinter train into Amsterdam Centraal (~£5, 20 mins; buy a single at the machine or tap in with a contactless card). Check into a central hostel such as ClinkNOORD (ferry from Centraal) or Ecomama. Spend the afternoon wandering the Jordaan's canals and grabbing a cheap broodje or Indonesian takeaway, then do a free evening canal-side walk. Sort out an OV-chipkaart or contactless payment for trams and trains while you're here.

🚌Schiphol Airport train to Amsterdam Centraal, ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, central Amsterdam (~£30-40/nt)

• →Jordaan canal walk
• →Free walking orientation
• →Night market snacks

Do the classic Amsterdam thing: rent a bike (~£12/day) and loop the canals yourself, or join a We Bike Amsterdam / Mike's Bike Tours city tour (~£22, book on GetYourGuide). Mid-afternoon take the Intercity Berlin train from Amsterdam Centraal to Berlin Hbf (4h30-6h depending on route, ~£35-55 if booked a few weeks ahead on NS/DB — much cheaper than the ICE). Evening free in Berlin; the hostel bar is a good place to meet people.

🚌Amsterdam Centraal → Berlin Hbf Intercity train, ~£45

🛏Hostel dorm, Berlin Kreuzberg/Mitte (~£20-28/nt)

• →Amsterdam bike hire and canal loop

Join a free (tip-based) Alternative Berlin or Sandemans walking tour in the morning (~£5-10 tip) — it covers the Wall, Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate. Afternoon: rent a bike and ride out to Tempelhof Airport, now a vast public park; or head to the East Side Gallery. Optional: Checkpoint Charlie Museum (~£12). Evening: cheap döner in Kreuzberg and a bar crawl through Neukölln.

🚌U-Bahn day ticket ~£8

🛏Hostel dorm, Berlin (~£20-28/nt)

• →Free walking tour (tip)
• →Berlin Wall & East Side Gallery
• →Tempelhof bike ride
• →Optional Checkpoint Charlie Museum £12

Take an EC/IC train Berlin Hbf → Dresden Hbf (~2h, ~£18 book ahead on DB). Stash your bag in a station locker (~£3) and wander the reconstructed Altstadt, the Frauenkirche and the Elbe riverbank for 3-4 hours. Then continue Dresden → Prague (~2h15, ~£14-18 on Czech Railways/CD). Evening: free walk over Charles Bridge and John Lennon's Wall, then a pint in a Vinohrady beer hall (~£3).

🚌Berlin → Dresden IC £18 + Dresden → Prague £16

🛏Hostel dorm, Prague Old Town/Vinohrady (~£15-22/nt)

• →Dresden Altstadt & Frauenkirche self-walk
• →Charles Bridge at sunset
• →Czech beer hall

Morning free walking tour of the Old Town and Astronomical Clock (~£8 tip). Then either pay into Prague Castle (~£14-18) or hike Petřín Hill for the view for free. Afternoon: consider a Czech craft beer and food tasting (~£30 booked on GetYourGuide or via Airbnb Experiences) or simply hop between Letná beer garden and a pivovar. Evening cheap eats: goulash and dumplings ~£8.

🚌Tram/metro day ticket ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Prague (~£15-22/nt)

• →Old Town free walking tour
• →Prague Castle visit £16
• →Optional beer & food tasting £30

Take the early bus or train Prague → Český Krumlov (~3h RegioJet/FlixBus, ~£10-12). Leave your bag at the bus station or a luggage locker, climb the castle tower (~£5), wander the old town and eat by the river. Then a direct shuttle RegioJet/FlixBus to Vienna (~3h, ~£12-15) arriving in the evening. Stroll Ringstrasse past St. Stephen's, the Rathaus and the Hofburg after dark.

🚌Prague → Český Krumlov bus £11 + Český Krumlov → Vienna £14

🛏Hostel dorm, Vienna (~£25-33/nt)

• →Český Krumlov old town & castle tower
• →Ringstrasse evening walk

Free morning walking tour of the inner city (~£8 tip). Optional Naschmarkt food walk with a local (~£45 booked on GetYourGuide — the operator's version isn't cheap, so a self-guided market graze with cheese and sausage tastings for £12 is a fair budget substitute). Afternoon: Belvedere Palace gardens are free to wander; the Kunsthistorisches Museum is ~£18. Finish with a melange and a slice of Sachertorte in a traditional café (~£10).

🚌U-Bahn day ticket ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Vienna (~£25-33/nt)

• →Inner city free walking tour
• →Naschmarkt self-guided tasting £12
• →Optional KHM museum £18
• →Coffee house stop

Train Vienna → Salzburg (~2h30, ~£25-30 on ÖBB Sparschiene if booked early). From Salzburg it's awkward to reach Königssee without a car — the practical version is bus 840 to Berchtesgaden (~1h, ~£6) and on to Königssee, or just do the Postalm/Almsee hike straight from the city (bus 150 toward Bad Ischl). Walk the lakeshore, then return to Salzburg for an old-town wander and the climb to Hohensalzburg (~£10).

🚌Vienna → Salzburg train £28 + local buses £10

🛏Hostel dorm, Salzburg (~£28-35/nt)

• →Königssee/Almsee lake hike
• →Salzburg Altstadt self-walk
• →Hohensalzburg climb £10

Morning Meridian/RJ train Salzburg → Munich Hbf (~1h30, ~£14-20 booked on DB). Check in, then hit Marienplatz for the glockenspiel at 11am or 12pm, the Frauenkirche's onion domes and the Viktualienmarkt for a cheap market lunch (~£8). Evening: a litre at a proper beer hall (Hofbräuhaus is touristy but free to enter; Augustiner is better and cheaper) ~£9.

🚌Salzburg → Munich train £18

🛏Hostel dorm, Munich (~£25-32/nt)

• →Marienplatz & glockenspiel
• →Viktualienmarkt
• →Beer hall evening

Free walking tour in the morning (~£8 tip). Pick one museum rather than all of them: Alte Pinakothek or the Deutsches Museum (~£10-14), or just spend the day in the Englischer Garten with a picnic and the Eisbach surfer-watching (free). Afternoon: rent a bike or walk to the Nymphenburg palace park (free grounds). Cheap dinner: Leberkäse and a pretzel ~£6.

🚌U-Bahn day ticket ~£7

🛏Hostel dorm, Munich (~£25-32/nt)

• →Free walking tour
• →Englischer Garten
• →Optional Alte Pinakothek £10

Morning wander through Munich's Altstadt, then the scenic railjet/brenner train Munich → Innsbruck (~1h45, ~£18-22 on ÖBB). Check into the hostel and walk Maria-Theresien-Strasse with the Alps right overhead. Optional: the Nordkette cable car is expensive (~£35) but the Hungerburg funicular mid-station gives a great view for ~£9.

🚌Munich → Innsbruck train £20

🛏Hostel dorm, Innsbruck (~£25-32/nt)

• →Munich Altstadt walk
• →Maria-Theresien-Strasse
• →Optional funicular to Hungerburg £9

Early train Innsbruck → Fortezza → Dobbiaco/Toblach (~2h, ~£12) to get into the Dolomites proper, then a bus to Lago di Misurina (~£4) for a lakeside walk with the Tre Cime in view. Return by bus/train via Fortezza and continue to Venice Santa Lucia (~4-5h total, ~£30). Evening: aperitivo in Cannaregio (~£8) and a wander along the canals.

🚌Innsbruck → Dobbiaco train £12 + buses £8 + train to Venice £25

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Venice Mestre (~£25-35/nt; Mestre is far cheaper than the island)

• →Lago di Misurina lake walk
• →Dolomites scenery
• →Cannaregio evening walk

Buy a 24h ACTV vaporetto pass (~£18) and ride line 1 down the Grand Canal, then out to Murano or Burano. Mid-afternoon join a Venice ghost and legends walking tour (~£22 on GetYourGuide) — the cheaper DIY version is the free Rialto/St Mark's orientation plus your own evening wander. Eat cicchetti standing at a bacaro (~£12) rather than sitting down. Remember to file the Venice access-fee exemption if your stay falls on a charging date.

🚌24h vaporetto pass £18

🛏Hostel dorm/guesthouse, Venice Mestre (~£25-35/nt)

• →Grand Canal vaporetto
• →Murano/Burano
• →Ghost & legends walking tour £22
• →Cicchetti crawl

Regional train Venice S. Lucia → Florence S.M.N. (~2h, ~£20-25 on Trenitalia's regionale veloce if booked early). Afternoon: join a Florence market and food tour through San Lorenzo's Mercato Centrale and Sant'Ambrogio (~£40 on GetYourGuide) or do it yourself for £15 of cheese, schiacciata and wine. Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo (free).

🚌Venice → Florence train £22

🛏Hostel dorm, Florence (~£22-30/nt)

• →Mercato Centrale food walk £40
• →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset

Book the Uffizi online in advance (~£25) or the Accademia for David (~£18) — pick one, do it in the morning. Walk the Ponte Vecchio and the Oltrarno lanes, then climb the Duomo's dome if you've pre-booked (~£25, sells out). Cheap lunch from a lampredotto stall (~£6). Evening: Boboli Gardens or a wine window in the Oltrarno (~£5).

🚌Walking city; occasional bus £2

🛏Hostel dorm, Florence (~£22-30/nt)

• →Uffizi Gallery £25
• →Ponte Vecchio
• →Duomo climb £25 (optional)
• →Oltrarno wander

Frecciarossa Florence → Rome Termini (~1h35, ~£25-35 booked early on Trenitalia; the regionale is £18 but takes 3h40). Check in near Termini or Monti. Evening: free night walk past the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon (outside) and Piazza Navona, then a cheap plate of cacio e pepe in Trastevere (~£10).

🚌Florence → Rome train £30

🛏Hostel dorm, Rome (~£25-35/nt)

• →Trevi Fountain
• →Pantheon & Piazza Navona
• →Trastevere night walk

Pre-book a combined Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine ticket (~£24, skip-the-line combo) and go early. Afternoon: a Testaccio street-food walk (~£35 on GetYourGuide) or DIY it around the Testaccio market for ~£10 of supplì, pizza bianca and gelato. Evening: free — Aventine keyhole view and a cheap trattoria in Monti.

🚌Metro/bus day ticket £6

🛏Hostel dorm, Rome (~£25-35/nt)

• →Colosseum & Roman Forum £24
• →Testaccio food walk £35
• →Aventine keyhole

Book the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel online (~£18-22) and go at opening. St. Peter's Basilica is free to enter (dress code: shoulders and knees covered). Afternoon: cross into Trastevere, climb Gianicolo for the view (free) and eat cheaply at a bakery. Tonight board the overnight ferry from Civitavecchia to Split or Ancona — book a reclining seat or couchette on the Tirrenia/Grimaldi lines (~£45-70 depending on cabin).

🚌Rome → Civitavecchia regional train £4 + overnight ferry to Split £55

🛏Overnight ferry (reclining seat or shared cabin)

• →Vatican Museums £20
• →St. Peter's Basilica
• →Gianicolo viewpoint

Ferry docks mid-morning. Check into a hostel in or near Diocletian's Palace and shake off the journey with a swim at Bačvice beach (free). Afternoon: self-guided wander of the palace cellars (~£6) and the Riva promenade. Evening: cheap Croatian grill and a Karlovačko (~£10). Marjan Hill is a free sunset hike if you have energy left.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel dorm, Split (~£18-25/nt)

• →Diocletian's Palace
• →Bačvice beach swim
• →Marjan Hill sunset

Take the Croatian intercity bus Split → Dubrovnik (~4h30, ~£15-18, book on GetByBus or Arriva). The route briefly crosses Bosnia at Neum — carry your passport. From the bus station, take local bus 1A/1B into the old town (~£2). Evening: walk the Stradun and watch the sunset from Fort Lovrijenac's outside steps (free).

🚌Split → Dubrovnik bus £17 + local bus £2

🛏Hostel dorm, Dubrovnik (~£22-30/nt)

• →Stradun walk
• →Fort Lovrijenac exterior sunset

Walk the city walls early to beat the heat and crowds (~£32 — the operator's 40 EUR optional matches this, no saving to be had). Afternoon: half-day sea kayaking around the walls and Lokrum (~£30 booked directly on Klook or GetYourGuide). Alternatively hike Srđ Hill (free) or take the cable car (~£26). Cheap eats: grab a burek from a bakery rather than a Stradun restaurant.

🚌Walking/bus £2

🛏Hostel dorm, Dubrovnik (~£22-30/nt)

• →City walls £32
• →Sea kayaking £30
• →Optional cable car £26

Bus Dubrovnik → Kotor (~2h30-3h including the border, ~£14-18; book ahead in summer as it fills). The bus hugs the Bay of Kotor — sit on the right. Check into a hostel inside the old town walls. Afternoon: wander the marble lanes and swim at the small beach by the church of St. Nicholas. Cheap Montenegrin dinner (~£8).

🚌Dubrovnik → Kotor bus £16

🛏Hostel dorm, Kotor old town (~£15-22/nt)

• →Bay of Kotor scenic drive
• →Kotor old town
• →Harbour swim

Climb the Ladder of Kotor to the fortress of San Giovanni at sunrise — the walls are unofficially free before ~8am (the official entry is ~£8). Spend the afternoon swimming or a cheap boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks (~£12). Optional sea kayaking in the bay (~£20 booked locally). Evening: a slice of Montenegrin pizza and a Nikšićko on the square.

🚌Walking/locals

🛏Hostel dorm, Kotor (~£15-22/nt)

• →Sunrise fortress hike
• →Bay swim
• →Optional sea kayaking £20

Bus Kotor → Podgorica → Shkodër (~4-5h total, ~£12). Lake Skadar is easiest as a day trip from Shkodër — take a local bus to Virpazar (~£2) and join a shared boat trip through the lily pads and birdlife (~£15). Sleep in Shkodër's old town, which is cheap and friendly (~£12/nt dorm).

🚌Kotor → Shkodër buses £12 + local bus £2

🛏Hostel dorm, Shkodër (~£10-15/nt)

• →Lake Skadar boat trip £15
• →Shkodër old town

Morning bus Shkodër → Tirana (~2h, ~£4) and a quick self-guided capital wander (Skanderbeg Square, Bunk'Art 2 ~£5). Afternoon long-distance bus or furgon Tirana → Saranda (~5-6h, ~£12). Alternatively base a night in Berat or Gjirokastër en route if you want to break it up. Evening: eat by the sea in Saranda (~£8).

🚌Buses Shkodër → Tirana → Saranda £16

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Saranda (~£14-20/nt)

• →Tirana Skanderbeg Square
• →Optional Bunk'Art 2 £5
• →Saranda seafront

Take a local bus to Ksamil and Mirror Beach (~£2, 20-30 mins) for a swim in genuinely turquoise water. Afternoon: Butrint archaeological park (~£10 entry), an atmospheric Roman and Byzantine site. Optional: hop the ferry to Corfu for a night or two (~£18 each way), or stay longer on the Albanian coast where things are cheaper.

🚌Local buses £4

🛏Hostel dorm/guesthouse, Saranda (~£14-20/nt)

• →Ksamil & Mirror Beach
• →Butrint entry £10
• →Optional Corfu ferry

Furgon or bus Saranda → Gjirokastër (~2h, ~£6). Explore the UNESCO-listed stone town and the castle (~£3) and see the Cold War bunker tunnel. Cheap guesthouse stay and a home-cooked dinner (~£8).

🚌Furgon £6

🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Gjirokastër (~£13-18/nt)

• →Gjirokastër castle £3
• →Old bazaar walk

Bus Gjirokastër → Berat (~3-4h via Tepelenë and Fier, ~£7). Wander the Mangalem and Gorica quarters and climb to Berat Castle (~£3). Sleep in a converted ottoman house guesthouse (~£16) and eat byrek and tavë kosi for under £8.

🚌Bus £7

🛏Guesthouse, Berat (~£15-20/nt)

• →Berat Castle
• →Mangalem quarter walk

Bus Berat → Tirana (~2h, £4), then the long overland route to Greece: Tirana → Ioannina bus (~5h, ~£12) and onward to Kalambaka (~2h, ~£7), or take the alternative bus via Elbasan. It's a long travel day — a night in Kalambaka sets you up for a sunrise Monastery visit. Cheap guesthouse with a Meteora view (~£20).

🚌Buses Berat → Tirana → Ioannina → Kalambaka £23

🛏Guesthouse, Kalambaka (~£18-24/nt)

• →Long overland crossing into Greece

Hike or take the local bus to the Great Meteoron and Varlaam monasteries at opening (~£3 entry each; modest dress required). Then bus Kalambaka → Lamia/Trikala → Delphi or via Livadeia (~4-5h, ~£15). Delphi village has cheap guesthouses with valley views (~£20).

🚌Buses Kalambaka → Delphi £15

🛏Guesthouse, Delphi village (~£18-24/nt)

• →Meteora monasteries £6
• →Hike between monasteries

Visit the ancient site and archaeological museum at opening (~£10 combined, quieter early). Midday bus or KTEL coach Delphi → Athens (~3h, ~£12) to Liosion or Kifissou terminal. Check into a hostel in Psiri or Monastiraki (~£18-24/nt). Evening: souvlaki from a grill house (~£4) and a wander around the Acropolis floodlit from below.

🚌Coach Delphi → Athens £12

🛏Hostel dorm, Athens Psiri (~£18-26/nt)

• →Delphi ancient site & museum £10
• →Acropolis by night from Areopagus

Book the Acropolis and Parthenon combo ticket online (~£25, go at 8am opening — it's brutal in the heat later). Then join a free Monastiraki/Plaka walking tour (~£8 tip) and visit the Acropolis Museum (~£8). Afternoon: Anafiotika lanes and the Areopagus rock for free views. Don't miss a freddo espresso in a kafeneio.

🚌Metro day ticket £4

🛏Hostel dorm, Athens (~£18-26/nt)

• →Acropolis ticket £25
• →Acropolis Museum £8
• →Free walking tour
• →Anafiotika

Morning at the Varvakeios market and a Greek street-food walk (~£35 on GetYourGuide) or DIY it for ~£10 of bougatsa, koulouri and olives in Psiri. Afternoon: either Mount Lycabettus on foot (free) or the Exarcheia bookshops and street art. Evening: do the 'G for Good' equivalent by having a drink or a cheap meal at a social-impact café in central Athens — Shedia Home is the café the operator supports, and you can visit it independently, no booking needed.

🚌Metro/tram £4

🛏Hostel dorm, Athens (~£18-26/nt)

• →Varvakeios market
• →Street-food walk £35
• →Mount Lycabettus
• →Shedia Home social café visit

Slow breakfast, one last walk through Plaka, then take the metro line 3 from Monastiraki to Athens Airport (~£8, 40 mins) for your flight home. If you're not flying international from Athens, the KTEL bus network and inter-island ferries make it easy to extend into the Peloponnese or the Cyclades.

🚌Metro to Athens Airport £8

🛏None (departure day)

• →Plaka morning walk
• →Souvenir shopping