London to Budapest: 6 Countries Self-Launched
14 days · Europe (England, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary)
Europamundo charges £1,900
No-markup version: ~£1,175 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Europamundo's 14-day coach tour from London to Budapest, hitting 17 destinations across six countries. Instead of a 72-person coach group and 3-4* chain hotels, you'll do it on trains, buses and one overnight North Sea ferry, staying in hostels, guesthouses and budget hotels. The route is the same: London → Colchester/Harwich → overnight ferry → Volendam & Amsterdam → Hamelin & Berlin → Dresden & Prague → Munich & Innsbruck → Kitzbühel & Salzburg → Traunsee & Vienna → Budapest. Book activities yourself via GetYourGuide, Klook or directly with museums and operators. Costs are rough 2026 backpacker estimates in GBP, excluding flights to/from Europe and travel insurance.
Day-by-day
Arrive London — settle in and Windsor optional
London, England
Land in London and check into a hostel in King's Cross, Earls Court or Wembley (the tour's hotel zones). Grab an Oyster/contactless card and take the Tube into the centre. Spend the afternoon free-walking: Westminster, Parliament, Big Ben and the South Bank. If you want the tour's Windsor excursion, take the Great Western Railway train from Paddington to Windsor & Eton Central (~£12 return with a Railcard or off-peak) and buy Windsor Castle tickets direct from the Royal Collection Trust (~£30) — cheaper than the €35 coach excursion.
🚌Tube from airport (~£5-6 contactless); walking + Tube in the city
🛏Hostel dorm, King's Cross / Earls Court area (~£25-35/night)
- →Self-guided Westminster & South Bank walk
- →Optional: Windsor Castle & Eton (train from Paddington + direct ticket)
London free walking tour & Soho evening
London, England
Join a free (tip-based, ~£10-15 tip) walking tour with Sandemans or Strawberry Tours covering Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the Thames — the equivalent of the tour's panoramic city tour. In the afternoon hit the British Museum (free entry, book a timed slot online) and wander Camden Market. In the evening do your own Piccadilly → Leicester Square → Chinatown → Soho loop; it's a 20-minute walk and far better on foot than on a coach.
🚌Walking + Tube day cap ~£8.90
🛏Hostel dorm, London (~£25-35/night)
- →Tip-based free walking tour
- →British Museum (free, book slot)
- →Camden Market
- →Self-guided Soho/Piccadilly evening walk
Colchester & Harwich — overnight ferry to the Netherlands
Colchester / Harwich → Hoek van Holland
Take a Greater Anglia train from London Liverpool Street to Colchester (~£20-25 advance single, 50 min). Explore the castle and historic streets, then continue by train to Harwich International (~£6). Book a Stena Line or DFDS overnight crossing to Hoek van Holland in advance — a shared inside cabin runs roughly £45-70 per person, or book a reclining seat for ~£30 if you're on a tight budget. Sail overnight, arrive early morning.
🚌Train London→Colchester (~£22) + Colchester→Harwich (~£6) + ferry (~£55 shared cabin)
🛏Overnight ferry cabin (shared) or reclining seat
- →Colchester Castle & old town walk
- →Overnight North Sea ferry crossing
Volendam, windmills & Amsterdam
Hoek van Holland → Volendam → Amsterdam
From Hoek van Holland take the metro/train into Rotterdam then an Intercity to Amsterdam (~£22, 1h15). Drop bags at a hostel in Amsterdam-West or near Sloterdijk. Take bus 316 or the EBS bus from Amsterdam Centraal to Volendam (~€5 each way, 30 min) for the fishing village and harbour. Back in Amsterdam, do a self-guided walk of the canal ring, the Museumplein windmill/Rembrandt statue area, and visit the Diamond Museum (€12.50 direct) if you want the tour's diamond stop. Optional: a canal cruise booked on GetYourGuide from ~£16-20 instead of the €50 group add-on.
🚌Train Hoek→Amsterdam (~£22) + bus to Volendam (~£9 return) + tram/bus ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm, Amsterdam-West (~£30-40/night)
- →Volendam fishing village
- →Amsterdam canal-ring self-guided walk
- →Diamond Museum (direct ticket)
- →Optional canal cruise via GetYourGuide
Amsterdam → Hamelin → Berlin
Amsterdam → Hamelin → Berlin
Long travel day. Take an early ICE/IC train Amsterdam → Hannover → Hameln (~£35-45 with a Sparpreis ticket booked 2-3 weeks ahead, about 4h30). Hameln (the Pied Piper town) is a 2-hour stroll of the old town and Rattenfängerhaus — the same stop the coach makes, but you're on your own timetable. Then train Hameln → Hannover → Berlin (~£25-35 Sparpreis, ~2h45). Check into a hostel in Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain or near Hauptbahnhof.
🚌Sparpreis trains Amsterdam→Hameln (~£40) + Hameln→Berlin (~£30)
🛏Hostel dorm, Berlin (~£20-28/night)
- →Hamelin old town & Pied Piper houses
- →Train travel across northern Germany
Berlin: Wall, Holocaust Memorial & city tour
Berlin, Germany
Join a tip-based free walking tour from Alexanderplatz (Sandemans or Original Berlin Walks, tip ~€10-15) covering Museum Island, Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie. Then visit the Holocaust Memorial (free) and the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße (free, excellent documentation centre) — both are free direct, unlike the tour's paid admission package. Optional: book the Sachsenhausen Memorial tour via GetYourGuide (~£20-25 by public transport) rather than the €45 coach version. Evening: Kantstraße for cheap eats.
🚌Day transit ticket ~£8; ABC ticket if heading to Sachsenhausen ~£10
🛏Hostel dorm, Berlin (~£20-28/night)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Holocaust Memorial
- →Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße
- →Optional Sachsenhausen via GetYourGuide
Berlin → Dresden → Prague
Berlin → Dresden → Prague
Take an early EC/IC train Berlin → Dresden (~£20-25 Sparpreis, 1h50). Spend 3-4 hours: Zwinger Palace, the Frauenkirche and the riverside Brühl's Terrace — the coach tour's 'exploration of palaces' on your own terms. Then take the scenic EC train down the Elbe valley Dresden → Prague (~£18-25 Sparpreis, 2h20). Check into a hostel in Vinohrady, Žižkov or near the Old Town.
🚌Trains Berlin→Dresden (~£22) + Dresden→Prague (~£20)
🛏Hostel dorm, Prague (~£15-22/night)
- →Dresden Zwinger & Frauenkirche
- →Scenic Elbe valley train ride
- →Prague Old Town Square orientation walk
Prague Castle, Old Town & Vltava boat
Prague, Czech Republic
Do a free walking tour of the Old Town and Jewish Quarter, then walk or take tram 22 up to Prague Castle. Buy the Castle circuit ticket direct at the box office (~£12) — the tour includes it, and doing it independently is cheaper and lets you linger. In the afternoon take a 1-hour Vltava river cruise booked on GetYourGuide or Klook (~£10-14, vs the coach group's bundled rate). Evening in Žižkov for cheap Czech pub food and beer.
🚌Tram/metro 24h pass ~£4.50
🛏Hostel dorm, Prague (~£15-22/night)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Prague Castle direct ticket
- →Vltava river cruise via GetYourGuide/Klook
- →Petřín Hill walk
Prague → Munich → Innsbruck
Prague → Munich → Innsbruck
Take the direct EC train Prague → Munich (~£25-35 Sparpreis, 5h45) or a FlixBus (~£15-20, 5h). Stop 3 hours in Munich: Marienplatz, the Glockenspiel, Viktualienmarkt for lunch. Then take an ÖBB/Railjet train Munich → Innsbruck (~£20-30, 1h45) through the Alps. Check into a hostel or guesthouse in Innsbruck's old town area and see the Golden Roof in the evening.
🚌FlixBus/train Prague→Munich (~£25) + train Munich→Innsbruck (~£25)
🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Innsbruck (~£25-32/night)
- →Munich Marienplatz & Viktualienmarkt
- →Alpine rail crossing
- →Innsbruck Golden Roof
Kitzbühel & Swarovski Crystal Worlds → Salzburg
Innsbruck → Kitzbühel → Wattens → Salzburg
Take the regional train Innsbruck → Kitzbühel (~£10, 1h) for a wander round the ski-town centre and Hahnenkamm views. Continue to Wattens (~£8) and visit Swarovski Kristallwelten — book the ticket online direct (~£20 vs the tour's bundled admission). Then train to Salzburg via Innsbruck/Wörgl (~£18-25). Optional in the evening: a Tyrolean folk show — several venues in Innsbruck sell direct, but for Salzburg check the festival calendar; the €65 group dinner-show is easily skipped in favour of a Heuriger dinner (~£20-25).
🚌Regional trains Innsbruck→Kitzbühel→Wattens→Salzburg (~£35 total)
🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Salzburg (~£25-32/night)
- →Kitzbühel old town
- →Swarovski Kristallwelten (direct ticket)
- →Salzburg arrival walk
Salzburg, St. Wolfgang & Lake Traunsee → Vienna
Salzburg → St. Wolfgang → Gmunden → Vienna
Morning in Salzburg: Getreidegasse, Mozart's birthplace (ticket ~£11 direct) and the fortress viewpoint. Then take the Salzkammergut local train + bus to St. Wolfgang (~£12, 1h30) and a short boat hop on Lake Traunsee from Gmunden (Schafbergbahn boats ~£12) — the tour's castle-view cruise, self-booked. In the late afternoon take the Westbahn or ÖBB Railjet from Gmunden/Attnang-Puchheim to Vienna (~£25-35, 2h30). Check into a hostel in Vienna's 2nd or 7th district.
🚌Local trains/bus in Salzkammergut (~£15) + train to Vienna (~£30)
🛏Hostel dorm, Vienna (~£22-30/night)
- →Salzburg old town & Mozart sites
- →St. Wolfgang pilgrimage church
- →Traunsee lake boat
- →Evening train to Vienna
Vienna: Ringstrasse, palaces & a concert
Vienna, Austria
Join a free walking tour of the Innere Stadt (tip-based) covering the Hofburg, Stephansdom and the Ringstrasse. Add Schönbrunn Palace or the Belvedere (Klimt's The Kiss) with a direct online ticket (~£15-18). In the evening catch a Mozart/Strauss chamber concert — book direct with the Musikverein, Konzerthaus or Schönbrunn Orangery (~£25-35, much less than the €55 group add-on). Finish in Grinzing for a Heuriger wine evening.
🚌Vienna 24h transit pass ~£7
🛏Hostel dorm, Vienna (~£22-30/night)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Schönbrunn or Belvedere (direct ticket)
- →Direct-booked chamber concert
Vienna → Budapest: Danube, Váci utca & Buda
Vienna → Budapest, Hungary
Take a RegioJet bus (~£8-12, 2h45) or the ÖBB Railjet (~£20-30, 2h30) from Vienna to Budapest. Check into a hostel in District VII (Jewish Quarter) or near the Danube. Walk Váci utca, cross the Chain Bridge and climb to Fisherman's Bastion and Buda Castle for the classic panorama — the coach's panoramic tour for free on foot. Book a Danube river cruise on Klook or GetYourGuide (~£10-14) instead of the bundled boat trip. Optional: Hungarian folk dinner shows sell direct from ~£30-40 — considerably cheaper than the €70 tour add-on.
🚌Bus or train Vienna→Budapest (~£12) + Budapest transit day pass ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm, Budapest District VII (~£15-22/night)
- →Váci utca & Chain Bridge
- →Fisherman's Bastion & Buda Castle walk
- →Danube river cruise via Klook/GetYourGuide
- →Optional folklore dinner (direct booking)
Budapest: baths, market & departure
Budapest, Hungary
Morning at the Széchenyi Thermal Baths (ticket direct ~£18-22, much cheaper midweek) or the Great Market Hall for paprika and lángos. Wander Parliament and the Shoes on the Danube memorial, then finish with a cheap ruin-bar lunch before flying out — Wizz Air, Ryanair and easyJet all serve Budapest to the UK from ~£30-60 if booked ahead. If you're continuing on, Budapest is a great springboard for Bratislava, Ljubljana or the Hungarian countryside.
🚌Public transport ~£4; airport bus 100E ~£3
🛏Last night hostel or onward departure
- →Széchenyi Thermal Baths (direct ticket)
- →Great Market Hall
- →Shoes on the Danube & Parliament exterior
Self-launched vs. Europamundo
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Europamundo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,175 | £1,900 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £725 per person (38%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Europamundo-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,175
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 London to Budapest: 6 Countries Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,175 per person for 14 days in Europe (England, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary). 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 Europamundo?+
Yes — Europamundo charges around £1,900 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,175 — a saving of roughly £725 (38%) per person.
How long is the Europe (England, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary) trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Europe (England, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary).
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 Europe (England, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary), 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.
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