Rome to Paris: Cobblestones & Cuisine (Self-Launched)

Land at Fiumicino and take the Leonardo Express train into Termini (~£12) or the cheaper regional FL1 to Trastevere (~£7). Check into a hostel near Termini or the Monti district. Spend the afternoon on a free self-guided wander: Pantheon (exterior is free; entry ~£2-4), Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Cross into Trastevere at dusk for cheap pizza al taglio and a spritz. Book Colosseum tickets online tonight for a slot in the next two days — they sell out.

🚌Leonardo Express or FL1 regional train from Fiumicino; everything else on foot

🛏Dorm bed in a central Rome hostel (e.g. The RomeHello or Alessandro Palace), ~£28/night

• →Self-guided centro storico walk
• →Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps
• →Trastevere evening stroll

Book the Colosseum + Roman Forum combined ticket direct on the official Parco Colosseo site (~£20) for an early slot, then walk the Forum and Palatine Hill. Alternatively swap for the Vatican Museums (~£22, book direct to skip the queue) and St Peter's Basilica (free entry, dress modestly). Afternoon: free walking tour of the Jewish Ghetto and Campo de' Fiori (tip-based, ~£5-10 tip) or the Catacombs on the Appian Way (~£7 plus bus). Eat dinner around Testaccio market for proper Roman carbonara at local prices.

🚌Metro Line B between Colosseo and Termini (~£1.30 per ride); buses for the Appian Way

🛏Same Rome hostel, ~£28/night

• →Colosseum & Roman Forum (self-booked ticket)
• →Vatican Museums (optional, book direct)
• →Tip-based free walking tour

Book a Frecciarossa or Italo fast train Rome Termini to Firenze S.M. Novella in advance (~£20-30 if booked 2-4 weeks out, more on the day). Roughly 1h35. Check in at a hostel near Santa Maria Novella. Afternoon: wander Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, and climb or photograph Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset (free). Evening: Mercato Centrale food hall for cheap lampredotto or a board of Tuscan cheese.

🚌Italo/Frecciarossa high-speed train, ~£25

🛏Dorm at Hostel Plus Florence or similar, ~£26/night

• →Duomo exterior & Piazza della Signoria
• →Ponte Vecchio
• →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset

Pre-book the Uffizi (~£22) or the Accademia for David (~£14) — pick one to save money and energy. Mid-morning browse San Lorenzo market and Mercato Centrale. In the afternoon join a small-group Florence food tour via GetYourGuide (~£45-55) for truffle, olive oil, wine and gelato stops, or DIY it with a sandwich from All'Antico Vinaio (~£6). Optional day trip: Siena by regional bus (~£8 return, 1h15).

🚌On foot; optional regional bus to Siena

🛏Same Florence hostel, ~£26/night

• →Uffizi or Accademia (pre-booked)
• →San Lorenzo market
• →GetYourGuide Florence food tour (optional)

Take a Frecciarossa Florence to Venezia Santa Lucia (~£25-35, about 2h). Venice is entirely walkable — skip the water taxi and use the vaporetto only when you need it (~£7.50 single, or a 24h pass ~£21). Check into a hostel on the mainland in Mestre if you want to save money, or stay on the island for the atmosphere. Afternoon: get deliberately lost in Cannaregio and Castello, see Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, and catch the sunset from the Accademia bridge. Cicchetti and a glass of wine for dinner (~£12).

🚌Frecciarossa to Venice, ~£30; vaporetto as needed

🛏Anda Venice Hostel, Mestre (dorm ~£24/night)

• →Castello & Cannaregio wander
• →Piazza San Marco
• →Rialto Bridge

Buy a 24-hour vaporetto pass (~£21) and do the lagoon: Murano for glass furnaces (free to watch), Burano for the coloured fishermen's houses, and optionally Torcello. Back on the main island, visit the Doge's Palace (~£15) or climb the Campanile di San Marco for the view (~£7). Group gondola rides can be shared for around £25-30 per person if you haggle at the traghetto-style shared gondola stands.

🚌24-hour vaporetto pass, ~£21

🛏Anda Venice Hostel or similar, ~£24/night

• →Murano & Burano islands
• →Doge's Palace or Campanile
• →Optional shared gondola

Cross the border by bus — FlixBus or Nomago run Venice Mestre to Ljubljana in about 3 hours for roughly £15-20. Check into a guesthouse or hostel near the old town. Afternoon: free walking tour of the centre (tip-based), Preseren Square, the Triple Bridge, the Ljubljanica riverside cafés, and the Metelkova Mesto street-art district after dark. Cheap Slovenian dinner — štruklji and a local Union beer (~£10).

🚌FlixBus Venice–Ljubljana, ~£18

🛏Hotel Emonec or a central hostel dorm, ~£22/night

• →Tip-based old town walking tour
• →Metelkova Mesto
• →Ljubljanica riverside

Take a local bus or train from Ljubljana to Bled (~£5 each way, about 1h20). Walk the lake circuit (free), row yourself out to the island in a pletna boat (~£14), and hike up to Bled Castle for the view (~£10) or skip it and take the free Ojstrica viewpoint. Back in Ljubljana in the evening, ride the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle (~£10 combined ticket) or walk up Tivoli Park for free.

🚌Regional bus Ljubljana–Bled return, ~£10; funicular

🛏Same Ljubljana guesthouse, ~£22/night

• →Lake Bled circuit
• →Pletna boat to the island
• →Ljubljana Castle funicular

The cheapest route is a FlixBus Ljubljana to Vienna (~£20-25, about 5h) or the train via Villach (~£30-40, 6h). Check into a hostel near the Westbahnhof or Naschmarkt. Afternoon orientation: Karlsplatz, the Opera, Hofburg exterior and Stephansdom (free entry). Evening at a Würstelstand for a käsekrainer (~£5) — the cheapest dinner in an expensive city.

🚌FlixBus Ljubljana–Vienna, ~£22

🛏Be Free Hostel Vienna or similar dorm, ~£26/night

• →Stephansdom & Hofburg exterior
• →Naschmarkt browse
• →Würstelstand dinner

Morning at Schönbrunn — the gardens are free, the palace interior ~£12-15. Afternoon options: the Belvedere for Klimt's The Kiss (~£16), the free Hundertwasserhaus, or a cheap standing-place ticket at the Vienna State Opera (~£5-12, queue on the day). Take a coffee and a slice of cake at a traditional Kaffeehaus (~£7) — it's a Vienna institution. Watch the Lipizzaner horses at their morning exercise (~£12) if that's your thing.

🚌U-Bahn day pass, ~£5

🛏Same Vienna hostel, ~£26/night

• →Schönbrunn gardens (free)
• →Belvedere Gallery (optional)
• →Standing ticket at the State Opera (optional)

A 2h40 RegioJet or ÖBB train Vienna to Budapest Keleti costs about £10-15 booked ahead. Check into a hostel in District VII (the Jewish Quarter), which is where all the ruin bars are. Afternoon: walk Andrássy út, Heroes' Square and the Chain Bridge, then climb Gellért Hill for the free panorama. Evening: Szimpla Kert ruin bar for a drink (~£4 for a pint) and street food from the Karaván food trucks.

🚌RegioJet/ÖBB train Vienna–Budapest, ~£12

🛏Wombat's City Hostel Budapest or similar, ~£18/night

• →Chain Bridge & Heroes' Square
• →Gellért Hill viewpoint
• →Ruin bar evening

Pre-book a Parliament tour direct (~£18) or just see it from the Danube bank. Spend the afternoon at a thermal bath — Széchenyi or the cheaper Lukács for about £15-18 all day. Walk the Great Market Hall for a cheap langos lunch (~£5) and a bag of paprika to take home. Optional evening: a Budapest bike tour via GetYourGuide (~£25) or a Danube night cruise (~£12).

🚌Metro/tram day ticket, ~£5

🛏Same Budapest hostel, ~£18/night

• →Thermal bath entry
• →Great Market Hall
• →Parliament visit (booked direct)

Spend the day in Budapest: Buda Castle exteriors (free), the Hospital in the Rock if you like museums, and a lazy afternoon at a ruin bar. In the evening board the overnight train to Krakow — book a couchette through ÖBB or PKP Intercity roughly 6-8 weeks ahead (~£35-50 in a 6-berth couchette). Bring snacks and earplugs.

🚌Overnight sleeper train Budapest–Kraków, ~£42

🛏Overnight train couchette, ~£42

• →Buda Castle walk
• →Ruin bar afternoon
• →Overnight sleeper train

Arrive early morning, drop bags at the hostel in the Old Town, then walk Rynek Główny (Europe's biggest medieval square), the Cloth Hall and St Mary's Basilica. Afternoon in Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, with its synagogues and independent cafés. Have dinner at a bar mleczny (milk bar) — a full plate of pierogi for £3-5. Cheap and excellent.

🚌On foot; tram if needed

🛏Ginger Hostel Krakow or similar, ~£16/night

• →Rynek Główny
• →Wawel Castle exteriors (free)
• →Kazimierz district

Book an Auschwitz-Birkenau entrance slot direct on the museum's own website (free entry; you pay only for the transport or a booked guided tour ~£25-35 via GetYourGuide). Allow the whole morning — it's a heavy, essential visit. Alternatively or additionally, visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines (~£18 entry, book direct). Evening back in Krakow with a craft beer — Polish craft brewing is genuinely excellent and cheap.

🚌Bus to Auschwitz/Oświęcim, ~£6 return; or minibus to Wieliczka ~£4

🛏Same Krakow hostel, ~£16/night

• →Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial (free entry, booked direct)
• →Wieliczka Salt Mines (optional)

The train from Krakow to Prague takes about 6-7h (~£25-35) or a FlixBus takes 7-8h for about £15-20. Either way you'll arrive mid-late afternoon. Check into Czech Inn or a hostel in Vinohrady. Evening: walk to Wenceslas Square and the Old Town, then eat at a cheap Czech pub — goulash and dumplings with a Pilsner for about £8.

🚌FlixBus or train Krakow–Prague, ~£20

🛏Czech Inn Hostel or similar, ~£18/night

• →Wenceslas Square
• →Old Town Square at night
• →Czech pub dinner

Start early at Prague Castle (Hradčany) — basic circuit ~£9-13 — then walk down Nerudova through Malá Strana and across the Charles Bridge (free, but see it at dawn to avoid crowds). Afternoon: the Old Town Hall clock tower (~£12) or the Museum of Communism (~£9). Finish at Letná Beer Garden overlooking the river, with a £1.50 beer. Optional: a Czech craft beer and food tasting tour via GetYourGuide (~£40).

🚌Tram day pass, ~£4

🛏Same Prague hostel, ~£18/night

• →Prague Castle circuit
• →Charles Bridge & Malá Strana
• →Letná Beer Garden

A RegioJet or Deutsche Bahn EC train takes 4h15 Prague to Berlin (~£20-25 booked ahead); FlixBus is ~£15 for 4h45. Check into a hostel near Alexanderplatz. Afternoon: free self-guided Berlin Wall walk — East Side Gallery, then Checkpoint Charlie. Evening in Kreuzberg for cheap Turkish food and a Berlin beer.

🚌Train Prague–Berlin, ~£22

🛏Generator or a Mitte/Kreuzberg hostel dorm, ~£24/night

• →East Side Gallery
• →Checkpoint Charlie
• →Kreuzberg evening

Free entry to the Bundestag dome (book online in advance, free) and the Berlin Wall Memorial. Wander Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and Museum Island exteriors. Block out a museum: the Pergamon (or the Neues Museum for the Nefertiti bust, ~£10). Tonight is the Berlin nightlife night — Berghain is a lottery, but Tresor, About Blank and the KitKat area all charge ~£12-18 entry and run until dawn.

🚌Day pass AB zone, ~£8

🛏Same Berlin hostel, ~£24/night

• →Reichstag dome (free, pre-booked)
• →Berlin Wall Memorial
• →Club night (optional)

Book an early FlixBus Berlin to Amsterdam (~£25-30, about 8h) or a flight on easyJet/Transavia if fares are low (~£30-45, 1h20). Check into a hostel — the Generator is the one on the original itinerary but there are cheaper options out in Oost. Late afternoon canal-side walk and a stroopwafel. Tomorrow you get the city properly.

🚌FlixBus or budget flight Berlin–Amsterdam, ~£30

🛏Generator Amsterdam or a hostelled Oost district dorm, ~£32/night

• →Canal belt walk
• →Jordaan wander

Hire a bike for the day (~£12) and do the classic canal loop, or join a small-group guided bike tour via GetYourGuide (~£25). Book the Anne Frank House online exactly two months ahead — it sells out instantly and costs ~£14. Van Gogh Museum ~£16, Rijksmuseum ~£22 — pick one. Finish with a canal boat at sunset (~£16) and a cone of chips with mayo for dinner.

🚌Bike hire, ~£12; tram if needed

🛏Same Amsterdam hostel, ~£32/night

• →Bike tour or self-guided ride
• →Anne Frank House (pre-booked)
• →Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum
• →Sunset canal cruise

The cheap route is FlixBus Amsterdam to Bruges (~£18-25, about 3h45) or train via Antwerp (~£30, 3h). Check in at St Christopher's at the Bauhaus or a hostel in the old town. Evening: walk the Markt and Burg squares, up to the Belfry (or just look at it), and try Flemish stew and a Trappist beer for about £14.

🚌FlixBus Amsterdam–Bruges, ~£20

🛏St Christopher's at the Bauhaus Hostel Bruges or similar, ~£26/night

• →Markt & Burg squares
• →Rozenhoedkaai canal view
• →Belgian beer and stew

Bruges is compact and entirely walkable. Do the canal cruise (~£9), climb the Belfry (~£11), and take a small brewery tour — De Halve Maan is the local one, ~£8-12. Chocolate shops are everywhere; buy a small box (~£6) rather than a full tasting. Optional bike ride out to Damme along the canal (~£10 hire) if you need to escape the crowds. Belgian waffle mandatory.

🚌On foot; optional bike hire

🛏Same Bruges hostel, ~£26/night

• →Bruges canal cruise
• →Belfry climb
• →De Halve Maan brewery tour

Take the train Bruges to Paris via Brussels (roughly 3h, ~£35-50 if booked ahead) or a FlixBus for about £15-20. Arrive at Gare du Nord, metro to your hostel, and spend the last evening walking the Seine from Notre-Dame to the Louvre, crossing Pont Neuf, and catching the Eiffel Tower sparkle after dark (free). Finish with a picnic of baguette, cheese and wine on the Champ de Mars (~£10). Trip complete.

🚌Train Bruges–Brussels–Paris, ~£42

🛏Final night in a Paris hostel (e.g. St Christopher's Canal, 19th arr.), ~£35/night

• →Seine walk
• →Eiffel Tower sparkle
• →Champ de Mars picnic