Ultimate European (Plus Egypt) — Self-Launched Edition

Take a morning Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (book 6-8 weeks ahead for ~£45-65 one way). Settle into Generator Paris near Canal Saint-Martin, then do a self-guided sunset walk: Trocadéro for the Eiffel Tower views, then a cheap crêpe dinner in the Latin Quarter.

🚌Eurostar London–Paris ~£55

🛏Generator Paris (dorm, ~£28)

• →Eurostar to Paris
• →Free Eiffel Tower viewpoint at Trocadéro
• →Seine evening walk

Free walking tour in the morning (tip-based, ~£5-10 tip), then choose one paid sight instead of all of them: the Louvre is €22 booked direct, or climb Notre-Dame's towers. Spend the afternoon in Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur (free entry to the basilica). Optional evening cabaret at Moulin Rouge (~£100) or a cheaper local bar crawl instead.

🚌Paris Métro day pass ~£8

🛏Generator Paris (dorm, ~£28)

• →Tip-based free walking tour
• →Louvre ticket (€22 direct)
• →Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
• →Optional cabaret show

Take an early TGV to Basel or Mulhouse then a regional train to Interlaken Ost (~£45-60 if booked ahead). Check into a hostel in Interlaken (Backpackers Villa or Balmer's). Evening wander the lakefront between Thun and Brienz, and grab supermarket raclette supplies rather than a restaurant.

🚌TGV + regional train ~£55

🛏Backpackers Villa Interlaken (dorm, ~£30)

• →Scenic train via Burgundy
• →Interlaken lakefront walk

Skip the pricey Jungfrau railway (£130+) and instead ride the train to Lauterbrunnen (~£8 with a Supersaver ticket), walk to Staubbach Falls, then hike the easy path to the Trümmelbach Falls area. Alternative: cable car partway up Harder Kulm (~£22) for the classic two-lakes view. Basic chocolate tasting at a Coop or Läderach shop is a cheap substitute for the tour version.

🚌Regional train + cable car ~£30

🛏Backpackers Villa Interlaken (dorm, ~£30)

• →Lauterbrunnen valley hike
• →Staubbach Falls
• →Harder Kulm viewpoint
• →Chocolate shop tasting

Train to Geneva for lunch by the Jet d'Eau (free to view), then continue by TER regional train into the Beaujolais wine region, basing yourself in Villefranche-sur-Saône or a rural gîte. Book a small independent cellar tasting in the afternoon (~£15-20).

🚌Train Geneva + regional TER ~£35

🛏Beaujolais gîte or budget hotel (dorm/shared, ~£25)

• →Jet d'Eau Geneva
• →Independent Beaujolais cellar tasting

Rent a bike (~£12/day) and ride the golden-stone wine villages route between Fleurie and Morgon, picking up bread, cheese and a bottle for a picnic. Free sunset yoga on any hostel lawn or park. Far cheaper than the château package, and you set your own pace.

🚌Bike hire ~£12

🛏Beaujolais gîte or budget hotel (dorm/shared, ~£25)

• →Village cycling route
• →Market picnic
• →Wine tasting

Long travel day: regional train back to Lyon, then a direct Ouibus/FlixBus to Barcelona (~£35-45, 7-8 hrs) or a Ryanair hop if cheaper. Check into Urbany Hostel Barcelona, then a low-key evening of vermouth and pintxos in Gràcia.

🚌Train to Lyon + coach to Barcelona ~£40

🛏Urbany Hostel Barcelona (dorm, ~£22)

• →Vermouth and tapas in Gràcia

Free walking tour of the Gothic Quarter in the morning, then metro to Montjuïc for the free viewpoints and the Olympic ring. Afternoon swim at Barceloneta. Optional Sagrada Família ticket (~£24 direct online) — book the night before. Cheap flamenco at a bar rather than a £40 tablao show.

🚌T-casual metro card ~£10

🛏Urbany Hostel Barcelona (dorm, ~£22)

• →Gothic Quarter free tour
• →Montjuïc views
• →Barceloneta beach
• →Optional Sagrada Família

Regional train or FlixBus to Arles (~£20) for a couple of hours exploring the Roman arena (€11) and Van Gogh's old haunts, then continue by TER train to Nice (~£20). Check into Ozz Hostel in Nice's old town.

🚌Bus + regional train ~£40

🛏Ozz Hostel Nice (dorm, ~£25)

• →Roman Arena of Arles
• →Arles old town walk

Morning at Cours Saleya market, then swim off the rocks at the Promenade des Anglais. Cheap TER train to Monaco (~£5) to see the changing of the guard and wander Monte Carlo's lobby (free entry, no gambling needed). Rent a bike for the coastal path back if you're keen.

🚌TER Nice–Monaco return ~£8

🛏Ozz Hostel Nice (dorm, ~£25)

• →Cours Saleya market
• →Mediterranean swim
• →Monaco & Monte Carlo
• →Coastal bike ride

Fly Vueling/easyJet Nice–Venice Marco Polo (~£35 booked ahead) or take an overnight FlixBus to save a hotel night. Land, take the ACTV bus to Mestre, and check into Anda Venice Hostel. Evening spritz and cicchetti in Mestre (half the price of central Venice).

🚌Flight + airport bus ~£45

🛏Anda Venice Hostel, Mestre (dorm, ~£22)

• →Budget cicchetti dinner in Mestre

Buy a 24-hour ACTV vaporetto pass (~£18) instead of a private motoscafo, and ride Line 1 down the Grand Canal for the same views. Walk St Mark's Square, the Rialto and the quieter Cannaregio canals. Skip the £80 gondola and pay £2 for a traghetto crossing instead. Perfume-shop visits on the Scalzi are free to browse.

🚌Vaporetto 24hr pass ~£18

🛏Anda Venice Hostel, Mestre (dorm, ~£22)

• →Grand Canal vaporetto
• →St Mark's Square
• →Traghetto crossing
• →Cannaregio wander

Regional train to Bologna, then to Pisa Centrale (~£25 total), walk 20 minutes to the Leaning Tower for the free exterior view. Continue to Florence by regional train (~£8). Check into A&O Florence and catch sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo (free).

🚌Regional trains ~£35

🛏A&O Florence (dorm, ~£22)

• →Leaning Tower of Pisa
• →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset

Morning at the Duomo exterior and the San Lorenzo leather market (free browsing, cheaper than a leather tour). Optional Uffizi (~£22 direct) or the Accademia. Afternoon Frecciarossa or Italo train to Rome (~£20 if booked early), check into YellowSquare and do a free evening walk past the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

🚌High-speed train ~£22

🛏YellowSquare Rome (dorm, ~£25)

• →Duomo & leather market
• →Optional Uffizi
• →Trevi Fountain evening walk

Book a Colosseum + Roman Forum combined ticket direct on the official site (~£16) rather than a guided tour, and add a £5 audio guide. Afternoon in Trastevere for cheap trattorias. Optional pasta-making class via GetYourGuide (~£40) if you want the hands-on version.

🚌Rome metro/bus day ticket ~£6

🛏YellowSquare Rome (dorm, ~£25)

• →Colosseum & Roman Forum
• →Trastevere food wander
• →Optional pasta class

Train to Naples in the morning for a Pompeii day trip — take the Circumvesuviana (~£5) and pay €20 entry at the gate instead of a guided tour. Then train up to Bari (~£25) and board the overnight Grimaldi Lines ferry to Patras (~£50-65 in a shared cabin or aircraft seat).

🚌Trains + ferry ~£80

🛏Overnight ferry (reclining seat/shared cabin, included in fare)

• →Pompeii archaeological site
• →Bari old town

Disembark at Patras and take the KTEL bus to Athens (~£15, 3 hrs). Check into a hostel in Monastiraki or Psirri. Free walking tour of Plaka in the late afternoon, then climb Philopappos Hill for the classic free Acropolis sunset view instead of a paid sightseeing tour.

🚌KTEL bus Patras–Athens ~£15

🛏Hostel in Monastiraki/Psirri (dorm, ~£18)

• →Plaka free walking tour
• →Philopappos Hill sunset

Book the Acropolis early-entry ticket direct (~£20) before your afternoon flight — Aegean or Egyptair Athens–Cairo runs ~£90-120 one way. Land at Cairo, get your visa on arrival (see visas line in budget), and take a pre-booked airport transfer or Uber to a Giza-area budget hotel. Optional cheap Nile dinner cruise can be booked on Klook (~£25, less than the ship rate).

🚌Flight Athens–Cairo ~£105 + airport transfer ~£8

🛏Budget hotel in Giza/Downtown (~£20)

• →Acropolis & Parthenon
• →Flight to Cairo
• →Optional Nile dinner cruise

Full day of Giza: Pyramids and Sphinx entry (~£15 combined), the Grand Egyptian Museum (~£22, book a timed slot online). Late afternoon, catch the overnight sleeper train to Aswan (~£35-50 for a single in a Watania cabin, book at the station or via a local agent).

🚌Sleeper train Cairo–Aswan ~£45

🛏Overnight sleeper train

• →Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx
• →Grand Egyptian Museum

Check into a budget hotel on the Corniche. Afternoon felucca sailboat ride on the Nile negotiated directly with a boat captain at the dock (~£8-12 per person for 2 hrs — far less than booking through an agency). Evening walk through the Nubian market and dinner at a local bakery-café.

🚌Local walking/taxis ~£6

🛏Budget hotel, Aswan (~£18)

• →Felucca sail on the Nile
• →Nubian market walk

Optional pre-dawn shared minibus convoy to Abu Simbel (~£30-40 shared, versus the £200+ private tour) — worth the 3am start. Return by midday, then take the local train to Luxor (~£4, 3 hrs). Check in, and wander the Luxor Corniche at sunset.

🚌Shared minibus + train ~£40

🛏Budget hotel, Luxor (~£18)

• →Abu Simbel temples (shared minibus)
• →Luxor Corniche

Early Valley of the Kings entry (~£13 ticket plus a £2-3 local taxi across the river). Optional Karnak Temple (~£10) before heading off. Afternoon GoBus or a shared taxi to Hurghada (~£8-12, 4 hrs). Check into a cheap Red Sea guesthouse rather than a resort.

🚌GoBus Luxor–Hurghada ~£10

🛏Budget guesthouse, Hurghada (~£20)

• →Valley of the Kings
• →Karnak Temple
• →Red Sea arrival

Morning snorkelling trip booked directly with a local dive shop at the marina (~£18-25 including gear and lunch). Afternoon GoBus back to Cairo (~£10, 6 hrs) and a late check-in at a cheap airport-area hotel, ready for the flight out.

🚌GoBus Hurghada–Cairo ~£10

🛏Budget hotel near Cairo airport (~£20)

• →Red Sea snorkelling trip

Morning flight Cairo–Athens (~£90-110 one way). Check into a cheap Athens hostel, then a relaxed evening discovering Plaka's lanes and an inexpensive souvlaki dinner.

🚌Flight Cairo–Athens ~£100

🛏Hostel in Athens (~£18)

• →Plaka district wander

Take the KTEL long-distance bus or train north to Kavala (~£30, 7-8 hrs) — a stop at Thermopylae is only possible with your own car, so consider a quick detour if you hire one, or simply enjoy the coastal bus views. Overnight in Kavala's old town.

🚌KTEL bus Athens–Kavala ~£30

🛏Budget guesthouse, Kavala (~£22)

• →Kavala old town and harbour

Bus to the Turkish border at İpsala/Kipi (~£12), then a local bus to Eceabat. Afternoon on a self-guided Gallipoli walk or a shared small-group tour from Eceabat (~£25) covering Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. Cheap fish dinner on the waterfront.

🚌Buses across border ~£20

🛏Budget guesthouse, Eceabat (~£20)

• →Gallipoli battlefields
• →Lone Pine Cemetery
• →Chunuk Bair

Bus to Istanbul (~£15, 5-6 hrs) via the Dardanelles ferry crossing. Check into a budget hotel in Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu, and spend the evening eating street simit and wandering the Golden Horn.

🚌Bus + ferry ~£17

🛏Budget hotel, Sultanahmet (~£22)

• →Bosphorus-side evening walk

Free walking tour of Sultanahmet in the morning, then Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia entry ~£22; Blue Mosque free). Grand Bazaar in the afternoon — browse and haggle rather than buying. Optional Turkish cooking class with a local family via Airbnb Experiences (~£35).

🚌Istanbulkart tram ~£4

🛏Budget hotel, Sultanahmet (~£22)

• →Sultanahmet free tour
• →Blue Mosque
• →Hagia Sophia
• →Grand Bazaar

Topkapı Palace (~£30) or the cheaper Chora Church; a traditional hammam at a neighbourhood bath house (~£15-20, far less than tourist baths). Spice Bazaar and a baklava-and-tea stop. Evening ferry to Kadıköy for cheap meze on the Asian side.

🚌Ferry + tram ~£5

🛏Budget hotel, Sultanahmet (~£22)

• →Topkapı Palace
• →Hammam visit
• →Spice Bazaar
• →Kadıköy food street

Bus or dolmuş up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea coast — Şile is only ~2 hrs (£5), or push further to Amasra for a proper seaside town. Swim, eat hamsi (anchovies) at a cheap lokanta, and enjoy a quieter night out than Istanbul.

🚌Bus ~£12

🛏Budget pansiyon, Black Sea coast (~£18)

• →Black Sea swim
• →Coastal town wandering

Long travel day: bus back toward Istanbul, then an overnight or early FlixBus to Bucharest (~£30-40, 12 hrs). Check into a budget hostel near the Old Town and stretch your legs past the Palace of Parliament (exterior free) and the umbrella passage.

🚌Coach ~£35

🛏Budget hostel, Bucharest (~£18)

• →Palace of Parliament exterior
• →Umbrella passage
• →Old Town street art

Train to Brașov (~£10) for a much better Transylvania base than Târgu Mureș. Visit Bran Castle by local bus from Brașov (~£5 return plus £10 entry) — much cheaper than an organised tour. Evening in Brașov's Saxon old town with a cheap local dinner.

🚌Train + local bus ~£15

🛏Budget hostel, Brașov (~£18)

• →Bran Castle
• →Brașov old town

Morning bus or train to Budapest (~£20-25, 7-9 hrs by coach). Check into JO&JOE Budapest and take an evening stroll along the Danube. Optional budget dinner cruise (~£25 via GetYourGuide, less than the ship rate quoted).

🚌Coach ~£22

🛏JO&JOE Budapest (dorm, ~£18)

• →Danube evening walk
• →Optional dinner cruise

Free walking tour of Pest in the morning, then cross the Chain Bridge to Buda for Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion (exterior free). Afternoon at the Széchenyi thermal baths (~£22) — buy online in advance. Cheap ruin-bar night in the Jewish Quarter.

🚌Tram/metro day pass ~£5

🛏JO&JOE Budapest (dorm, ~£18)

• →Free walking tour
• →Chain Bridge
• →Matthias Church
• →Thermal baths

Train to Vienna (~£15) then on to Salzburg (~£20), or a direct RegioJet/FlixBus (~£25, 6 hrs). Check into A&O Salzburg and spend the evening on the Getreidegasse and the Mirabell Gardens (free). Optional farm dinner can be swapped for a Heuriger wine tavern on the city edge (~£18).

🚌Train/coach ~£30

🛏A&O Salzburg (dorm, ~£20)

• →Mirabell Gardens
• →Getreidegasse
• →Heuriger wine tavern

Regional train via Wörgl to Hopfgarten (~£15) — the Tyrol base Contiki uses. The old Contiki Haus Schöneck is now a hostel again, bookable direct (~£22 dorm). Evening Austrian dinner of Tiroler Gröstl and local beer at a village Gasthof (~£14).

🚌Regional train ~£15

🛏Hopfgarten hostel (dorm, ~£22)

• →Tyrol village evening
• →Local Gasthof dinner

Hire a bike (~£15) for the valley cycle paths toward Westendorf and Brixen, passing waterfalls. Or take the Hohe Salve gondola (~£20) for the summit panorama. Tandem paragliding can be booked direct with local schools for ~£110 if you want the thrill.

🚌Bike hire + gondola ~£30

🛏Hopfgarten hostel (dorm, ~£22)

• →Valley cycling
• →Hohe Salve gondola
• →Optional paragliding

Train via Wörgl and Kufstein to Munich (~£18). Check into Wombat's Munich, then join Mike's Bike Tours (~£25, book direct) if you want the social version, or simply explore the English Garden and the beer gardens on foot. Optional white-water rafting on the Isar (~£40).

🚌Train ~£18

🛏Wombat's Munich (dorm, ~£24)

• →Mike's Bike Tour
• →English Garden
• →Beer garden evening

Morning S-Bahn to Dachau Memorial (free entry, ~£3 transport, ~£3 audio guide). Then train to Regensburg (~£15) for a quick old-town walk, and continue to Prague by RegioJet or FlixBus (~£15). Check into Plus Prague.

🚌S-Bahn + train + coach ~£30

🛏Plus Prague (dorm, ~£15)

• →Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial
• →Regensburg old town

Free walking tour covering Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock, then walk across Charles Bridge early before crowds. Cheap lunch of goulash at a local hospoda. Evening 'Hidden Prague' alternative walking tour (~£15 via GetYourGuide) or a beer at a neighbourhood pivnice.

🚌Tram day pass ~£4

🛏Plus Prague (dorm, ~£15)

• →Old Town Square free tour
• →Charles Bridge
• →Hidden Prague tour

RegioJet bus or train to Dresden (~£10) for a 3-hour stop to see the Frauenkirche, Zwinger and Royal Residence exteriors, then continue by train to Berlin (~£15). Check into A&O Berlin Mitte; evening wander the East Side Gallery (free).

🚌Bus + train ~£25

🛏A&O Berlin Mitte (dorm, ~£18)

• →Dresden landmarks
• →East Side Gallery

Historical walking tour (~£15, or a tip-based one), then Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag dome (free with advance registration). Afternoon in Tiergarten. Evening: an alternative Berlin tour (~£12) or a self-guided U-Bahn pub crawl of Neukölln.

🚌BVG day pass ~£7

🛏A&O Berlin Mitte (dorm, ~£18)

• →Historical walking tour
• →Brandenburg Gate
• →Reichstag dome
• →Neukölln nightlife

Direct Intercity or FlixBus to Amsterdam (~£25-30, 6-7 hrs). Check into Via Amsterdam hostel, then an evening canal-side walk and a cheap Indonesian rijsttafel or a FEBO snack. Dinner at a budget cafe rather than a set tour dinner.

🚌Train/coach ~£28

🛏Via Amsterdam (dorm, ~£25)

• →Canal evening walk
• →Cheap Indonesian dinner

Free walking tour in the centre, then choose one museum — the Rijksmuseum is ~£22 online, or the free-with-ticket STRAAT graffiti museum in Noord (~£15, plus a free ferry). One-hour canal cruise bookable on GetYourGuide for ~£15 (cheaper than the £24 quoted). Evening bar-hop in De Pijp.

🚌GVB day pass + ferry ~£8

🛏Via Amsterdam (dorm, ~£25)

• →Free walking tour
• →STRAAT Museum
• →Canal cruise
• →De Pijp bar hop

Take the Eurostar from Amsterdam Centraal directly to London St Pancras (~£60-80 booked ahead) or a Friday-cheap flight from Schiphol (~£35 plus transfer). Loop complete — 15 countries, no coach, no fixed 8am departures.

🚌Eurostar Amsterdam–London ~£70

🛏—

• →Eurostar return to London