Europe by Rail with the Glacier Express — Self-Launched
13 days · Europe (London to Budapest)
G Adventures charges £2,900
No-markup version: ~£1,580 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 13-day London-to-Budapest rail adventure, riding the same iconic trains — Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel, the TGV to Switzerland, the legendary Glacier Express, and onward rail legs to Munich, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest. Independent travellers book each train ticket themselves (rail passes or point-to-point advance fares), stay in hostels, guesthouses and budget hotels, and choose their own optional activities. Costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP and assume advance-booked rail fares and hostel/budget accommodation.
Day-by-day
Arrive in London
London, UK
Arrive at any time and settle into your hostel or budget hotel. Spend the evening getting oriented — a walk along the South Bank or a pint in a local pub. Buy an Oyster/contactless card for the Tube and pre-purchase your Eurostar ticket to Paris for tomorrow if you haven't already.
🚌Arrival transfer; London Underground day travel ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, central London (£30-45)
- →Self-arranged arrival
- →South Bank evening walk
- →Sort Tube contactless/Oyster and Eurostar ticket
London to Paris via Eurostar
Paris, France
Board the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (~2h15m, book 2-3 months ahead for fares from ~£40-70). Do a self-guided orientation walk around your neighbourhood, then head out for an evening along the Seine.
🚌Eurostar London-Paris ~£55; Paris Metro day pass ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Paris (£30-50)
- →Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel
- →Self-guided orientation walk
- →Optional: Seine evening stroll or Montmartre
Paris free day
Paris, France
Full free day for museums, patisseries, sidewalk cafés and grand boulevards. Book Louvre or Musée d'Orsay tickets in advance via GetYourGuide to skip queues. Consider a free walking tour (tip-based) to orient yourself.
🚌Paris Metro ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Paris (£30-50)
- →Louvre or Musée d'Orsay (book ahead)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Patisserie and café hopping
- →Optional: Eiffel Tower or Montmartre
Paris to Lausanne
Lausanne, Switzerland
Take a morning TGV Lyria from Paris Gare de Lyon to Lausanne (~3h45m, advance fares from ~£35-60). Spend the afternoon exploring Lausanne's old town and lakeside Ouchy promenade on Lake Geneva.
🚌TGV Lyria Paris-Lausanne ~£50
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Lausanne (£35-55)
- →TGV Lyria to Lausanne
- →Lausanne old town walk
- →Lake Geneva lakeside promenade
Lausanne to Zermatt
Zermatt, Switzerland
Board the train to Zermatt, the car-free village in the heart of the Swiss Alps (~3-4h with a change, ~£30-45 with a Swiss Travel Pass or supersaver ticket). Spend the afternoon in the car-free centre or hike one of the nearby valley trails.
🚌Train Lausanne-Zermatt ~£40
🛏Hostel or pension, Zermatt (£40-60)
- →Scenic rail to Zermatt
- →Zermatt car-free village walk
- →Optional: alpine valley hike
Glacier Express to Chur
Chur, Switzerland
The centrepiece: board the Glacier Express for a full-day scenic ride through the Alps to Chur, passing meadows, rushing streams, bridges, viaducts and massive mountains. Reserve seats early (a seat reservation fee applies on top of the ticket). Bring lunch and a camera.
🚌Glacier Express ticket + seat reservation ~£65-90
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Chur (£35-55)
- →Glacier Express Zermatt-Chur (reserve seat)
- →Alpine scenery and viaducts
- →Arrive Chur in the evening
Chur to Munich
Munich, Germany
Full-day rail journey from Chur across the border to Munich in Bavaria (~4-6h, ~£35-60 with advance fares or a European rail pass). Arrive in the evening and head to a local brewery for steins of beer and typical German fare.
🚌Train Chur-Munich ~£45
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Munich (£28-45)
- →Cross-border rail to Munich
- →Optional: Bavarian brewery evening
Munich free day
Munich, Germany
Explore Munich or take a day trip to Füssen for the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle (regional train + bus, castle tickets bookable via GetYourGuide). Back in the city, consider the English Garden, Olympic Park or a beer hall.
🚌Regional train to Füssen return ~£25 (optional)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Munich (£28-45)
- →Optional day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle (book ahead)
- →English Garden or city walk
- →Optional: BMW Museum or Olympic Park
Munich to Salzburg via Dachau
Salzburg, Austria
Visit the Dachau Memorial Site (free entry, reachable by S-Bahn/bus, ~£8 transport) before a short train ride to Salzburg (~1h30m, ~£20-30). Arrive in this charming city brimming with history and character.
🚌S-Bahn to Dachau ~£8; train Munich-Salzburg ~£25
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Salzburg (£30-45)
- →Dachau Memorial Site (free entry)
- →Train to Salzburg
- →Old town evening walk
Salzburg free day
Salzburg, Austria
Free day to explore Salzburg. Optional: a Sound of Music tour (bookable via GetYourGuide, ~£45), a visit to the Hallein salt mines, or the Hohensalzburg Fortress with its panoramic views.
🚌Local transport ~£8
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Salzburg (£30-45)
- →Optional: Sound of Music tour
- →Optional: Hallein salt mines
- →Hohensalzburg Fortress
- →Mozart's birthplace
Salzburg to Vienna
Vienna, Austria
Continue by train to Vienna (~2h30m, ~£25-40). Check in to an independent budget hotel — the equivalent of the original tour's G for Good-supported Magdas Hotel (a social enterprise employing refugees and migrants). Opt to visit the opera house (standing tickets are cheap), join a city tour or explore world-class museums.
🚌Train Salzburg-Vienna ~£30
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Vienna (£30-45)
- →Train to Vienna
- →Optional: Vienna Opera standing ticket (~£10)
- →Optional: city tour or museum quarter
Vienna to Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
Take a morning train to Budapest (~2h30m, ~£20-30). Do a self-guided orientation walk on arrival, then enjoy a night out — ruin bars, thermal baths or a Danube riverside stroll.
🚌Train Vienna-Budapest ~£25
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Budapest (£18-30)
- →Train to Budapest
- →Self-guided orientation walk
- →Optional: ruin bar night out
- →Optional: thermal baths
Depart Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
Trip ends after breakfast. Depending on your onward plans, explore more of Budapest — Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, the Great Market Hall — or arrange your onward flight or train home.
🚌Departure transfer ~£10
🛏Not included
- →Optional: Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion
- →Optional: Great Market Hall
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,580 | £2,900 |
| Duration | 13 days | 13 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,320 per person (46%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,580
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 Europe by Rail with the Glacier Express — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,580 per person for 13 days in Europe (London to Budapest). 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,900 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,580 — a saving of roughly £1,320 (46%) per person.
How long is the Europe (London to Budapest) trip?+
This itinerary runs 13 days, covering 13 day-by-day stops through Europe (London to Budapest).
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, slow-travel trip through Europe (London to Budapest), 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.