Gotta-See Europe: Germany, Austria, Italy — Self-Launched

Land and take the Sprinter or Intercity train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal (~€5.60, 17 mins). Check into a central hostel dorm (Stayokay Vondelpark, ClinkNOORD or Ecomama are solid picks) and spend the evening wandering the canal ring at golden hour. Grab a cheap dinner — a broodje from a takeaway or Indonesian takeaway rijsttafel — and get an early night before the bike tour.

🚌Schiphol Airport to Centraal by NS train, ~£5

🛏Central Amsterdam hostel dorm (mixed or female-only)

• →Canal ring evening wander
• →Jordaan neighbourhood stroll

Book a 2–3 hour guided city bike tour through GetYourGuide (~£28–35) — it's the classic way to see the canals, Jordaan and Vondelpark. Rent your own bike instead for ~£10/day if you'd rather go solo. Mid-afternoon take the direct IC Berlin train from Amsterdam Centraal (roughly 6h20, ~€40–60 booked in advance on NS/DB; a Eurail Global Pass also covers it). Check into a hostel in Kreuzberg, Mitte or Friedrichshain and grab a cheap kebab or döner for dinner.

🚌Direct IC train Amsterdam Centraal–Berlin Hbf, ~£40–52

🛏Berlin hostel dorm (Kreuzberg/Mitte)

• →Guided Amsterdam bike tour (GetYourGuide)
• →Train journey Amsterdam–Berlin

Do a free self-guided walk (or a pay-what-you-wish walking tour, ~£12 tip) from Brandenburg Gate to Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse. In the afternoon rent a bike (~£10) and cycle out to Tempelhof Airport, now a vast public park — one of the city's best local secrets. Evening: pick a Späti beer and head to a Kreuzberg bar, or join a hostel pub crawl (~£15).

🚌Walking + day bike rental ~£10

🛏Berlin hostel dorm

• →Brandenburg Gate & Reichstag exterior
• →Berlin Wall Memorial
• →Checkpoint Charlie / Topography of Terror (free)
• →Tempelhof by rented bike

Take an early EC/IC train from Berlin to Dresden (~2h, ~£18–25), drop bags at the station lockers and explore the rebuilt Frauenkirche, the Zwinger and the Altstadt cobbles by the Elbe. Then continue by train Dresden–Prague (~2h15, ~£16–22). Arrive Prague by early evening, do a self-guided highlight walk past the Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge and Lennon Wall, then join a Prague beer tasting (~£20 via GetYourGuide) or just hit a pivnice for Pilsner and goulash.

🚌Berlin–Dresden–Prague trains, ~£35–47 total

🛏Prague hostel dorm (Old Town/Vinohrady)

• →Dresden Altstadt & Frauenkirche
• →Prague old town highlight walk
• →Czech beer tasting

Full day in Prague. Walk up to Prague Castle (basic circuit ~£12–15), wander the Golden Lane, then down through Malá Strana across Charles Bridge. Hike Petřín Hill for the view, hit the Letná beer garden (~£3 for a beer) and finish with a Czech craft beer and food tasting tour (~£35 via GetYourGuide) or a cheap meat-and-dumplings dinner in a beer hall.

🚌Tram day ticket ~£4

🛏Prague hostel dorm

• →Prague Castle & Golden Lane
• →Petřín Hill hike
• →Letná beer garden
• →Optional Czech craft beer & food tour

Take a morning bus or train to Český Krumlov (~2h45, FlixBus/RegioJet ~£8–12), the fairy-tale medieval town on the Vltava. Climb the castle tower for the view (~£4), wander the old town, then continue by bus/train to Vienna (~4h, ~£20–28 via Linz). Check into a Vienna hostel and do a self-guided evening walk past St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Rathaus and the Hofburg.

🚌FlixBus/RegioJet + train ~£30–40

🛏Vienna hostel dorm (Neubau/Leopoldstadt)

• →Český Krumlov castle & old town
• →Vienna evening highlights walk

Free day. Pick one big museum — Belvedere (~£16), Kunsthistorisches (~£19) or the State Opera standing tickets (~£12–16). Walk the Ringstrasse, then do the Naschmarkt with a local food guide (~£45–55 via GetYourGuide) or just graze the stalls yourself for ~£10. Finish properly: a Melange and a slice of Sachertorte in a traditional café (~£9).

🚌U-Bahn day pass ~£5

🛏Vienna hostel dorm

• →Naschmarkt food walk (optional)
• →Belvedere or Kunsthistorisches Museum
• →Ringstrasse walk
• →Viennese coffee house stop

Train/bus to Salzburg (~2h30, ~£20–28) and stash your bag. Then catch bus 840 to Königssee (~1h, ~£8 return with a Bayern ticket) for the classic lakeside hike along the fjord-like water — boat to St. Bartholomä is ~£15 if you want it. Back in Salzburg, do a self-guided orientation walk of the Altstadt, climb to Hohensalzburg Fortress (~£11) or visit Mozart's birthplace (~£12).

🚌Train + regional bus ~£28–36

🛏Salzburg hostel/guesthouse dorm

• →Königssee lakeside hike
• →Salzburg Old Town walk
• →Hohensalzburg Fortress
• →Mozart's birthplace

Morning train Salzburg–Munich (~1h30, ~£20–28 with a Bayern ticket). Check in, then explore Marienplatz, the Glockenspiel, Frauenkirche and the Viktualienmarkt food stalls for lunch. Evening at a beer hall — Hofbräuhaus or the slightly more local Augustiner — with a stein and a pretzel (~£18).

🚌Train Salzburg–Munich ~£20–28

🛏Munich hostel dorm (Hauptbahnhof area)

• →Marienplatz & Glockenspiel
• →Frauenkirche
• →Viktualienmarkt
• →Beer hall evening

Choose your Munich: Alte Pinakothek or the Bavarian National Museum (~£7 each), the Deutsches Museum (~£12), or a free wander through the Englischer Garten with a beer at the Chinese Tower beer garden. Afternoon swim or surf-watching at the Eisbach river wave. Cheap dinner at a Türkischer Imbiss or a Leberkäs semmel.

🚌Walking + U-Bahn ~£5

🛏Munich hostel dorm

• →Alte Pinakothek or Deutsches Museum
• →Englischer Garten & Eisbach wave
• →Optional city walking tour (tip-based)

Take a tip-based Munich walking tour in the morning, then the direct train to Innsbruck (~1h50, ~£18–25, spectacular alpine approach). Check into the hostel, walk Maria-Theresien-Strasse and the Golden Roof, and if you have energy ride the Nordkette cable car for sunset views (~£35, or hike the lower section free).

🚌Train Munich–Innsbruck ~£18–25

🛏Innsbruck hostel dorm

• →Munich walking tour
• →Train through the Alps
• →Innsbruck old town & Golden Roof
• →Optional Nordkette cable car

Morning at the Imperial Palace (Hofburg, ~£8) or the Bergisel ski jump. Then take the train through the Brenner Pass to Fortezza/Dobbiaco (~£15–20) and bus to Lake Misurina for the Lago di Misurina / Tre Cime circuit hike (bus ~£6, trails free). Continue via Cortina and Treviso to Venice by train/bus (long but gorgeous day, ~£25–35 total). Arrive Venice Mestre in the evening; pay the Venice access fee only if you're a day-tripper (overnight guests are exempt).

🚌Train + Dolomiti bus ~£40–55

🛏Venice Mestre hostel dorm

• →Hofburg Innsbruck
• →Brenner Pass train
• →Lake Misurina hike in the Dolomites

Take the train or bus from Mestre into Santa Lucia (~£2). Do a self-guided loop: San Marco, the Campanile (~£8), Rialto, then cross to Cannaregio and Dorsoduro for cheaper cicchetti bars (~£12 for a decent lunch). Late afternoon take a 2-hour Venice street food tour (~£45 via GetYourGuide) or an evening ghost/legends tour (~£25).

🚌Mestre–Venice train + vaporetto ~£8

🛏Venice Mestre hostel dorm

• →San Marco & Rialto walk
• →Campanile San Marco
• →Cicchetti crawl in Cannaregio
• →Venice food tour or ghost tour

Regional or Frecciarossa train Venice–Florence (~2h, ~£20–35 booked in advance). Check in, then walk the Duomo exterior, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio at golden hour. Dinner in the Oltrarno — a trattoria with ribollita and a carafe of Chianti for ~£18.

🚌Train Venice–Florence ~£20–35

🛏Florence hostel dorm (Santa Croce/Novoli)

• →Duomo exterior & Piazza della Signoria
• →Ponte Vecchio
• →Oltrarno evening

Book a Florence market and food tour (~£45–55, or self-guide Mercato Centrale for ~£12). Choose one blockbuster in the afternoon: Uffizi (~£22), Accademia/David (~£18) or the Medici Chapels (~£9). Climb Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset — free and the best view in the city. Then a cheap pizza al taglio or a lampredotto sandwich.

🚌Walking ~£0

🛏Florence hostel dorm

• →Mercato Centrale & San Lorenzo
• →Uffizi or Accademia
• →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset

High-speed train Florence–Rome (~1h35, ~£25–40 booked in advance). Check into a hostel around Termini or Monti, then walk the free classics: Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon exterior. Sunset on the Pincio terrace, dinner in Trastevere (~£15) and gelato (~£3).

🚌Frecciarossa/Italo train ~£25–40

🛏Rome hostel dorm (Monti/Termini)

• →Trevi Fountain
• →Spanish Steps
• →Piazza Navona & Pantheon
• →Trastevere dinner

Book the Colosseum + Roman Forum ticket in advance (~£20–24) and do a morning there, then walk to St. Peter's Square / Vatican Museums if you've pre-booked (~£22, book weeks ahead). Final pasta lunch, then a €14 Leonardo Express train from Termini to Fiumicino for your flight home. Add a night or two if you want Rome properly.

🚌Walking + Leonardo Express to Fiumicino ~£12

🛏Departure day (add extra nights if needed)

• →Colosseum & Roman Forum
• →Vatican City & St. Peter's Square
• →Final Roman lunch