London to Berlin: Art & the Alps — Self-Launched

Start in London — if you're arriving from an airport, the Piccadilly line to King's Cross runs about £5.50 and takes an hour from Heathrow. Book a Eurostar ticket well in advance (from ~£39-£60 one way if you're flexible; the operator's group departs around 17:30). Cross under the Channel in 2h20 to Gare du Nord, then metro to your hostel in the 10th/11th or Montmartre. Evening: cheap wine and a supermarket picnic, or a bar crawl if you want to meet people.

🚌Eurostar London St Pancras → Paris Gare du Nord, ~£39-£70 advance; metro €2.15

🛏Hostel dorm, Paris (e.g. St. Christopher's Canal or Generator Paris), £25-35/night

• →Eurostar crossing
• →Montmartre evening wander

Do the classic free-ish Paris day: walk the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe (free to walk past), then a baguette-and-cheese picnic on the Champ de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower (you can walk the base for free; summit tickets from €16 if you want to go up — book online). Afternoon options: Louvre (€22, book a timed slot), Musée d'Orsay (€16), or free entry to Notre-Dame cathedral (reopened, reserve online). Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur at sunset are free.

🚌Walking + metro/velib, ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Paris

• →Champs-Élysées & Arc de Triomphe
• →Eiffel Tower picnic
• →Louvre or Musée d'Orsay (optional)
• →Sacré-Cœur sunset

Long train day. Cheapest route is a TGV/TER to Basel or Strasbourg then regional trains to Interlaken Ost (6-7 hrs). A Eurail Global Pass (5 days in a month, ~£200-£230 youth) covers most of this; Swiss legs may need a small supplement. Interlaken is a small town between two lakes with the Jungfrau massif behind it — arrive, check into a backpacker hostel, watch the sun set on the peaks.

🚌Train Paris → Interlaken Ost, ~6.5 hrs, covered by rail pass or ~£60-£90 point-to-point

🛏Backpacker hostel dorm, Interlaken (e.g. Balmers or Backpackers Villa), £30-40/night

• →Scenic Alpine rail journey

Skip the paid orientation walk — grab a free town map and do it yourself along the Höheweg promenade. Book adrenaline directly: canyoning with Outdoor Interlaken or Alpin Raft (~CHF 130/£115), tandem paragliding (~CHF 180/£160), or whitewater rafting. Cheaper thrills: hike the Harder Kulm trail (free walking, or CHF 40 funicular) or swim in Lake Brienz's turquoise water for free.

🚌Walking; local bus CHF 2-4

🛏Backpacker hostel dorm, Interlaken

• →Canyoning or paragliding (book direct with Outdoor Interlaken/Alpin Raft)
• →Harder Kulm hike
• →Lake Brienz swim

Full free day for the Alps. If the weather's clear, the Jungfraujoch cog railway (CHF 210+ return, pricey) or the cheaper Schynige Platte / First gondola (CHF 60-70) give huge views for less. Otherwise hike the Aare gorge, rent a bike, or just nurse a coffee by the lake. Self-cater from Migros or Coop — Switzerland is brutal on a budget, so cook your own dinner.

🚌Walking / local train

🛏Backpacker hostel dorm, Interlaken

• →First gondola or Schynige Platte hike
• →Aare gorge walk
• →Supermarket self-catering

Long but spectacular rail day through the Alps and down through Milan — Interlaken to Milan about 3h, then Frecciarossa/Italo Milan to Rome about 3h (book Italo early for ~€30-€60). Arrive into Termini in the evening, walk a loop past the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona — all free, all better at night.

🚌Train Interlaken → Milan → Rome, ~6.5 hrs, ~£60-£90 if booked in advance

🛏Hostel dorm, Rome (Termini or Trastevere area), £30-42/night

• →Trevi Fountain at night
• →Pantheon exterior
• →Piazza Navona

Do ancient Rome on a self-guided loop or a free (tip-based) walking tour from the Spanish Steps. Colosseum + Roman Forum combined ticket is €18 and valid 24 hrs — book online to skip the queue. Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel are €20-€25, also book ahead. Cheap eats: pizza al taglio slices (~€3) or a cacio e pepe plate in Trastevere. Evening: Aventine Hill keyhole and the Orange Garden for free sunset views.

🚌Metro/bus day ticket €7 or walking

🛏Hostel dorm, Rome

• →Colosseum & Roman Forum (€18)
• →Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel (€20-25, optional)
• →Free walking tour
• →Aventine Hill sunset

In place of G Adventures' included 'G for Good' Migrantour, book the same social-enterprise walk directly with Migrantour Rome (~€25-€35, book online) — led by a newcomer to Italy and genuinely one of the best ways to see a different side of the city. Then catch a regional train Rome → Florence (1h35, ~€20-€30 if you avoid Frecciarossa). Evening walk past the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio — all free.

🚌Regional train Rome → Florence ~1h35, €20-30

🛏Hostel dorm, Florence (near Santa Maria Novella), £28-38/night

• →Migrantour Rome (book direct)
• →Duomo exterior
• →Ponte Vecchio

Free day. Uffizi Gallery €25 or Accademia (Michelangelo's David) €16 — book online months ahead in high season. Alternatively climb the Duomo cupola (€30 with Brunelleschi Pass) for the city view, or hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo for free. Do a self-guided Oltrarno food wander through the Santo Spirito market instead of a paid food tour: lampredotto sandwich ~€6, gelato ~€3, wine by the glass ~€5. Day-trip option: Siena by regional bus (€5 each way, 1h15).

🚌Walking; bus to Siena ~£10 return if you go

🛏Hostel dorm, Florence

• →Uffizi or Accademia (book ahead, €16-25)
• →Piazzale Michelangelo
• →Oltrarno street food
• →Siena day trip (optional)

Regional train Florence → Venice Santa Lucia (2h, €20-€30 booked in advance). Get out at the station and just wander: the canals, Rialto Bridge, and San Marco square are all free. A vaporetto 24-hr pass is €25 if you want to island-hop, but walking the backstreets is free and better. Cheap cicchetti and spritz in the Cannaregio bars rather than the tourist-trap square. A shared gondola (splitting €90 among 4-5 people) is the budget way to do it.

🚌Regional train Florence → Venice, ~2 hrs, €20-30

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Venice Mestre (much cheaper), £25-35/night

• →Rialto Bridge & San Marco walk
• →Cannaregio cicchetti crawl
• →Shared gondola (optional)

Take the FlixBus or a regional train via Trieste to Ljubljana (about 3-3.5 hrs, €15-€25). Slovenia is dramatically cheaper than Italy. Explore the Ljubljanica riverbank cafés, Preseren Square and Tivoli Park (all free), or ride the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle (€10-15). Optional: a quick bus to Lake Bled (€6 each way, 1h) for the island church and the best cream cake in the Balkans.

🚌Bus/train Venice → Ljubljana, ~3.5 hrs, €15-25

🛏Hostel dorm, Ljubljana (e.g. Hostel Celica or Vila Veselova), £18-25/night

• →Ljubljanica riverbank
• →Ljubljana Castle funicular (€10-15)
• →Lake Bled day trip (optional)

FlixBus or RegioJet Ljubljana → Vienna (5.5-6 hrs, €20-€30 if booked early). Arrive and do your own orientation loop of the Ringstrasse: the State Opera, Hofburg Palace, Parliament and Rathaus are all free to walk past. Evening: a cheap Würstelstand sausage (~€5) and a drink in the MuseumsQuartier courtyard.

🚌FlixBus/RegioJet Ljubljana → Vienna, ~6 hrs, €20-30

🛏Hostel dorm, Vienna (e.g. Wombats or Ruthensteiner), £22-30/night

• →Ringstrasse orientation walk
• →MuseumsQuartier evening

Schönbrunn Palace gardens are free (interior tour €22-€29); the Belvedere (€17-19) has Klimt's 'The Kiss'. A standing ticket at the Vienna State Opera is €13-€18 if you queue — best value culture in Europe. Cheap eats: a Würstelstand or a Melange coffee plus cake in a traditional café. Evening walk to St Stephen's Cathedral and the Danube Canal graffiti bars.

🚌U-Bahn day ticket €5.80 or walking

🛏Hostel dorm, Vienna

• →Schönbrunn gardens (free)
• →Belvedere Gallery (optional)
• →Standing room at the State Opera
• →St Stephen's Cathedral

RegioJet or FlixBus Vienna → Budapest (2h45, €10-€15) — or a cheap train. Budapest is one of Europe's best-value capitals. Afternoon: walk the Chain Bridge, ride the funicular or hike up to Buda Castle (exterior free), and see the Parliament from the riverside. Evening: a 'ruin bar' like Szimpla Kert for drinks — cheap and brilliant.

🚌Bus Vienna → Budapest, ~3 hrs, €10-15

🛏Hostel dorm, Budapest (e.g. Retox or Maverick City Lodge), £15-22/night

• →Chain Bridge & Buda Castle
• →Parliament riverside
• →Ruin bar night

Spend the morning at the Great Market Hall (free entry) eating lángos (~£3) and picking up paprika. Afternoon at the Széchenyi or Gellért thermal baths (~HUF 6,000-7,500, £13-£16) — the classic Budapest experience. For the equivalent of G Adventures' 'G for Good' Nem Adom Fel café (a social enterprise employing people with disabilities), just go and eat there yourself (£8-£12). Evening: free walking tour of the Jewish Quarter or a cheap Hungarian dinner.

🚌Tram/metro day pass ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Budapest

• →Great Market Hall
• →Thermal baths (HUF 6,000+)
• →Nem Adom Fel café
• →Jewish Quarter walk

Day in Budapest, then take an overnight train or a late FlixBus to Kraków (bus is 6-7 hrs, €15-€25; the sleeper train is ~€40 for a couchette). If you take the day bus you'll see the Tatras mountains through the window. Arrive Kraków and check into a hostel in the Old Town or Kazimierz — Poland is cheap and lovely.

🚌Night bus or sleeper train Budapest → Kraków, €15-40

🛏Overnight bus/train, then hostel dorm Kraków (£15-22/night)

• →Tatras views from the bus
• →Old Town arrival

Book an Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial tour directly (~160-200 PLN / £32-£40 including transport, book at auschwitz.org or a local operator) — a sobering but essential half day. Back in town, explore the Old Town square (Rynek Główny) and Wawel Castle (grounds free, interiors ~95 PLN). Eat at a 'bar mleczny' (milk bar) where a full plate of pierogi is £3-£4. Evening in Kazimierz, the old Jewish Quarter, for cheap bars and live music.

🚌Tram + tour bus included in Auschwitz tour

🛏Hostel dorm, Kraków

• →Auschwitz-Birkenau tour (book direct)
• →Wawel Castle
• →Kazimierz evening
• →Milk bar pierogi

RegioJet or FlixBus Kraków → Prague (6-7 hrs, €15-€25). Arrive and walk across the Charles Bridge at dusk, then up to Prague Castle for the evening view (free to wander the grounds after hours). Grab a Pilsner at a proper beer hall — Lokál or U Fleků — for the authentic Czech experience.

🚌Bus Kraków → Prague, ~6.5 hrs, €15-25

🛏Hostel dorm, Prague (e.g. Czech Inn or Sophie's Hostel), £18-25/night

• →Charles Bridge at dusk
• →Prague Castle grounds
• →Pilsner beer hall

Skip the paid beer tasting and DIY it: the Old Town Hall clock tower (480 CZK / £16) and the Museum of Communism (380 CZK / £13) are worth it; the Jewish Quarter and Old Town Square are free to walk. Cross to Letná Park for a beer garden with the best free view of the bridges. Trdelník and a bowl of goulash for under £8. Cheap night out in Žižkov.

🚌Tram day pass ~£4 or walking

🛏Hostel dorm, Prague

• →Old Town Square & clock tower
• →Museum of Communism
• →Letná beer garden
• →Žižkov nightlife

RegioJet or FlixBus Prague → Berlin (4.5 hrs, €15-€20) — or a cheap train via Dresden. Arrive and do the free East Side Gallery walk along the Wall, then the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (free entry but book the dome online in advance). Evening: a street-food dinner at Markthalle Neun or a döner for £4-£5, then a bar in Kreuzberg or Neukölln.

🚌Bus Prague → Berlin, ~4.5 hrs, €15-20

🛏Hostel dorm, Berlin (e.g. Circus or Generator Mitte), £22-32/night

• →East Side Gallery
• →Brandenburg Gate
• →Reichstag dome (free, book ahead)
• →Kreuzberg nightlife

Final day. The Berlin Wall Memorial (free), Checkpoint Charlie Museum (€18.50), the Jewish Museum (€15) or the Museum Island Pergamon (€14) — pick two. If it's a Sunday, the Mauerpark flea market and karaoke are free and unmissable. Wrap up with a currywurst and a beer by the Spree. Berlin's airports are reachable by the ABC-zone train ticket (~€4.40) or the express bus.

🚌U-Bahn/S-Bahn day ticket €9.60; airport transfer ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Berlin (final night)

• →Berlin Wall Memorial
• →Museum Island or Jewish Museum
• →Mauerpark flea market (Sunday)
• →Currywurst farewell