Self-Launched Prague to Paris: 8 Days Across Central & Western Europe

Fly or train into Prague and check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in Prague 1 or 2 — Miss Sophie's, Hostel Downtown or a small Vinohrady guesthouse all land around £22–30/night for a dorm or private budget room. Get a 24-hour Prague public transport ticket (about £4.50) or just walk — the old centre is compact. In the afternoon wander Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock and the Charles Bridge, then eat at a local 'hospoda' off the tourist drag (svíčková or goulash with dumplings, roughly £9–12).

🚌Public transport from airport: bus 119 + metro to city centre, ~£1.50, or airport express bus ~£5

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Prague 1/2 (approx. £25)

• →Old Town Square and Astronomical Clock (free)
• →Charles Bridge walk (free)
• →Czech dinner at a local pub

Book a Prague Castle 'Circuit B' ticket directly (around £12) covering St Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace and Golden Lane — go at opening (9am) to beat the crowds. Skip the group walking tour and use a free walking tour (tip £5–8) or a self-guided audio app for the old town. In the afternoon take a 45–60 minute Vltava river cruise from Čechův Bridge — GetYourGuide and Klook sell these from around £12–15; buy the cruise only rather than a combined package. Evening: cheap eats at a lokál or the Manifesto Market.

🚌Tram 22 to Prague Castle, ~£1.20 per ticket

🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Prague (approx. £25)

• →Prague Castle Circuit B ticket (~£12, buy online)
• →Vltava River boat cruise (~£14 via GetYourGuide)
• →Free walking tour with tip

Early train from Prague to Pilsen (about 1h20, ~£6 via RegioJet or Czech Railways). Spend a couple of hours in Pilsen's Great Square, Cathedral and Renaissance Town Hall, then take the train onward via Nuremberg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (roughly 3–3.5 hours, ~£22–28). Rothenburg is the perfect medieval stop — walk the city walls, the Plönlein and the old town at sunset. Stay in a budget guesthouse or the DJH hostel inside the town walls (approx. £28). If you prefer to skip Pilsen, a direct Prague–Nuremberg bus/train is simpler.

🚌Prague–Pilsen train ~£6; Pilsen–Rothenburg via Nuremberg ~£25

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Rothenburg ob der Tauber (approx. £28)

• →Pilsen historic centre walk (free)
• →Rothenburg old town and city walls (free)

Train from Rothenburg to Würzburg then down to Rüdesheim (about 3 hours, ~£24). From Rüdesheim take the KD Rhine cruise to St. Goar (about 1.5–2 hours, roughly £18–22 one-way — book direct with KD or via GetYourGuide); the middle Rhine gorge with castles and vineyards is the highlight of the whole loop. From St. Goar, train to Cologne (about 1h45, ~£20) for a quick look at Cologne Cathedral, then a 1-hour train to Frankfurt (~£18). Frankfurt hotels are pricey — opt for a hostel like Five Elements or a budget hotel near Hauptbahnhof (approx. £30).

🚌Rothenburg–Rüdesheim train ~£24; Cologne–Frankfurt train ~£18

🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (approx. £30)

• →KD Rhine cruise Rüdesheim–St. Goar (~£20)
• →Cologne Cathedral (free entry)

Take an early ICE train from Frankfurt to Amsterdam (about 4 hours; book 2–3 months ahead on NS/DB to get fares from ~£28, walk-up can be £70+). Check into a hostel such as ClinkNOORD or Ecomama (dorm from ~£28/night; private budget rooms ~£55). Spend the afternoon on a self-guided walk: Dam Square, the Jordaan, the canals and Vondelpark. In the evening, a canal cruise booked via GetYourGuide or Klook costs about £15–18 instead of the tour's included panoramic cruise; skip the diamond workshop. Eat at a brown café or grab a stroopwafel and Indonesian takeaway to keep food costs low.

🚌Frankfurt–Amsterdam ICE train ~£30 (advance fare)

🛏Hostel in Amsterdam (dorm approx. £30)

• →Canal-side walk and Vondelpark (free)
• →Evening canal cruise (~£16 via GetYourGuide)

Do the Dutch villages independently with a regional day ticket: bus 391 from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaanse Schans (about 40 min, ~£6 return with an OV-chipkaart/dagkaart). See the windmills, clog workshop and canals, then bus to Volendam harbour (free with the same regional ticket) and take the Marken Express ferry across the IJsselmeer (~£9). Return to Amsterdam by bus 315 or the EBS ferry connection. Total cost far below an organised tour and you can linger as long as you like — eat herring or kibbeling at Volendam harbour.

🚌Regional bus day ticket ~£12; Marken Express ferry ~£9

🛏Same Amsterdam hostel (approx. £30)

• →Zaanse Schans windmills (free to walk, individual mill entry ~£5)
• →Volendam harbour
• →Marken Express ferry

Take the train from Amsterdam to Bruges via Antwerp or Brussels (about 3h15–3.5h; book on NS International or SNCB, roughly £35–45). Drop bags at a locker (about £5) and spend 3–4 hours in Bruges: the Markt, Rozenhoedkaai, Minnewater and — if you're up for it — climb the Belfort (about £13, timed tickets via the official Visit Bruges site). Grab Belgian chocolate and a beer, then take a late-afternoon train Bruges–Brussels–Paris (about 3h, ~£45–60 if booked ahead). Stay in a hostel in Paris such as St Christopher's Canal or Generator (dorm ~£30–35; budget guesthouse on the edge of the city similar).

🚌Amsterdam–Bruges train ~£40; Bruges–Paris train ~£50

🛏Hostel in Paris (dorm approx. £33)

• →Bruges old town walk (free)
• →Belfort climb (~£13)
• →Belgian chocolate and beer tasting (~£8)

Spend your last day on foot and by Metro (a carnet of tickets or a Navigo Easy day pass, ~£8). Morning in Montmartre — the funicular up to Sacré-Cœur costs one Metro ticket, matching the tour's included 'cable car'. Then a self-guided walk of Paris or a free/pay-what-you-wish walking tour (tip ~£6) covering Notre-Dame and the Marais. Book Eiffel Tower second-floor tickets directly on the official site (about £21 — release 60 days ahead; resellers via GetYourGuide cost ~£30–40) and a Seine river cruise (about £14–16 via GetYourGuide). Skip Versailles unless you add a day — if you do, an RER C ticket plus palace ticket is around £25. Depart or extend in Paris.

🚌Paris Metro day ticket ~£8; Montmartre funicular covered by Metro ticket

🛏Same Paris hostel (approx. £33) or depart

• →Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur (free)
• →Eiffel Tower 2nd floor (~£21 official)
• →Seine river cruise (~£15)
• →Free walking tour with tip