Europe Backpacking in 3 Weeks

Arrive at CDG and take the RER B to central Paris (€12). Check into a hostel in the Marais or Latin Quarter. Walk to the Champ de Mars for an evening view of the Eiffel Tower, then grab a crêpe and a glass of wine at a pavement café on Rue de Bretagne.

Spend the morning at the Louvre — book tickets online to skip the 2-hour queue (€22). Walk across Pont Neuf to Île de la Cité to see Notre-Dame Cathedral (currently being rebuilt, exterior only). In the late afternoon, take the metro to Montmartre, climb to Sacré-Cœur, and watch street artists near Place du Tertre.

Spend the morning at the Musée d'Orsay (€16) for the world's best Impressionist collection — don't miss Monet's La Gare Saint-Lazare. Afternoon: stroll Saint-Germain-des-Prés and browse Shakespeare & Company bookshop. Board the overnight Trenhotel or a TGV to Barcelona (evening departure, about 6.5 hours).

Arrive in Barcelona Sants station by morning. Drop your bags at the hostel in El Born or Gràcia. Pre-book a timed entry to Sagrada Família (€26) — Gaudí's still-unfinished masterpiece is unlike any building on earth. End the day wandering the narrow alleys of the Gothic Quarter and drinking vermouth at El Xampanyet.

Arrive at Park Güell for the free morning slot (book the monumental zone tickets for €10) and enjoy the mosaic terraces and city views. Head down to La Barceloneta beach for a swim, then stroll La Rambla to La Boqueria market for fresh fruit, jamón, and a €3 beer with olives.

Tour Casa Batlló (€35 with audio guide) on the famous Passeig de Gràcia — the rooftop dragon spine is stunning at any hour. Explore the Eixample grid streets and try patatas bravas and pan con tomate at a tapas bar. Board a Renfe overnight train or fly to Rome Fiumicino (budget carriers Ryanair/Vueling make this affordable).

Arrive in Rome by morning. Take the Leonardo Express from Fiumicino (€14) or the FR1 regional train (€8). Book the Colosseum + Roman Forum combo ticket online (€18) and explore in the afternoon — hire a Rick Steves audio tour for free context. Evening: dinner in Testaccio neighborhood, Rome's best food quarter.

Pre-book the Vatican Museums (€20) for a 7 AM opening to beat the crowds — the Sistine Chapel is overwhelming on a quiet morning. Climb to the top of St. Peter's Basilica dome (€8) for panoramic city views. Afternoon: relax at the Castel Sant'Angelo ramparts overlooking the Tiber.

Book the Borghese Gallery (€13, mandatory reservation) for Bernini's jaw-dropping marble sculptures. Toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain, then walk to the Pantheon (free entry). Evening: cross the river to Trastevere and eat cacio e pepe at Da Enzo al 29 or supplì (fried rice balls) from a takeaway counter.

Take the Frecciarossa high-speed train from Roma Termini to Florence Santa Maria Novella (90 minutes, from €19 booked in advance). Arrive by midday, drop bags, then visit the Uffizi Gallery (€20 — book online at least a week ahead) for Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera. Walk Ponte Vecchio at golden hour.

Climb Brunelleschi's Duomo dome (€18, timed entry required — book at 8 AM opening) for unrivalled rooftop views over terracotta Florence. Explore the Baptistery's golden mosaics and the adjacent Duomo Museum, then cross the Arno to Oltrarno for aperitivo with a view from Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset.

Take a scenic train from Florence to Interlaken (about 5 hours via Milan and Bern — InterRail/Eurail covers this). Arrive in Interlaken Ost and walk to the lakefront promenade between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, framed by the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks. Have a fondue dinner at Gasthof Hirschen.

Splurge on the Jungfraujoch railway (€175 from Interlaken, book early for discount tickets) — the 'Top of Europe' at 3,454 m has a sphinx observatory and year-round snow. If the budget is tight, take the gondola to First (1,000 m lower, far cheaper) for cliff walk views. Optional afternoon paragliding tandem flight over the valley (from €150).

Take the train from Interlaken to Munich via Bern and Zurich (about 5.5 hours). Arrive at Munich Hauptbahnhof and walk to Marienplatz to watch the Glockenspiel carillon chime at 11 AM or 5 PM. Head to the English Garden for a riverside beer at Chinesischer Turm beer garden (bring cash, 1-liter Mass from €11).

Start at the Nymphenburg Palace and its baroque gardens (€15 — impressively uncrowded by European palace standards). Back in the city, browse the delicious Viktualienmarkt outdoor food market for lunch. Evening: stake out a bench at the Hofbräuhaus and order a Weißwurst plate with sweet mustard and a pretzel.

Take a direct ICE train from Munich to Amsterdam (5.5 hours via Frankfurt, from €29 with early booking) or a Ryanair flight from Munich Airport. Check into a hostel in the Jordaan or De Pijp. Rent a canal bike for €10/hour or take a 75-minute canal boat tour (€16), then wander the Jordaan's indie boutiques.

Pre-book the Rijksmuseum (€22.50) for Rembrandt's Night Watch and Vermeer's Milkmaid. If your budget allows, the Van Gogh Museum next door (€22) is exceptional — book well ahead. Afternoon: the Heineken Experience on Stadhouderskade (€25 with 2 drinks) is touristy but fun. Evening: herring from a street cart in the Nieuwmarkt square.

Book the Anne Frank House (€14) weeks in advance — the diary annex hiding place is profoundly moving. Walk through Vondelpark and rent a bike (€12/day from MacBike) to tour the Museum Quarter and the Nine Streets (De 9 Straatjes) vintage shopping district. Evening jazz at the Paradiso or Bimhuis venue.

Take the Eurostar from Amsterdam Centraal to London St Pancras (3.5 hours, from €35 booked early). Buy an Oyster card at St Pancras. Head to Borough Market (open until 5 PM weekdays) for a salt beef bagel or a Monmouth Coffee. Stroll across Tower Bridge for free and visit the Tower of London exterior.

Spend the morning at the British Museum (free entry) — the Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles alone are worth an hour each. Walk to Covent Garden for street performers and a pie at The Porterhouse. Book a same-day discounted West End theatre ticket from the TKTS booth in Leicester Square for an evening show.

Morning walk through Hyde Park to Kensington Palace Gardens, then explore the pastel townhouses of Notting Hill and browse Portobello Road Market (Saturdays only — best for antiques and vintage). Grab a final pint at a classic pub like The Churchill Arms before heading to Heathrow or Gatwick for your departure flight.