The Top Itineraries for Backpacking/Traveling Europe
This is my page dedicated to the best itineraries and travel routes for anyone wanting to travel Europe by bus or train.
All routes are custom made by me, based on personal experiences and popularity.
There is itineraries for various lengths of time, and they each include maps and info on how to get round, so start reading!
Short Term Itineraries
(1-2 Weeks)
Contents:
French Riviera ∗ Northern Italy ∗ Belgium & Netherlands ∗ Bavaria ∗ Croatia’s Coast ∗ Switzerland ∗ Slovenia ∗ Poland ∗ The Baltics
1) French Riviera
The south coast of France is one of the most perfect destinations if you plan on traveling for just a week. You get to spend time in the sun, whilst seeing beautiful architecture at the same time. Plus transport options are endless here.
Nice (4 Nights)
Spend 4 nights in Nice, exploring the old town and hitting the viewpoints. Take day trips to both Monaco and Eze as well.
Menton (1 Night)
Travel to Menton early in the morning and spend rest of the day here exploring the beautiful town.
Antibes (3 Nights)
Travel back across by train to Antibes, and spend the day here. Take 3 days exploring the city, Cap d’Antibes, and a day trip to Cannes.
Saint-Raphaël (2 Nights)
Spend the last two nights winding down in Saint-Raphaël and nearby Frejus, before taking the train back to Nice Airport.
Overall: 10 Nights / 11 Days
Cost: Moderate to Expensive
Airports: Fly in and out of Nice Airport (NCE)
Transport: Each city is connected via Frances coastal railway line.
Book and Explore Trains with Omio
More Travel Resources:
The Best Destinations in France
The Best Hostels in Italy
2) Northern Italy
Exploring the states of Lombardy and Veneto can easily be done in just 2 weeks or less, making it the perfect way to travel across the country from west to east, vice versa. You get to see historic cities and some of the country’s most stunning lakes too.
Milan (2 Nights)
Arrive in Milan and see the major sights of the city, as well as taking a half day trip to the nearby city of Monza.
Lake Como (3 Nights)
Stay in ANY of the towns around Lake Como, and spend multiple days here relaxing and exploring different lake towns.
Bergamo (2 Nights)
Travel over to Bergamo and stay 2 nights exploring this underrated city and the architecture it contains.
Verona (3 Nights)
Carry on east to Verona. Spend 3 nights here so you can immerse into the city, and include a day trip to Vicenza or Padua too.
Venice (3 Nights)
Finally you get to end strongly spending 3 nights in Venice before carrying onward or flying home.
Overall: 13 Nights / 14 Days
Cost: Expensive
Airports: Fly into Milan and out of Venice
Transport: Take trains on Italy’s northern railway line, or utilize FlixBus and ItaBus.
Book and Explore Trains/Buses with Omio
More Travel Resources:
The Best Destinations in Italy
The Best Hostels in Italy
3) Belgium & Netherlands
Belgium and the Netherlands close proximity and extensive transport network make them perfect to combine into a short trip exploring the different cities and lifestyles of each country.
Amsterdam (4 Nights)
Arrive in Amsterdam and spend 4 nights here, including a day trip to Utrecht if you fancy escaping the energy for a day.
Rotterdam (2 Nights)
Head down to Rotterdam and explore, hang out, and take half a day out in The Hague if that interests you.
Antwerp (2 Nights)
Make your way into Belgium and start this section off with Antwerp, a nice city to wander through and admire.
Ghent (3 Nights)
Take the short journey to Ghent, a very beautiful place to stay for 3 nights. Take a day trip to Brussels, it’s better explored that way.
Bruges (3 Nights)
Lastly, spend your final 3 nights in Belgium’s prettiest city of Bruges to end your two weeks.
Overall: 14 Nights / 15 Days
Cost: Moderate to Expensive
Airports: Fly into Amsterdam, Fly out of Bruges or Brussels
Transport: There are extensive trains and buses to connect all the cities.
Book and Explore Trains/Buses with Omio
4) Bavaria ( with a bit of Austria)
The most beautiful region in Germany, and the best place to start for visitors coming to the country and wanting to explore. You don’t need long to see the main locations so it’s perfect for a short trip through.
Nuremberg (3 Nights)
Start off in Nuremberg, which is a lovely city but you should also take a half day trip out to the stunning Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Munich (4 Nights)
Head southbound to Munich, a must visit with lots to see and explore. Plus, options for day trips to Regensburg or Dachau.
Füssen (2 Nights)
You have to get out down to Fussen (or a surrounding town) because this is your gateway to Neuschwanstein Castle.
Innsbruck (2 Nights)
Innsbruck is connected to Fussen by bus, so spend your final days of the itinerary exploring Austria’s alps region.
Overall: 11 Nights / 12 Days
Cost: Expensive
Airports: Fly into Nuremberg, Fly out of Munich or Innsbruck
Transport: This is one of the best regions in the world for train and bus connectivity.
Book and Explore Trains/Buses with Omio
5) Croatia’s Coast
Croatia’s coastline is arguably one of the most beautiful stretches in Europe, and luckily there is some great spots so you can travel south through some great vibrant cities and see beautiful beaches.
Zadar (3 Nights)
Spend 3 nights in Zadar, a really underrated lovely city with nice coastal areas. Take a day tour to the breathtaking Plitvice Lakes.
Split (4 Nights)
Travel along the coast to Split, where you can spend 4 nights partying, hiking, and exploring architecture in this whole area.
Hvar (2 Nights)
Pop yourself on a boat and spend 2 nights on Croatia’s finest island of Hvar, easily accessible from Split.
Dubrovnik (2 Nights)
Finally, top it off spending 2 nights in UNESCO World Heritage town Dubrovnik, Croatia’s most visited destination.
Overall: 11 Nights / 12 Days
Cost: Moderate to Expensive
Airports: Fly into Zadar, Fly out of Dubrovnik
Transport: You can easily take buses along the coast between all these places.
Book and Explore Trains/Buses with Omio
More Travel Resources:
The Best Destinations in Croatia
The Best Hostels in Croatia
6) Switzerland
Obviously Switzerland is a country where you’d want to spend a lifetime, but in the order of keeping costs down it’s best explored in 2 weeks. Let it be known these 2 weeks will be the most memorable and breathtaking 2 weeks of your life.
Zurich (2 Nights)
Zurich is the main starting point and a really nice place to walk through, especially around Lake Zurich.
Interlaken (1 Night)
Stop in at Interlaken on your way down to the hiking areas and spend a night here, otherwise just go straight to Lauterbrunnen.
Lauterbrunnen (3 Nights)
Base yourself here in Lauterbrunnen for 3 nights, and use it to explore nearby Grindelwald, Kandersteg, and all the hiking routes.
Zermatt (2 Nights)
Head all the way down to Zermatt via the scenic train, see the Matterhorn and enjoy the hiking paths.
Bern (2 Nights)
Take the train back up to Bern in central Switzerland, a truly amazing city with options to most airports if you’re flying out.
Overall: 10 Nights / 11 Days
Cost: Luxury
Airports: Fly into Zurich, Fly out of Bern or Zurich
Transport: Switzerland has the best transport network in the whole world.
Book and Explore Trains/Buses with Omio
More Travel Resources:
The Best Destinations in Switzerland
The Best Hostels in Switzerland
7) Slovenia
Slovenia is like a mini Switzerland in itself, a truly beautiful country packing so much into such a small size. It’s one of the easiest countries to explore with just a week in Europe, and maybe the most time to reward ratio.
Ljubljana (2 Nights)
Start in the capital city, it’s fairly small and you can explore it thoroughly in your full day here.
Bled (3 Nights)
Take the short bus to Bled, and spend 3 nights here. It is so incredible and you can spend a day at Vintgar Gorge too.
Lake Bohinj (2 Nights)
Travel further up to Lake Bohinj and stay in one of the towns around the lake, it is less traveled to but just as striking.
Ljubljana (2 Nights)
Head back town to Ljubljana and stay a night before your bus, train, or flight out.
Overall: 9 Nights / 10 Days
Cost: Budget Friendly
Airports: Fly in and out of Ljubljana
Transport: Slovenia has a nice national bus system across these destinations.
Book and Explore Trains/Buses with Omio
More Travel Resources:
The Best Destinations in Slovenia
The Best Hostels in Slovenia
8) Poland
Poland is one of Europe’s greatest countries, and perfect for traveling across because you can follow the perfect itinerary going from up in the North all the way down to the South.
Gdansk (3 Nights)
Begin the trip in Poland’s beautiful northern city of Gdansk, a lovely place to walk through alongside the waterfront.
Warsaw (2 Nights)
Travel south to Poland’s growing capital city of Warsaw. Spend 2 nights here exploring both the old and the new.
Krakow (3 Nights)
Head down to Poland’s most popular destination of Krakow, and see the world famous Old Town. Include a day trip to Auschwitz, too.
Zakopane (3 Nights)
It’s very easy to get to Zakopane from Krakow, so stay here 3 nights and check out Poland’s best hiking trails.
Overall: 11 Nights / 12 Days
Cost: Budget Friendly
Airports: Fly in to Gdansk, Fly out of Krakow
Transport: Poland has trains and buses all across the country, very frequently.
Book and Explore Trains/Buses with Omio
More Travel Resources:
The Best Destinations in Poland
The Best Hostels in Poland
9) The 3 Baltic States
The Baltics are very easy to travel through, with each countries respective capital city bringing in the bulk of the tourists for the countries. You can head up north as it allows you to head further on the Finland after you finish.
Vilnius (3 Nights)
Vilnius is the obvious starting point for this journey, spend 3 nights here to get a feel for Lithuania.
Kaunas (2 Nights)
Take a quick bus up to Lithaunia’s second city to round off your short time in Lithuania.
Riga (3 Nights)
Cross the border to Latvia and stay in the capital of Riga for 3 nights, enough time to fully explore the city and understand the country.
Tallinn (3 Nights)
Finally finish up in Tallinn, which is similar to Riga being a place to chill in for 3 nights and get a good feel for the city.
Overall: 11 Nights / 12 Days
Cost: Moderate
Airports: Fly in to Vilnius, Fly out of Tallinn
Transport: Buses are the best way to travel around the Baltics as trains are unreliable.
Book and Explore Buses with Omio
Medium Length Itineraries
(3-4 Weeks)
Contents:
The Nordics ∗ Western Balkans ∗ Iberia ∗ United Kingdom ∗ Italy
1) The Nordics
The Nordics countries, excluding Iceland, make for an absolutely incredible 4 week trip. They all have well established rail networks, high quality modern cities, and of course breathtaking nature.
Copenhagen (3 Nights)
Begin in Copenhagen, allowing you to see Denmark, as well as one of the prettiest cities in the world.
Gothenburg (3 Nights)
Take the train or a bus up to Gothenburg, crossing the border into Sweden. Spend 3 nights here to get a feel for the city.
Oslo (3 Nights)
Now take the scenic route over to Oslo, and spend 3 nights exploring the alluring capital of Norway and surrounding nature.
Bergen (5 Nights)
Spend 5 nights in Bergen, as it allows you to have multiple days out in the surrounding Fjords and nature.
Lofoten (5 Nights)
Fly domestically up to the Lofoten islands, and this place is so amazing you should spend around 5 nights here.
Narvik (1 Night)
Travel across to Narvik to prepare for your journey into Sweden. Take a night to rest here to break up the journey.
Abisko (3 Nights)
Travel back into Sweden and spend 3 nights up in the Swedish Lapland, hopefully seeing the northern lights.
Stockholm (3 Nights)
Fly down to Stockholm to end your trip, putting you in a good place to return home or travel onwards after exploring.
Overall: 26 Nights / 27 Days
Cost: Very Expensive
Airports: Fly in to Copenhagen, Fly out of Stockholm
Transport: Plenty of scenic trains, buses, and domestic flights.
Book and Explore Trains/Buses with Omio
2) Western Balkans
The Western Balkans are the best part of the Balkans, and this route is my absolute favorite in all of Europe. You get to experience some incredible places along the Adriatic, and the backpacker vibes in all of these countries are 10/10.
Split (3 Nights)
Start this route off in Split, it will pull you right into the journey with the parties and history.
Sarajevo (3 Nights)
Take the long bus up to Sarajevo. Skip straight past Mostar for now as you have to come back down. Spend 3 nights in the awesome city.
Mostar (3 Nights)
Now take the train or bus back south, to Mostar. Stay here for 2 or 3 nights because the Old Town is incredible to walk through.
Dubrovnik (2 Nights)
Cross back into Croatia after your time in Bosnia, and spend 2 nights in Dubrovnik. You can also just go straight to Kotor.
Kotor (3 Nights)
Head over into Montenegro and spend 3 nights in Kotor, which is usually very busy, but the hostels are top tier and it’s gorgeous.
Budva (3 Nights)
Bus to Budva for some time at the beaches, plus opportunities for day trips to Sveti Stefan and more.
Shkoder & Theth (5 Nights)
Now we’ve made it to Albania, where you wanna set up in Shkoder and dedicate 2 days to the Valbona Valley Hike.
Tirana (2 Nights)
After completing your hike and spending time in Shkoder, take the bus to Tirana for 2 nights in the capital.
Overall: 35 Nights / 36 Days
Cost: Budget Friendly
Airports: Fly in to Split, Fly out of Corfu
Transport: You’ll be relying on buses through this journey.
Book and Explore Buses with Omio
Berat (2 Nights)
Continue south via bus and stay for 2 nights in UNESCO Recognised, historic city of Berat.
Gjirokaster (2 Nights)
After Berat, carry on to another unique Albanian city of Gjirokaster, otherwise known as the stone city.
Saranda (3 Nights)
It’s time to get back out on the beach, so take the bus over to Saranda and spend time on the boats and the sand.
Corfu (3 Nights)
Finally to top it all off, we’re gonna make one more international crossing to a Greek island by ferry, so kick back in Corfu!
3) Iberia
Iberia, two of the most visited and top summer destinations in Spain and Portugal. Everyone loves backpacking through these two countries, because despite the high levels of tourist infrastructure, you still get beautiful beaches and well preserved old towns.
Porto (3 Nights)
Porto is the ideal starting point, being such an amazing city in itself and a perfect introduction to Portugal.
Lisbon (3 Nights)
Travel south to Portugal’s cool capital city, and make sure you include a day trip to Sintra as a part of your plans.
Lagos (3 Nights)
It’s imperative you spend 3 nights in the Algarve Region, basing yourself in Lagos and taking buses to wherever you please.
Seville (4 Nights)
Cross the border to Sevilla. It’s a long journey, but you have 4 nights here giving time for a day trip to Ronda.
Cordoba (2 Nights)
Make the short trip north to Cordoba, a charming city in Andalusia and a good stop for 2 nights.
Granada (3 Nights)
End your time in Andalusia in Granada, which is the perfect city to top off this part of the trip.
Valencia (3 Nights)
Make your way to Valencia, the best city to break up the journey to Barcelona and enjoy some architecture.
Barcelona (4 Nights)
Now we’ve made it to the main event - Barcelona. 4 nights is plenty to keep a packed itinerary in the city and on the beach.
Zaragoza (2 Nights)
We are using Zaragoza as the mid way point between Barcelona and Madrid, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an alluring city.
Madrid (4 Nights)
Finish up in Spain’s busy capital, spending 4 nights here granting you time for a trip to Toledo in between.
Overall: 31 Nights / 32 Days
Cost: Expensive
Airports: Fly in to Porto, Fly out of Madrid
Transport: Easy buses and trains (more expensive) across both countries
Book and Explore Trains/Buses with Omio
4) United Kingdom
The Western Balkans are the best part of the Balkans, and this route is my absolute favorite in all of Europe. You get to experience some incredible places along the Adriatic, and the backpacker vibes in all of these countries are 10/10.
London (4 Nights)
Start this route off in Split, it will pull you right into the journey with the parties and history.
York (2 Nights)
Take the long bus up to Sarajevo. Skip straight past Mostar for now as you have to come back down. Spend 3 nights in the awesome city.
Edinburgh (4 Nights)
Now take the train or bus back south, to Mostar. Stay here for 2 or 3 nights because the Old Town is incredible to walk through.
Glasgow (2 Nights)
Cross back into Croatia after your time in Bosnia, and spend 2 nights in Dubrovnik. You can also just go straight to Kotor.
Manchester (3 Nights)
Head over into Montenegro and spend 3 nights in Kotor, which is usually very busy, but the hostels are top tier and it’s gorgeous.
Liverpool (2 Nights)
Bus to Budva for some time at the beaches, plus opportunities for day trips to Sveti Stefan and more.
Shkoder & Theth (5 Nights)
Now we’ve made it to Albania, where you wanna set up in Shkoder and dedicate 2 days to the Valbona Valley Hike.
Tirana (2 Nights)
After completing your hike and spending time in Shkoder, take the bus to Tirana for 2 nights in the capital.
Overall: 35 Nights / 36 Days
Cost: Budget Friendly
Airports: Fly in to Split, Fly out of Corfu
Transport: You’ll be relying on buses through this journey.
Book and Explore Buses with Omio
Berat (2 Nights)
Continue south via bus and stay for 2 nights in UNESCO Recognised, historic city of Berat.
Gjirokaster (2 Nights)
After Berat, carry on to another unique Albanian city of Gjirokaster, otherwise known as the stone city.
Saranda (3 Nights)
It’s time to get back out on the beach, so take the bus over to Saranda and spend time on the boats and the sand.
Corfu (3 Nights)
Finally to top it all off, we’re gonna make one more international crossing to a Greek island by ferry, so kick back in Corfu!
Long Term Itineraries
(Several Months)
Contents:
Western Europe ∗ The Balkans ∗ Central Europe Extended