How to backpack around Europe

So you’d like to embark on a Grand Tour and see the treasures of the world? Check out my top 100 photos.

I backpacked solo around Europe for one month in May 2017. I visited 10 cities: London (UK), Paris (France), Berlin (Germany), Prague (Czechia), Vienna (Austria), Salzburg (Austria), Fussen (Germany), Swiss Alps (Switzerland), Florence (Italy), and Rome (Italy). I generally stayed about 1-5 days in each city, depending on the city size. Especially during busy seasons, I recommend booking early your accommodations, transportation, and major attractions tickets. After trying a hostel once, I used Airbnbs (check host reviews to avoid drama).

To get a sense of what’s out there, I would recommend visiting your local bookstore’s travel section to see which cities most interest you. I would recommend starting with Rick Steves’ Best of Europe guidebook, which emphasizes the notable historical and cultural attractions (I appreciated his free audio guide app as well). It seems ChatGPT can help plan trips too. Plan what are the top 2-3 attractions you’d like to visit per day. I recommend visiting the important places first, in case you run out of time (one could spend several full days to see all of the Louvre museum).

Below are some of the highlights from my trip (bolded means highly recommended), though you should create your own adventure!

London

• British Museum (my favorite; great historic treasures)

• Westminster Abbey (magnificent church)

• Tower of London (crown jewels and castle)

• Day trip to Oxford University (if interested)

• Comedy and theater shows (fun)

• London Symphony Orchestra (impressive)

Paris

• Louvre Museum (top art museum, houses Mona Lisa)

• Orsay Museum (worth visiting)

• Day trip to Versailles (beautiful palace and garden)

Berlin

• Not much exciting, unless you’re interested in its history

Prague

• Lovely architecture. Might be worth a day’s visit if along the way.

Vienna

• As a classical music lover, I may like to live here and enjoy concerts.

• House of Music (Haus der Musik)

Salzburg

• Good for Mozart and The Sound of Music fans

• Nice natural scenery and old-town feeling

Fussen

• Neuschwanstein Castle (inspired Disney)

Swiss Alps

• Paragliding was awesome

• Mountain Hostel is cheap and nice

Florence

• Accademia (houses Michelangelo’s David)

• Uffizi Gallery

Rome

• Vatican Museum (houses Sistine Chapel) and St. Peter’s Basilica

• Borghese Gallery (rich decorations)

• Colosseum, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain