Backpacking Europe: By Rail

A travel day, and a welcome one after two busy cities. You take the train east to Berlin, with time to rest, read or catch up on sleep on the way. Your home for the next two nights is a hostel in Mitte, the city's central district, surrounded by places to eat and drink. The hostel brews its own beer, so the evening is a chance to try it.

A local guide walks you through Berlin's history, from the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a stretch of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie. After a lunch stop you head to the East Side Gallery, the longest surviving section of the Wall, now covered in murals. In the evening the group goes out for dinner, and currywurst is the local favourite.

After a lie-in, you take the train south to Prague, an easy afternoon of scenery, photos and conversation. The evening is free once you arrive. You might ride a tram up to one of the city's viewpoints for golden hour, or find a traditional Czech restaurant for dinner. The hostel is in Vinohrady, a leafy neighbourhood of cafés and bars just outside the centre.

A morning on foot through Prague's Old Town, where you see the astronomical clock and the twin Gothic towers of the Týn Church before crossing the Charles Bridge. A guided tour of Prague Castle follows, and the afternoon is free to explore. Czech beer is famously cheap, so if the sun is out the group heads to a local beer garden to try some.

Another day on the train, this time south-east to Budapest, so sit back and watch the countryside roll past. Once you arrive there is time to freshen up at the hostel before your first night out in the city's ruin bars, the pubs built into the courtyards of old, crumbling buildings in the Jewish Quarter. Szimpla Kert, the most famous of them, is top of the list.

On the way to the Széchenyi Thermal Baths, your guide takes you past two of Budapest's landmarks, the Hungarian Parliament and St Stephen's Basilica. The rest of the day is yours to spend in the warm outdoor pools and saunas of one of Europe's largest spa complexes. In the evening you have dinner with the group, then board a cruise on the Danube to see the city lit up at night.

You take the train west to Vienna, less than three hours from Budapest, and set off on an orientation walk among the palaces and grand boulevards of the old imperial capital. As the sun goes down, the group finds somewhere for a drink. It is also a good moment to try a slice of Sachertorte, the rich chocolate cake the city is known for.

Today is a hands-on chocolate-making workshop, where you learn how chocolate is made, decorate your own bar and then get to taste the results. The rest of the day is free to explore Vienna at your own pace, from Schönbrunn Palace to the cafés of the old town. In the evening, if you fancy it, the group heads out for cocktails.

This morning you take the train south to Ljubljana, the small, green capital of Slovenia, on a route through the Austrian countryside that is worth staying awake for. Once you arrive, an orientation walk takes you along the river and through the old town, with its bridges, cafés and the castle on the hill above. You spend one night here before moving on to Lake Bled.

An early start and a scenic bus ride take you to Lake Bled, with its island church and clifftop castle. Depending on the season, you can swim at the group's favourite spot on the lake or hike up to the Bled Castle viewpoint for the view over the water. As the sun goes down, you sit by the lake with a beer. You spend the next two nights here, a short walk from the water.

Today you take to bikes and ride out of Bled through the surrounding countryside and its small villages, stopping at viewpoints along the way. In the afternoon there are optional activities you can add for more adrenaline, such as rafting or kayaking. Or you can spend a slow afternoon by the lake instead, which is hard to argue with.

The morning is free for a last look at Lake Bled, whether that is a walk around the shore, a coffee in town or a book by the water. Then you say goodbye to Slovenia and travel by bus and train to Italy, arriving in Venice in the evening. The hostel is near Venezia Mestre station, with quick connections to the old city, so tonight is a quiet one before a full day of exploring.

Today is all about Venice. You glide through the canals on a gondola ride, then spend the rest of the day getting lost in the narrow streets of the old city, crossing the Rialto Bridge and stopping for an Aperol spritz along the way. Venice is at its best when you wander without a plan, so leave some time to do just that.

After a morning coffee you head west to Milan, the last stop of the trip, and check in to the hostel by the canals of the Navigli district in the afternoon. You start at the Piazza del Duomo and its white marble cathedral, then walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the oldest shopping arcades in the world. It is the last night of the trip, so the group goes out for dinner and cocktails.

Your trip ends this morning with a relaxed check-out. If you are carrying on around Europe, your tour leader can help with recommendations and onward travel plans. After 19 days, eight countries and ten stops, you leave Milan with a group of new friends and more photos than you will ever find time to sort through.