How to backpack through 14 European cities

Bex Walton/Flickr

Backpacking through Europe is about being impulsive, right? It’s about train-hopping and wanderlust, about getting lost in random cities and hooking up with Australians in dodgy youth hostels. It’s also about doing and seeing some really cool stuff that you can then regale your friends back home about while they nod politely and eat bar pretzels.

But sometimes figuring out exactly what to do while wandering and lusting around the Continent can be tricky -- especially on a shoestring budget. That’s why we put together this list of absolute must-hit activities (that won’t break the bank) in 16 major European cities.

Barcelona

To do: Day drink at a vermut musical

Backpacking is all about building character, and this experience will do just that. We’re of course talking about drinking vermut, a Catalonian fortified wine known for its oomph. On weekend afternoons, you can find it served at kitschy, old-fashioned drinking holes along with live music and performances.

Berlin

To do: Take the Alternative Berlin tour

Getting in touch with city’s anti-conformity underbelly is a must, and Alternative Berlin packs a lot into its free, three-hour tours. From daytime raves to artist squats, it’s the perfect surprise bag of the city’s plentiful subcultures.

Budapest

To do: Drink at the ruin bar that started the movement

Ruin bars, sketchy old buildings revived into hipster hangouts, are the trademark of an evening spent in Budapest. So check out Szimpla Kert, the former factory turned open-air cinema and pub, where it all began.