The Southern
Europe Trail

Lisbon is Europe's most underrated capital, with cobblestone hills, €1 pastel de nata, and Tram 28 winding through Alfama. Take the free walking tour, then lose yourself in the Bairro Alto bar scene (€2–3 beers). Day trip to Sintra (€2.25 train, 40 mins) for fairy-tale palaces. Bus to Porto (€15–20, 3.5 hrs) for port wine tastings in Vila Nova de Gaia (free–€5) and the most photogenic bookshop in the world (Livraria Lello, €8). Hostels: €15–25/night.

Night bus from Porto to Seville (€25–35, 7 hrs). Seville's Real Alcázar (€14.50) rivals the Alhambra, and free flamenco shows pop up in Triana bars nightly. Bus to Granada (€12, 3 hrs), where the Alhambra is a must-book (€14, reserve 2 months ahead). Walk the Albaicín at sunset for views of the palace against the Sierra Nevada. Fly or bus to Barcelona (€15–40 budget airlines). La Sagrada Familia (€26), Gothic Quarter wandering, and beach time at Barceloneta. Bar-hop El Born for €3 vermouth.

Train from Barcelona to Marseille on the coastal TGV (€25–50 with OUIGO, 4.5 hrs). Marseille's Vieux-Port has €5 bouillabaisse bowls and the MuCEM museum (free under 25). Day trip to the Calanques and hike from Luminy to Sugiton (2 hrs, free, bring water). Optional: stop in Montpellier or Avignon en route to Italy. France is pricier, so cook in hostel kitchens and picnic with supermarket wine (€3–5/bottle) and cheese.

Fly or take the train from Marseille to Rome (€20–50). The Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill combo ticket is €16 (book online). Vatican Museums on the last Sunday of the month are free (arrive by 7am). The best €4 pizza is in Trastevere, where you should also try supplì (fried rice balls, €2) from the street vendors. Train to Florence (€15–20 Italo, 1.5 hrs). The Uffizi is €20 but the real Florence is free: the Ponte Vecchio, Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset, and the leather markets of San Lorenzo.

Train from Florence to Cinque Terre (€12–15, 2.5 hrs). Buy the Cinque Terre Card (€16) for unlimited trail hiking and trains between the five villages. Hike the full coastal trail in a day (12km, 5 hrs), where Vernazza to Monterosso is the most dramatic stretch. Sleep in Riomaggiore or Manarola (€25–40/night for hostels). Then train to Venice (€20–30, 4 hrs). Venice is expensive but free to wander, so get lost in the back alleys, take the €2 traghetto gondola across the Grand Canal, and eat €2 cicchetti (Venetian tapas) at bacari bars.

Bus or ferry from Venice to Split (bus €35, 9 hrs; ferry €50–80, seasonal). Split's Diocletian's Palace is a living monument, where people still live, eat, and party inside a Roman emperor's retirement home. The Riva waterfront promenade comes alive at sunset with €3 local beers. Take a day trip to Hvar Island (ferry €12–15 return) for beaches and lavender fields. Bus along the coast to Dubrovnik (€15–20, 4.5 hrs) to walk the city walls (€35 but unforgettable) and take the cable car up Mount Srđ for free sunset views.

Bus from Dubrovnik to Kotor (€12–15, 2 hrs, one of Europe's most scenic drives). Kotor's medieval old town sits at the end of a dramatic fjord, and you can climb the 1,350 steps to the fortress at sunset (€8) for the best view in the Balkans. Swim in the Bay of Kotor, take a boat to Our Lady of the Rocks island (€5), and eat ćevapi (grilled meat) for €3–5. Budva's old town and beaches are a short bus ride (€3, 30 mins). Accommodation: €15–20/night.

Bus from Kotor to Tirana (€15–20, 4–5 hrs). Albania is the biggest surprise on this route, with incredible beaches, Ottoman architecture, and rock-bottom prices. Tirana is buzzy and colourful (Bunk'Art museums €5 each, incredible). Bus to Berat (€5, 2.5 hrs), the "City of a Thousand Windows" and a UNESCO site. Then south to Gjirokastër (€5, 3 hrs) for Ottoman stone houses and a massive hilltop castle (€2). If time allows, the Albanian Riviera (Ksamil, Himarë) has beaches rivalling Greece at a quarter of the price.

Bus or fly from Tirana to Athens (bus €25–30, 8 hrs; flights €30–60). The Acropolis (€20, free under 25 from EU) at opening time is magical before the crowds. Wander Plaka, eat €2 souvlaki in Monastiraki Square, and watch sunset from Filopappou Hill (free). Ferry to Santorini (€35–60, 5–8 hrs depending on speed), where you should skip Fira and stay in Perissa for €20–30/night hostels. Hike the Fira–Oia trail (10km, 3 hrs) for caldera views. If budget allows, end on Crete: bigger, cheaper, and wilder, with the Samariá Gorge hike (18km, €5).