By: Barbara Woolsey
Credit: Flickr/Giuseppe Milo
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 some major European cities.
Credit: Flickr/Angela Rutherford
Barcelona
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
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.
Credit: Sarah Anderson/Thrillist
Budapest
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.
Credit: Flickr/Kieran Lynam
Copenhagen
Hang out in Freetown Christiania
Founded in 1971, this artistic social-experiment-turned-hippie-commune is not to be missed. Considered a self-governing body, Freetown has its own flag, currency, rules, and administration. Impressive art murals, organic restaurants, and cannabis shops only add to the eccentric appeal.
Credit: Flickr/Brendan Rankin
Dublin
Catch a hurling game at Croke Park
Hurling is an Irish game that's kind of like field hockey on speed. It's the fastest sport in the Guinness Book, and a good strike can catapult the ball (sliotar) over 93mph. Croke Park is the 82,000-capacity stadium where many of Ireland's top games are held, as well as home to the country's largest bar, Davin, which boasts over 400 beers on tap!
Credit: Flickr/Emmanuel PARENT
Lisbon
Roam the Berardo Collection Museum
Nothing ever comes free as a tourist, and that's what makes the Berardo Collection Museum such an unbelievable treat. This gratis-admission contemporary art gallery features original works from all the legends -- Pollock, Picasso, Dali, and more. Plus, it's open every day of the week; so really, there's no excuse not to go.
Credit: Flickr/MotorBlog
London
Get the top front row seat on a double-decker
Being so absurdly expensive, seeing London on a budget is all about simplicity. The top front row seat of a double-decker is basically the VIP spot of the city's public transport. Although we don't condone fighting a wily British granny for it. (Because you will probably lose, pitifully. They're much tougher than they look.)
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