If you starting your Europe trip in the IND, its usually cheapest and easiest to kick off in DELHI. Take a flight to Paris, which takes just over two hours. When you arrive in the French capital, make a beeline for the Eiffel Tower (you should check the cheapest tickets and tours before you go), cruise along the Seine and try to see other famous Paris attractions. Because you only have one day to see as much of Paris as possible, its a good idea to buy a hop-on-hop-off bus ticket, to whip around the main tourist attractions without wasting time.

Depart Paris late in the evening to catch an overnight bus or train to Basel, Switzerland. You can sleep on the bus, which will save you a nights accommodation fee, and arrive in beautiful Basel refreshed and ready to explore. If youre in need of a proper wake-up, have a dip in the Rhine with the locals before you visit the tiny citys many museums. Around lunchtime, take a bus or train from Basel to Bern, the capital of Switzerland. Its an expensive city so you wont want to hang around for too long there, but a few hours should be enough time to saunter around the old town and see the Swiss Federal Assembly, one of the worlds oldest democracies. If youd like to make sure you see the main sights, you can book an express tour of Bern. Swiss sightseeing done, catch a late-night flight to Rome and get some sleep in a hostel there. Youve got a lot of walking to do tomorrow.

Day three of your whirlwind ten day tour of Europe should be dedicated solely to exploring Rome. Walk its cobbled streets and crane your neck to see the citys beautiful facades, visit the Colosseum, and gorge on gelato, pizza and pasta at every stop. If you have time, tick another country off your travel bucket list: The Vatican. The best way to squeeze this in is to book a skip-the-queue tour. Day three of your whirlwind ten day tour of Europe should be dedicated solely to exploring Rome. Walk its cobbled streets and crane your neck to see the citys beautiful facades, visit the Colosseum, and gorge on gelato, pizza and pasta at every stop. If you have time, tick another country off your travel bucket list: The Vatican. The best way to squeeze this in is to book a skip-the-queue tour.

When you arrive in Venice, grab a bite to eat and then do the tourist thing: jump in a gondola and watch the world pass by, being sure to stop at Doges Palace and St Marks Basilica. You could also do a boat trip to colourful Murano, Torcello & Burano Islands, which takes around half a day. As the sun sets on your day in Venice, catch another overnight bus or train, this time to Austrias capital city. When you arrive in Venice, grab a bite to eat and then do the tourist thing: jump in a gondola and watch the world pass by, being sure to stop at Doges Palace and St Marks Basilica. You could also do a boat trip to colourful Murano, Torcello & Burano Islands, which takes around half a day.As the sun sets on your day in Venice, catch another overnight bus or train, this time to Austrias capital city.

Vienna is a beautiful city, and while youll never see all of its highlights in a day, you shouldnt miss the incredibly regal Schönbrunn Palace, with its endless decadent rooms and pristine gardens. Eat some apple strudel, go to the opera and climb to the top of St Stephens Cathedral for a truly awe-inspiring view over the city. Vienna is another city where youll benefit from buying a hop-on-hop-off bus ticket, because the city sprawls.

Next morning, take a train or bus from Vienna to Budapest. Stroll along the Danube and go to Fishermans Bastion for the best view. Budapests most unmissable attraction is of course, its outdoor baths and Széchenyi Bath is said to be the best. If you plan ahead, your night in Budapest might coincide with one of their crazy sparties in Szechenyi Spa & Baths. If not, book a late night dinner cruise and then hit the famous ruin bars like Szimpla Kert. Alternatively, meet fellow backpackers on a pub crawl.

On day seven of your trip, spend the morning in Budapest and then jump on a cheap flight from there to Brussels. See the impressive Grand Palace and its neighbours, the six guild halls, then munch on some proper Belgian fries, served with mayo. No backpacker can visit Belgium without sampling one of its other famous products: beer. Spend your night in Belgiums capital sipping the amber nectar, and book a beer tasting if youd like to learn about it as you sup. Not interested? A four hour pub crawl will do the job.

I highly recommend travelling within Belgium while youre there. Its one of the countries that I didnt expect to love as much as I did, and my two favourite spots are Bruges and Ghent. Theyre both fairytale places, but Ghent is slightly less touristy than Bruges.

You can take the bus from either Bruges or Ghent to Amsterdam, the final stop in this Europe itinerary – though its a shorter travel time if you go from Ghent. Spend your last day cruising on Amsterdams canals, visiting their famous coffee shops and reflecting on your adventure. Still thirsty? Theres always the Heineken Experience. By this point, you should be exhausted and have memories to last a lifetime – but the fuel in your belly for another trip soon.

Day ten brings you back to the UK. I used to think that travel meant leaving home behind, but now I know that the UK has so much to offer and there are loads of cool places to visit closer to home. Check out my IND. travel section for some inspiration.