Editorial
A proper European bar tour is 10 to 14 days, 4 to 6 cities, and approximately 3 bars per city per night. Less than that is a drinking holiday. More than that is punishment. The cities are excellent, the travel between them is straightforward, and the bar scenes are different enough from each other to reward the movement. Here is how to build one properly.
London — 3 nights minimum. The bar scene is the most technically developed in Europe and competes with New York and Tokyo for global leadership. Shoreditch, Soho, and Hackney represent three completely different bar cultures within 4 miles of each other. Start at the London bar guide for the full overview.
Amsterdam — 2 nights. The after-work bar culture is the best in Europe, the craft beer scene has been excellent since 2016, and the cocktail scene has been catching up fast since 2020. Door 74 and Tales and Spirits are the two mandatory stops. The city is walkable between bars in a way that London and Paris are not.
Barcelona — 3 nights. The only major European city where late-night genuinely starts after 1am, which extends the usable evening to 5am if you want it. The Born neighbourhood, Poble Sec, and Gracia represent three completely different programme philosophies. Start at the Barcelona bar guide. Dry Martini and Two Schmucks both take reservations now.
Berlin — 2 nights. The most experimental bar scene in Europe, pricing that rewards multiple rounds, and a culture that does not distinguish between Tuesday and Saturday in the way that other cities do. Prenzlauer Berg for craft beer, Kreuzberg for cocktails, Mitte for late-night. The Berlin bar guide covers the current best.
Lisbon — 2 nights. The fastest-developing bar scene in Europe across 2020 to 2025. Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodre are the anchor neighbourhoods. The city drinks late, the wine is excellent and cheap, and the cocktail bars have been building genuine programmes rather than replicating the tourist-facing international template.
Prague — 2 nights. The best value bar city in Europe by a significant margin. The craft beer tradition is 700 years old and the cocktail scene has been producing serious work since 2019. Hemingway Bar operates the strongest programme in Central Europe.
The 10-Day Northern Route: Days 1 to 3 London, Days 4 to 5 Amsterdam (2hr train from St Pancras via Eurostar), Days 6 to 7 Berlin (1.5hr flight from Amsterdam), Days 8 to 9 Prague (4hr train from Berlin), Day 10 Vienna or travel day. This route covers the most technically developed bar scenes in Europe in a logical geographic sequence.
The 7-Day Iberian Route: Days 1 to 3 Barcelona, Days 4 to 5 Lisbon (2hr flight), Days 6 to 7 Madrid (45min flight, or 2.5hr train). This route offers better weather, cheaper drinks, later nights, and a significantly different bar culture from the northern route. The Iberian route rewards spontaneity more than the northern route because reservation culture is lighter and walk-in success rates are higher.
For London: Book Connaught Bar, Swift Soho, and one Shoreditch bar at least 2 weeks ahead. The Connaught will require 3 to 4 weeks in advance for Friday and Saturday. Weeknight reservations are easier. See the London cocktail bars page for the current top picks.
For Amsterdam: No reservations needed at most bars. Door 74 is the exception — book at least 10 days ahead. Walk-in culture is strong in Amsterdam and most programmes accommodate it.
For Barcelona: Dry Martini takes reservations by phone. Two Schmucks fills rapidly on weekends — book through their website. Paradiso has a queue system — arrive early.
For Berlin: Prater Biergarten operates walk-in only. Velvet Bar fills on Friday and Saturday after 10pm. Mid-week Berlin requires no advance planning.
For Lisbon: Pensao Amor fills on weekends — book 1 week ahead. Park Rooftop operates a queue system but arrives at 6pm and entry is usually straightforward.
London: average cocktail GBP 14 to 18. Evening budget GBP 60 to 80. Amsterdam: average cocktail EUR 12 to 16. Evening budget EUR 50 to 70. Barcelona: average cocktail EUR 10 to 14 at cocktail bars, EUR 6 to 8 at neighbourhood bars. Evening budget EUR 40 to 55. Berlin: average cocktail EUR 9 to 13. Evening budget EUR 35 to 50. Lisbon: average cocktail EUR 9 to 14. Wine and beer significantly cheaper. Evening budget EUR 30 to 45. Prague: average cocktail EUR 7 to 11. Pilsner Urquell from the brewery cellar under EUR 2 per half litre. Evening budget EUR 25 to 40.
Plan no more than 3 bars per night: the fourth bar is always the worst decision of the evening. Do not stay in different areas every night — pick one neighbourhood as your base and walk from it. Research the last metro or tram time in each city: 1:30am metro closure in Barcelona catches every first-time visitor. Do not mix budget and premium bars in the same evening — the contrast makes both worse.
A European bar tour is one of the best possible ways to spend 10 to 14 days. The continent has 15 cities with world-class bar scenes within 3 hours of each other by train or flight. The only consistent mistake is not having enough nights in each city — always add one more night than you planned for.
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Senior Editor for European content at barsforkings.com. She has covered the bar scenes of 28 European cities and has a strong opinion about Lisbon.