I would take advantage of their railway system. You can travel just about anywhere via train. Also, for overnight stays, do your research on hospices which are mostly free. I would definitely try and plan your entire trip prior to going. And give yourself and extra day here and there should you decide to stay somewhere for an extended period of time to see things that you haven’t quite had to opportunity to see. Research, research and a little more research.

Take the train and maybe purchase the Euro Pass- I think that its good for a month, But dont quote me on it. Don’t rent a car. Its too much of a hassle. Stay at youth hostels, not hotels, they tend to be cheaper. Don’t eat out every night, but rather buy food at a supermarket and make your own meals. Be wary of the Italians, they have cheated us before. Beware of tourist traps. Take the metro, bus or walk places, it way cheaper than a taxi. Be flexible. Have fun.

I think, you are a little young but that’s for your parents to decide to let you go or not. But….. What ever country you going to visit ,check the restaurants prices. If you eat inside, they have one price and for take out(to buy and eat outside) is another price. We used to buy food and eat on the street in the park or in our car. Good luck!

Check out tripadvisor.com, and virtualtourist.com. they will really help you go cheap. if you’re going to backpack and do eurorail, remember to pack really light, or you’ll end up mailing some of your stuff back home. it is really tough schlepping your stuff on the trains. there are not many elevators/escalators, so everything is stairs, sometimes many flights up from the subways or from under the different train platforms. europeans buy a few good pieces of clothing and wear them over and over, so don’t be afraid to do likewise.
remember you will need to take convertors to use american plugs in europe, and if the hairdryer, or whatever, does not have a voltage switch on it, it will not work even with the convertor.

europeans cannot get the same prices (cheaper prices) on rail passes, so be sure to buy yours in the usa, and in the usa i believe you have to go through flight centre to book rail passes. booking your pass, the cost of your pass, may help you determin your route, because you pay based on # of days you want to travel, and # of countries you want to go through. they are very patient @ flight centre. they were on the phone w/ me for 2 hours!

superfast ferries are a cool way to get from bari italy to greece.

make sure to learn a little of the language so you can be polite, and be sure not to get drunk and be uncool. europeans can really hold their liquor and are mellow, so don’t be brash.

regsiter yourself here to be safe:

apply for your passport about 8 months before you plan to go.

here’s a currency convertor to help you:

internet cafes are everywhere in europe, so don’t pack the computer.

if you take your cell phone it will not work unless you get a plan for that. ask your provider
your ATM card will work, and is cheaper than using a credit card, which will charge you more fees for converting your dollars to euros.

in france definitly see Paris and Nice if you can.

good luck, lucky tourist!

It depends how much time you’ll have. You’ll need at least! one month to see all the countries.
If you have plenty of time, buy the RailPass, which enables you to travel on train for a certain period of time. If you don’t want to spend so much time travelling from one country to another, use some low-cost airlines.
If booked well in advance, their prices can be really good - even cheaper than busses and trains. If you want to find connection with low-cost airlines in Europe, try . If you are not at all in a hurry, try hitchhiking. It’s a good way how to meet people, but I know, it’s not 100% safe.
France, Switzerland and Belgium are quite expensive countries, in the other countries it depends on where you want to stay - of course capitals are much more expensive.
What do you wanna see in Europe? Sights, countryside or just have fun in pubs and bars?

Get a Eurail pass to go around, with that pass you can use the train all over Europe, some high speed train might charge some extra fee but otherwise it is the best way to get around, because you always end up in the center of the city. Then stay at youth hostel (Jugend herbergen). Very cheap and you meet like minded traveler. As for flight do some shopping around on travel site.
With a eurail pass you do not need to make detail plan just hop on the train that will get you to the next destination.

First choose 2-3 countries to visit, not more, or you will spend your time trying to catch a train or a bus instead of visiting !!!
Then, book your flight by checking on for the cheapest flights (leave and return in the middle of the week instead of week-ends). You can also check for the “specials” on sites like expedia or orbitz for one time deals to Europe.
For cheap eats, go buy food in supermarkets.
Do camping (15euros per night, maybe less) if you have a light tent to bring. Otherwise you can try some cheap hotels like Formule1
They are usually clean but very “plain”… it is about 30euros/night
For travelling, train or Coach. They are confortable and clean (unlike in the US) and the local bus system for small itineraries.