After my first year off at college I have decided to take a year off and try to decide exactly what I want to do in life and I recently have been considering the idea of backpacking across Europe for a few months. I really have no clue about this sort of thing although I have been researching it the past couple of days. Right now I plan to aim for about 3 months abroad and to leave either this fall or the following spring depending on how soon I could get everything prepared. I haven't been able to really get an idea of how much 3 months abroad would end up costing me and I still don't know all the ends and outs of travel overseas. I was also wondering if there were any volunteer programs that offer accommodations in exchange for your help that could help defray costs while over there. Any advice that anyone can offer is welcome whether it be on places to visit, ways to travel, volunteer programs, or whatever. By the way, I recently ran across a site called www.couchsurfing.com where people offer you a couch to sleep on in different locations around the world free of charge and was wondering if anyone had any experience with this as it could save hundreds of dollars. Thanks! -Jared

Jared,

Keep reading! You'll find all of your answers here in the forums, and if you have something specific, just ask!

In terms of budgeting, guidebooks that have been printed recently offer good guidelines for budgets. My fav for Europe is lonelyplanet, but I'm not sure when it was last printed, so check that out. (Also, make sure you factor in travel costs, and have a slush fund - generally the most expensive price of a one-way ticket home, so you can get home in an emergency.)

In terms of where to go, the sky's the limit! Read, read, read, and go where your fancy takes you. Plan, but be flexible enough to break your plans - 'cause it'll happen and it'll be great.

Good luck and keep posting !

Jess

Thanks for the reply. I have been poking around the forums but just was hoping for some information more tailored to my situation. Primarily I was hoping that someone could give me an idea of how much to budget and things that you don't exactly want to base on a guidebook that may or may not be right. I was also very curious if anyone knew of any free volunteer programs in Europe or if they had any experience with www.couchsurfing.com. Thanks again and if anyone else has any advice I would appreciate it.

Lonely Planets Europe on a Shoestring issued a new version a couple of months ago. It's red rather than the purple version I have. It's a pretty good book though as it covers loads of countries and gives an idea of daily budget needed for each country.

Obviously Easetern Europe is cheaper than the west.

The webmaster of the excellent Travel Independent website helped me greatly in constructing a Round the World Budget Calculator. The estimates are a little on the high side, but it may give you a ballpark figure to aim for.

Happy travels,
Steve

thank you everyone who has answered...that calculator really helped alot in getting a good idea of a roundabout cost. if anyone has any other advice or suggestions they are still welcome though. i still can't decide whether to go in the fall or the spring so i don't know when i'm leaving...thanks again

You could always go with Big Brother Backpacking (http://www.bigbrotherbackpacking.com). They specialize in providing students with adventure tours across Europe, without the worry that accompanies sending a teen to a foreign continent. Since their tour guides let the student travelers make the decisions on destinations in real-time, it is essentially the same as backpacking with a small group of close friends.

If you would like to see Europe but don't know where to start, I would be glad to help you out. Whether or not you go with my company, I have lots of experience and would always be happy to chat. There is a world of opportunity out there waiting for you to grab it. Checking out the site will only take a moment and it may change your life forever. What do you have to lose?