Always wanted to backpack through Europe? It's far more affordable than you'd think, and planning it doesn't have to be a stressful thing. All you need to plan an amazing journey is the willingness to share the experience with others and not have lavish meals every day, it's as easy as that. Starting with the planning, figuring out how long you are able to stay will be the obvious first step in being able to decide where you want to start your time in Europe. Once you have a timeframe, deciding where to go is the best part! Always dreamt of eating pizza in Italy, or maybe sipping champagne under the Eiffel Tower in France. Pick a place of interest and go from there, pre-planning destinations or picking along the way are both great options. Traveling within Europe has so many options, you can take cheap flights within Europe or you even have a chance to save a nights accommodation by taking over night trains or buses between borders or within the country you want to adventure through.
As for a place to stay, hostels are a great alternative to paying expensive hotel prices and you get to meet travellers just like you from all over the map. Depending on which cities you choose to stay in you can get a room overnight from €10 in places like Budapest to upwards of €20 in places like Paris, always having options of how many roommates you want as well as location you want to be in. If you aren't sure about the sharing a room with other people, hostels often have private rooms that will still be a more affordable alternative. One really great thing about staying in a hostel is the access to a kitchen, buying food saves way more than you could ever imagine.
Sacrificing a couple of expensive add ons and you can save money for other things, like drinks out with the new people you've met or even buying a bus ticket to a destination you hadn't originally planned on, the possibilities are endless. Most big cities have free walking tours that will take you to some of the best sites and attractions, this will also give you a better understanding of the layout of the city so you can make plans of where you might want to head back to and explore a little more. (Always remember to tip your tour guide, that's how they make money from the tours !) There's maps available in the main lobby of most hostels, don't be too sure of where you're going, grab one and keep it with you it's much better to be over prepared than lost in the canals of Venice after a night out trying to find something that looks familiar. The best thing to do when you're in a new place is explore and don't be afraid to try new things.