Need advice from travelers, how do I make this trip happen?

If all goes well, I should be getting my master's degree on January 11th. Instead of jumping straight into work, I want to take a few months off to travel, since I have done school for 6 years straight after high school without ever slowing down.

I really want to travel through Europe, but I don't know how to make my idea of the plan happen. I want to hit a few countries, Poland and Germany so I can see my family (would like to explore there a little as well). Then I would love to see all of Italy, and then I would also like to see England/Ireland. I would love to see just about any other country, but those are the ones I am most interested in. Those Scandinavian countries would be cool too.

I have heard of those organized trips through a travel agency, where you go across Europe over the course of a few months. But I heard those are for one overpriced, and two, pretty miserable because you spend a ton of time in the tour bus. I have also heard of programs where you stay with a family over there, and they are in charge of making sure you see what you want to see. The problem with that is that I would like to visit multiple places. A friend of mine stayed with a family in Romania, and then with them went on vacation to Greece, however, that seems unlikely.

How could I get the information to make this trip happen? I would prefer to get a great value trip for a low price so I don't go too much in debt trying to get this to happen. But at the same time I don't want to be miserable and sleeping on a bus every single night. Does anyone know what I could do to get more information on this?

In my day, you bought a backpack, a eurail pass and a guide to hostels. And then you went wherever you felt like it as long as you had enough money.

Structured tours are for old people. Be young.

I'm with confoosious (OH GOD, WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!?!?). Plan a little, but have some fun with it. Do whatever you feel like. Make it so that if you see a sign for something you think looks interesting, you can do that thing.

The biggest problem with that is financing it. I have no idea how much it would cost, and it could be a wide range for it. That and traveling alone for something unstructured like that will be a very lonesome experience.

My alternative idea is that if this falls through, I could take a cross country US thing. That will be easier to find, fund, and organize. I still would prefer experiencing a whole new culture though.

Buy first class euro rail pass. Well worth extra $$$. Take overnight train & sleep on it. Saves $$$ on hotel stay.

The whole point of backpacking through Europe is to not have enough money and meet strangers and have a good time.

I wish I had known about this eurail pass when I graduated college and didn't have a job right away...

pack a backpack and sleeping bag and just wander around. if you find a hostel with room, great. if not, find a bus/train/covered porch and curl up.

did this in japan with the rail pass which is the same idea. met so many awesome people. i think you just naturally will attract interesting and helpful people when you travel in that style.

Get a stick and a bindle and hit the rails. You can take night trains and pretty much sleep there eliminating the need for much hotels. You can store your luggage in lockers at the stations and spend the day traveling around wherever your location is.

Do you have the money to get to Europe? That's the kicker.

Edit: I'll leave this here, Lazer Doesn't Know
http://youtu.be/0Vyj1C8ogtE

[quote name='Stoic Person Eater']Get a stick and a bindle and hit the rails. You can take night trains and pretty much sleep there eliminating the need for much hotels. You can store your luggage in lockers at the stations and spend the day traveling around wherever your location is.

Do you have the money to get to Europe? That's the kicker.

Edit: I'll leave this here, Lazer Doesn't Know
http://youtu.be/0Vyj1C8ogtE[/QUOTE]

wat to the music video?

And I won't have a problem coming up with the money, might just take a few extra weeks of part time work. I just don't want to spend a fortune on things I don't care about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EuroTrip

How can you plan a European vacation without seeing it?

Also, tell me you've seen National Lampoon's European Vacation. If you haven't, you should just stay in SC.

[quote name='Stoic Person Eater']http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EuroTrip

How can you plan a European vacation without seeing it?

Also, tell me you've seen National Lampoon's European Vacation. If you haven't, you should just stay in SC.[/QUOTE]

Its been years since I saw either (especially National Lampoon's), I knew that's where it was from it just seemed random lol.

[quote name='Lazer77']wat to the music video?

And I won't have a problem coming up with the money, might just take a few extra weeks of part time work. I just don't want to spend a fortune on things I don't care about.[/QUOTE]

You know what? I have never looked back on my European backpacking tour and said "Boy, I wish I'd spent less money!"

Be frugal, but ffs man, every old guy on here will tell you that it's a once in a lifetime thing. Don't ruin it by being a cheap ass.

[quote name='confoosious']You know what? I have never looked back on my European backpacking tour and said "Boy, I wish I'd spent less money!"

Be frugal, but ffs man, every old guy on here will tell you that it's a once in a lifetime thing. Don't ruin it by being a cheap ass.[/QUOTE]

We're on Cheapassgamer.com after all lol, I know it man. I think the other part that is bothering me is going alone for all of this, while it may be a rich experience, I think being truly alone for an extended period of time in a country where I don't speak the language might get to me.

[quote name='Lazer77']We're on Cheapassgamer.com after all lol, I know it man. I think the other part that is bothering me is going alone for all of this, while it may be a rich experience, I think being truly alone for an extended period of time in a country where I don't speak the language might get to me.[/QUOTE]

That's half the fun.

Are you introverted? Because people who backpack through europe are always looking to meet other people. Unless you're a loner, you'll meet other people. You'll meet back up with them in another city. It'll be good times.

Now, if you're painfully shy or something, then that might not happen. But maybe you'll find out something about yourself.