How I did it: I worked a horrible retail job for eight long months, and barely spent a penny.  I didn't completely have this goal in mind the whole time I was doing it, mostly because I didn't think I'd be brave enough.  But six weeks before I went, I convinced my boyfriend that spontaneously running off to Europe was a great idea, and suddenly everything just happened.  It's easier than it sounds, more expensive, and more amazing than you could ever imagine.

Lessons & tips: Camping can be a great money saver- in some places.  In other places, you're going to get campgrounds right by highways that are basically just little patches of dirt, and have to pay quite a bit for transportation to get into the city.
I would never camp again in Spain, Italy, or France.
England, the Netherlands, and Ireland, are much better for camping.  In fact, I would highly recommend camping in Amsterdam.
There's a great hostel called Litton Lane hostel right in the heart of Dublin- could not recommend it more.  Cheap, quiet, and very friendly staff!

Resources: Parents experience, strangers experience, ask questions at every adventure/camping store around, spend hours on the Internet, read every guide book- in the end, I practically wrote my own guidebook.

Plan ahead!  It's fun to just wander and have no time constraints, but it can make things much more costly.  Often booking budget flights far in advance is much cheaper than going by train, though the trains are lovely.  And remember, if you have a Eurail pass, you will have to pay (sometimes very steep) reservation costs in certain countries.

Jul 25, 08:54AM PDT | 0 comments | 2 cheers