Doing a big backpacking trip to Europe is a fantastic way to spend a summer or your gap year off. I’ve traveled Europe extensively, and an more then comfortable offering some quick advice on how to go about calculating a low-end budget for traveling throughout Europe.

Accommodation: The obvious low end choice is staying in dormitory rooms in hostels. Sharing rooms like this is extremely common in Europe, and you will find a massive amount of choices when it comes to hostels. Take a look at the websites HostelBookers.com and HostelWorld.com. On average, a dorm room will cost 20 euros a night. Obviously it’s cheaper in Eastern Europe than it is in Western Europe, but that is a good average figure to go off. There are other options too, with sites like CouchSurfing.org. Camping during the warmer months is also extremely pleasant around Europe, and camping grounds are very popular.

Food: You’ll need to get used to lots of ‘eating in’. This means cooking supermarket brought food at your hostel. No fancy restaurants for you. There can often be ‘cheap eats’ found around the place if you search for them. Talk to some locals or get recommendations from the hostel worker.

Lifestyle: Nothing will kill a budget faster then drinking out at clubs and bars. I’m not saying don’t go out, just that you might want to drink with some new travel friends at the hostel prior to heading out, and then keeping your wallet firmly tucked away as you experience the night life.

Transport: If you are going really budget, then hitch hiking is possible in Europe. I did this with a friend on my first trip throughout Europe. Not everyone is comfortable with this form of travel however, so another good option is to organize a global rail pass or just use the bus system EuroLines.

All in all, it’s possible to get by in Europe for 25 – 40 Euros a day, depending on which country you’re in. That’s doing it all pretty budget. If you plan on hitting all the museums, eating out every now and then and going out for drinks with other backpackers – you’re looking at more like 60 to 80 Euros a day.

However you travel, don’t forget to have fun and keep meeting new people!

This guest post was written by Tom of the website ActiveBackpacker.com – his site is all about backpacking through Europe and beyond, and loads more tips and tricks for traveling.