Look into reservations NOW for Germany if you're planning on staying in the city centres - it hasn't anywhere near the accomodation of Paris, so could be a problem. Can you stay with your friend in Hamburg? I did just that when I visited a friend in Hamburg when I travelled as a student. 4 of us all slept on their floor and her mother kindly did our washing for us - you have to grasp the kindness of strangers when you're a poor travelling student.

As for food, well, when I interailed around Europe as a student (8 countries in 4 weeks, aah the energy of youth), I can count on the fingers of one hand the amount of times I sat down to eat in a cheap restaurant. It just didn't fit my budget at all. I ate almost entirely from grocery stores and fast food outlets. You can survive A LONG time on bread, cheese and cheap wine

You will find a big street culture in places like Rome and Madrid, with large pockets of students just wandering the streets at night, drinking and eating their own food.

20 euro a day isn't much at all, when a museum entry fee could cost almost half that. Beg, borrow and steal to up that budget. Factor in additional transport (bus/metro fares, which you will use daily).

And make sure you take an additional source of funds as a back-up, e.g. an emergency credit card - because if you're anything like me, you will go over budget, and you'll need to pay for that bus to the airport home somehow!

Kate
London

important in my opinion is to have an emergency plan for obtaining more funds, if you do in fact go with the 20 euro a day plan. That's great to strive for that as your goal, but in case of truly unexpected events, I highly urge that you have a way to be able to obtain more cash somehow.

always pack food and drinks with you for a train ride. you can make a great picnic, or even buy a sandwich at the train station if necessary. either is better than being hungry on a train. plus the food when offered can be pricey and you can do much better quality for less bringing your own along.

To respond to your question about whether hotel prices go up when there is a major soccer event in town - absolutely yes. Check your itinerary aganst the match schedule, and avoid those dates if you can. Not sure whether hostels also raise their prices in these times, if that is where you plan to stay. In either case, if you are planning to be there around match dates you probably should have a confirmed reservation, or face the possibility of having to blow your budget big time. But don't let this stop you - you can plan around it!

the "wine-cheap, soda-expensive" mantra is often repeated here but be careful as this is a gross generalisation and in most cases just plain wrong. of course you should never order anything without knowing the price so you can judge for yourself in each case...however enjoyable, drinking wine in restaurants is not a good general strategy for saving money.

Hi

You mention that you will be lodging in hostels. These have kitchens. Hence avoid restaurants. This is where your money gets "eaten up". Use the supermarkets for supplies. This includes fruit juice, snacks, sodas and alcohol. Store your next day's supplies in the hostel's fridge. Bring a small cooler bag (and ice brick)with you on your daily travels to bring drinks, lunch and snacks. If the water is drinkable fill a large water bottle up at the hostel and put it in the fridge for next day. If water is 2E and you go through 3 or 4 of these a day....well you do the math. Learn to cook basic dishes. You'd be surprised how easy it is to cook a spaghetti sauce. Make enough to last a couple of meals. Chances are you will eat better than the restaurants and have a nice bottle of wine or a cold beer with it at a fraction of the cost. Some of my most memorable dining experiences have been sitting on some steps in the local square with a roll I made myself watching the world pass by!

Have fun and travel safe.

tips for saving money:
1. Spain is much less expensive than Germany.
2. Human flesh tastes much like chicken

Please disregard the more bizarre posts! (Although in a perverse sort of way, it is nice to have mkingdom back ranting about fat people.)

To distill the conventional wisdom thus far offered:

DON'T skip meals
Eat you biggest restaurant meal at lunch
Eat from grocery stores---healthier and cheaper!
Bread, cheese and wine have been suggested; to that add plenty of fresh fruit and at least some vegetables. You need them.
Walk as much as you can
Check out freebies--concerts, free days at museums, etc. Do this online before you leave, and then check at an internet cafe whilst you are there
Specify "tap" rather than bottled water, which is almost as expensive as soda in some restaurants

I personally think that $25 per day is the absolute lower limit; it gives you no cushion for emergencies and allows you no extra $ to purchase gifts or even extra toothpaste! Do you have a parent who can put money into your account if you run into big trouble?
Also, I would definitely purchase trip insurance, and I imagine your parents would want you to have this. Some can be very cheap: www.insuremytrip.com is a good website for comparing different plans.

Finally, and this is mom speaking, DO YOU SMOKE? Cigarettes, while not as expensive as in the US, will use up your travel budget and make you more prone to respiratory illnesses. If you do smoke, even just a few per day, QUIT before you leave.

Many hostels have kitchens, but not all. So if this is important, be sure to read the hostel web sites and reviews ahead of time.

you are students, you said. so check out for a student´s international id-card and all the advantages you can get when using this id entitling you for student´s tariffs.

there may be special hostels for students at university towns, so check out with the universities at the places you want to visit.

at universities, there are commons or canteens (german: mensa, f, s; proverb: Der Student geht zur Mensa bis er bricht.) for students, offering a priceworthy meal. also a good place to meet and find contact to other students.
there are universities at Hamburg and Berlin, so check out on that for "Studentenwerk" which operates these faclities.

when visiting "basic sights" there also may be a reducted student´s rate as is for museums and theaters. so, check out for the places you want to visit.

maybe this is of certain help for your plans.

I'm not nearly as perfect, rich or thin as MK_2... but I have some thoughts. My son just returned from 2 weeks in Switzerland. He did everything on a budget similar to yours. That said, he never ate out. They ate 100% of their meals at grocery stores or in their hostel. I don't believe he felt that was a sacrifice (I think eating at fancy restaurants is largely an old folks thing - more for people like me). If you like art, there is lovely art in churches - which are typically free or cheap. Enjoy your trip!.. on the cheap or expensive, you'll have a wonderful time.

Hey there---
I traveled to 9 countries last year on a serious budget..
Unfortunately, of those cities on your list, I only went to Rome. I stayed near the Termini station, which isn't the greatest part of town, but it is convenient and cheap. Keep your wits about you (as you should anywhere) and you'll be fine.
My hostel was booked my second night-- they actually sent me to a hotel nearby-- it's called Hotel des Artistes. It was a nice hotel with a roof top garden. It had one floor reserved for budget travelers-- so it was like a hostel-- anyway, that was one of the nicest hostels I stayed at. I'd recommend googling it.. they let the hostelers use all of the imenities of the hotel, including that garden where I spent an amazing night with new friends drinking cheap red wine. I never took public transport in Rome-- though it is cheap.

As for food--(which I think this has been a funny conversation already).. your hostel breakfasts will generally not provide much sustenance--- several hostels I went to literally gave guests a roll and some water... But you're traveling and you won't care. I would recommend lunch being your biggest meal of the day-- and taken late-- let it be the meal that you "explore" the foods native to where you are-- for dinner-- opt for classic student eats-- pizza, etc.. Gelato in Italy every day is a must...
and finally--- Paris? Just buy a baguette-- No need for atkin's when you've got sightseeing to do....

Don't worry about not "seeing" all of the sites.. the best days are the ones spent walking around and "existing" in a place-- no need to force yourself into famous museums just to say you've been there... only go if you have the interest.

Are you thinking of getting out of these big cities at all? It might be worthwhile to take smaller mini trips to surrounding towns/villages.. I did this with a friend when we went to Amsterdam. We went for one night to a beach town--- we opted to stay at a B&B because together it was about the same as staying at a hostel--- be sure to always check to make sure that the hostel is your best bet-- in places like Paris it will be---

Sorry this is so long.

Student? think first!
-> ISIC card --> eat at "mensa", --> cheap 1.5 - 2€ a meal.
- reduced ticktes everywhere
- holidays -> inexpensive lodging university dorm!

Think -> give the a call -> make reservation -> be happy!....

Yes I should have mentioned it. Just to emphasise Will Travel's point - wherever possible make sure that the hostels you stay at have kitchens.