Tips for a student going to Europe?
davidw: No Italy?!  Why those countries?  Not that they're bad, just that they're also fairly expensive (although if the pound keeps crashing, maybe England will finally be cheap) in a continent that, at least at the moment, is already expensive for Americans.  Cheaper countries: Portugal, Spain, Greece, lots of places in "Eastern Europe".  Italy's not cheap, but it is, of course, the most amazingly beautiful country anywhere even if it's not really run very well:-)   I can't offer to put up people, necessarily, but I'm always willing to take some time to show people around Padova, my home away from home in Italy, where hopefully we will be returning soon.Hostels aren't bad, actually, and you don't have too many other options for 'cheap'.  Just try and figure out which ones are good, and which ones to avoid.