Planning first solo Europe backpacking trip!

$750 is a good price. Since your return is mid-June, I'd go ahead and book it soon (within a few weeks preferably), since June is high season and prices tend to get crazy if you don't book in time! To give you an idea, I paid $1700 last year for a transatlantic r/t where I flew in July and booked the ticket end of April. If your dates are flexible, you have more leeway.

$4000 for 30 days, so $130 per day for food, lodging, transport and sightseeing? Sounds very doable to me. Especially if you'll be couchsurfing.

I'd go for a backpack. How much will you be packing anyway? My advice would be to keep it light light. You often end up using much less than you think. You can do laundry in Europe. You can also buy anything that you didn't bring in case you need it. On longer trips I often bring enough clothes for 7 days, and that's pretty much it. Books/guidebooks -- keep them on your smartphone to keep weight down! I travel the world with around 12 lbs or less.

Your itinerary does seem a bit wonky to me. One week Paris, one week Rome, then 4 days in all of Switzerland, and 4 days Greece. I dunno. Seems like too much time in the first two, and too little in the last two. Maybe you can look at LP Europe book to get some ideas. Also you might want to consider NOT having a plan, just fly in and stay in each place however long you like it then move on. Chances are you'll meet people whether you stay at hostels or couchsurfing and you'll get new ideas and perhaps hook up and travel with someone for a while. How are you getting around? Bus/train? Budget flights? Flights should be bought in advance. Bus or train I think is fine, I rarely book these in advance and also rarely have problems (although you can sometimes save money by booking in advance).

Hi!

4000 is US dollars? Minus the flights and insurance etc.,that will leave you about US3000. Or 2000 euros at the moment.

That's about 70 euros a day,which is doable.Not a huge amount,but possible if you live as a backpacker...hostels,local food,some activities etc.

Agree with max that the price is pretty good..I doubt you will get much cheaper than that for June.

Sorry that should be 2200 euros (when is the edit function coming back?!)

A small backpack is ideal.Don't overpack...you can easily get by with a 35l bag,as long as you don't bring a lot of things you don't need,and you are prepared to wash clothes frequently.

On the destinations...i guess there is a reason why you have chosen these,and a reason you have given that quantity of time for each?

Personally none sound too long (though I like to stay in a place for a while...get away from the tourist trail and have time to relax,meet people,get to know the less obvious parts of the city).....Greece seems very short though.I'd either go there and spend some serious time,or leave it out...it is pretty far out of the way compared to your other stops,and getting there will cost you.....a lot.For only 4 days.

Switzerland is also little time but at least it is on your way....try to get out of Interlaken and into the mountains themselves.Its a beautiful area.

More spontaneous is always a good idea.So...don't book all these things in advance.If you are bored in paris after 4 days (impossible for me,but everyone is different ;-) then move on somewhere else.....there is plenty of hostel availability and no need to book beds in advance at all....

flight prices only ever go up. Don't forget your travel insurance.

4 days in Greece - not worth it. (the 4 days, not the country!)

Welcome to the TT.

Some tips for you as a new poster.

First, read the Community guidelines, Community FAQs. Then read the Europe FAQs and the other stickies at the top of the W. Europe branch including the one on 'budget and itinerary questions'. Then scroll down and read threads that interest you on the first few pages at least of the W. Europe branch. Then go to the Activities and Gear branch and do some reading there on what pack to buy, what to pack, etc.

'What do you think of my itinerary and do I have enough money' is one of, if not THE most common question asked. Yours is no different than all the others and the same answers have been given a thousand plus times.

When you have done all that some of your questions here will have been answered. Then post specific threads on individual topics. Breaking it down to separate topics will always get you more relevant answers for each one. Topics that cover too many different things discourage more detailed responses for each topic covered if you see what I mean.

The flight price is good but you need to know how Air Transat's business model works. They use a daily changing model. That is, the price is determined each day based on how many seats have been sold on a given flight. They start lower, go up as the date nears and then drop again a week or two before the flight IF seats remain unsold. So NO ONE (I am very familiar with Air Transat out of Toronto) can tell you on what day the best price will be available. It could be now, it could be a week before the flight. My point is the price is near the lowest it is likely to be at $750 CAD return. It could be $650 one day but there is no way to know. Bite the bullet or gamble time.

Re pack and what to pack. The two commonest mistakes people make are trying to see/do too much in too little time and packing too much. That's a whole subject in itself and as I have said, worth a separate thread AFTER having done some reading on the Activities and Gear branch if you still have questions.

Heres an alternative to being a packhorse with a backpack. I'm a little bigger but not too much. I bought this because it fits in the overhead, can be used as a wheelie, a duffel or a backpack. I could easily use this for 1 month as carryon. I had it full but not stuffed. 50% of what I took I never used even then. I never had to use the backpack (straps are hidden) and it worked great as a wheelie, and I only used it as a duffel for a quick pickup and move. Its so easy walking from station/airport to hostel etc.. and it does great on most cobbles. It makes a huge difference to your trip if you are not laden down with too much gear. The one in the link is not the exact one as I bought mine in an discount store (TJMaxx) but also High Sierra. Just make sure it fits within the carryon measurements..
p.s. also invest in a wrist wallet for security.

http://www.highsierra.com/High-Sierra-AT3-Wheeled-Backpack/dp/B00A8OVS4U

Nice option, but 10.5 lbs just for the bag!! That's a normal weight for my backpack, fully packed, when I travel RTW :)

OMG, 10.5lbs!!!! You have to be kidding. This is why it needs a separate topic altogether. Weight, weight, weight is to backpacking what location, location, location is to property buying marichel.

Here is my list:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2280830 My pack weighs under 2.5lbs.

Second, while it used to be fairly easy to go carry-on, these days it is becoming harder and harder. Size is no the ONLY limitation to carry-on. Both weight and contents are equally as restrictive. Many airlines enforce their weight limits and they can be as low as 5 or 7kg. Contents mean you cannot carry-on a trusty swiss army knife which I never leave home without or any liquids that don't fit the restrictions such as these:
http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/security.html#-liquids

Nor is time a factor in what size you need or what you pack. You pack no more for 3 years than you do for 3 weeks.