Things to think about right now:

I suggest you buy something like Lonely Planet 'Europe on Shoestring' it'll give you an overall idea of destinations and costs for those on a budget.

Pick your starting point in Europe then sort out your US-EU flight ASAP especially if you're looking for the summer.

Once in Europe is it going to be -

Trains - Railpass let you see more and you can sleep on overnights therefore saving the cost of a night in accommodation and you can be more flexible with your plans.

Planes - Low cost airlines are widespread here, but you'd need to book early for really cheap fares which means a fixing your itinerary in advance.


When you've decided what you want to do and see, come back and I'm sure we can help fill in some of the blanks.