I did that myself in 1973. Spent a little over two months in Europe with a backpack, traveling mostly on a rail pass, and spending just about $10 a day for food and lodging. Stayed in hostels and cheap hotels usually, but camped out more than a few times. It was fun, but I was glad to get back to the U.S., and never did I rave about the European lifestyle, or want to emulate it.
So you didn’t return to speak longingly to your folks about “how they do it in France”-—