For a start, you could look:
there for general info , there for train and passes , and there for hostels
Camping is a bit different here than in Canada (at least in France, The UK, Germany; Italy and Greece I don't know)
Most villages will have a campsite, some big cities too (Paris and Rome are good ones, London forget it!) Some can be as well equipped as hotels, with restaurant, fun parks, swimming pools, launderettes and shop, like small holiday villages, or be very basic. Always decent shower/toilet blocks. Tents are often put on "tent-fields", not individual spots, and competition for a nice place can be fierce. Usually you will find no kitchen, picnic tables or even shelters, no fire pits, and open fires are always forbidden. Bring, or buy here, your own gear. Price is usually moderate for the site, plus per person, car, campervan, dog etc...but it's still cheaper than in Canada (I camped a lot there, and solo, and the price "per site only" was extortionate!). On the coasts for instance, campsites will most likely be cramped (that is, you can very well use one tent peg for two neighbouring guylines...), hell, or good fun, depends on your tastes!, and booking in some places is advisable...
Wild camping is most of the time illegal; occasionnally tolerated, if you are discreet and ask permission. And NO camping on the beach (well, I did, but off season...)
If you camp or stay in hostels you have the big advantage of cooking your own food and save a lot, restaurant or fast food joints daily would eat your budget away in a pinch. But foodstuff is not dirt cheap, at least in France or Germany.
Voilą...If I can be of more help PM me.