Originally Posted by
MrPlow
Hello all!
As an 18 year old university student I plan on "experiencing" life and going backpacking throughout Europe this summer with friends.
Ive heard a myth that if FEDEX/UPS etc. has to send a small package or envelope somewhere, and it isn't cost effective using a company plane to ship it to the destination, that they will use passenger "couriers" instead.
MrPlow - since you're calling it a myth I guess you've already made up your mind, haven't you?
I was a courier in the past but that was more than 15 years ago. At the time you could order a brochure called "Shoestring Traveler" where you could look for special deals (the internet wasn't as widely available in those days - I know, hard to believe 
)
Anyways, I signed up and used their services 3 times; a fairly simple procedure where I had people meet me at the airport and each time I carried envelopes stuffed with documents. I did some research to find out if that stuff was legal, etc. and apparently it was a legit business. “Shoestring” developed into “www.Courier.org” so you might want to check into that.
I only did it 3 times but it was a good deal as each time my tickets were it least 70% cheaper than if I had to pay for them on my own.
Couriers have been around for years but few people sign up for this service because your traveling options are usually very limited. For example you might have to readjust your travel dates based on their and not your needs. Also, remember that you'll get a discount (maybe even up to ~80%) but it won't be totally free. Also, you'll have to sign up to become a member and pay a yearly fee (I paid ~$10/year and don't know how much it is today.)
In your case, since you’re planning on a trip with friends it might be a little more difficult because they will only use one courier on the same flight – in other words your friends will have to pay the full price for their tickets. Very often it is a short notice flight so their tickets might be more expensive than what they’d normally have to pay (in general, the earlier you buy an airline ticket the cheaper it gets).
Some other ‘Europe trip’ advice.
Make sure you’ve been around your friends when they’re tired, grumpy, hungry and fed up with you and everyone else. Sometimes your friends turn into your worst nightmare if they decide that traveling in Europe sucks and you’d just started your trip. Born and raised in Europe myself so I'm a little biased here but my perception is that many Americans (including the younger generation) are not used to walking a whole lot and when they go backpacking in Europe they get a little bit of a culture shock when they realize there's so much walking involved… 
Also, choose your countries before your trip and do some research on their history, traditions, famous sights, etc, etc. You’ll enjoy it more that way.
If you’re planning on buying a EuroPass train ticket (Eurail Passes | Official EuRail Website - Travel by Train Across Europe) which I strongly recommend, make sure you pick only a few countries and stick to those countries. Otherwise you’ll have the typical American ‘Europe vacation’ experience where you’ll visit 14+ countries in 14 days and years later all you’ll remember will be sitting on a train or a buss. So pick a place and stick to it for a while.
If money is an issue (like it is for most students) – focus on what we used to call "eastern block European countries" (hint, they hate being called “eastern block” countries as they’re actually located in central Europe and they despise being lumped into the ‘former Soviet/Russian sphere’ category. 
) Here, Croatia, the CzechRepublic, Poland and Hungary are my favorites in the region.
If you chose the Scandinavia pass you’ll need some extra money… Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland are probably amongst the most expensive of the European destinations even though their currencies recently dropped significantly against the dollar (Finland uses euro – the others use their own crown - krona/krone - currencies)
If you make it to Stockholm check out the new B747 airport hostel (http://www.jumbohostel.com). Last time I checked you can get a room for less than $40 a night – an amazing price for Stockholm.
Good luck and have fun - you'll have a blast!
PS. Don't go by yourself - especially if you're a female (which I guess you aren't or you'd be Ms.Plow : )).