So a little background first! I am a recent college graduate with a paid internship until the end of July. On August 26 I have a one way ticket booked to Paris. I studied there for some months in college and want to return to see some friends and go to my favorite cafes and enjoy a good cup of coffee again. After Paris I will be heading down south to Toulon with a friend to stay with her family for maybe a week or so. Then I am open to do as I please so I'm going to travel the south of Europe then make my way up Eastern Europe (budget pending). I don't necessarily need advice on where to go or what to do since reddit is full of these threads, but if you wish to divulge some advice I'll gladly accept.
My questions though however refer to some more minor details. Packing. I've read a lot of the packing threads and the sidebar, but my issue is that I'll need some dress clothes for a formal birthday dinner when I stay my friends parents for her birthday. How does one pack efficiently when they need multiple types of outfits without packing too much?
Also I want to do a blend of couchsurf and hostel. Is this a good idea? Both sound like great fun, I've only done hostels, but couchsurfing seems budget friendly and like a good experience. Do anyone prefer one to another and is it worth paying the verification fee on couchsurfing.org?
I have not bought my return flight yet since I am unsure of how long I will be there and if I do land a full time job before I leave I will need to work around that. Is it a bad idea to wait to buy a return flight till closer to my trip?
Lastly, I've never been a great photographer. I don't own a camera, but I want to take some pictures like any backpacker. Will my iphone suffice, or should I invest? I dread the thought of spending a lot of money on a camera, when I don't take good pictures and I could easily lose or break it. Any advice on this is much appreciated as well! I've read a lot on it on here already, but for Eastern Europe what is the best way to travel between cities? I've seen a lot of people say they've had great success hitchhiking or some suggest buses so you see the countryside. Any recommendations?
Thank you so much and sorry for yet another backpacking Europe thread!!!