It doesn't matter where I go, my trip preparation is always similar.

If it is a language where I don't have elemental conversational skills--and maybe one where I do and want to review--I crack open the Pimsleur about 3-4 months in advance and get to work. This year I have worked on Polish. I will take Turkish with me and perhaps do a few of the lessons in Poland and Belarus. I had some Russian in high school and chose not to review this time because I just did not have the time to deal with more than Polish and Turkish. In Sweden almost everyone speaks English so foreign language preparation is not as essential. I am not worrying about it. I have been to Turkey before and did Pimsleur before that trip. The second time through, you remember quite a bit and it goes a lot faster.

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...-pimsleur.html

I then focus my reading and film watching on books about the country/countries I will be visiting. This includes both history and literature. Sometimes fiction is a greater window into the culture than history books are. Films can be wonderful as trip preparation. Mostly I scour Amazon Prime to see what I can watch without paying more than my basic membership. I just watch whatever looks interesting.

I set up files on my computer for each destination so I can easily retrieve reservations and information on the location of each home exchange. I then develop a trip "book" that is really not a book. It's a series of envelopes or folders on each part of the trip. I never take guide books with me. Some are downloaded to my Kindle. For the actual books I possess I copy the relevant pages and leave the books at home. As the trip proceeds, I can toss the pages I am done with and still have the books for research when I get home.

I check all my medications and make sure I have enough of each to last me for the trip. If I am going to run out of a prescription, I get an advance vacation refill.

I makes sure when I book odd reservations, etc., the credit card company is advance notified, so my card does not get blocked.

Before I leave on the trip, I notify all credit card suppliers and my bank of where I am going to be. I make sure to check my currency pouch for any currency that might be useful and pack it in hand luggage.

I have a secure backpack and purse that are difficult to get into (and difficult for me too!) and are made of cut resistant material. They are a good investment if you travel frequently.

My typical trip to Europe is from 2-12 weeks depending on the number of home exchanges I have. You may not have to be as organized as I am if your trip is just to one location, but I can be going to several.

For summer 2014 my trip will be to Krakow-Warsaw-Brest & Minsk, Belarus-Istanbul (side trip to Ephesus)-Stockholm.

When I book plane fares, I look for both convenience and price, but I don't look to where I get the most air miles. I am much more interested in paying less than on traveling on a particular airline. I would rather save the money up front. This summer I am (so far) flying American/Air Berlin to Krakow, Polish Lot Airways from Minsk to Istanbul, Pegasus Airways to Izmir (to go to Ephesus), and Turkish Air from Istanbul to Stockholm. If I return from Stockholm, I will use Icelandair--which participates in no one's air miles program but its own (not worth bothering with).

I make mistakes but usually not the same mistake twice. I do get better and better at this the more times I do this--and so will anyone who is a frequent overseas traveler. I never use a travel agent unless it is a specialized leg of the trip. For example, Belarus is an unusual destination and not a country in which I would feel comfortable being on my own plus my focus is going to see three villages in SW Belarus where some of my family came from. I have a guide and driver for 3 days in the Brest area. Once I am put on the train to Minsk, I'll be on my own until I leave 3 days later. With most of my nights in home exchange homes, I splurged. I have some basic Russian skills but it would take me awhile to read the road signs and who wants to be stressed out like that? I hired someone who knows the places I want to see--three tiny villages and then we'll go to Marc Chagall's house. The rest of the time she can show me what she wants as she knows what I might be interested in there.

Belarus requires a visa--and that was the first thing I did working up the trip. It was a real pain in the butt, but you either want to go or you don't. It also was $160. Those visa fees are generally reciprocal so there is no use complaining.

If any of you have some tips from your trips, I can always learn new things.

My trips are not everyone's cup of tea because I love going to places where I have not been before. Some of you go back to the same countries (or even the same towns) over and over again. Europe is a large menu and you can either try new things or go with the old reliables. I did home exchange in France and Spain last year, so I don't mind more conventional destinations either. I did Toulouse-Bordeaux-Salamanca-Madrid. The first 3 destinations were home exchanges. Madrid was a few nights in an inexpensive hotel.

Next year, who knows?

Helpful advice.

I develop a packing list as well. I save them from one trip to another as often, I only need to tweak them for the current adventure.

Guess that leaves you out of doing anything like this then.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...land-today.cfm

Hi Lauren,

I enjoyed your post. Given the extent and variety of venues on your upcoming trip, it is certainly wise to prepare ahead. Good for you tackling the language issue. I agree with your take:

"I then focus my reading and film watching on books about the country/countries I will be visiting. This includes both history and literature. Sometimes fiction is a greater window into the culture than history books are."

May I suggest an excellent memoir of an aristocratic Polish family which covers much of the 20th century - THE LAST MAZURKA: A Family's Tale of War, Passion, and Loss by Andrew Tarnowski. Geography is destiny, especially in the tragic history of Poland.

You also wrote about the Belarus segment of your trip:

"I hired someone who knows the places I want to see--three tiny villages and then we'll go to Marc Chagall's house."

Wonderful, Chagall is one of my favorite artists. I did see his grave once in Saint Paul de Vence. What a life he had.

I look forward to your trip report upon your return...

Thanks, latedaytraveler, I just downloaded "The Last Mazurka" on my Kindle based on your suggestion.

Late day traveler, I did rad "The Last Mazurka" and I am so glad you suggest it. Poland has had such a tragic history because it is just basically located in the wrong place and gets hit from both sides and/or Lithuania or Sweden as well in the past. I will still be reading on the plane.

Except for the bus to Belarus, I have all the tickets purchased to get from place to place (the tour company in Belarus is taking care of the Minsk train ticket for me.

At the end of my home exchange in Stockholm, I am going to Mariehamn in the Aaland Islands (in the Baltic between Sweden in Finland; they speak Swedish but belong to Finland) for 2 nights. I will take the Silja Line ferry for that. I call the Silja Line the poor man's cruise. The cruise between Stockholm and Mariehamn is only 6 hours so there is no need for a cabin. I'll just watch the scenery go by (tons of islands; the cruise will be really nice if the weather is good). When I get back to Stockholm from Mariehamn, I'll go to the airport and stay at a hotel there overnight before flying back. My trips are always very long and I like not having to worry about getting to the airport and rushing on the day I go home. Just chilling at an airport hotel without any sightseeing is fine by that point.

The whole trip is about 9 weeks. Predictably from Sweden, I am flying home on Icelandair. No air miles, but way cheaper than any alternative. I'll take the way cheaper, thank you.

Spent the last couple of weeks dealing with putting drainage under the foundation of my house as a result of a really awful flooding problem that developed after a severe rainstorm here. It was not something I could stall about (and was very expensive) because I don't want a mess here while I am gone--and I would never inconvenience my exchangers with a problem like that that was not taken care of. I have asked the families to just check the area affected if there is a thunderstorm. The room is somewhat of a mess because I am not putting in new tile and finishing up restoring the room until I know there is no more work we have to do. So new linoleum tile after I return. Room is bsically for storage now and there is no reason for any exchanger to use it.

Lots of cleaning to do before heading out. I just wish some of my "relaxed" exchangers would take care of their homes as I do mine.

Well, the drill is winding down now. My home exchange book has been updated, my cleaner has a memo written out for the cleaning needs between exchangers,all the point to point logistics are there--including the bus ticket from Warsaw to Brest in Belarus--which was not an easy ticket purchase (thank goodness google translate exists).

I'll be off later this week. You can follow what I am doing during the extended holiday here:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/

I'll set up separate blogs for each leg of the trip as it goes.