Day 70 Gelibolu, Turkey

Lessons I've learned while traveling in Eastern Europe:

Communications: Avoid making phone calls of any kind. Turn off and don't buy the international AT&T's data roaming package. Turn off your voice mail to avoid incoming telemarketing charges. Stay in touch by using text messaging, email, and Skype. Stay only at hotels that offer free wifi - not a problem in Eastern Europe. Bring a cheap cell phone for texting and a cheap light-weight notebook computer for skyping, emailing, blogging, and conducting online business.

Accommodations: Don't book ahead. Wait until you arrive before determining what best meets your needs. If a hotel is booked, use that hotel to recommend and call ahead for availabliity at other hotels. Stay at smaller independent hotels, where the service is more likely to be personal and the chance to negotiate a lower rate better. Ask to see the room - should include wifi, air-conditioning, and breakfast. Try to stay in the vicinity of the train or bus station, or in the vicinity of the sights you intend to visit.

Transportation: Most comfortable way to travel is by train. The best website for schedules is http://plannerint.b-rail.be. Do not purchase a Europass - you lose flexibility and trains in East Europe are very inexpensive anyway. Busses are cheap, but often uncomfortable, and schedules in English unavailable online. Car rental is available, but usually expensive, and only if you're willing to return the car to the same place. Forget the International Driver License - they need only your U.S. license. Sometimes there's no reasonable way out of a city except by plane. I use Travelocity.com to make those reservations. Use municipal buses and subways and avoid taxis as much as possible.

Currency: To avoid bank withdrawal charges, bring cash - balanced, of course, against the risk of losing or having your money stolen. When exchanging money, shop around and exchange only at places where they report both the buy and sell rates. If the spread between the two is small, their commission is small. Wait until you arrive in the country to exchange money. At the ATM, withdraw only large amounts to avoid multiple withdrawal fees. Conduct all your transactions in the local currency. Don't trust transactions in Euros or Dollars. Do the calculations yourself.

These lessons may not apply to other parts of the world or to anyone traveling under a different set of circumstances, but they are ones that have seemed to have worked for me.