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...if you haven't read them yet, my travelogue entries for each country have lots of tidbits of useful information.

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Getting There...

What to take

Be sure to pack for variable weather, no matter what time of year you go. In the more advanced countries, you generally don't need the stuff you've heard about for travel in Russia. Of course, any special prescriptions are a must whenever you travel. Conditions are more primitive in the former Soviet Union and eastern Balkan countries, so you'll want a good first aid kit. The more upscale you travel, the less you'll need to worry about. However, toilet paper is something that Europeans just haven't figured out--and if you get ill, you'll really be glad you took along an American roll (in a plastic bag, so it doesn't shed over everything). Also take a good travel guide...preferably budget, since they seem to cover smaller towns. The evil Let's Go has a lot of description of a lot of places, but don't believe anything you read about prices, housing, or conditions. Take the Lonely Planet series instead--great phrasebooks and accurate data.

Dealing with jet lag

I find that forcing yourself to stay up until late at night your first night there, preferably without having slept on the flight over, makes you tired enough to sleep until a normal morning hour the next day. After a day or so, you'll be acclimated--depending on personal constitution and age.

Links for Planning Your Trip

To check train times and schedules, go to http://www.eurorail.com/railsked.htm. For airfare, I use http://www.travelocity.com. And for a cool site, whose description of my own country I find quite accurate and with whom I agree about places to visit in Central Europe, go to http://www.lonelyplanet.com. Score one for the Aussies...

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Getting Around

Rail passes

are the best way to travel in Central Europe. Do so in First Class. Not so that you can be a cool American Imperialist, but so that you don't get robbed and you actually can get some sleep--plus the conductors are more used to people who don't speak the local lingo. European East passes cost only about $50 more for first class (around $200, check with a travel agent as I make no guarantees) and the experience is MUCH nicer.

However, if you are the type who can turn any room into conversation partners no matter the circumstance, 2nd class puts you in touch with the common man. Be prepared to initiate all conversation, as Central Europeans tend to maintain a considerably cultured attitude towards personal space, and don't bother anyone else unless they have a reason. You will find exceptions, but that's the rule. They aren't unfriendly, just respectful of one another's space.

In overnight trains you REALLY want first class, however. You will have to pay the occasional supplement for EuroCity or InterCity trains, seat reservations, or couchette spaces, but they are generally minimal and worth it. Don't be surprised if the conductors have never seen a railpass before; just smile and wait patiently for them to figure out the explanation in German on the second page. BE SURE to get it stamped at the main office of your first train station. In the large cities, they'll know about this requirement. If not, just keep saying "stamp" and making stamping motions with your hand until someone figures it out or tells you to get on the train anyway--in which case it isn't your fault, is it?

Taxis

will generally cheat foreigners. However, they are still pretty cheap compared to New York (and equally likely to understand English). Don't worry about it. Fighting it will generally make for an unpleasant experience and you'll still get ripped off. So relax and don't think about it, or if convenient, take public transportation.

Public transportation

is cheap and plentiful throughout Central and Eastern Europe, usually even in smaller towns. There is not the sort of car cult that exists in the US, and only the superrich never take public transportation. Do obey all the rules as regard tickets, extra tickets for extra baggage, etc. "Controllers" (those guys who periodically show up and demand to see a valid ticket) frequently look for foreigners, since you have money and have probably made a mistake. Do get the best map you can, with bus and tram routes clearly marked. When in doubt, ask. The dumb, smiling foreigner routine still works well in most places, especially for Americans. Hey, we've got it, so I say take advantage of it.

Car rentals

are expensive. I've never done it, and I've seen the accident rates--and given the low level of medical care in all but the best private clinics anywhere in Central and Eastern Europe, you don't want to risk it.

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Miscellaneous

Medical care

is bad. Everywhere. Only in Western countries can you count on adequate emergency care. Non-emergency care is only good in private clinics in Central Europe and generally only in Western-operated private clinics in Eastern Europe. In Central Europe, good drugs are readily available, including German over-the-counter varieties.

Most English-speaking doctors are VERY aware of the differences in medical conditions (probably most of the non-English speaking doctors are too, but I haven't had occasion to find out). They make heroic efforts in systems burdened by the communist past and the worst that socialized medicine produces, but it isn't enough. Don't blame them, just make sure people with you know to have you moved to a Western country for any major treatment if at all possible.

However, don't fret. Most of the time, you won't have a problem. But keep it in mind if you decide to learn to ski in the Carpathians.