Most Americans would not consider traveling by but in Mexico. They are missing out on comfortable, efficient and inexpensive transportation. I haven't travelled by bus in the U.S. since my impoverished student days. But in Mexico it's different. There are various classes of bus. You buy a reserved seat. Seats are comfortable. Service is frequent and runs on time. Cost is low, even in first or second class. Most have air conditioning and some have "in flight" movies, restrooms and attendants. I've never felt the need to splurge on the premium class which runs Mercedes busses. And, as John said, travel to ruins by local bus is cheap and convenient. It's pretty easy to go anywhere in Mexico by bus. But the freedom of car travel is nice sometimes. If you can find a safe place to park over night in the cities. And if you don't have to deal with police. It's usually easy enough. Jim

jasdip - it is getting that I am afraid to leave Ontario. (I live in Toronto.) We have an annual multi-trip out of country/provincial medical/trip cancellation policy that is not cheap - and renews every Sept. I am well aware that each province pays differently - and we are under 65 - not by a lot though - just off. A change in medication - even if you are run over by a bus, can result in the company not paying. It makes absolutely no sense. We also have extra life insurance through the company noted in the Marketplace expose - funny, I never watch Marketplace and neither do many of the people we know, but I guess everyone was flipping chanels and everyone saw it. It is very true - I have seen their medical form since they send it every year trying to sell us more insurance - my doctor wouldn't be able to fill it out. And if you call, as the program pointed out, you do not speak with a licensed insurance rep - you get someone who has absolutely no idea what would happen if you died of something totally unrelated to something they think you "lied" about. One section asks if you have experienced - even once - basic things - a migraine, a UTI etc. So what, you were run over because you might have had a headache? Hard to lie when you didn't even know about something. Same with the travel plan - what do you do, call them and report if you have to take Sinus meds for 6 days? Or you are given painkillers due to a root canal? I know someone who was told when she purchased private insurance that birth control pills were a pre-existing condition so would not be covered. Then there is me - I have been called - AGAIN - as a potential juror for a FIRST DEGREE (wonderful) murder trial. The insurance company tried to tell me last time that jury duty was a pre-existing condition - that one I won. But I am appalled that I might be called for a 6 - 8 week trial - my dog would have to be boarded - and I wouldn't receive any $$$ for the first 10 days of sitting plus the 5 days while they pick the jury. Even taking public transportation alone would cost about $105.00 - before the cost of boarding our older dog - or sending him to daycare. There is something wrong with our system. And I almost bought a cheap ticket to NY on the day the jury notice arrived - 10 minutes before - but the AC website crashed. Just as well, because the insurer allows 14 days from date of the summons to cover the cost of a ticket - it took 18 days for it to get here. The person did believe me - but he told me that claims would have given me a very hard time. Last time I was given only 5 days' notice and they wouldn't let me out of it and I had a plane ticket. My husband is also on the rotation - yet so many people have never been called - and others have been excused for the most frivolous of reasons - while others with very legitimate reasons have to serve. At least pay me my costs. Once the $40 a day kicks in in week 3, that would have to be taken into income. Can't win! I would hate to be an honest banker on trial - or someone with money. Last time I wore a suit and was accused of being a lawyer - unfortunately I am not so had to stay as well as a "sneak in a suit". Many people were there in Joe Boxer PJs and slippers. When my husband served the person responsible for filling Ontario juries wrote an article for the paper reading that jury panels do not have a proper demographic because too many people get out of it leaving only those with a similar mind set. On the news there was an interview with the public defender for a murder trial - jury selection started this week. He said that the best jurors are construction or trade workers because they are much more independent thinkers? What was he smoking? Some provinces pay everyone the equivalent of UIC from day one -that we need. This will cost us our vacation.

I've only been to England and Germany out of your list, so I'll only comment on those. If you don't get answers to your other questions here, you could try TripAdvisor- do read through the forums first and even use the search box at the top of the thread listing as you may well find these questions have been asked and answered. You don't _need_ a cell phone but they're awfully handy, especially if someone from home is trying to get hold of you. If you have an unlocked phone you can buy cheap sims locally which make it cheaper to use. Can't say if hotels have cell phones available (we stayed in apartments) but would expect them to have land line phones available if not in the actual rooms. No idea about hair dryers in hotels (see above). We found self-serve laundries easy to find and use in London, but very hard to find in Berlin. A sling purse is not a great idea as there are also thieves who swish by on a motorcycle and grab the strap as they go past, or other thieves who slit the strap or the bottom of the purse. That said, we had no problems with pickpockets in six weeks in Europe (London, Berlin, Krakow, Czech Republic and Croatia). Not saying they don't exist, but except perhaps on the Paris Metro, you're unlikely to encounter one if you take normal precautions. I had a PacSafe handbag which has steel threads in the bottom and the strap so it's cut-proof. Also the strap unclips so you can wind it around a table leg or similar and re-clip it so it can't be idly picked up in passing. And the zipper opening has a clip so it can't be stealthily slid open. For a man I would say don't put your wallet in your back pocket, that's really asking to lose it. DH keeps his in a buttoned breast pocket on his shirt with some loose spending money in the pocket as well so he doesn't have to openly riffle through wads of cash in his wallet. Don't walk near the edge of the sidewalk so as not to present a target for the motorcycle thieves. Can't help with the visa for Turkey, but once you get into England you can enter other Schengen agreement countries more easily. Voltage in Europe is 230V so your electronics will need to be able to run on this- it will be marked on the item. If your item is marked 110V and not 110V-240V, you will fry its little insides trying to plug it in in Europe. You will also need a pin adaptor- you should be able to get a universal adaptor fairly cheaply in travel and electronic shops. A credit card is handy as a back up but in Germany for instance, cash is preferred. If you have a debit card with low foreign exchange fees ATMs are certainly the easiest to use.

It would be my last choice for travel. I don't like buses or bus stations and a lot of the people on the bus. A short trip would be okay, but not a long one. I would check into Amtrak. I have traveled on one and it is very nice. Personally I would fly. A few years back I would not have flown without a tour group because of the big airports. I found out you can request a wheel chair and you will have an escort through the airports like Dallas. I talked to several people who do that all the time.