Prep a day bag with water and snacks to make the day’s journey more comfortable, as stores in remote locations could be few and far be- tween or closed for the afternoon. If you depend on certain medi-
cations, bring enough along so you won’t have to negotiate refi lls in a foreign language. Be sure you pack a sense of
humor, too. Things will go awry de- spite your best eff orts. Keep your eyes open. Many mon- uments and memorials never made it to the guidebooks, but they exist, par- ticularly in Europe. Just about every town you drive through has some kind of memorial to its fallen from the wars, and they are very interesting and thought-provoking to visit. Budget extra money for the trip.
No matter how carefully you plan and budget for this adventure, you will spend more than you think, particu- larly in Europe where the dollar to euro rate still reeks. Oft-overlooked expenses include toll-road fees, gaso- line costs, and Internet access fees at hotels. For the most part, ATMs usu- ally are available abroad. Mind the legalities. Is your pass-
port valid? Just because it hasn’t expired yet doesn’t mean it is valid for entry into the country. Double- check the requirements with the U.S. State Department (http://tra
vel.state.gov). Avoid fi nes. If you plan to drive
while overseas, you most likely will need to obtain an international driver’s license or permit. Driving without one could cost you dearly. Learn more about overseas driver’s licenses and insurance at http://bit .ly/driveabroad. MO
— Janet Farley writes MOAA’s Home- front column at
www.moaa.org/home front and is the author of Quick Military Transition Guide: Seven Steps for Land- ing a Civilian Job (Jist, 2013) and The Military Spouse’s Employment Guide (Impact Pubs, 2012).
PHOTOS/IMAGES: TKTK
World War I (1914-18) World War I was known as the War to End All Wars and as the Great War. Destination options range from battlefields and war graves to monuments and museums throughout the European, Asian, and Pacific theaters. Some of the oft-visited West-
ern Front sites in Europe include Antwerp, the Belgian Coast, and Flanders Field, Belgium, and the Somme, Verdun, and the Marne, France. Whether you choose to hire an expert tour guide or not, you can glean
useful information from sites advertising their services to you. Case in point is the WW1 Battlefield Tour Companies and Guides site
(
www.greatwar.co.uk). Its information can help you structure your trip and includes listings of reputable tour companies and guides and links to World War I battlefields, war graves, museums, and archives. You’ll even find tips and links, like one to the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission (
www.cwgc.org), to help you trace the history of World War I servicemembers from your family. Additional links:
Miltours,
www.miltours.com Old Front Lines of Battlefields of WWI,
www.battlefields1418.com Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd.,
www.battlefield-tours.com World War One Battlefields,
www.ww1battlefields.co.uk
MONTH 2005 MILITARY OFFICER 77
Brussels was one of many oc- cupied cities during World War I despite the Belgian Army (below) and Allies’ best tactics.
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