"M" Includes Medical, Money Exchange, and Museums....

Well, I have talked about medical concerns before, in  http://atozofvacationhomeexchanges.blogspot.com/2011/02/hospitals-health-care-and-miscellaneous.html
so there is probably not a whole lot to add. Just by planning ahead as it relates to your medical issues, you will be "ahead of the game". Be sure to remember your prescriptions, and pack them in your carry-on bag. (I did forget mine once, but luckily I could buy them in a local pharmacy in Paris. I do not know if some of our RX are sold over the counter, or they are less strict than in US about having actual prescriptions, or they "felt sorry for me", or what! It would have been easier to just have remembered my prescription!) Take whatever over the counter medication you use, as you will probably not find the exact same thing there, and it will probably be much more expensive. Guidebooks will have a section dedicated to medical issue sand hospitals which can help in a medical emergency. If you can reach your exchange contact via email or phone, it might be worth calling them, depending on how much time you have.
And because I have also talked about Money before in this blog, you might want to check this out.
http://atozofvacationhomeexchanges.blogspot.com/2010/12/atm-and-money-matters.html
In addition to trying to make larger withdrawals than I would in the States and at the risk of panicking about carrying too much money around, I do try to keep an eye on the exchange rate. If the dollar is getting stronger, I will take out extra cash. Then you need to be sure that you have devised a safe system of protecting your money.   I do try to separate my money and my credit cards into several different change purses, so that IF I do lose one, I do not lose EVERYTHING.

You will probably know before you get to your next stop which museums you want to visit. Here is where some upfront planning really will be beneficial. You can often visit many museums via a city pass or museum pass; all the guidebooks will let you know what is available in each location. Some of the bigger cities even have free admission on say, the 4th Sunday of the month. (Some museums in Europe, but not all, will offer or have senior rates, but you might need to ask.) Yes, they will probably be crowded, but if you can get there when your first choice museum opens, it will be worth it. You will also want to plan exactly what you want to see at each museum. A museum like the Louvre has so many wonderful paintings and sculptures to see, you will save yourself alot of frustration by planning which pieces you want to see. The picture above is the Matisse museum in Nice, which I had really been looking forward to seeing in August 2009. Unfortunately when I got there, there was a Rodin exhibit, so unfortunately there were not many of Matisse's paintings. Once before I had gone to Paris, I had read about the Edith Piaf museum in Frommer. It was in the little house where she had once lived. To visit it, you had to first call so the attendant would know you were coming. He gave me the code to get into the building. It was a real treat!

Often the city passes are good for two or three days, and the price will vary accordingly. A place like Buckingham Palace can only be visited when the Queen is not there. You can go on-line and buy your tickets for many places. A (wonderful) place like the Alhambra is so popular that you definitely want to buy your tickets in advance and on-line, and then you will save yourself time by picking them up at the kiosks at the gate.
One more "M" word that is important for the actual home exchange part of your trip is manual. You will want to put together a manual that tells all about your house to help your visiting family feel more comfortable. What to do with trash, how to work your appliances, stores, public transportation, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera... You may find that you keep adding to your house manual as each new exchange family gives you more ideas.
Next post will look at "nuts and bolts of getting around" your new location as well as to your next destination.