I recently returned from a long weekend trip to visit Ukraine and Poland. Pretty tame places compared with my usual adventures, though my plan was to visit Chernobyl and Auschwitz. I also tried to fit in a visit to Moldova and Transdniester, but having burnt most of my vacation this year already I didn't have the extra days and I just couldn't make the flight schedule work. I'm now planning on coming back to Europe to visit Moldova over July 4th weekend. That trip will bring my remaining countries to visit down to just 14.

I booked a one-way Austin-Kiev on United and used AAdvantage miles to return. There wasn't award availability coming back from Krakow on May 26th so I had to settle for a return from Warsaw. There is a high-speed train (2h40) from Krakow to Warsaw and tickets in First class are only $19, booked on http://www.intercity.pl/en/

Auschwitz gets very busy in summertime and it is advised to book your tickets ahead of time via http://www.visit.auschwitz.org/?lang=en. I booked a 10:30 English tour as a placeholder on the 25th just to be safe. I wasn't yet sure if I would rent a car or take the bus from Krakow. For Chernobyl, I booked a 1-day tour through Solo East for $115.

Flight itinerary:
Previous reports:
2005
Peru/Galapagos: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...agos-trip.html
Mongolia/Caucasus: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-mtskheta.html

2007
Andaman Islands (India): http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...a-ixz-maa.html
Guianas (South America): http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...h-guianas.html
North Korea: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...oryo-trip.html

2008
Ethiopia: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-airlines.html
Central America: Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...a-managua.html

2009
St. Petersburg, Baltics and Belarus: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...d-st-pete.html
Canadian Rockies: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...n-rockies.html

2010
West Africa: Ghana, Benin, Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ir-france.html
Guam, Palau, Micronesia: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...n-pacific.html

2011
Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Bangladesh: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...atar-econ.html
Afghanistan, Pakistan: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ord-iah-y.html

2012
Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...al-guinea.html
Central Asia -stans, Iraq, southern Balkans: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...q-balkans.html
Iran, Turkey: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...gallipoli.html
Jeju Island, Myanmar: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-rgn-fare.html

2013
Yemen, Djibouti, Somaliland, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...land-more.html
Saudi Arabia, Eritrea: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...a-eritrea.html
Sudan, Congos, Angola, Cape Verde, Sao Tome: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...go-angola.html

2014
Algeria, Tunisia: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...unisair-j.html
Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...nuatu-png.html
Malta: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...lh-j-km-j.html
Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ther-coup.html
Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...nh-y-oz-y.html
Czech Republic, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Mayotte, Comoros: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...mk-y-uu-y.html

2015
Japan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Nepal: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...lh-a380-y.html
Chad, Mauritania, Senegal, Niger: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...gal-niger.html