How to get to Brno!

I realize that for some traveling to another country for IVF may seem outrageous. Not knowing the language or where to stay that is safe and affordable, can be overwhelming to think about if your not a seasoned traveler. I think being a Flight Attendant for five years helped alleviate any fears for me traveling overseas.  I was already acquainted with navigating different countries where English was not the spoken language. So I thought I'd pass along some tips I learned along the way for those who may be considering traveling to Europe,  or the Czech Republic for IVF:

LANGUAGE 

English has become the language of business throughout Europe.  It is very common to find someone within the Travel and Tourism industry who speaks English, such as waiters, taxi drivers, store patrons, and hotel staff.  You will not have trouble finding someone who speaks the language. 

HOTELS 

The Internet has a plethora of resources and suggestions for places to stay throughout Europe for travelers.  Some of the sites I used when planning our trips to Prague and Brno:

• The New York Times - Travel section is a great resource for learning where to stay, eat, things to do, the best neighborhoods, and excursions for those interested in going off the beaten path.  
• TripAdvisor - This is a great site for everything! They have a great Brno section for those traveling to Reprofit. The site is very informative and can help you find your way around your destination. 
• Venere.com, RyanAirHotels.com, and Booking.com - I usually stick with these three sites when searching for the most affordable hotels. I have found some great deals using these sites.

AIRFARE

Traveling to Europe can get expensive, if you follow some of these tips, it can be quite affordable:

• The best time to travel to Europe on the cheap is during the winter months (January - March).  Spring and Summer is the tourist season and flights and hotel stays are more expensive during this time. If you are looking for an affordable time to travel, I would stick with anytime after January and before June. 
• The best days of the week to search for airfare are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Typically, people are more likely to plan their trips toward the end of the week or over the weekend.  So looking for airfare earlier in the week tends to offer more affordable fares.
• Certain countries are cheaper to fly into than others:

Ireland (Dublin)

Denmark (Copenhagen)

Luxembourg

Denmark (Amsterdam)

Spain (Madrid)

Turkey (Istanbul)

Poland (Warsaw)

*We have always been able to find the more affordable flights flying into Dublin than any other country in Europe.  However, some of the other countries listed can also be more economical than the biggies like London, Paris and Rome.

OneTravel.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com - I have used all three sites to find airfare to Europe.  OneTravel has been my goto site for most of my travel overseas.  However, Priceline and Kayak have had some great fares as well.  For one trip I used Priceline's "Name Your Fare" feature and found a great rate to Dublin. If your okay with the worst seats on the aircraft which are usually toward the back of the plane, they're not that bad.  All three travel sites have been useful at various times throughout our travels. 

Europe's low cost airlines are the way to go when flying from within Europe from country to country.  These airlines are considerably cheaper than flying one of the larger airlines and can be more economical than rail.  The most popular airlines:

Ryan Air

Easy Jet

Aer Lingus

Wizz Air

SkyScanner.com is a site we've used to find fares on Europe's low cost carriers.

We have also had a lot of success going directly to each airlines website.

GETTING TO BRNO

These airlines have affordable direct flights into BRNO:

Ryan Air - No direct flights from Dublin. You have to fly into England then onto Brno.

Easy Jet - Direct flights from England

Wizz Air - Direct flights from England

You can also fly into Prague and then take a Student Agency bus or the train into Brno. The bus will drop you off right in the middle of downtown Brno, across the street from The Grand Hotel. You can also find a taxi cab that can take you anywhere in Brno within the same station. 

*We used Student Agency buses exclusively to travel within the Czech Republic.  They were great!  You have an entertainment system in each seat to help pass the time, as well as free wifi.  All I can say is, we had plenty to keep us entertained and the trip went by rather quickly. We highly recommend Student Agency.  They are very economical way of traveling throughout Europe. 

Hotels in Brno where we have stayed: 

Hotel Europa - This is a very nice budget hotel with several restaurants nearby.  The rooms are small, but the hotel is well maintained, in a nice neighborhood and there is wifi in the lobby. It is also close to the center of Brno and is a cheap taxi ride from Reprofit.

The Grand Hotel - Directly across the street from the train/bus/taxi cab station.  It is centrally located and a very quick taxi ride to the clinic.  You can also take public transportation if you want to save money.  However, the hotel is more expensive then the others listed.  You actually can save money by staying at a more economical hotel and then take taxis. We never spent more then $5.00 per taxi ride.

Hotel Cyro - A nice modern hotel with several restaurants nearby. A free breakfast is also provided downtown stairs every morning.  This hotel is also a quick taxi cab or train ride away from Reprofit.

*If you are planning a trip to Brno and would like some suggestions, I highly recommend all of the resources mentioned above.  If you are still in need of some help with planning your trip, please leave a comment and I would be happy to help you.  We have become very familiar with Prague, Brno and the surrounding areas. We wish you the best of luck in your travels!

Genetics of Embryo Donation

It’s been almost two and a half months since I gave birth to my beautiful daughter. I cannot describe the love I have for this child. It is overwhelming at times. Not surprisingly, until sitting down to work on this blog, I have never once given any thought to the fact that my daughter and I do not have a genetic link. My daughter is so much a part of me that I really just do not think about genes at all. I just enjoy watching my daughter develop before my eyes. I love witnessing her feisty personality and I often wonder what she will look like when she gets older. While I realize that much of who she is was determined by the genes she received from the egg and sperm donors, this has never detoured me from thinking that my daughter is any less MY child.

Maybe I feel that way because I grew up with a step-dad. My parent’s divorced when I was a baby and my mom remarried when I was five. My step-dad assumed the role of my dad. Essentially, I am my step-dad’s daughter. He was an incredible man. He was honorable, loving and kind. He loved science fiction, music and the arts in general. So it may not be surprising that I have an intense appreciation for all things Star Trek and that my taste in music is eclectic. My step-dad was the one constant voice inside my head guiding me in life...always encouraging me to do the right thing. I’ve become the woman I am today because of my step-dad. There has never been a time when I thought he was not my dad because we did not share the same genes. 

However, I realize that for some people the lack of biological connection is a big reason that they decide against embryo donation. Admittedly, my husband and I have not yet told many friends or relatives that our beautiful daughter resulted from a donated embryo. Not because we are ashamed, or because we want to keep it a secret forever. We just thought that it might be best for these family members to get to know our daughter and develop a relationship with her before hearing our story. The family and friends we have told have been nothing but loving and supportive.  

The one issue we wrestle with is when we should tell our daughter about the circumstances of her birth. We both feel that she should know as early as possible. However, I would like the topic to begin immediately when she’s old enough to understand even the most basic definition of her conception. From what I’ve read, experts say the topic should be an evolving conversation; a process more or less. As our daughter matures we should introduce the more complex details. While I tend to agree, my husband still wants to do some more reading. The issue is really not significantly more challenging than a more traditional “adoption” situation. Thankfully, we have some time to read as much as possible before coming to a decision. Whatever we do decide, it will ultimately be what is best for our daughter. How we go about telling her we will save for another post!

If you are considering Embryo Donation and have questions, please feel free to post a comment or send me an email at Warrellje@gmail.com.