i think i'm qualified to answer this Q
+r's are more common than they are in the US, that's what i usually used.
you do not need to bring any blanks with you.
they are a bit pricier than in the us, as is everything.
a 50-spindle of Platinum dvd+r's will be around 25 euro i think.
quality is decent.
there are also tdk's that are plentiful, but watch out for super-cheap ones.
region codes you should only need to worry about when copying/ripping a dvd, but if dvddecrypter can't handle it, use AnyDVD.
any other Q's i should also be able to answer, if you have any.
oh, and of course you'll need a different power cord for the external, and it'a power supply needs to do 230.