"Our Coach/DOC went to Europe and...."

I hear about lots of coaches going to Europe for a week or so during the summer. Sometimes they take a team with them to play.

Some questions:

1. Are these usually just boondoggles? A guy gets to go home and see his family with the club paying for travel expenses.
2. When they go to watch a team train (which is what they all say)- Do they arrange this is advance?
   • Do they just call up Aston Villa and say "Hey, I'm a coach in the US, can I come and observe how you train...

"Our Coach/DOC went to Europe and...."