The activities related to the preparation of the asteroseismic, photometric space mission COROT are described. Photoelectric observations, wide-field CCD photometry, uvbyβ calibrations, and further time series have been obtained at different observatories and telescopes. They have been planned to complete the COROT program in the direction of the Galactic anticenter. In addition to suitable asteroseismic targets covering the different evolutionary stages between zero-age main sequence and terminal-age main sequence, we discovered several other variable stars, both pulsating and geometric. We compared results on the incidence of variability in the Galactic center and anticenter directions. Physical parameters have been obtained, and evolutionary tracks fitting them have been calculated. The peculiarities of some individual stars are pointed out. Based on observations collected at the San Pedro Martír, Sierra Nevada, Teide, La Silla, Haute-Provence, and Roque de Los Muchachos (Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and Mercator telescopes) observatories.