Unfortunately, my visa did not get granted to stay in Italy for the next 10 months. Therefore, I am spending 3 months in Florence, then I have to spend 3 months outside of the Schengen, then I'll be spending 3 months in Rome (Florence and Rome for work purposes). So, I am looking for ideas about how to spend the three months (December, January, February) outside of the Schengen. I am traveling with my husband and 13-year-old son. We don't want too hectic an itinerary; I'm thinking a couple of weeks in each location and renting airbnbs. Perhaps a mix of the U.K. (we have friends we can stay with in London) and the Balkans? Thanks for your help!
Kim
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8297 posts
I suggest you go on Wikipedia and see what it says about the Schengen Agreement. The information you need will be there.
Posted by
Slovenia
470 posts
Spend some time in the UK and Ireland, for sure. The Balkans sound good, but they are all more geared to tourism in the warmer months. That said, the Croatian coast is still lovely in the winter, if empty outside the major cities. Dubrovnik, Split, Trogir, Zadar, Istria can entertain you for a while. December in Zagreb is wonderful with all the Christmas decorations and markets and you can then make your way to Belgrade for the Eastern Orthodox Christmas, which falls on January 7. Bosnia, Serbia and Bulgaria will have skiing options in winter. Then there's Cyprus, a popular holiday destination that is also outside of the Schengen Zone, although I'm not sure what it's like in winter time, but a place to consider as it will be noticeably warmer than most other places in Europe.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Unless you have permission to work, the Schengen 90-day visa does not permit it (unless you are being paid by a corporation that can help get the visa for you).
Posted by
Washington DC
27609 posts
I've only been to the Balkans in the summer so have no personal experience with the winter weather there. I suspect the interior gets quite cold; I'd suggest checking historical weather data before deciding on specific base cities.
It's a very interesting area with many fascinating cities and some lovely countryside. However, a number of the Balkan capitals (I'm thinking of Sofia, Bucharest and Podgorica) seemed less attractive to me than other cities in the same countries; I hope you'll have time to do some research about other (or additional) options. Still, Sofia and Bucharest are large enough that there should be a lot of cultural activities going on during the winter. Zagreb is very nice all-around. Podgorica is rather small and I imagine it might be pretty dull after a few days. I haven't been to Albania, but I understand that it's considerably less developed than its neighbors from a tourism standpoint.
Don't forget that Slovenia is part of the Schengen Zone. The other Balkan countries will work for you, based on their current status. Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria are candidates for Schengen membership, but I don't think an effective date has been announced.
Public transportation in the area is rather slow (figure 30 mph), but in my experience it is reliable. The rail network is pretty limited, so buses are used a lot.
If you need a warm-weather destination you could go to Morocco or Turkey.
Posted by
Magyarország / Rep of Texas
19496 posts
Balkans sound good, but they are all more geared to tourism in the
warmer months.
Naaaaaaa, that's when the Christmas Markets are open and the theaters come alive. Search out special events like world class performers (we saw Placido Domingo in Budapest this past February) and unique cultural fairs (like the Mohacs Busójárás) or soak in a thermal pool surrounded by snow. Ski in one of the wonderful and inexpensive resorts in Romania or Bulgaria or Slovakia.
Posted by
Slovenia
470 posts
Naaaaaaa, that's when the Christmas Markets are open and the theaters
come alive. Search out special events like world class performers (we
saw Placido Domingo in Budapest this past February) and unique
cultural fairs (like the Mohacs Busójárás) or soak in a thermal pool
surrounded by snow. Ski in one of the wonderful and inexpensive
resorts in Romania or Bulgaria or Slovakia.
Hungary, Slovakia and indeed almost all of Central Europe are out of the question due to the Schengen issue. The only country left for a Central European Christmas market experience is Croatia - the one in Zagreb is lovely. I'm sure some of the other Balkan countries have Christmas markets in some form or another, although I don't know how traditional they are there, as they're mostly Eastern Orthodox, not Catholic. I do agree on the cultural events though, winter is a wonderful time to enjoy many amazing performances.
Bulgaria has some wonderful ski resorts indeed - Pamporovo, Bansko and Borovets spring to mind, and everything is so budget-friendly there!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33448 posts
I don't see what leaving Italy and the Schengen area has to do with this situation.
If you are working for those two periods surely you are ineligible for a Schengen visa waiver. That's not for folk who are working in Italy.
When your visa was denied, did the official give you an assurance that you could use a tourist visa waiver in your situation?