One year in europe

Probably, but you need really careful planning to not overstay anywhere.

https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/how-to-legally-stay-in-europe-for-more-than-90-days/

not sure about this advice.

Matt's information is outdated: ETIAS has been pushed back AGAIN to 2025.

I would reference the U.S. State Department's website for Schengen country rules:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/schengen.html

For the UK (non-Schengen):
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/UnitedKingdom.html

Ireland (non-Schengen):
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Ireland.html

A couple other European countries have not yet become Schengen members (Romania and Bulgaria) but will in the reasonably near future: reference the State Dept. site for entry/exit rules for those two. I believe Cyprus is also expected to follow suit.

Bulgaria and Romania are joining the Schengen area in March 2024
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_6861

Options are becoming increasingly limited outside the UK. We just lost Croatia, and now it seems Romania and Bulgaria will be off-limits in a few months.

You must be very careful in your planning. The Schengen counter doesn't run on elapsed time; all arrival days and departure days count, so if you exit to a non-Schengen country early on May 1 and stay there until late on May 10, that's only 8 non-Schengen days.

You have to be ready for any and all questions when crossing borders. Remember, just because you can travel visa free doesn't mean they have to let you in. Be prepared to show how you are going to support yourself without working.

Schengen 90 days
Albania up to 90 days (Up to a year for US Citizens)
Montenegro up to 90 days
Serbia up to 90 days
Cyprus up to 90 days
UK
Back to Schengen

I will be retiring in Feb 2026 and spending 6 months in Europe before heading to SE Asia for 5 - 6 months. I plan on bouncing back and forth for years to come.

brushtim, sounds like a good plan. The non-schengen list is still pretty long and the locations are smong the cheapest and most interesting.

United Kingdom, Ireland, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cyprus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkiye and Ukraine.

Go for it.

I bit the bullet this year and got residency. Even that has catches to it, but better.

Not if you plan to work while you are there.

Oh, o missed where he said he was going to work. NVM impossible then.

OP said nothing about working, but if he plans to do so, that adds some complexity to the planning.

Update: One Year in Europe
1, retired with sufficient funds
1. Ages 75&82! Will purchase Health coverage!!
2 will also have a D7 visa from Portugal and can use this instead. Whichever is better; straight moving around with US passport or basing out of Lisbon with D7 Visa and residency card later.
2. Need address in US Possibly a Mail Boxes box.
3. Need good European bank not just Portuguese.
4. Or use Credit Cards for everything.
5. Got to stay the US tax man!
6. That’s about it😎😎

Looks like you've asked and answered your own question with info you knew all along.

Thanks to the posters who tried to help.

Need address in US Possibly a Mail Boxes box.

If you are not going to keep your current residence, look into becoming a "resident" of South Dakota. With just a private mail box, you can become what's known as a "full time traveler resident." You can get a drivers license, register to vote, etc and there is no state income tax. Perfectly legal.

I use Dakota Post and their website will explain everything.

1. Or use Credit Cards for everything.

Since you are not moving permanently, you don't really need a European bank. If you can access your bank account online at home, you can do the same in Europe. Get any cash you need at ATM's. If you are someone who goes into the bank for every transaction, you need to learn to do all of that online.

Get credit cards that have no foreign transaction fees and give some type of benefit--miles, points, and the like.

I travel full time and have been doing so for nearly 10 years. I have saved thousands of dollars using mileage and points credit cards with really no extra cost to me. I have a checking account with Charles Schwab that reimburses me for any ATM fees I might encounter. I also have SD residency.

Note.....I did not say I travel full time in Europe. I just travel full time.

Ages 75&82! Will purchase Health coverage!!

Would love to hear what plan you are choosing for health coverage. I'm 65 and travel to Europe a couple times per year for around a month each time. I see my doc and refill all my meds before going. I'd like to do a longer trip of 3-6 months in the next few years and I need to start researching medical options.

Rather than using US credit cards primarily as you go, you may want to use the services provided by Wise. The main reason is because you want to change your main currency when the rate drops. This can make up to a 10% difference in costs to you. Wise will hold the currency for you and issue a bank card for withdrawals.

Full disclosure: I haven’t used Wise this way, but I know people who set rate alerts to transfer their funds when the transfer is favorable. The Euro has varied $1.01 to $1.10 this past year.

Example: a family member was using a Cap One card at an exchange rate of $1.09 per euro. We had Euros already that we had bought at $1.01. So we started using our French cards and paying with the lower cost Euros.

You might want to start watching now and stockpile your Euros in a Wise account when the rate is at parity or $1.01 or $1.02. The miles or points earned on a US credit card won’t compensate a good exchange rate.

If on a short trip, it’s not worth watching exchange rates. But it is for someone looking to be 180 days or more within the Euro zone.

South Dakota is a great idea
Otherwise (my experience)

1. "Anytime Mail Box" will receive your mail, notify you, scan, forward, shred, etc.

2. Your US bank may want a true local residential address

3. Your retirement investment house/financial advisor will probably want you to close your account.

4. Alianze is my European insurance company but they may not take you at your age. Also get an evac policy. I have MedJet. Neither policy is cheap.

5. Portugal isn't a rich country, expect that to be reflected in the quality of their national health care system. But with insurance you can do private.

6. You will pay Portugal taxes. Not sure if they have US tax treaty.

7. You may be required to be in Portugal 6 months a year or lose the visa.

8. I use my US credit card and / or US ATM card daily and it results in the equivalent of Daily Averaging the exchange market. A safe way to approach it.

9. Many of My largest bills are still US bills and they get paid out of my US bank. (Medicare, MedJet, Storage).

10. I have an account with Erste Bank. But like all European banks they charge for every transaction so I rarely use it.

11. Oh, I pay for everything by having my investment manager direct deposit a "pay check" each month into my US bank account.

12. None of my cards have foreign transaction fees.

13. Keep your US phone ... at least short term. You may need it for PIN texts and to access websites that are blocked to all but US IP addresses and to call 800 numbers.

14. Find a good private clinic. Spend a day or days getting checked out by each specialist you need and get local prescriptions. Not every US med is available in Europe and treatment styles can be signicantly different.