Six (cold) months in Europe...

Are you aware of the "Schengen" law in the European Union countries, which limit those with an American passport to a total of 90 days in most of Europe?

And your subject line has got it correct: in general, Northern and Eastern Europe during the winter months will be colder, with gray skies and even some snow.

Yes, thanks I am aware of the Schengen rules. My husband has an Irish passport and we will be able to travel more freely with it.

Start thinking about what the locals do that time of year. The UK can have it's best weather in September with great Gardens still in bloom. Many places have wonderful Harvest Festivals. France and Italy have wonderful Mushroom Markets in the Fall. Croatia can have Mediterranean weather. Poland has lots of Music Festivals. Think local food: take some cooking lessons in Tuscany. Go to the Opera. Go shopping in the Flea Markets. Do winter sports, hit the Pubs. Spring can be Fabulous. Just dress for the weather and go for it.

I think it's a mistake to let the weather determine your travel plans. After all, you live with weather at home all the time and you adjust your activities accordingly.. It's true that you will have cloudy days with early sunsets in the winter in northern Europe.
However, I was in Germany over the holidays and the temperatures were in the fifties (F) almost every day for three weeks.
The weather when I came home was much worse, colder and lots of snow.
If gray skies and early darkness bother you, plan on indoor activities--museums, shops, galleries, having coffee and cake, or wine or an early dinner in some cozy and friendly restaurants , strike up a conversation with your neighbors if they seem agreeable to a chat, relax and enjoy your time.
As for being cold, bring warm clothing--most places are well-heated in the cold months.

I'd still check your own as well. A couple I know have a vacation home in Brittany. The wife has a British Passport, so no problem for her, but hubby did still have to jump through some hoops to get card that allows him to stay in Schengen for longer than 90 days. You have time to research it now.
Oh, start taking ski lessons now too.

Yes, thanks I am aware of the Schengen rules. My husband has an Irish
passport and we will be able to travel more freely with it.

Be careful about that assumption.

If you mention that your husband has an Irish passport I infer that you don't, and that yours is likely a US passport. If that is the case you can't rely on escaping the 90 day in 180 Schengen limits (bearing in mind that part of your time is obviously in non-Schengen areas).

Your husband, yes, on his Irish passport, is free to travel Europe to his heart's content. You, however, are limited to what your passport allows, unless you will have been resident in Ireland and you were granted the Irish equivalent of indefinite leave to remain.

Please check with the relevant authorities because if you overstay the penalties can be severe.

I think it very courageous to sell everything just when your husband is going through uncertain financial times.

Interesting point Sam and Nigel bring up, about your passport and status (not your husband's) vis-a-vis the Schengen rules.
Obviously, this is a potentially critical point to research now, if you haven't already.

Since Jan 2015 is behind us, the obvious answer (for me) is that you delay one year and depart in Jan, 2016. Grant it is a year's delay but were you really ready to leave last month. If you sold the house, where are you living now?

The Schengen country rules are simple to get around. It doesn't even apply to two of the countries you mentioned- UK and Ireland. The 90 day stay for every 180 days rule only applies to traveling in the countries with only your passport and no visas. You can go to the French and Italian consulates and fill out a form, give them photos, and show some documents and get a visa good for a year.

We have lived in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Florence, Rome, Salzburg, and Vienna and it is as wonderful in September through March or April as it is any other times. Weather may be cold in certain months but that is when you can explore museums, theater, indoor sights, music concerts, etc. Most of the time there is plenty opportunity to be outside even on cold days. It's not like it will snow every day and have no sun! Visit Poland and Croatia (and may I also suggest the Czech Republic) in the warmer months. The south of France and Italy are nice in colder months. Other countries you might like are Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. Wait until you celebrate Oktoberfest (go to Germany and Austria) and see the Christmas markets after that. It is pure magic. If you like skiing, snowshoeing, and other outdoor fun, Germany,Austria, etc are perfect.

If you plan to do this over an 8 month period of time and don't want to bother with visas, go to the countries other than the UK and Ireland for 3 months, then explore the UK and Ireland (where Schengen rules do not apply) for 3 months and at that point, the 180 days in the Schengen area period will reset. You can stay 90 days then stay away for 90 days and it resets giving you another 90 days. You can then return to the Schengen countries for up to 90 days. You get two 90-day periods in a year.

I have traveled in Europe during every month except January. For instance, France in December and Italy in February, including Carnevale (in Venice and Ivrea). I certainly enjoyed those trips and would do them again. In the UK, some smaller historic houses and properties only open on weekends or by appointment in winter. See related tips at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/timing-your-trip.

Let's point out that a corporate work visa is much different than a tourist visa...which could take
up to 3 months to expedite.

While winter weather can be dreary and chilly in Europe, I have found it is rarely brutally cold and incredibly snowy like it is in many parts of the U.S. But there is plenty to do there indoors that will keep you occupied and in some countries, if you like to ski, the mountains are terrific during the winter months.

If you just can't stomach the thought of that many months of winter travel, then you could always consider breaking up your trip - maybe you spend September through November in Europe and then fly someplace south of the equator - Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, etc. and travel there from December to April as it is the height of their summer. Christmas Day on the beaches of Australia or being some of the first to ring in the New Year in Auckland would be a nice substitute.

Others have mentioned it in passing, but I'll emphasize it again. Most of western and central Europe enjoy a much more mild climate than areas of North America at a comparable latitude. It usually is not terribly cold in winter, and north of the Mediterranean basin, summers are comfortable and not usually that hot. Even the far northern coast of Norway doesn't freeze over in the winter. That doesn't mean that cold spells don't hit- they do. But they aren't as frequent, and generally don't last as long.

But that doesn't mean that there aren't weather considerations to keep in mind. For one, north of the Alps, the atmosphere is usually very damp from about mid October until April-May. What does this mean? It means that those technicolor postcard views you see in travel videos and photos (usually filmed under brilliant summer lighting conditions) are now largely hidden behind a veil of grey haze. And as you approach the winter solstice, hours of daylight become much more limited. Quite simply, rural site-seeing becomes a much more low yield endevour. So, a city-heavy itinerary would be a better plan. If you choose to head into the countryside, keep a flexible schedule.

A 6 month extended visa to France is possible but it's a large amount of paperwork. There are over 13 separate documents + accompanying forms that you must submit including proof of financial independence as well as your police record. It isn't "simple" as a previous poster seems to think. The process takes quite a while. You have to register with the police in the jurisdiction where your French address will be. The requirements go on and on. If you get it though, you can travel within the Schengen zone as there are no checkpoints at borders - no one will know if you leave France nor will they probably care.
Without an extended visa, if you plan carefully, the 90 day Schengen limit won't matter if you combine visiting countries within the zone with countries outside of the zone. You can stay in England for up to 6 months for example.
I'm afraid your husband's Irish passport won't help you - it's YOUR passport that applies to you unless you have applied for residency in Ireland.

ellen,

i would think that gray skys are normal or somewhat normal of your area?

my first solo trip was in a March. that was to Dublin > Edinburgh > London > Normandy > Paris > Amsterdam. I had almost great weather in all of those places but i wouldnt complain since id rather be there than at work. Edinburgh was nice, no rain, but a cloudy day and a sunny day. It did rain/mist at Loch Ness, but i dont think it would be Loch Ness without the mist.

in any case, prepare for the winter weather, but enjoy your travel.

happy trails.

Assuming you get the Schengen issue taken care of, why not spent the winter months visiting Greece and island hopping? While I'd rather be in Europe on a rainy/snowy, cold day than at home, I'd still rather have nice weather for my trips. You could stay in the northern part of Europe during the Fall, visit the Christmas markets and then head south for while.

Probably all of the people on this thread have much more experience than I do with European travel, but my 2 cents' worth is that a bad-weather day in Europe is still a really good day. If I could spend a winter there I would jump at the chance; one enormous benefit would be the reduction in tourists.

Thank you for all the replies! You have given us lots to think about and I feel more excited about going in the winter months.

A couple things:

Frank: Sorry for the typo--we were originally planning to leave January 2016.

Ray: We actually get 300+ days of sunshine in Colorado Springs, so in winter it's cold but hardly ever gray for more than a couple days at a time. We're pretty spoiled on that front so weeks of dreary skies sounds depressing.

Lisa: Greece does sound inviting...it's not quite the European experiece we were imaging but we have so much flexibility so maybe we will!

Joel, you are so right: any day in Europe is a good day!

And to all who wrote about Schengen: my husband and I have looked into this and we have yet to find the definitive answer for our travel situation. Some sites make it seem like I'm 'covered' by my husband's Irish passport and other sites make it seem more questionable. If anyone has any specific advice on how to figure this out I'd appreciate it. Ideally we will be able to travel freely wherever we want!

Ellen,
I think Nigel's previous post addresses the Schengen question as to your passport. Sam's post also.
You might want to re-read those posts.

Some mistakes in travel are trivial, but if you're wrong on this issue, it has the potential to substantially affect your trip and itinerary.

Which country do you intend to first arrive in Europe in?

This is a link to a very recent posting in the EU website potentially related to your travel status -- http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-family/index_en.htm.

Please note that it supports what Nigel said, and that there are links to more information and ways to ask questions online. Read the whole thing very carefully and also note that Ireland is not in the group of countries in the Border-free Schengen Area. It is a non-Schengen EU state (http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/schengen/index_en.htm).

This is a cut and paste from it:

Visa exemptions
Your non-EU spouse, (grand)children or (grand)parents do not need to get a visa from the country they are travelling to if:

They have a residence permit or visa from another country in the border-free Schengen area (see list below) and the country they are travelling to belongs to that area.

They have an EU family member’s residence card issued under EU rules by any EU country (except the country you are a national of), and they are travelling together with you or travelling to join you in another EU country. The residence card should clearly state that the holder is a family member of an EU national.

Neither of these exemptions sounds like your situation. There are lots of examples and none of them seem like your situation either.

Since your spouse has an Irish passport, at the very least, it looks like you need to research this with Ireland (consulate or embassy) to learn the truth about your specific status and travel restrictions. And get the answer in writing!

Assuming you get the long-stay issues worked out ( or even if you don't, as a six-month stay is doable if you spend half of it in the UK):

It is not months of lousy weather. September and October are generally very nice. We have spent the month of October in Venice and enjoyed good weather. We spent two nights in London on the way home, at the end of the month, and the weather was fine there too. Our friends who went to France at this time ( late October) enjoyed low crowds and nice weather, with a canal boat segment and Normandy.

November? Maybe spend that in Southern Italy or someplace like it that is too hot in summer. By the end of November the Christmas lights and decorations are going up in Denmark and Germany, so it is very festive and the cold doesn't matter. (I have been in Denmark and Norway at this time and it was quite enjoyable. Same is true for December--lots of festivities in Germany, Austria, etc. Maybe the same for Poland? I have never been there so do not know.

That leaves January and February for the cold time. Maybe spend that in the UK where there are lots of indoor attractions--museums,mtheater. March can be nice in London, with the daffodils starting to bloom at the end of the month. And by April, if you can arrange to stay that long, spring is starting.

I've been to Rome several times in January and February. I've been fine with a light coat, and I'm a real wimp about the cold. There was a little bit of light rain. And each time I came home, it was warmer in Rome when I left than it was in San Francisco when I arrived back home.