Hello:
has anyone done a major traveling in Europe, I am talking like visiting most of the countries in say 3-4 months.I am thinking like starting from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and so on, like starting form the southern part all the way to Italy and ten up north till you come back to the starting point.
any info would be greatly appreciated, this has been a life long dream of mine and I really want to do this trip.
Kurda
Plan your route carefully. EU rules (Schengen Agreement) permit tourist stays of no more than 3 months unless you get a visa.
I agree with the PP, definitely look into visa rules as you may find your trip limited to 90 days unless you spend time in a non-Schengen country, e.g. Ireland, Bulgaria etc. Google Schengen, BTW no all EU countries are Schengen, not all Schengen countries are in the EU.
I'd recommend having a look into a rail pass, have a click of the tab at the top of this page. They're not a good deal for all itineraries but are more likely to work for long, meandering, multi-country trips like yours. Worth spending 20 mins running the numbers at least.
Kurda,
I'm assuming you're travelling on a Canadian Passport? As the other replies have mentioned, the maximum stay allowed in the Schengen countries is three months! That includes all the countries you mentioned. Those who violate the rules can face severe penalties, including deportation for as long as 10 years! After a stay of three months, travellers must leave the Schengen zone for a period of at least 180 days (as I recall - I haven't reviewed the rules for a while).
If you plan your route carefully, a stay of four months should be possible by including one month in a non-Schengen country. AFAIK, the U.K. is not included in the list of countries, so you might consider spending some time there, or possibly in some of the eastern European countries.
I'm sure the group here will have lots of suggestions to help you fulfill your "life long dream".
Happy travels!
Agreed on people's concerns re Schengen. The Schengen agreement covers much of Europe, so if you wanted to spend more than 90 days on the continent, you would have to spend the excess either in the UK, the southeastern countries (like Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, etc.), or way east in the Ukraine, Russia, or Belarus.
That, or apply for a Schengen visa. Note that you have to apply for a visa with the country in which you'll be spending the most time OR with the country through which you first enter the Schengen zone (if you spend an equal amount of time in all the countries).
