I'm 67 Male and retired. Photography is my passion and I want to follow (as best as possible) the route taken by many British from the 17th Century onwards. My difference is that I don't have the unlimited wealth they had, but I do have the desire to experience the art and events of the Capitols of Europe. It is a project I'm focusing my photos toward. My intension is to travel and stay in places for three + weeks and really get to know the cities with side trips to other sites. (As a tourist we have only three months in country before we have to move on to another country.) Beginning in Paris, then to Turin, Venice, Florence, Rome and further south. I don't expect anyone to go the whole way, but maybe those interested in joining for a few weeks in these spots to offset our 'Room rates', which is the largest expense after airfare. A new 'eye' and perspective will be very helpful. I'm looking into renting space in these cities in apartments, not hotels, to provide a base to work out of. If there are some who are interested then the next step would be to set dates for the adventure. Tentatively I'm thinking end of summer until early 2015.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33818 posts
(I'd address you by name but I can't call somebody a number)
It may be worth your while to make a post on one of the other sections of the Helpline about the length of the stay you will be permitted to make without a special visa.
If you are from North America somewhere, or much of the rest of the world, you will governed by a special treaty which will limit you to a total of 90 days in 180, combined in all the signatories to that treaty - not 3 months in each country. The signatory countries are virtually all of western and central Europe except the UK and Ireland. If you have a European passport this won't limit you but will limit your travel partners.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you Nigel - I am well aware of the 90 day limit per country for us non-EU tourists.
John
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7158 posts
John, as Nigel said, it's 90 days total in the Schengen zone (most of Euorpe) not 90 days in each country. For instance you can't spend 90 days in France, then 90 days in Italy, then 90 days in Germany - it would be a total of 90 days (30 in each country) then you're done and would have to leave the Schengen zone. Just wanted to make sure you understand because you keep saying 90 days in each country.
Posted by
18 posts
And it is 90 days, and I believe that once the clock starts ticking there are no time outs.. if you start in a Schengen country and then go to UK, your 90 days will still be ticking off. In 2011 my wife and I spent 3 months in Europe (not realizing that is actually 90 days, and we were a little nervous when we flew out of Frankfurt. We had no problem (we're both retired and we were 92 days, not 6 months) but I wouldn't recommend it. There was a time when it was 3 months in each country, but it's been a while..
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33818 posts
No, every time you leave the Schengen area the Schengen day count stops. All you need to do is ask yourself each day, have you been within any part of the Schengen area for fewer than 90 days or part days within the past 180 days? If yes, you can have another day.
Posted by
Ottawa
1446 posts
Nigel is correct - it is any 90 days, within each 180 days block of time, starting with first entry into the Schengen zone. Example:
So you land in Paris on January 1 for your first entry. You spend some time in France, bop into England, then go spend a month in Turkey. By March 1, you land in Athens from Istanbul having only used 25 days of actual 'Schengen days'. That means that you can spend the next consecutive 65 days within the zone before your time expires. What is the first date that you can go back?? Count 180 days from January 1st.
Posted by
Ottawa
1446 posts
Other countries due to enter the Schengen zone in 2014: Croatia and Moldova.
Bulgaria and Romania will be next.
Non-Schengen European countries where you could schedule out-of-zone time: the UK, Turkey, and most Balkan states.
Another good choice for scheduling non-Schengen time as part of a longer European trip: Morocco.