Visas aren’t the most interesting subject to read about though they happen to be the most discussed topic on this blog. Much of the confusion that fuels the questions behind that forum revolves around the continent where 50.7% of all people (477 million) [PDF] travel per year – Europe. The Schengen Agreement and Area are both visa topics you should brush up on if you’re headed to Europe for more than 3 months in any given 12 month period so you don’t unwittingly break any rules.

That Europe, by the way isn’t just the European Union (EU) and in fact isn’t all of the EU anyway, here’s what you need to know.

Where Is The Schengen Area?

The Schengen Area currently consists of 26 countries in Europe including Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, and Greece. You can see the full list of current members here. Some notable exceptions are England and Ireland (both EU but not Schengen). Several countries you might not expect also part of the Schengen Area include Estonia, Latvia, and Malta. Bulgaria and Romania are likely to join the Schengen club later this year.

So Why Should You Care About This Funny Sounding Area?

Because in terms of travel and visas, Schengen member states are essentially the same country. Across the Schengen Area, those of you from countries who do not require visas (including the United States, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and Brazil) are permitted to stay 90 days out of every 180. That means the entire Schengen Area, not just the Schengen member country you’re visiting.

This is where most people get confused – you can only stay within the entire Schengen Area for 90 days out of every 180. So, if you spend 1 month in Germany, then fly to France for a month, go visit your friends back in Turkey (not Schengen) for 2 weeks, then head to Spain for 6 weeks you’ll officially be overstaying your Schengen welcome. Want to spend two months in Austria then hop a train to Slovenia for 2 months? Well, that’s a no-no too.

These rules are, of course, the general ones and apply to most people but not all. For instance, New Zealand citizens have visa-free travel for 90 days out of every 180 in each individual Schengen nation. (A rare exception.) Check with the appropriate embassy for the specifics given your circumstances – don’t just take my word for it as visas can be complex and laws change quickly.

Only 3 Months In 26 Countries? The Reasoning Behind The Ridiculousness

Yes, these are the same folks who came up with the bright idea of a single currency without a framework to support it but actually the Schengen rules are very convenient – especially for Schengen residents. Citizens of member states can travel and live in the others without visas. Plus border crossings are more efficient without constant passport checks. (Checks are optional for each country at their discretion so always bring your travel documents when crossing any border.)

Most people take vacations and trips much shorter than 3 months and the Schengen Agreement while driving up visa costs (for those who need them) has steadily increased tourism to Europe. The Schengen Area isn’t going anywhere but rather, will continue to grow.

How Can You Stay Longer Than 3 Months In The Schengen Zone?

Residents of most countries will need to fill out a long-stay visa application at the embassy of the specific country they’ll be arriving in first (e.g. Sweden). Generally, long-stay visas must be applied for from outside the Schengen Area.

Long-stay visas are only allowed for up to one year. Afterward, from your point of entry into the Schengen, you’ll be free to visit the members states within that time. The Schengen rules don’t allow you to travel for more than a year within the Area so if you really fall in love with a country and want to stay longer than 12 months, you’ll need to file for a residence permit with that specific country.

What Happens If You Overstay?

That’s a question I’ve covered in depth before but to sum it up for short overstays upon leaving the Schengen Area you may face a fine. For longer overstays a ban for a number of years is possible. An overstay of even 1 day (remember it is 90 days not 3 months out of every 180 days) can hit your pocketbook and cause you problems so don’t risk it if you don’t have to. Finally, if you are behind the Schengen borders and simply couldn’t pull yourself away on time, you’ll likely find it easier avoiding being caught at passport control if you leave from countries that aren’t as culturally diligent about timekeeping. (*cough* Greece, Spain *cough*)

The more punctual peoples of Europe (Germans are notorious for catching short over-stayers) could cause you problems but in the end it all depends on the person you come across at passport control. The only way to not have any problems is to know and follow the rules.

Related posts:

• What Happens If You Overstay A Tourist Visa?
• How My Travel Recommendations And Selected Sights Work
• How To Avoid Luggage Fees And Work Your Way Around The Airlines For Free

Copyright @2012 foXnoMad

This September, I will begin a race against 5 other travel bloggers to break the record for the world’s longest continuous train journey. To be more precise, The Ultimate Train Challenge will have me hopping from train to train, beginning in Lisbon, Portugal all the way to Vietnam’s Saigon.

What Is The Ultimate Train Challenge?

In short, it’s a friendly competition between each of us who love travel to try and break a standing world record. Some of the major rules are: we must sleep on the train each night, can’t backtrack through a country once we’ve passed it, and aren’t allowed to repeat any length of rail. When I was first approached with the idea by Michael Hodson, I found both the travel and personal challenge difficult to resist.

I’ll spend a little over a week in Portugal, including the best city to visit in 2011 Porto, before the race begins on September 1rst. Aside from exploring Portugal, a country I haven’t visited yet, I’ll also be wrapping up the final preparations for a month where I’ll have extremely limited Internet access. Maintaining foXnoMad and all that comes with it will undoubtedly be my biggest challenge over the roughly 27 days the trip will take.

Join Me For Legs Of The Race

Those of you who might happen to be taking a train in Europe or along my route this September are more than welcome to join me for legs of my trip. I’ll announce the exact route I’m taking sometime in late July so if you want a beer, coffee, or conversation it’s on me if we can make schedules match.

• Many days during the trip I’ll also be running into town to find wireless at cafes which I’ll post to foursquare and Gowalla if you want to come by and say hi.

I’m also planning a separate, major video project in late October that will have a paid camera-person position – a job that will include a few weeks of exotic travel. If you happen to be good with a video camera and want to join me on a short leg of the train journey (even if it’s just from one city to the next) you can help provide content for The Ultimate Train Challenge – auditioning for my camera-person job in the fall at the same time.

The Devil Is In The Planning

Each of us train challenge participants can choose our own paths -north or south across Europe – then south from China into Vietnam. (The Trans-Siberian Railway will get me across Russia.) Planning (hardly my strong suit) train connections, times, and distances will be what determines when who gets where when. I’ll create an interactive map for you to follow along, give me suggestions, and see when we might cross paths potentially to meet up in your city for a few hours.

Why Take A Trip Like This?

Partially because of that very question – the goal to break a record and have some fun along with extreme travel overland – beginning and ending in two countries I’ve never been to before. Personally, I’ll find it extremely difficult to manage and maintain my day to day work and operations – something I’m not convinced I’ll be able to do. Pushing my limits while meeting new people and seeing places I never have will be my biggest motivator over nearly 15,000 kilometers (~9,600 miles) of train tracks.

[second photo by: limowreck666 (devil duck)]

Related posts:

• The Ultimate Guide To Traveling Internationally With Your Pets: Part 1
• The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers
• The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers

Copyright @2012 foXnoMad

Before you head over to Western Europe it’s a good idea to map out train routes between destinations. Get your tickets online in advance, check schedules, and get youth passes with EuRail.

If you plan to travel from city to city extensively check out the Eurail Global Pass which lets you travel in 18 European countries for any 10-15 days within a 2-3 month period (depending on the plan you get). Prices will run you about $700 for unlimited travel. Consider also, less hassle in airport security and cheaper that taking multiple short flights. (It’s also better for the environment).

Many Eurail offers also include hostel, dining, and museum discounts with the price of a ticket or pass. Train does take longer than flying so make sure your video iPod is prepared, you’ve got the essentials, and have read up on international faux pas.

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Copyright @2012 foXnoMad

Many of those crazy college kids will be going back to the far, far nether regions of the country and the world. Here are some tips from Peaceluvbug for all of you who decided you needed to get on a plane to escape mommy and daddy

-aop

• 1. for the long plane ride home, be sure to bring your iPod (or any other electronic device) and a good book. you never know what movies will be playing on the flight, and if the movies are anything like what i got this time around, you’ll be happy to turn to your alternative modes of entertainment.
• 2. bring gifts! but be sure they are light gifts… everyone likes gifts (no matter how many times they tell you “oh you shouldn’t have!”)
• 3. be a stylish traveler. of course comfort comes first, but you can be comfortable and look good at the same time. you never know who you’ll be making an impression on. a bit superficial, yes, i know… but deal with it.
• 4. be sure to wear shoes that won’t be a hassle to take off at security check points. no one likes to be the person who holds up the line at the airport!
• 5. the more hassle avoided = the happier the traveler. meaning, make sure your carry on has what it is allowed to have (check airline regulations at www.tsa.gov). and don’t pack it too much because i saw far too many people being asked to unload carry ons so officials could see what was inside. don’t be the dumdum in the security line!

Pretty interesting list, thanks “worldly student”! Anyone else leaving for school – or have any travel tips from when you were walking 15 miles across campus in the snow? Add them in the comments – holla!

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Copyright @2012 foXnoMad

That doesn’t look too cheap. These Mogu pillows are small and very comfortable. They can adapt to any shape and are great for neck rests for those plane, train, and even car drives. A good $20-30 gift for that traveler friend or family member. I think you can find these at most malls in the US, and once you feel one you’ll be compelled to get it.

After an international flight with a Mogu, the thank you cards will begin to roll in.

Amazon’s Mogu page?

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Copyright @2012 foXnoMad

Kevin Craswell drank so much he passed out with his head on a railway line in Epsom. He’s been given 180 hours community service and fined ?560. The 48-year-old former company director risked being electrocuted or run over.

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Copyright @2012 foXnoMad

here are some things i learned during my awesome trip to Bratislava, Slovakia this weekend:

1) always leave ample time for traveling by train and bus to an airport; you never know how much traffic there might be or the weather conditions!

2) try to buy a roundtrip train ticket especially if traveling through Milano Centrale because it is such a huge train station and you can save time if you already have a ticket ready

3) bus #61 in Bratislava goes from the airport to the city center and tram #14 takes you to Patio Hostel (we learned this in a difficult fashion). a bus ticket costs 22 SKK, but you can get away with no ticket at all (all you rebels out there!)
4) Slovakia was formerly part of the USSR, so no commie jokes, please.

5) really, all you need for a weekend is about 5000 SKK, which is about $184.

6) Bratislava is not as touristy as other European cities such as Milan or Paris, so don’t expect everyone to speak English. yes, most of the young people do speak English, but you should always try to speak Slovak because it’s just the polite thing to do.

7) Slovakians, as well as pretty much any other people, don’t like loud Americans who draw attention to themselves. therefore, try to blend in rather than sticking out like a sore thumb.

traditional slovakian food consists of a lot of sausage, dumplings, and poppy seeds. as well as weird combinations of these things. Vinea is a traditional drink… more like an aperatif which is delicious. oh and get a cheap sandwich from one of the 24-hr stands at like 3 am. SO good.
9) i have heard that Americans smile way too much, but i really realized this in Slovakia. don’t expect everyone to smile back! i think that’s definitely a big cultural difference.

10) GO TO BRATISLAVA! i loved the fact that it wasn’t smothered in tourists

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Copyright @2012 foXnoMad

The last train from Lugano to Zurich leaves at 20:35 and of course the train is very punctual. There are clocks all over Switzerland at the corner of almost every other street. I had to leave Lugano at 20:35 in order to make it on time for my flight the next morning at 9am on the road to Turkey. I’ll be flying in via Munich and Lufthansa offers onboard wireless so I’m hoping that they deliver.

One thing about the train station at night is that you have to get the tickets from the automated system they have at the train station – navigating the windows is pretty easy except for the last part. You have an option of getting a “1/2″ or “1/1″ ticket even though you are already asked if you are traveling one way or not. I’m not sure what this means – both tickets are the same price. I decided to get the “1/1″ ticket and take my chances. They ticket man made a joke in Italian and I laughed (played it off beautifully I thought) and he stamped my ticket.

If anyone knows what 1/2 vs. 1/1 means let me know

UPDATE: I found out in Zurich – “1/2″ means kid “1/1″ means adult

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Copyright @2012 foXnoMad