Europe Directory of Tips, Stories, and Advice

Schengen Area – Crafting a Travel Itinerary Within the 90 Days

If there is one thing I do not like to do when going on a long-term trip, it is making reservations more than a week in advance. The freedom of being able to travel for months on end is something that allows us to be completely flexible with our itinerary, extending or decreasing stays in an given city at our discretion.

When going on our next 14-18 month trip, we were overjoyed with the fact that we would not have to plan very much in advance and could roam on our idealized itinerary. Then we added Europe into the mix. In the summer. After counting the number of days we were hoping to spend on the continent, we realized that we were getting dangerously close to the 90 day visa limit for the Schengen Area while also having to combat the hoards of travelers during peak season. Just like that our hopes for a reservation free long-term trip came crashing down. To lock in the good deals in peak season, and to force us to fit within the 90 day Schengen visa limit, our bookings began and thousands of dollars were spent.

The logic of booking in advance during peak season is obvious. But the need to craft our itinerary to fit within the limits of a free Schengen visa may not be as apparent.

During our several explorations of Italy, we were fortunate enough to take many walking tours as guests of Walks of Italy (now Take Walks)- one of the country's premier tour companies.

To date, we have taken six tours, in three regions/cities, featuring an array of topics from the historical, to culinary, and even a bit religious at the Vatican Museums.

In the end, we walked away with a fond appreciation for all things Italy (far more than I had from my first trip to the country), and over the years have realized that Take Walks puts out what we believe are the best walking tours we've ever experienced.

In this Take Walks review (formerly Walks of Italy), we wanted to highlight our favorite aspects of each of the tours we took to give you a better insight as to why we think that!

Disclaimer: We were given complimentary tours with Take Walks when traveling around the country.

When planning a trip around Europe, you may hear about a Europe rail pass from companies like Eurail and Rail Europe that offer multiple regional segments or full unlimited use passes on many rail networks throughout most of the countries in the continent.

I know from experience that many travelers are hesitant on purchasing a rail pass in Europe for a number of reasons, with rigidity and limitations being a few of the biggest.

But for all those who can get past these minor details, a lot of effort is required in identifying the best pass and even if a rail pass is worth the money at all!

To help, we've put together this post as a result of our years of research on Europe's ultimate travel question: how do you get a cheap europe train ticket?

During my long-term trip I ended up spending over 100 days in Europe, with a split of 53 days in countries typically considered to be Western Europe and 64 days in countries considered to be Eastern Europe.

Today I wanted to share a breakdown of my spending in each of the 30+ countries I visited in that time!

Schengen Area – Crafting a Travel Itinerary Within the 90 Days

Take Walks Review – What All Walking Tours Should Be

Is a Europe Rail Pass Worth It? Tickets Are Cheaper Than You Think

The Cost to Travel in Europe for 117 Days – A Spending Breakdown