Racing against the Schengen - 10 countries in 3 weeks
As Australians, we are able to travel freely through the Schengen area countries of Europe for 90 days within a 180 day period, without applying for a visa. As travellers, we thought that was plenty of time to see as much of this region before heading to the UK. Wrong! 3 months goes by so quickly and before you know it you're counting down the days and rushing like crazy to see all the countries you can because they really are just so close to each other, and so far away from home in Australia.
After 3 nights in Barcelona, Spain and 4 fantastic house sits in France, Portugal and Italy, Quiggy and I had expired 70 days of our 90 day quota leaving us 20 days free to explore the rest of the Schengen area and boy did we go for it!
1. Rome, Italy - 1 day before our flight to Greece.
We've been to Rome before and done all the big sights but we couldn't resist seeing the Coliseum and all the great ruins one more time. We bought an all day travel pass for 7 Euros which allows you on all trains, busses and subways in the city. But as the Rome marathon was on, most inner city transport wasn't running. As long as you have comfy shoes and plenty of energy, you can walk anywhere and see more history than you can ever imagine, all in one day.
#check which roads are closed before buying an all day travel pass
#UberX is not yet in Italy and taxis are expensive
2. Vatican City, Italy
Ok so it's in Rome but did you know that Vatican City is the smallest country in the world? History.com quotes "Encircled by a 2-mile border with Italy, Vatican City is an independent city-state that covers just over 100 acres. The Vatican mints its own euros, prints its own stamps, issues passports and license plates, operates media outlets and has its own flag and anthem. One government function it lacks: taxation. Museum admission fees, stamp and souvenir sales, and contributions generate the Vatican’s revenue."
We have been lucky enough to have visited here a few years ago, arriving on Palm Sunday while the Pope zoomed around us on his Pope-mobile. It was an unforgettable experience. During that organised tour we also visited the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica. Although this day we only entered the gates to Saint Peter's Square (we missed the Pope this time) it still leaves an impression and is a magnificent place.
#book tours ahead, you'll save time and jump ahead of the crowds.
#entering St Peter's Square is free but special days may require tickets
3. Crete, Greece
4 days of fun, food and raki. What's raki? Greek moonshine! a staple of every good meal and fun time in Crete. I loved this Island and everything about it. The food, especially the slow cooked lamb, grilled pork chops and of course Greek salad tastes so much better in Greece. The people are so hospitable and generous. The landscape, it's beaches, villages and mountains are all so picturesque. Invited by our dear friend, we stayed in a beautifully unique stone house on an olive grove farm surrounded by wildflowers and wildlife. Our passionate host showed us her Crete, where you eat outdoors, drink to life and love what the earth gives, not what can be taken. I'll write more about Crete in a future post but for now if you'd like Johanna to show you where you can walk into a village kitchen and have the chef cook you an impromptu meal from the day's fresh harvest, then see her Airbnb here and tell her I sent you. She'll have you loving Crete and never wanting to leave.
#village wine and raki is pure and free of preservatives letting you drink without the hangover
#hiring a car is cheap and you pay with cash, no credit cards.
4. Slovenia - although we only passed through after landing in Trieste, Italy en-route to Zagreb, we did have our passports stamped as exiting the Schengen area before entering Croatia which is not a Schengen country.
#border crossing was lengthy so allow time and make sure your documents are valid
5. Zagreb, Croatia
Not a Schengen country so we could have stayed up to 90 days but with bad news from home and uncertainty as to whether I had to jump on a plane, we decided on a 3 night stay in this absolutely beautiful city. Quiggy's mother was born in Zagreb and this was our first time in his motherland. We were unable to trace any relatives, all were displaced during times of war, but it was wonderful to walk the paths of his ancestors and imagine how different life would have been back then compared to the wealthy, clean and cosmopolitan city it is now.
#stay in Old Town (Upper Town), it's got everything you want.
#Airbnb is much cheaper than hotels and in better areas
6. Budapest, Hungary
Never try to do Budapest in 3 days. It's big, exciting and although we saw so many wonderful sights, we missed out on a whole lot more. We stayed in the Jewish Quarter which reminded me of New York's lower east side. It's up and coming, walking distance to many sights, filled with cool bars yet not so touristy..yet.
#currency is HUF but accepts Euro 1/312HUF
#no Uber, be aware of fake taxis, public transport is best at 15Euro for 10 x tickets to use on all public transport any day and can be shared between travellers
7. Bratislava, Slovakia
We were wanting to go to Vienna in Austria but prices were too high so a Flixbus $10 bus ticket to Bratislava was the no brainer and the best time was had by us.
This is the smallest big city in Slovakia which made it easy to see so much in such little time. We really liked it here as it had the right mix of historic and modern, flash and grunge, and young and old. It was affordable, safe and close to Austria, Hungary and Czechia.
#best crispy, succulent pork knuckle was at Budweiser Budvar 14Euros for 2 very hungry people.
#no Uber and taxis are a rip off. Use public transport or walk.
8. Prague, Czech Republic
3 days was enough for us. Why? Tourists. I know why they come here, it's an incredible city with big architecturally competing buildings, big churches that hold beautiful music concerts, a big river with big bridges to big castles and a big square filled with big crowds. Strip joints luring stag parties, and currency shops luring their euro are everywhere (1AUD/16CZK). Music venues, bars and restaurants are open all hours. Trams are frequent and Uber is cheap. The city is buzzing all day and all night.
#Airbnb is cheap and our host was very helpful with tips
#consider a day tour bus or night boat to save your feet
9. Switzerland
We're catching up with our awesome Swiss mates and spending our last Schengen days in one of the world's most beautiful countries. No matter where you go in Switzerland you will be wowed. Transport is fast and on time which means you can have breakfast in historic old town Aarau, hike the cedar filled mountains at lunch, enjoy drinks in the parks around the lake in Zurich, before heading home for dinner. We did this and it was one of the best days ever.
#not a cheap country but many unforgettable sights are free
#buy an all day travel pass and enjoy the most beautiful scenic train and bus routes in the world
10. Bad Säckingen, Germany
Just 20 km's from our stay in Aarau, Switzerland. Our friends wanted to go shopping on the much cheaper side of the border so we hitched a ride and spent the day in this very pretty town along the Rhine River which boasts the longest covered wooden bridge in Europe. You can walk the bridge, originally built in 1272, from Germany and in just 203 metres, you'll have crossed the Rhine, spied beautiful scenery through it's open windows and arrived in Switzerland.
#worth visiting and not only for the fact that everything is much cheaper than 203 metres across the Rhine
#walk into the Fridolinsmünster Cathedral, it's highly adorned with frescoes and is most impressive.
Catching up with our mates in Switzerland has been the best way to wrap up our Schengen adventure though we're sad we couldn't see so much more especially as we are now bordering Austria and just days ago we could almost touch Poland. We'll be back one day, hopefully with extended visas, but we leave with amazing memories and many new friends.
If you plan an extended visit to Europe and you don't have a European Union passport, plan wisely. You'll be surprised how much you'll love all the countries and how fast time flies when you're having fun.
If you only have time for short visits and money is tight, the best way to see the sights is to first visit a tourist information booth and ask for free maps. These list all the 'must see' places in easy to view form. My best cheap tip is when using Airbnb see their "experiences" section, look at guided tours, write down their itinerary and just do it yourself for free. You'll then have more money to spend on more travel.
#Back out of the Schengen area
#Skip to a non-Schengen country for 90 days
#Go back in Schengen area for another 90 days