Extended European travel
 

I haven't been active on this site in the past 10 years because we stopped traveling to Europe due to financial reasons. Now my husband is retired and I'm going to do the same next Fall. The plan is not fully-formed at this point, but these are the options we're starting to think about:

Taking off to Europe for 3-6 months. I've done a bit more travel, so we would re-visit some of my favorite places and go to some where neither of us has been. The musts include Stockholm, where he has relatives and we've both visited before, and Portugal, where neither of us has been but where we'd like to spend at least a month or more. I'd also like to wander through Eastern countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary. Also Greece and Turkey. So you see, these are far-flung places that require a lot of travel. We don't want to plan ahead too much but be able to be spontaneous and linger wherever we find a place that calls to us.

We are not wealthy and need to think about costs. My impression is that rail travel is very expensive these days and regional carriers like Ryan air are the best way to go for long distances. We would love to have a car, but obviously can't afford to rent one for the entire trip. I looked into leasing/buying through Volvo or Renault, but that is too expensive. We don't need or even like fancy hotels, so will opt for hostels that would be appropriate for 60-somethings, i.e. no shared bunk-type rooms. Bathroom down the hall is fine. Places with kitchenettes where we can make our own meals for longer stays, like airbnb, are the best bet for us.

The logistics of leaving one's home for up to 6 months is another issue we're pondering. I've thought about home-swapping for part of a long stay in Portugal. Having a friend house-sit or even renting out the house is another idea.

Long story short: I'd love to read about other people who have done a similar thing and get advice from seasoned travelers about the realities of being abroad for an extended period. The trouble is I can't find any trip reports on this topic. I haven't been able to use the "search" tool and come up with anything. Browsing through the topics is overwhelming. So any help with that or links to appropriate posts or blogs would be very much appreciated. Sorry this was so long to slog through.

Your first thought should be about Schengen rules. Depending on your citizenship you may only be able to stay in the Schengen countries for 90 day total within 180 days. This applies to US citizens. If you wish to stay longer than 90 days you need a visa which is not an easy process.

If you're from a country that allows longer stays then your preliminary itinerary won't be a problem.

http://travel.state.gov/content/pass...act-sheet.html

I can't help with extended travel but can tell you that Portugal and Czech Rep are very cheap. You can afford to stay in small hotels there with ensuite facilities.

Rail travel does not have to be expensive. You can get discounted fares 60 to 90 days ahead but if you want to be spontaneous then you'll pay full fare. Again, Czech Rep rail travel is very cheap.

Another country that is wonderful and inexpensive is Poland.

What nationality are you? If American, you are limited to a 90-day stay in the Schengen Zone within a 180-day period unless you have a long-term visa, which will in all likelihood be difficult to obtain.

Cheepo airports are good value just beware what they call say "paris" and customer service can be tight. Trains booked ahead, on regionale trains and in second class can be very good value. WWW.seat61.com gives a lot of advice in this area. Also traveling out of high season is a useful tool. So try to avoid southern Europe in July and August. Might be good to be in the north of Europe in those summer months.

We are American. Sorry I didn't mention that fact. The plan is to be in Europe from fall through spring, so we will not have to deal with summer high season. We have used Ryan Air before and do hate how far their airports are from the cities they serve. But sometimes it's worth it. Thanks for mentioning the Schengen rules. I'd forgotten about that. And thanks for the Poland seat61 tips. Keep it coming!

We did 8 weeks one trip and that was as much as we wanted at one time. Our best deal for that trip was the Peuguot lease plan for a nice car for 56 days---picked up in Madrid and dropped in Munich. It is less if you pick up and drop in France.

Spontaneous travel always seems to cost more than planned travel. However, with internet for booking, you can make changes more easily.

We have not done the long term thing. We have had very good luck with airbnb. We have rented tiny apartments in places where there was cheap and easy public transportation to interesting nearby sights. It worked great. Some countries at various times offer huge senior discounts. The week we were in Provence, they had 1 to 6 euro fares for local trains and busses. In Ireland one year, they gave two for one travel to all people over 60. You had to sign up for the program before arriving in Ireland. Those things are worth looking for.

Long stays also can end up putting you in the beginning or end in bad weather and with shorter days to enjoy things. If you are not planning to stay in one place anyway, but to move around a lot, consider doing more than one trip, and doing each trip at a time when weather and cost is best. You can often by September get some good deals on airfare.

I suggest starting with a simpler plan for the first time traveling in a while, something like a month in Portugal in September or early October. Rent apartments in two places for the first two weeks, with planned options for the next two weeks. You will get your feet wet and know how you really want to proceed.

If you are on a truly limited budget - then IMO it makes MUCH more sense to go for a shorter time and not have to scrimp so much. Plus there is the MAJOR benefit of not needing a visa (which - if you ARE on a very limited budget, you are even less likely to get one)

So 2 or 3 months in parts of Europe and if you really want to be away longer, another maybe month in the UK and/or Ireland.

But mainly - instead of trying to stretch a small budget over a great length of time, take the same budget and stay half the time and you will be more comfortable and face a LOT fewer obstacles.

oh -- didm't see sassafras's post - thinking along the same lines.

Here's a blog by a poster on this board. She was gone for 10 months.

http://www.wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/index.html

Did you look at Kemwell lease plan for cars?

All of these ideas are wonderful. Kemwel seems really reasonable and the Peuguot lease buy-back is worth looking into. Also, I'm loving the Wilhelms site. Thank you everyone!!

If you click on my screen name and scroll to the bottom you'll find my trip report. I never finished the Portugal one (left out Lisbon since I had a series of minor problems there and was too dispirited to write about it) but did describe the other town in Portugal I visited.

The reports on Poland and Czech Republic will give you a flavor of these places.

I truly loved Poland. The people were so wonderful, the cities were beautiful (except Warsaw), the food was good and everything was inexpensive. So many Americans seem to shun Poland unless they are of Polish heritage and I can't figure out why.

I'm a budget traveler so my recommendations may help you.

Adrienne: I read your Portugal TR and was enthralled. Thanks so much for turning me on to it. I will read the other ones soon. I was surprised that Avora was not high on your list as someone else who wrote a more recent TR seemed to love it. I believe it's where you go to see the monoliths. Did you hear about them when you were there?

I had never heard of the monoliths so I googled them. When I was researching the trip no one mentioned them. I've seen a lot of ruins and have been to Stonehenge so I probably would not have been interested.

Different people like different places so I'm sure some people will love Evora. I thought it was just OK.

BTW it's Evora, not Avora just so you can find information on the town.

If Stockholm is a must, then go there at the beginning of your trip, when the weather is nicer and the days are not as short. It will be expensive, but if you can stay with relatives or they can entertain you with at home dinners, it would help to cut the cost.

As you want to travel in the Fall into winter, perhaps you should consider doing your northern travel first and moving onto the more southern warmer places. There are certainly a lot of holiday apartments in and about Lagos Portugal, and you may find that the prices are affordable for you and more comfortable than a hostel.