If you're a U.S. Citizen, I'd be very interested to hear of your experiences travelling within the Schengen countries, whether or not you were ever asked for a visa (technically, a visa isn't required of a U.S. citizen) or if you had problems after your 90 days ran out, or anything else of significance to a fellow American planning to spend a long time in Western Europe. It used to not be a problem to stay longer than 90 days in any country, all that was necessary was to renew the entry stamp in my passport by going to a local police station or immigration office with some current passport photos, filling out some paperwork and then waiting for the bureaucratic wheels to roll. What's it like now?

There may be some useful info in this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34534500

By the way, I'm pretty sure that a long-stay visa is required if you just stay in France, for example. While I don't know the specifics, I know that an acquaintance got one for a year. He's currently in France but will return to get the long-stay visa from the French consulate.

I'm not exactly sure what happens if you go to multiple countries -- but the thread I linked has some information on this, as the original poster in that thread called the Dutch consulate, if I remember correctly (I don't have the time to read it now).

It used to be you just had to go out of the EU and then re-enter and get another 90 days. Switzerland is the only non-EU country easily reached from most of Europe. But not sure this techically is OK but in my experience they often do not stamp passports going in or out - more likely going in but since they usually don't going out then they have no idea how long you've stayed the first time. I think that if you're not applying for a job or welfare, etc. and have money, some young folks may be asked to prove they have money with them or some kind of funds available- UK used to do this routinely. But don't think average tourists would be bothered - that is if you're Caucasian looking at least.

This website has good info. The website's focus is Italy, but much of the information on visas is relevant to other EU countries too.

http://www.expatsinitaly.com/visas.htm

I’ve lived in Switzerland (non-Schengen) for the last three years, travel at least once a week by plane to other places in Europe and to date have NEVER had a stamp placed in my passport. This includes when returning to Switzerland each time, where I show my passport and don’t even mention that I have a residents permit, nor do they ask. None of the countries have entry forms anymore (except I think the UK does if coming from the US.) Really, there is no way that immigration would know when you arrived and how long you have been staying; conversely there is no way to prove that you have not exceeded the 90-day limit, other than if you keep an air ticket or train ticket. If you stayed more than 90 days in a hotel, or if you rent an apartment, then your landlord would be concerned, and you would need a long-stay visa, other than that, I don’t think anyone is concerned.