Last call $500 OFF! - Travel tip 106: Know EU travel rules & The Schengen zone
Published about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 7 min read
Hi Reader,
It's Friday so a new travel tip comes to you!
I am in Japan and yesterday I had a beautiful dinner, a great reminder of the real reason why we started Solo Female Travelers: the women who make it possible.
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I had a private sushi dinner with Japan's only female sushi chef, Yuki Chidui, who opened her restaurant literally 2 weeks ago.
I was her first customer she cooked for and over 3.5 hours, we shared a magical time chatting about the closed male world of sushi, Japan's traditions, food and what it takes to make it in a man's world.
Of course, her modern version of sushi was nothing short of spectacular, with every bundle of nigiri or sashimi being an explosion of delicate flavors. We shared a bottle of new sake from Okinawa and I got excited thinking about taking our groups to dine in her her 15-seater sushi bar.
I can't wait to launch our Japan tour. Join the waitlist of you would like to be the first to know when the trip goes live.
Come follow my trip on Instagram stories and enjoy the last few days of sakura season πΈ and the many closed-door experiences we will share.
Now, onto this week's travel tip!
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In the first quarter of the year, many of you start the planning stages of a summer trip, and Europe is one of the most favorite destinations for this time of year.
Like with every year, questions around visa and entry requirements are common.
This year, there are also a few changes that are worth noting.
The UK has implemented a new online ETA system that requires all travelers, even from the EU, to get pre-approval for travel before they visit.
The EU and Schengen zone has also announced similar plans to roll out a travel authorisation system this fall, though the roll out has been delayed so many times I am not sure I believe the latest deadline yet...
Bulgaria and Romania joined the Schengen zone on January 1st 2025
And this brings me to the purpose of this week's newsletter: The Schengen zone.
This week's email is a reminder and refresher of what the Schengen zone is and how it may affect your summer travels to Europe.
.π Got a friend who would benefit from knowing this? Forward her this email!
Dates: 31 August to 7 September and 21 to 28 September
Winery visits | Medieval villages of Montefioralle, San Gimignano, Siena and Pienza | Florence history, food and artisans walking tour | Thermal spa | Farm house vila life | Olive oil tasting | Cheese farm visit | Focaccia making workshop | Pasta making class | Private opera concert
Tapas tour | Paella making class | Quaint fishing villages of Cadaques and Tossa de mar | Dali Museum | Sagrada Familia | Gothic Quarter hidden tour | Sitges | Beach time | Rooftop sunsets | Winery visits | Blind tasting lunch | Girona | Boat tour of Costa Brava | Coastal hikes
=> How to book: Book the spots that have the "Special Offer" mentioned on the respective tour pages / dates to avail the discount.
=> Deadline: 20th April 2025
IMPORTANT: There are limited discounted spots so don't wait till the deadline to book or they could be gone.
The Schengen zone explained
The Schengen Zone is a passport-free zone where there is free movement of people and goods.
That means that within the zone, you need one form of ID to travel, but as Europeans, this doesn't have to be your passport because borders have been abolished so your national ID suffice.
When you travel in the zone, you may not even notice that you are crossing over to a different country because there are no physical borders.
For example, when you drive from Spain to France, you may suddenly see a sign that reads "Welcome to France" but that is about as much as there is when it comes to border checks.
On our Xmas markets trip, we travel through 4 different countries, all part of the Schengen Zone, though not all part of the EU (more on that later), and there is nothing in the way of border.
Sometimes, your phone will switch network to the new country without you even noticing (and subsequent roaming chargers will apply, meh!).
Now, the Schengen zone is not the same as the European Union or EURO currency Zone.
There are countries which are part of the Schengen zone but not the EU
Some European Union countries are not part of the Schengen zone
Some EU countries that don't use the EURO, or even some non EU countries that use the EURO by default could be part of the Schengen zone too
It's complicated.β β
The map above, created by the European Council, an official EU organization, shows these situations very clearly:
Full Schengen + EU zone members: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain (including the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands), France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden
Schengen zone but Non European Union: Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and micro-states that are de facto part of the zone like Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican.
Not Schengen zone + Non European Union countries: UK, Balkan countries except for Croatia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus.
Not Schengen zone but part of the European Union: Irelandβ β
Why does the Schengen Zone matter?
There are a few things you need to bear in mind when it comes to the Schengen zone because they affect your travels:
One visa for all: If you are visiting more than one country within the Schengen zone, you only need to get one visa or travel authorization for the first country you will visit and can then travel within the zone freely. Eg. Say you want to visit Spain and France in that order, you only need to get a visa for Spain and can then travel to France (or any other country in the zone) without another visa.
Maximum stay in the zone: Whether you need a visa or not to enter the zone, if you are visiting the Schengen zone You can only stay 90 days within a 180 day period in the zone. In practice, if you plan to travel in Europe for more than 3 months, you can be inside the zone for 3 months and then go to a non-Schengen zone country (UK, Ireland, Balkan countries) for another 90 days before you can re-enter the zone again. Important: there are some bi-lateral agreement between countries that bypass this limit. For example, The citizens of Argentina, Chile, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Costa Rica, Malaysia and Uruguay can stay without a visa in the Czech Republic for a maximum of additional 90 days beyond the scope of the 90/180 rule. These are very specific to some citizens and countries so you'd have to investigate, but it is possible and there are some exceptions to the rule.
Updates from our tours
The beaches and islands of Nosy Be, in Madagascar
454 of you are booked to travel with us this year π₯³
Here is an update on what's available.
π = I will be on this tour, come meet me!
π· = A professional photographer accompanies this trip to take photos for you to share and keep β
=> Did you know we can organize a trip for you and your friends or your family to any of the destinations above (mixed gender also)? We can tailor the itinerary, or just organize the same.
No need to handle payments amongst your friends, decide on an itinerary or take care of any of the organisational details. Just get your friends together, and book!
Reach out to discuss your dream trip!
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Have a wonderful weekend and talk to you next week.
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SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS CO-FOUNDERS
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Solo Female Travelersβ C/ Europa 18 5-2, Sitges, 08870
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