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Looking at making an extended trip this summer, Swiss, France, Italy an Norway of course. Anyone have any advice, loop holes, warnings or experience to share. Don't want to get black listed or have to buy a new ticket after being detained leaving. I only have a US Passport...

I've been advised that some of the southern countries can be a little more lax but never talked to anyone who has actually pulled it off

Thanx, PM or post it cool.

Advice? Don't do it. If you get caught overstaying in Germany, Switzerland and maybe France, they will have the shits, and you don't have to be in an airport. I had mine checked on a train, a bus and in the train station. At the very least an extended interview and a fine. If for whatever reason your passport gets checked in some of the more strict countries and you're more than say a month over, they'll have plenty to talk about. Happened to a friend caught on a train in Switzerland.

There are loopholes - some countries had their own visa-free agreements that they get to keep after joining EU, usually making it something like 90 days in EU and additionally 90 more days in, say, Czech Republic. Google it - the issue is complex and info is hard to dig, but it is out there and quite useful.

What's wrong with you people??? Only one passport??? I thought they are collectables like stamps or coins

Norway is not EU. You get an entry/exit stamp between there and EU countries.

I have no idea how the visa policy goes with US passport as I have EU passport but if the restriction is 90 days inside Schengen area, Norway doesn´t help. Norway (like Switzerland) is part of the Schengen agreement although they are not part of the EU.

EU = European Union
Schengen area = the area comprising 26 European countries that have abolished passport or any other type of border control in-between their common borders, also referred to as internal borders.

yes, I have 3. Was a bit late to react to get a 4th.
I have Swiss, British and Irish Nationalities, could have had also Spanish

http://www.mvcr.cz/...x?q=Y2hudW09Mg%3D%3D

This gives you an official explanation of the 90+90 loophole, in this case useful for, say, Israeli or Mexican passport. Do your own research for a combination of your passport and specific Schengen countries - opportunities are nearly endless

There is a way to get an extended visa to stay in england for I think 6 months. You can get that and then just travel the rest of the EU during that period. I know a few people that have used this loophole.

Unless I'm totally missing something here, this is really only helpful if you want to hang out in CR... Unless border control is super lax, entering and leaving from Switzerland or other countries 4 months apart would still be in violation as they will still see you as having been within the schengen zone in excess of 90 days. So unless you could cross into CR without an exit interview and depart from CR I'm not really sure how this helps?

That seems to be the only real option I've found as well, 6 months is actually automatic for Americans in the UK... However you still have to make it either into or out of mainland Europe without getting stamped or scanned.

I've gotten a number of private messages with first hand accounts... Thanks everyone, not going to post them publicly but there seems a fairly consistent list of countries to avoid and countries that generally aren't to picky about a few extra weeks. Those that have been stopped have paid fines as high as 1000chf on the spot, others refused, left and we're barred reentry, but had no problem entering in another country. And a Couple others who didn't pay, but we're forced to pay or face deportation when they returned. There was one who was totally denied reentry and forced to return home.

The UK then chunnel to france option seems best if you want to know you'll exit clean (assuming you get in to France without being stamped (travel light, don't look like a tourist), once in you would 6 months to get exit stamped by the UK. You could then return to schengen with 90 days left... Or just pick one of the southern countries and roll the dice, the penalties don't seem to be the end of the world most of the time for small overstay.

There's no border control between CR and other Schengen countries, so you can simply fly out of CR and meanwhile don't get in trouble and/or checked by police in other countries ;-)

Then again, CR was just an example - similar agreements exist for countless combinations of countries, research your own case well and see what fits best.

Very helpful information... Thanx


Edited to add: unfortunately Americans are subject to all schengen rules in CR...