As Europe stands as a beacon for travelers seeking its rich history, diverse cultures, and breathtaking landscapes, the Schengen Visa acts as a key that unlocks these experiences. In 2024, this key will come at a higher price, prompting potential visitors to dig a little deeper into their pockets.  Understanding the upcoming changes to the Schengen Visa fees is crucial for planning your travel, ensuring that exploring the Old Continent remains a dream within reach. Overview of the Schengen Visa A Schengen Visa allows non-European travelers to cross the borders of 26 European countries wit ..read more

Why is the Schengen Area considered a cornerstone of European mobility and economic vitality? At its core, the Schengen Area represents a monumental achievement in regional cooperation, allowing for passport-free travel across multiple European countries.  It dramatically simplifies travel and boosts trade by removing border controls between member states, facilitating the free flow of people and goods. Today, we turn our focus to the ongoing journey of Bulgaria and Romania, two nations on the cusp of integrating fully into this zone.  This integration marks not just a significant mi ..read more

When Romania joined the Schengen Area in early 2023, it marked a significant milestone after years of anticipation and preparation. However, despite the expected ease of travel within the zone, many Romanians are still facing routine airport checks when traveling to other Schengen countries.  This ongoing scrutiny raises questions about the integration process and the uniform application of Schengen rules. What should have been a seamless transition to open borders is proving to be a series of obstacles, highlighting potential issues in policy enforcement and cross-country cooperation wit ..read more

Have you ever wondered what makes the Schengen Area so significant in Europe, and why its smooth functioning is crucial for millions of travelers? Recently, the European Union Commission has unveiled a series of ambitious proposals aimed at bolstering the robustness of the Schengen Area.  These initiatives promise to redefine border security and mobility within Europe, ensuring that the principles of free movement are maintained while addressing modern security challenges. Background The Schengen Agreement, initially signed in 1985, marked a transformative moment in European history, layi ..read more

The Schengen Area represents one of the most significant achievements in European integration, facilitating the free movement of people across national borders without the need for passport checks. Recently, this zone of free movement expanded slightly with the partial inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria, an integration process marked by over a decade of evaluations and preparations.  This article explores potential candidates for Schengen membership in 2024, assessing their readiness and the broader implications of their inclusion. As nations strive for seamless border transitions, the imp ..read more

The European Union faces ongoing challenges in managing migration and asylum, which are influenced by geopolitical shifts, conflicts, and socio-economic disparities outside its borders. In response, the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum was introduced to streamline procedures, reinforce borders, and ensure a more equitable sharing of responsibilities among member states.  This initiative represents a significant overhaul of the EU’s previous approaches, aiming to create a more robust and resilient framework. By balancing the need for humanitarian protection with the security and integration ..read more

If you’re planning a trip to Europe but have a criminal record, you may be wondering if you can apply for a Schengen visa. After all, many countries have very strict no-entry policies for travelers with a criminal record. Especially if your conviction is recent or for a serious offense. So, can you get a Schengen visa with a criminal record? The good news is that, in general, having a criminal record does not automatically disqualify you from getting a Schengen visa. Compared to most other countries, the Schengen area does have a more relaxed policy when it comes to travelers with a criminal r ..read more

Europe is a vibrant, diverse continent with a population of 500 million people. Becoming an EU citizen is a great way to experience the culture, lifestyle, and opportunities this continent has to offer. But how does one become a citizen of the EU? This guide will provide you with the essential information you need to make an informed decision about becoming an EU citizen. How does one become an EU citizen? The process of becoming a citizen is different for everyone, as it depends on your current citizenship status and the country you are applying from. Generally speaking, however, there are tw ..read more

We do not recommend that you try an fit all the sights and sounds of Europe into a single trip – there’s too much to see and to do. A better option would be to break it up into a number of mini itineraries and focus on 2 or 3 countries at a time. Each one of the itineraries below can be covered in around 2 or 3 weeks if you follow them to the letter but do not yourself too hard. If you find a place you really like, by all means stay longer and savour every moment. Switzerland and France While it doesn’t really matter where you start with this journey, we recommend starting in Paris because you ..read more

An overland trip from Asia to Europe can either be the adventure of a lifetime or it can (quite literally) be as easy as walking across a bridge. Below we will first look at the hard option but if, after reading that, you realize you do not have the time or the money we will conclude with a much easier (but no less interesting) alternative. Can one take a train from China to Europe? The answer is yes. You can take the Trans Siberian Express from Beijing in China to Mongolia. From there, it makes its way to Irkutsk in Russia. The next leg of your journey will be from Irkutsk to Moscow. Once you ..read more