List of Schengen countries for Traveling in Europe

List of Schengen countries for Traveling in Europe

Category: Family Travel

Are you a travel fanatic person? If yes, so you must visit Europe and enjoy the amazing weather, lovely people and stunning scenic beauty. When you are on a vacation, you can view almost everything with interest in the European continent, including cities and beautiful sceneries. Still, one of the most comfortable ways to travel across the continent is within the so-called Schengen area – 27 European countries whose borders are open for the free crossing. This arrangement enables travelers to cross large parts of the continent with ease without too many formalities. If you have set your sights on Europe as your next vacation destination, it would be very useful to learn a little about the Schengen Area which will enable you to move around the various countries a lot easier and in less time.

What is the Schengen Area?

The countries belonging to the Schengen Area signed the Schengen Agreement in the village of Schengen, Luxembourg in 1985, and they retain no border control for people traveling within the countries of the area. The first objective of the deal is to liberalise the movement within the Europe market while making it secure through immigration controls. The Schengen member states are collaborating and have decide to open their border within the community hence people can freely cross the check points from one country to another.

Schengen Area contains a majority of the EU member countries and a few extra countries who are willing to be a part of the agreement. These countries share the general visa policy where the Schengen visa enables a person to visit any member country if his/her visa allows maximum stay in the country of visit.

What are the Member Countries of the Schengen Agreement?

Currently Schengen territory comprises 27 countries. The list includes countries of different size and culture, and different landscapes for every type of tourists. Some of the most popular Schengen countries for travel include:

1. France: Famous for the arts and culture namely the museums and the culinary hub, France still ranks high among most traveler’s destination. Discover Paris, Nice, and other major and minor cities including French Riviera, Lyon and Bordeaux.
2. Germany: Germany also highlights Berlin’s art scene, Bavaria’s fairy-tale palaces and the Germany we associate with fairy-tales, that is the Bavarian Alps and the Black Forest.
3. Italy: These are, for instance, the Colosseum in Rome, the channel city of Venice and the fertile lands of Tuscany. This makes Italian food, art and architectures other major attractions among travelers.
4. Spain: Spain has many wonderful things to see, from the ancient castle in Granada that is called Alhambra to the active pace of people in Barcelona and Madrid. Gaze at the Mediterranean sea, dance in festive celebrations, and taste small portioned delicious Spanish meals.
5. Netherlands: Renowned for its magnificent waterways, flowers especially its tulips and windmills, the Netherlands comprises of active cities such as Amsterdam with rich museum cultures and exciting night.

Others are Austria, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, and Poland. It also encompasses some relatively less famous countries such as Luxembourg and Liechtenstein which however may provide special attraction or opportunity.

Advantages of travelling within the Schengen Area

In recent years, businessmen have been able to travel from one country to another within the Schengen Area with ease. If you start your travels in a Schengen country, you do not need a visa to travel to another Schengen country without undergoing immigration control at the border, or even being subject to customs check. This can make traveling a lot less stuffy and way more fun.

Easier to get a visa than getting different visas for different countries, that makes it easier for travelers to visit different countries with just a single visa. For anyone willing to visit several countries within a short period, including Paris and many other European cities like Amsterdam and Berlin, tour companies opened opportunities.

Duties and Responsibilities of Employees

In order to go to the Schengen Member States besides those he’s a citizen of, most third country Nationals need to reap a Schengen Visa. This visa enables the holder to move in any Schengen state for up to ninety days in a 180 days’ period. Applicants of Schengen visa, therefore, have to apply through the consulate of the country of first choice destination. If no main destination exists, then they should apply through the country of first entry.

There are few of the countries that impose additional conditions on visa processes. On the other hand, there are some of the countries that may not need a visa at all due to bilateral agreements or European Union visa code restrictions. You need to find if there are specific requirements for the country or countries of your travel before applying.

Tourism in Schengen Area

One of the biggest sights of the Schengen Area is that one can journey from one country to another freely. The area does not impose any restrictions, allowing one to travel by train, car, or plane. There are high-speed train services such as Euro star and Thalys that cover places like Paris, Brussels and London to an instance, for the flight within the Schengen region is fast and cheap. For those who like the basic and adventurous life, here is a look out; yes, the road trips may be quite boring, but travelling through countries like Switzerland or Austria are cool.

There are no passport checkpoints and this is such a flexible system for last minutes’ decisions. Currently you can travel by train from Paris to Amsterdam without passing through any border posts. Moreover, you can also feel the comfort of not having to cross borders. If you have plan to visit some other neighboring countries or in case if you need to make a small diversion on your trip, Schengen Area leaves that freedom.

Difficulties of Getting Around the Schengen Region

This is the case with Schengen Area membership which has some advantages and some specific issues on the table. For instance, foreign policy such as a visa policy implies that all Schengen countries expect the travelers to observe the same policies regardless of their convenience. In general, anyone who had a Schengen visa before can easily apply for a new one, but if you have some specifics, for instance, you need a visa as a student or you have some visa limitations or restricted periods for the travels, it can be a little difficult for you.

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