You guys are always welcome in Australia. It's not as expensive as people say and as US citizens the US dollar is nearly double the Australian dollar. So much to see and do here. 😊
You could have also mentioned Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and Moldova are not part of the Schengen Zone. So there are still great options available for travelers. Safe Travels. Johnsjourneys!!
There are still several very nice European countries to visit outside the Schengen zone that are not too expensive: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkiye. I think for the most part they are welcoming foreigners.
I spent a week in Montenegro in 2009 and it was very nice and accommodating to tourists. At the time we were just a few hours from Albania but weren’t sure if it was open for tourism. It turned out it was. Now it’s very friendly to tourists. I’ve also been to Turkey and I think it would be possible to spend a lot of time there because they have beach towns along the coasts, and thousands of years of history, and Istanbul which was the capital of two large empires and is a very large modern city. The UK is also outside the Schengen zone, so combined with Ireland would be a great area to be in when it’s super hot in Europe. I also loved spending time in Ukraine before the war. There are a large number of castles to explore in the south and west due to the long conflict between the Ottoman and Russian empires. I visited Poltava in the east whose battlefield marked the end of the Swedish empire’s expansion in 1709. Poltava is also a smaller very walkable city. Kyiv has a great nightlife and a lot of history as it was a capital city when the Mongol invasion came. So hopefully the war ends soon and Ukraine can welcome tourism again. I really enjoyed the river cruise there as well as the Bosporus cruise in Istanbul to see the lights. I haven’t been to Poland yet but I think it’s also outside the Schengen for now
My guess is that the tourists who had water poured on them etc are pretty far down the Ugly American spectrum, and were acting like entitled a-holes at the time.
I have been to Europe numerous times and have never experienced any of the backlash which are now occurring. It seems many cities - not just European ones - are fed up with day-only tourism aka cruise ship travelers! Additionally many tourists are just disrespectful to locals and their town. Always those few apples ruining it for everyone else. If placed in their shoes, how many of us would be willing to change our entire lifestyle just for tourists to invade our town for a day?
Plenty of other countries to visit if you’re open to some of the more unknown places like Montenegro, Albania (Americans get 12mths) Nth Macedonia, Turkey, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Gibraltar, the whole of the UK and you’ve mentioned Cyprus & Ireland. With some careful planning you can stay indefinitely (it’s just going to cost a pretty penny)
Great tip to book with points. I can understand how over tourism can cause frustration with the locals. Living here in Florida we also experience it. Now magnify 🔎 it with 2,3,even 5 cruise ships docking at the same ports .🛳 Thankfully Portugal canceled their NHR visa program. It what pushed us to look at slow traveling the world instead of retiring to Portugal. Do you see a shift to visiting smaller towns? (With just short half or 1 day trips by train / bus to the bigger cities. )🤔👍 Also go during shoulder or off seasons.
I just checked into the Linder Hyatt Vienna today! A good value for points and a good location in Vienna. I have found some great values with Choice hotel points too,
Getting ready to start slow traveling internationally this fall.. starting with Europe, but only for 30 days before heading to Asia, will probably end up in Europe again in the spring.
Don't forget the UK. Also, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, and even Turkey are all wonderful options that finally get the chance to welcome travelers. France and I believe Spain have treaties with the US that allow an extra 3 months in those countries. Make sure to print the treaty info as not all boarder agents are familiar with those. The whole thing is a mess for all involved. We really do love visitors, but find it hard to do life when being overwhelmed by the impact of SO MANY. Excellent video guys!!! Thanks for all you do!
I say give them what they want. Take away the port fees, the VAT, the money spent in restaurants and shops and hotels. Let them see what their city is like in a few years with all of that gone. It won’t be pretty.
I probably should be in the middle, the local people of course don’t want their city overly crowded. It makes it harder to walk to get to places and other reasons but if all the money is gone, mostly then that creates other problems.
The only loud, obnoxious partiers I listened to in Barcelona last June were Spaniards. They partied til like 2:30 in the morning. I still love Europe and will be returning soon.
Airbnb has attracted a lot of very badly behaved, disrespectful people. They ruined neighborhoods of Barcelona. And this has happened in other cities as well.
the problem is the investment in residential real estate...interest rates were so low it was easy for companies (and people) to gobble up apartments/TH/SF and turn them into rentals or AirBnB/VRBO/etc...not having owner occupied properties leads to communities dying out. Renters don't are about schools, roads, local issues or runaway rents/sales prices. I'm fine with local governments that want to limit these rental companies.
I don’t blame anyone in Europe one bit. Over-tourism is a huge issue. Yes, they benefit from tourism dollars (or whatever currency), but they have to live there and protect their resources as well. I see these changes as a good step in having a balance for them and for us. Over tourism affects me as a traveler as well - so much has become way too crowded. As someone else mentioned, limitations on cruise ships are going to be an important part of this process!
I'm not a "slow traveler" I just go on regular-people vacations and when I do I do not want to stay in somebody's house (or hostels). Maybe in a regular, legit Bed & Breakfast, but not in an Air BnB. The shortage of affordable housing is real; I live in Manhattan and I do get this. I think that single family detatched housing is different from co-ops, condos and most definitely rental apartments, in the Air BnB context, however. I could possibly see taking a short term rental that is on the up and up if I was going to stay somewhere for a month or longer, but the Air BnB concept just makes me uncomfortable. I know it is popular now and that a lot of people do it for extra income, but I have issues with it and can understand the backlash occuring in some areas. I don't want to get sprayed with water or anything else by angry locals but I guess I just have to take that chance, even while staying in regular hotels. I don't think I have the stomach to play credit card tic-tac-toe even though I'm a fan of your (and Ask Sebby's) channels. I'm taking baby steps into that arena, but just one toe at a time.
So true, Europe is getting harder. Fortunately, the world has so many interesting places we plan on following the sun. Our Europe plans are to visit in the Spring (Mar-May) and Fall (Sep-Nov) and do the Schengen shuffle. We have family in Italy we like to visit each year. Europe is cold in the Winter. Hot and crowded in Summer. Spring and Fall will yield you better prices on flight as well. Or take a repositioning cruise!
Great video, especially regarding using points. We're in Bucharest for three nights right now at the Intercontinental, using our IHG points, and it's terrific! Thanks for your advice.
I live in Hawaii. On occasion I come across people that are not quite right. I figure they think that they'll never be back here again so they can act like A-Holes. Then again there are so many visitors that are that are respectful as being guests. It's those A-holes that really leave bitter thoughts.
I’m not sure that this is a good strategy as the redemption rate with some hotels is terrible depending where you plan to go. IHG even with the card discount of 4th night free, the redemption is crap. Paying cash is often a better deal.
And we mustn't overlook the constantly shifting market situations and financial insecurities. It's ample to cause anxiety regarding one's retirement savings .
Having a professional financial advisor like DESIREE RUTH HOFFMAN can make a real difference. Her knowledge can help navigate retirement planning complexities and recommend tailored strategies that match individual goals and risk preferences.
as a platinum former starwood hotel person it's not as much fun (or easy) being a points person as it used to be playing this game. Marriott really devalued their program...i think the key is now to look to Tier 2 cities and train to larger cities...the beauty of Europe is their train system.
Might be helpful to briefly mention reasons there are changes in response to surge of European travel and the economic impact to locals. Maybe a link to that information since that's not the focus of your videos. Grateful for all the information and perspective you share.
Hopefully traveling off season will make a difference, summer is also when a lot of Europeans take their vacations too so there's competition and price gouging. I've never booked an Airbnb but have stayed in regular and apart hotels for the added security of having someone on site. And there are other places in the world to travel. I've been to so Caribbean countries but plan to go to Mexico, other Latin American and African countries. Hopefully the people who are upset with tourism being such a big part of their economies will lobby their governments to invest in other industries.
I was thinking of retiring in Portugal and have put that off. Its just too expensive now with all the people moving there. Plus its hard to bring pets over. CDC is also making hard to bring animals back into the US. I'll take a trip over at some point. Croatia was also on my list
Do you find that the cash rate is usually cheaper than points in the US? That’s been my experience I think that’s odd if the rest of the world it’s the reverse
Also I have heard that the AirBnbs in some of those cities will continue to exist for minimum one-month stays, which may work for many retiree/nomads. But I'm sure it won't get much easier.
Yep! Take away the port fees, the VAT, and all the money spent in restaurants, bars and shops and in a few years they’ll be begging for ships to return. But by then, people will be over Barcelona. 😉
Thanks. However, the points strategy would only apply to a minority of travelers, mostly from the US, as it does not apply to Canadians. Also, ETIAS will not be effective until 2025 Roger
The European Commission has announced that EES( Entry/Exit System) will begin Nov. 10th. In the beginning it may slow down travel at entry points as they obtain your biometrics. Then approximately 6 months later ETIAS (European Travel Information & Authorisation System) will be started. You must complete the application process online and pay your fees PRIOR to travel. The Commission said the postponements were to wait until after the Olympics in Paris and summer holiday travel was over.
Good to know. Thank you By the way and completely off topic.. as I was getting my classroom ready to start school tomorrow , I ran across a photo of you both from an educational company. I took a double take and thought to my self "I know who theses guys are" then I remembered yoiu said once you had worked in photography. Hope you continue to enjoy your retirement.
Do you ever house/pet sit as part of your slow travel plans? I live in the Caribbean would like to organize a group people willing to house/pet sit in exchange for free accommodations, vehicle, food and laundry
Uk is not part of schengen zone . We start our travels in. January. Starting with cruise spending several months in UK and Ireland. Then we will be doing 3 months in schengen We have been working on getting our hotel cards. But for our first half we are going in low season. We are paying about a third of the regular prices. I am planning after we get the last card and meet spend we can start purchasing points. Figured only way I could afford to hit my bucket list was to go at off season and knock out europe. Then will head to asia.
@UniquePathWellness uk January February. Ireland November to February.. France November to April. Belgium and Germany November to March. Czech Republic Jan, though, March
@UniquePathWellness I posted below But most of northern Europe is November through March unless they have winter festivities. Just find the country you are interested in and check their low season
A lot pricier. Our friends just finished up a 3 month stint in the UK after being in other countries in Europe and they said the cost of everything, especially in service sector, is insane.
The problem I am having is when I look at IGH in France none of the hotels are close to city centers - which means we would need a car or would have to spend a lot of time using transportation. In this circumstance would you look at using other hotels?
The Schengen Zone has also ruined travel by Space-A for military retirees. We can’t fly into US military airbases that we used to fly into because there are no Schengen officials to check our passports. Very depressing.
I was checking on ETIAS & EES recently and it doesn't look like they will have ETIAS operational until the middle of 2025, at best. EES is planned to start first. When they are up and running, they should help when crossing external Schengen borders as it is supposed to just be a scan, facial image and fingerprint scans. No more stamps and manual border patrol checks required. 🤞 So they say...for now. 🤷♂
Hi you guys! Thanks for the info! What countries in Europe have a low cost investment requirement to get long term Visa or residency in? Once you achieve this in a EU country, you may get access to the whole EU continent!
We've looked into getting the Chase Ink Business card, but in the fine print it says that all purchases must be for business only. If I remember right, it said they could even revoke your card or your points if you make oetsonal purchases on it. We have a small business, but it's not active. We can't possibly make business only purchases. As far as you know, does Chase enforce their "no personal" rule on that card?
My wife and I have each gotten several Chase business cards over the years, including an Ink card. If you have a small business or "might" open one in the future and you meet their other criteria, you can probably get approved, even by using household income as the estimated income. I don't think Chase has any way to verify whether your spending is on a business or not; they don't ask for tax records etc. There are a lot of blogs, subreddits, Flyertalk forum threads, etc where people discuss strategies for getting approved. Keep in mind the Ink bonus requires an $8000 spending threshold for the bonus IIRC.
Do they still stamp your passport upon entering and leaving or is it all done electronically and how do you keep track of all that yourself instead of just the country?
We're about to take a reposition cruise - after seeing your video! TY! The rooms sold out so quickly that we wound up getting a more expensive room but well worth the price. Can you talk more about visas? We're awaiting our passports (they were OLD and we needed new ones) and about to cruise from the US to EU and UK. So...what's the story with Visas? We'll stay in the UK after the cruise. TY!
There are also some western Balkan countries still outside the Schengen, such as Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, although I've read that Montenegro could be next to join the Schengen.
Any idea why the European’s have had such a change in attitude/heart toward Americans. 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️ My husband and I love Europe. Our son lived in England for four years. We spent a month in Europe last summer and had an amazing experience. We cannot wait to return, but this information is definitely new to us and eye opening. Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and experiences. 💕🇨🇱💕
I am now digging deeper into this (as a librarian - I love researching) and it seems the locals in these cities (at least Barcelona) feel they are being driven out by higher costs of normal living/renting a flat…still researching…but I do know that some US cities don’t allow AirBnbs - I’ve checked into being an AirBnb owner myself in the US. I certainly don’t have your expertise, because my husband and I are not yet living the “slow travel” retirement life yet, but we are still aiming for it. But…we do absolutely LOVE Europe. I just want to understand the European view before passing judgement and “negatively” commenting on travel to Europe…just really want to understand their views. We actually feel safer and more at home in Europe than in the US. I’m sure some viewers would tell me to just move there and I would happily say I would LOVE to! No disrespect intended at all, but I do think we have to put ourselves into the European citizens’ positions.
Europeans have not had a change of heart. Barcelona rent prices skyrocketed because of Airbnb. And inflation happened and is still happening in many countries in Europe. It isn’t about Americans. The tourists in Europe are from all over the world!
I'm from America, living in Europe. It's not an anti-American sentiment. Most visitors to Southern Europe are northern Europeans. Believe it or not, the English have a worse reputation than Americans do. It's just not talked about as much. I would not write off Europe, just Spain for now.
The key to travel in Europe is to stay outside of the city and take public transportation to and from town. Or stay in a hotel. If you are not staying in prime airbnb location then you are not taking it away from a local. And while there, be respectful.
@@rhondamcgee2114 My most recent reading talks about the mismanagement of tourists dollars 💵. That the money 💰 is displacing locals and taking jobs and livelihoods away from the Mom and Pop businesses. I am not surprised to hear that just like here in the US that the people in power (politics)are not acting on the behalf of those that they represent.
I'll try to give you the short version. It's spelled Schengen. It's currently 29 European countries (best to look up a map) that have abolished their internal borders to allow the free and unrestricted movement of people. If you are familiar with the US, traveling freely from state to state, the Schengen is the similar but country to country. Once you enter the Schengen, you can only stay 90 days within any 180 period. As it is quite often stated, it is a rolling 180 period. You do not have to stay consecutive days. For instance, you could enter for 45 days, go out for 45 days, back in for 45 days then out for 45 days. Maybe not the most economical way to travel, but you could. Be careful not to go over 90 days or you could receive penalties or be banned from returning. Oh, and travel delays are not an excuse for exceeding your 90 days. So I've heard people mention that they plan their travel to leave a day or two early in case their flight (or what ever mode) is delayed. There are apps to help you plan and keep track of your days in the Schengen. For an actual example, you could fly into Italy and stay 30 days. Move on to Austria and stay 30 days. Then head over to Germany where you could stay 30 days before you would need to leave before your 90 days are up. You then would have to remain out of all Schengen countries before returning to any of them. Hope this helps. And yes, that was my attempt at the short version while still getting the point across. 🤭
We plan to travel to London and France. We are a bit nervous about the riots and general chaos. We have friends in South London so cancelling London hotel to stay with them!
Good info, but the same rules are for years that way if you want to go and stay in the USA. Maximum 3 months stay and the tracking fine are used there for years. Just for people not coming from the USA this extra info.
Sounds like you should be seeking dual citizenship with countries, such as Ireland, Portugal, or Spain that enable open travel through the Schengen Area.
IHG is only offering 80% bonus to purchase points. But the exchange is 0.00555 per point or 180,000 points for $1,000. You have mentioned that they offer a 0.005 conversion twice a year. Is the 80% the new normal?
I've been to Europe and it is beautiful. But keep it. If you make it difficult or not nice for me, I'm not coming. There is plenty to do in the United States. Also, a major war could break out there at any time.
Putins aspirations aren’t limited to Ukraine. Poland needs to be vigilant. Trump has already encouraged Putin to attack NATO allies. Hopefully Harris wins and reaffirms support for NATO.
Love your channel and usually find it informative. But your Schengen comments are quite misleading. There are still MANY beautiful European countries outside of the Schengen zone: Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovinia, Ireland, Turkey...and on and on. And I can tell you from experience, the locals are generally welcoming and delighted to meet travelers.
wow, whats the point of traveling into europe at lengthy and expensive time frame. i think i will just have to rethink my plans to go back to europe in the furture. if they don't want me i don't need to spend my hard earned money there. we spent 6 months traveling around europe and england in 2022 and loved it. would have considered it again but...not with this attitude.
At 54 and recently laid off, I’m at a breaking point. With $425K saved for early retirement at 70, $10K in an HSA, and a property that could yield an additional $200K, what are my options for generating steady income?
I’m unsure weather to find another job or merge all my investment accounts into one. If I do, how should I handle it, and are there any potential drawbacks? I also plan to sell my property, which could add $200K over time. Should I consolidate my investments into a single account or spread them across various markets?
These are crucial questions for a financial planner. I met mine at a NYSE summit, and with her help, my wife and I reallocated our $1.7M portfolio between a traditional IRA and a brokerage account. She’s been making investments with our approval and has helped us recover twice our losses. We’re holding steady and carefully navigating more markets
There are so many excellent smaller cities and quiet towns to visit in Europe. I'm not sure why people would want to travel for vacation to crowded cities with Gypsy pickpockets!
Traveling in smaller cities is less expensive and might help to avoid the worst of the tourist-haters.
You guys are always welcome in Australia. It's not as expensive as people say and as US citizens the US dollar is nearly double the Australian dollar. So much to see and do here. 😊
Thanks, it is very high on our list of places we want to visit!
Yeah, but scared of being locked in when the next totalitarian mandates are announced.
coming is 2026, c you then!
You could have also mentioned Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and Moldova are not part of the Schengen Zone. So there are still great options available for travelers. Safe Travels.
Johnsjourneys!!
There are still several very nice European countries to visit outside the Schengen zone that are not too expensive: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkiye. I think for the most part they are welcoming foreigners.
Agree - the days of Barcelona (who don't want us there) are over. Now it's time to expand to the lesser known areas and boost their economies.
I spent a week in Montenegro in 2009 and it was very nice and accommodating to tourists. At the time we were just a few hours from Albania but weren’t sure if it was open for tourism. It turned out it was. Now it’s very friendly to tourists.
I’ve also been to Turkey and I think it would be possible to spend a lot of time there because they have beach towns along the coasts, and thousands of years of history, and Istanbul which was the capital of two large empires and is a very large modern city.
The UK is also outside the Schengen zone, so combined with Ireland would be a great area to be in when it’s super hot in Europe.
I also loved spending time in Ukraine before the war. There are a large number of castles to explore in the south and west due to the long conflict between the Ottoman and Russian empires. I visited Poltava in the east whose battlefield marked the end of the Swedish empire’s expansion in 1709. Poltava is also a smaller very walkable city. Kyiv has a great nightlife and a lot of history as it was a capital city when the Mongol invasion came. So hopefully the war ends soon and Ukraine can welcome tourism again. I really enjoyed the river cruise there as well as the Bosporus cruise in Istanbul to see the lights.
I haven’t been to Poland yet but I think it’s also outside the Schengen for now
@@kenmcclow8963 Poland is in Schengen unfortunately. But you are quite right about the UK and Turkiye.
My guess is that the tourists who had water poured on them etc are pretty far down the Ugly American spectrum, and were acting like entitled a-holes at the time.
WOWZERS! Such a great video. Hubby and I are especially interested in the cruise impact of the changes, if any. Thank you!
I have been to Europe numerous times and have never experienced any of the backlash which are now occurring. It seems many cities - not just European ones - are fed up with day-only tourism aka cruise ship travelers! Additionally many tourists are just disrespectful to locals and their town. Always those few apples ruining it for everyone else. If placed in their shoes, how many of us would be willing to change our entire lifestyle just for tourists to invade our town for a day?
True
Good info about Europe and the added hassles of an expanding shengen zone for slow travellers
Plenty of other countries to visit if you’re open to some of the more unknown places like Montenegro, Albania (Americans get 12mths) Nth Macedonia, Turkey, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Gibraltar, the whole of the UK and you’ve mentioned Cyprus & Ireland. With some careful planning you can stay indefinitely (it’s just going to cost a pretty penny)
The cost for temporary and permanent visas for Mexico are also much higher (twice as high, roughly, as a couple of years ago).
Great tip to book with points.
I can understand how over tourism can cause frustration with the locals. Living here in Florida we also experience it.
Now magnify 🔎 it with 2,3,even 5 cruise ships docking at the same ports .🛳
Thankfully Portugal canceled their NHR visa program. It what pushed us to look at slow traveling the world instead of retiring to Portugal.
Do you see a shift to visiting smaller towns? (With just short half or 1 day trips by train / bus to the bigger cities. )🤔👍 Also go during shoulder or off seasons.
The Portugal NHR was not a visa. It was a tax scheme. If you want to live in Portugal, the D7 visa is still available.
I just checked into the Linder Hyatt Vienna today! A good value for points and a good location in Vienna. I have found some great values with Choice hotel points too,
Thanks for the info!
Getting ready to start slow traveling internationally this fall.. starting with Europe, but only for 30 days before heading to Asia, will probably end up in Europe again in the spring.
Don't forget the UK. Also, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, and even Turkey are all wonderful options that finally get the chance to welcome travelers. France and I believe Spain have treaties with the US that allow an extra 3 months in those countries. Make sure to print the treaty info as not all boarder agents are familiar with those. The whole thing is a mess for all involved. We really do love visitors, but find it hard to do life when being overwhelmed by the impact of SO MANY. Excellent video guys!!! Thanks for all you do!
Not Turkey anymore. They have added terms hard to meet for foreigners. The inflation also is crazy and dwelling is expensive.
@@tyxeri48agree - the Turks are just out to rip off tourists these days.
I say give them what they want. Take away the port fees, the VAT, the money spent in restaurants and shops and hotels. Let them see what their city is like in a few years with all of that gone. It won’t be pretty.
I probably should be in the middle, the local people of course don’t want their city overly crowded. It makes it harder to walk to get to places and other reasons but if all the money is gone, mostly then that creates other problems.
The only loud, obnoxious partiers I listened to in Barcelona last June were Spaniards. They partied til like 2:30 in the morning. I still love Europe and will be returning soon.
Airbnb has attracted a lot of very badly behaved, disrespectful people. They ruined neighborhoods of Barcelona. And this has happened in other cities as well.
the problem is the investment in residential real estate...interest rates were so low it was easy for companies (and people) to gobble up apartments/TH/SF and turn them into rentals or AirBnB/VRBO/etc...not having owner occupied properties leads to communities dying out. Renters don't are about schools, roads, local issues or runaway rents/sales prices. I'm fine with local governments that want to limit these rental companies.
I don’t blame anyone in Europe one bit. Over-tourism is a huge issue. Yes, they benefit from tourism dollars (or whatever currency), but they have to live there and protect their resources as well. I see these changes as a good step in having a balance for them and for us. Over tourism affects me as a traveler as well - so much has become way too crowded. As someone else mentioned, limitations on cruise ships are going to be an important part of this process!
I'm not a "slow traveler" I just go on regular-people vacations and when I do I do not want to stay in somebody's house (or hostels). Maybe in a regular, legit Bed & Breakfast, but not in an Air BnB. The shortage of affordable housing is real; I live in Manhattan and I do get this. I think that single family detatched housing is different from co-ops, condos and most definitely rental apartments, in the Air BnB context, however. I could possibly see taking a short term rental that is on the up and up if I was going to stay somewhere for a month or longer, but the Air BnB concept just makes me uncomfortable. I know it is popular now and that a lot of people do it for extra income, but I have issues with it and can understand the backlash occuring in some areas. I don't want to get sprayed with water or anything else by angry locals but I guess I just have to take that chance, even while staying in regular hotels.
I don't think I have the stomach to play credit card tic-tac-toe even though I'm a fan of your (and Ask Sebby's) channels. I'm taking baby steps into that arena, but just one toe at a time.
I'm not going where I'm not wanted. Will not be going to Europe no time soon, thanks for the info.
That’s absurd. It was one city, Barcelona, that got fed up with tourists. Not all of Europe.
Silly,
Barcelona is not "Europe".
Ever heard of other cities????
@@m.m.4645 They said Europe and other cities, again, I'm not going.
@@Beyloveseverybody well, then not.
@@m.m.4645 not
So true, Europe is getting harder. Fortunately, the world has so many interesting places we plan on following the sun. Our Europe plans are to visit in the Spring (Mar-May) and Fall (Sep-Nov) and do the Schengen shuffle. We have family in Italy we like to visit each year. Europe is cold in the Winter. Hot and crowded in Summer. Spring and Fall will yield you better prices on flight as well. Or take a repositioning cruise!
Great video, especially regarding using points. We're in Bucharest for three nights right now at the Intercontinental, using our IHG points, and it's terrific! Thanks for your advice.
Awesome, enjoy the city!
I live in Hawaii. On occasion I come across people that are not quite right. I figure they think that they'll never be back here again so they can act like A-Holes. Then again there are so many visitors that are that are respectful as being guests. It's those A-holes that really leave bitter thoughts.
Sensible tips for how to help manage market fluctuations! Much appreciated. Robert in NYC.
Thanks
I’m not sure that this is a good strategy as the redemption rate with some hotels is terrible depending where you plan to go. IHG even with the card discount of 4th night free, the redemption is crap. Paying cash is often a better deal.
Retirement planning can be quite overwhelming, especially when it comes to choosing the right investment options.
Absolutely. With so many choices like banks, bonds, and IRAs, it's hard to know which ones will provide the best returns.
And we mustn't overlook the constantly shifting market situations and financial insecurities. It's ample to cause anxiety regarding one's retirement savings .
Having a professional financial advisor like DESIREE RUTH HOFFMAN can make a real difference. Her knowledge can help navigate retirement planning complexities and recommend tailored strategies that match individual goals and risk preferences.
That's a common concern. Without proper guidance, it's easy to make mistakes that could impact your financial security in retirement.
DESIREE RUTH HOFFMAN specializes in retirement planning and can offer valuable insights into maximizing returns while minimizing risks.
as a platinum former starwood hotel person it's not as much fun (or easy) being a points person as it used to be playing this game. Marriott really devalued their program...i think the key is now to look to Tier 2 cities and train to larger cities...the beauty of Europe is their train system.
We decided not to go for Marriott status this year, due to the ease that they give it away worldwide.
Thanks for the updated info. Safe travels ❤️❤️
Might be helpful to briefly mention reasons there are changes in response to surge of European travel and the economic impact to locals. Maybe a link to that information since that's not the focus of your videos. Grateful for all the information and perspective you share.
Brilliant.
I learned a lot today from this video. Thanks!
N Macedonia & Montenegro are still non_Schengen.
Good to know! Thanks for posting this.
Hopefully traveling off season will make a difference, summer is also when a lot of Europeans take their vacations too so there's competition and price gouging. I've never booked an Airbnb but have stayed in regular and apart hotels for the added security of having someone on site. And there are other places in the world to travel. I've been to so Caribbean countries but plan to go to Mexico, other Latin American and African countries. Hopefully the people who are upset with tourism being such a big part of their economies will lobby their governments to invest in other industries.
thank you great coupel God bless
I was thinking of retiring in Portugal and have put that off. Its just too expensive now with all the people moving there. Plus its hard to bring pets over. CDC is also making hard to bring animals back into the US. I'll take a trip over at some point. Croatia was also on my list
Do you find that the cash rate is usually cheaper than points in the US? That’s been my experience I think that’s odd if the rest of the world it’s the reverse
I have found the same thing.
We rarely see cash rates cheaper than points anywhere, if you are using the 4th night free.
I guess Europe doesn't need tourist money anymore!
Also I have heard that the AirBnbs in some of those cities will continue to exist for minimum one-month stays, which may work for many retiree/nomads. But I'm sure it won't get much easier.
If you travel to Sicily, you can stay with us ~ we will have 2 extra bedrooms and an extra bath. 😍 Great info! Blessings, ~ Carol Amato
Sounds great!
Thanks for the good information.
The ironic thing is tourism is the biggest contributor to GDP in Barcelona 🙄
Airbnb has RUINED neighborhoods in Barcelona.
Yep! Take away the port fees, the VAT, and all the money spent in restaurants, bars and shops and in a few years they’ll be begging for ships to return. But by then, people will be over Barcelona. 😉
@@joleighva Not so sure. If your neighbourhood has been ruined by loud, disrespectful party makers I don't think the port fees and VAT will matter
Thanks. However, the points strategy would only apply to a minority of travelers, mostly from the US, as it does not apply to Canadians.
Also, ETIAS will not be effective until 2025
Roger
The European Commission has announced that EES( Entry/Exit System) will begin Nov. 10th. In the beginning it may slow down travel at entry points as they obtain your biometrics. Then approximately 6 months later ETIAS (European Travel Information & Authorisation System) will be started. You must complete the application process online and pay your fees PRIOR to travel.
The Commission said the postponements were to wait until after the Olympics in Paris and summer holiday travel was over.
Good to know. Thank you By the way and completely off topic.. as I was getting my classroom ready to start school tomorrow , I ran across a photo of you both from an educational company. I took a double take and thought to my self "I know who theses guys are" then I remembered yoiu said once you had worked in photography. Hope you continue to enjoy your retirement.
Thanks! Yes, that was probably us from our previous work!
Albania is also not in the Schengen 😊
Do you ever house/pet sit as part of your slow travel plans? I live in the Caribbean would like to organize a group people willing to house/pet sit in exchange for free accommodations, vehicle, food and laundry
Uk is not part of schengen zone . We start our travels in. January. Starting with cruise spending several months in UK and Ireland. Then we will be doing 3 months in schengen
We have been working on getting our hotel cards. But for our first half we are going in low season. We are paying about a third of the regular prices. I am planning after we get the last card and meet spend we can start purchasing points. Figured only way I could afford to hit my bucket list was to go at off season and knock out europe. Then will head to asia.
Europe in the off season will be nice, peak season is getting too crazy.
Hi can you tell me when exactly is off season
When is Europe off season
@UniquePathWellness uk January February. Ireland November to February.. France November to April. Belgium and Germany November to March. Czech Republic Jan, though, March
@UniquePathWellness I posted below
But most of northern Europe is November through March unless they have winter festivities. Just find the country you are interested in and check their low season
The UK is also outside of the Schengen, so another good Europe option, but a little pricier than some other area.
A lot pricier. Our friends just finished up a 3 month stint in the UK after being in other countries in Europe and they said the cost of everything, especially in service sector, is insane.
The problem I am having is when I look at IGH in France none of the hotels are close to city centers - which means we would need a car or would have to spend a lot of time using transportation. In this circumstance would you look at using other hotels?
The Schengen Zone has also ruined travel by Space-A for military retirees. We can’t fly into US military airbases that we used to fly into because there are no Schengen officials to check our passports. Very depressing.
I was checking on ETIAS & EES recently and it doesn't look like they will have ETIAS operational until the middle of 2025, at best. EES is planned to start first. When they are up and running, they should help when crossing external Schengen borders as it is supposed to just be a scan, facial image and fingerprint scans. No more stamps and manual border patrol checks required. 🤞
So they say...for now. 🤷♂
They have announced they plan on starting EES November 10, 2024
Turkey could be a nice affordable option that's a little outside of greater Europe.
There's no link on how to BUY POINTS. Thank you for adding this info.
Hi you guys! Thanks for the info! What countries in Europe have a low cost investment requirement to get long term Visa or residency in? Once you achieve this in a EU country, you may get access to the whole EU continent!
Portugal, Albania, Georgia. That’s why Portugal has the “housing“ problem it has now, especially Lisbon.
Go to Georgia. That's not part of Schengen.
Have you been to Sarandë Albania? Might be a good step-out now (although they are talking about joining as well).
We've looked into getting the Chase Ink Business card, but in the fine print it says that all purchases must be for business only. If I remember right, it said they could even revoke your card or your points if you make oetsonal purchases on it. We have a small business, but it's not active. We can't possibly make business only purchases. As far as you know, does Chase enforce their "no personal" rule on that card?
I was also asked about my business income, which is practically zero this year, so I decided to go with the Sapphire Preferred
My wife and I have each gotten several Chase business cards over the years, including an Ink card. If you have a small business or "might" open one in the future and you meet their other criteria, you can probably get approved, even by using household income as the estimated income. I don't think Chase has any way to verify whether your spending is on a business or not; they don't ask for tax records etc. There are a lot of blogs, subreddits, Flyertalk forum threads, etc where people discuss strategies for getting approved. Keep in mind the Ink bonus requires an $8000 spending threshold for the bonus IIRC.
Do they still stamp your passport upon entering and leaving or is it all done electronically and how do you keep track of all that yourself instead of just the country?
We're about to take a reposition cruise - after seeing your video! TY! The rooms sold out so quickly that we wound up getting a more expensive room but well worth the price. Can you talk more about visas? We're awaiting our passports (they were OLD and we needed new ones) and about to cruise from the US to EU and UK. So...what's the story with Visas? We'll stay in the UK after the cruise. TY!
There are also some western Balkan countries still outside the Schengen, such as Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, although I've read that Montenegro could be next to join the Schengen.
Any idea why the European’s have had such a change in attitude/heart toward Americans. 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️ My husband and I love Europe. Our son lived in England for four years. We spent a month in Europe last summer and had an amazing experience. We cannot wait to return, but this information is definitely new to us and eye opening. Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and experiences. 💕🇨🇱💕
I am now digging deeper into this (as a librarian - I love researching) and it seems the locals in these cities (at least Barcelona) feel they are being driven out by higher costs of normal living/renting a flat…still researching…but I do know that some US cities don’t allow AirBnbs - I’ve checked into being an AirBnb owner myself in the US. I certainly don’t have your expertise, because my husband and I are not yet living the “slow travel” retirement life yet, but we are still aiming for it. But…we do absolutely LOVE Europe. I just want to understand the European view before passing judgement and “negatively” commenting on travel to Europe…just really want to understand their views. We actually feel safer and more at home in Europe than in the US. I’m sure some viewers would tell me to just move there and I would happily say I would LOVE to! No disrespect intended at all, but I do think we have to put ourselves into the European citizens’ positions.
Europeans have not had a change of heart. Barcelona rent prices skyrocketed because of Airbnb. And inflation happened and is still happening in many countries in Europe. It isn’t about Americans. The tourists in Europe are from all over the world!
I'm from America, living in Europe. It's not an anti-American sentiment. Most visitors to Southern Europe are northern Europeans. Believe it or not, the English have a worse reputation than Americans do. It's just not talked about as much. I would not write off Europe, just Spain for now.
The key to travel in Europe is to stay outside of the city and take public transportation to and from town. Or stay in a hotel. If you are not staying in prime airbnb location then you are not taking it away from a local. And while there, be respectful.
@@rhondamcgee2114 My most recent reading talks about the mismanagement of tourists dollars 💵. That the money 💰 is displacing locals and taking jobs and livelihoods away from the Mom and Pop businesses. I am not surprised to hear that just like here in the US that the people in power (politics)are not acting on the behalf of those that they represent.
First I'm hearing of shengen, sorry if spelled wrong. Maybe explain for us newer listeners
I'll try to give you the short version. It's spelled Schengen. It's currently 29 European countries (best to look up a map) that have abolished their internal borders to allow the free and unrestricted movement of people. If you are familiar with the US, traveling freely from state to state, the Schengen is the similar but country to country. Once you enter the Schengen, you can only stay 90 days within any 180 period. As it is quite often stated, it is a rolling 180 period. You do not have to stay consecutive days. For instance, you could enter for 45 days, go out for 45 days, back in for 45 days then out for 45 days. Maybe not the most economical way to travel, but you could. Be careful not to go over 90 days or you could receive penalties or be banned from returning. Oh, and travel delays are not an excuse for exceeding your 90 days. So I've heard people mention that they plan their travel to leave a day or two early in case their flight (or what ever mode) is delayed. There are apps to help you plan and keep track of your days in the Schengen.
For an actual example, you could fly into Italy and stay 30 days. Move on to Austria and stay 30 days. Then head over to Germany where you could stay 30 days before you would need to leave before your 90 days are up. You then would have to remain out of all Schengen countries before returning to any of them.
Hope this helps. And yes, that was my attempt at the short version while still getting the point across. 🤭
We plan to travel to London and France. We are a bit nervous about the riots and general chaos. We have friends in South London so cancelling London hotel to stay with them!
@Cynthia-f7e ya we will be in London end of January before heading to wales etc. We're a little concerned also just gotta keep head on a swivel
Don’t visit the USA then. We have protests and chaos daily in many major cities too. Lol
Good info, but the same rules are for years that way if you want to go and stay in the USA. Maximum 3 months stay and the tracking fine are used there for years. Just for people not coming from the USA this extra info.
Sounds like you should be seeking dual citizenship with countries, such as Ireland, Portugal, or Spain that enable open travel through the Schengen Area.
What about Albania, Bulgaria and Turkey etc?
Still some good non-Schengen options
IHG is only offering 80% bonus to purchase points. But the exchange is 0.00555 per point or 180,000 points for $1,000. You have mentioned that they offer a 0.005 conversion twice a year. Is the 80% the new normal?
It's a big earth. Who needs Europe? After seeing the olympic opening ceremony, I no longer have even a curiosity to see Paris.
European here.
Yes, then please stay away.
Britain is not in the Schengen zone.
I've been to Europe and it is beautiful. But keep it. If you make it difficult or not nice for me, I'm not coming. There is plenty to do in the United States. Also, a major war could break out there at any time.
Same thing about the US..
War in Europe any day?! 😂😂👍🏽
That’s funny considering the number of mass shootings per week that there are in America.
War? Where? In Europe?
What are you saying????
I live in Europe and I have no clue what country you might refer to
Putins aspirations aren’t limited to Ukraine. Poland needs to be vigilant. Trump has already encouraged Putin to attack NATO allies. Hopefully Harris wins and reaffirms support for NATO.
I refer to the answer right above "war may break out any day"
The one you talk about is already on.
So many of the cards with great point rewards are for US residents only. ☹
Are they going to ban short term less than 30 only? Or all airbnb?
River cruises, or is there not a lot of value?
AirBnb has wiped out the housing market for locals.
Love your channel and usually find it informative. But your Schengen comments are quite misleading. There are still MANY beautiful European countries outside of the Schengen zone: Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovinia, Ireland, Turkey...and on and on. And I can tell you from experience, the locals are generally welcoming and delighted to meet travelers.
Do points expire?
wow, whats the point of traveling into europe at lengthy and expensive time frame. i think i will just have to rethink my plans to go back to europe in the furture. if they don't want me i don't need to spend my hard earned money there. we spent 6 months traveling around europe and england in 2022 and loved it. would have considered it again but...not with this attitude.
How to buy points please? Can you buy them for flights as well?
IHG website says you can’t buy points???
They will open a small window to purchase points and will even give you a bonus offer if you do purchase points.
At 54 and recently laid off, I’m at a breaking point. With $425K saved for early retirement at 70, $10K in an HSA, and a property that could yield an additional $200K, what are my options for generating steady income?
I’m unsure weather to find another job or merge all my investment accounts into one. If I do, how should I handle it, and are there any potential drawbacks? I also plan to sell my property, which could add $200K over time. Should I consolidate my investments into a single account or spread them across various markets?
These are crucial questions for a financial planner. I met mine at a NYSE summit, and with her help, my wife and I reallocated our $1.7M portfolio between a traditional IRA and a brokerage account. She’s been making investments with our approval and has helped us recover twice our losses. We’re holding steady and carefully navigating more markets
That’s impressive! My portfolio is struggling. Who’s the advisor?
June Renae Matthysse. Look her up online; she’s well-known.
I found her contact info and sent an email. Thanks! Hoping for a reply soon.
There are so many excellent smaller cities and quiet towns to visit in Europe. I'm not sure why people would want to travel for vacation to crowded cities with Gypsy pickpockets!
Hate for tourists makes no sense. It is the usual "They're taking all our jobs crowd" that moan, but you're creating jobs...
F Spain