Dubrovnik and The Schengen Agreement

If you have ever seen photos of Dubrovnik (or perhaps you have been there) then you know that the old walled city is stunning. It was heavily damaged during the war, by Serb and Montenegrin forces, but fortunately has been almost fully restored. When you look at the map of the areas that sustained damage and destruction, it is truly remarkable because most of it was affected. Unesco designated Dubrovnik as a World Heritage site, as it has done in many, many locations in Croatia, and so with that support, miracles can happen!

The huge, deep harbour and “wow factor” make Dubrovnik a premier destination for cruise ships. The 3 or 4 days that I was there, a couple of these behemoths arrived, and the seething masses of passengers descended upon the small town. It is actually very well set up to receive thousands of tourists at a time, which it does especially in the summer months. There are dozens and dozens of café bars and restaurants, and high end fashion shops and jewellers. And of course there is a charming market where one can peruse the local handicrafts and specialty foods (honey, lavender, figs wreaths, walnuts, garlic braids, et cetera).

On the bus trip from Split to Dubrovnik, I met a young woman, Carly from Australia, who was also travelling solo. I had already made a reservation in Dubrovnik at a hostel, but she hadn’t. The instant we got off the bus, we were approached by a man offering accommodation at this place, and did we need some and would we like to come and see it, he would drive us there right now, yes? This kind of thing happens at most bus stations in eastern Europe so we weren’t surprised, but as usual found it very irritating. Of course he was quite insistent, even though we told him several times that we already had accommodation, thank you very much. Never mind, I will drive you there, he said, after the next bus comes in a few minutes. Another younger man came over and spoke with us too, and he assured us that this was all fine and that the fellow, who was his friend, was just being friendly and helpful, not to worry. Both of them spoke good English, especially the younger one, and so we were able to have a good conversation about Croatia politics and its complex history, and the Schengen Agreement (more about that later…) and the EU. So, 15 minutes later we were indeed being ushered to the hostel of his competitor, with a detour to a viewpoint over the old city, by this lovely fellow who was just being helpful. Croatians are a friendly people.

The hostel was in a private residence, which is often the case. The host family consisted of Mr and Mrs and 2 adult sons. They all spoke English with plenty of proficiency, and were welcoming and enthusiastic hosts. They obviously have a steady flow of travelers through their hostel all year round. There were already another 5 or 6 travelers there when we arrived, 4 of whom were at the hostel in Split with me - two Australian lads, and the two girls from Oz and New Zealand. It was nice to catch up with them, and introduce Carly to some young compatriots.

Okay, here it goes - I will tell you about the Schengen Agreement, in case you don't already know. I certainly didn't. Never heard of it, in fact. It is an agreement between European nations (all western, central and some eastern) that provides free and easy access to citizens from member countries for travel and business. As the years go by, more countries sign on to the agreement. It is a separate entity from the EU, and not all EU nations are part of it, and not all nations in Schengen are EU. But for the most part it, they mirror each other. The hitch is in how the Agreement affects foreign travelers. As a non-Schengen traveler, you are only allowed to be inside Schengen countries for a TOTAL of 3 months within a 6 month period. Once you have used up your 3 month welcome, you must leave and not return for another 3 months, at which point you will begin a new 3/6 month period. As more and more countries sign on, the harder and harder it becomes for non Schengen travelers to enjoy lengthly stays, because the allowable time period remains the same. At this point some of eastern Europe is still open for non Schengen travellers, but countries like Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Greece are all included in Schengen. So, if you are planning an extended period of travel in Europe, be careful to figure out where and how long you want to stay in each country, 'cause if you get caught overstaying your welcome you will be deported with a 400 Euro fine. It is my understanding that this ruling is primarily to keep folks from countries like Albania from coming to member nations and staying. But it certainly applies to travelers and is proving to be a real thorn in the side.

I learned about this from Carly, the young traveler from Australia. She encountered difficulties crossing from Slovenia into Croatia, having spent 3 months in Italy and having more than used up her allowable time. She had never heard of this agreement either, until the border officials took her aside, and threatened her with a 400 Euro fine. Luckily, one of the officials was sympathetic to her ignorance and her youth, and she was waived through to Croatia without penalty. But she has had to completely change her travel plans to Europe, which is fine, but still the risk of trying to get back into a Schengen nation is too great for her to contemplate until she has stayed out for 3 months. We have met others who are having to be extra careful about their travel plans. There is more or less a consensus of opinion that if you fly into, stay inside and fly out of Schengen, then no one will bother you, presuming that even if you stay longer than 3 months the very fact that you are getting on a plane and flying out should be satisfactory to authorities. However, you just don't know until you try....

Meanwhile, back in Dubrovnik, the weather was greatly improved and holding steady at well above seasonal norms and dry. This made for lovely views from up on the city walls, and out to sea. There are many beaches for swimming and lazing about, but not in the late fall. It is a great town to meander around and sit and people watch. I stayed for 3 nights, and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere at the hostel with the other travelers and with our hosts who invited us all up to their dining room to share potatoes and local brandy and wine, and laughs.

Carly and I decided to team up and head to Kotor, Montenegro as our next destination.