This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Eric and Christina Schwendeman, who left the US in 2022 to retire in Italy. The couple now does the “Schengen shuffle.” Schengen countries allow non-EU visitors to stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. The “Schengen shuffle” refers to the practice of non-EU travelers hopping between both Schengen and non-Schengen countries indefinitely. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Christina: We had gotten our elective residency visas, which allowed us to live in Italy full time. Those were valid for two years, so after that period was up, we decided for a variety of reasons that we wouldn’t renew them.
Eric: A lot of the motivation was that we’re traveling so much and we want to see so much of the world.
Christina: We started the Schengen shuffle in December 2024. There are 29 countries in the Schengen Agreement, which essentially are countries in Europe that allow free and open borders between them. So, if we want to drive from Italy to France, we don’t go through passport control.
We decided we wanted to do that instead of being full-time residents of Italy. Italy is one of the 29 countries in the Schengen area, so we said, “Okay, we can keep our house in Italy, stay there for 90 days, then go travel for 90 days, and come back.”
It’s the best of both worlds for us.
The Schwendemans have visited around 12 new countries this year
Eric: We’ve seen around 12 new countries this year, far and wide, from Southeast Asia to the Balkans.
We did Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia. We went to Hong Kong and Macau. Then, we flew down to the Philippines for two weeks. We spent almost two weeks in India and then came home to Italy.
One of the things that we committed to was spending ample time in areas that allow us to see it, to experience it, and give ourselves days of rest in between, instead of just racing nonstop 24/7.
Christina: It allows you to become more a part of communities and — I think a lot of people use this phrase — more of a traveler than a tourist.
A great example for us is that we spent a month in Perast, Montenegro. It’s a very small town. By the time we left, we knew everyone. Like Eric said, we made friends that we’ve seen again since we left. We could go into any restaurant and know everybody by name. To be able to do that in a different community is just something really special.
Eric: I would say that 85% of the time we’re staying in Airbnbs.
Christina: If you get an Airbnb with your own kitchen, you can go grocery shopping and cook at home. That makes a big difference for us. If we’re staying anywhere longer than a week, it’s Airbnb because we want to feel like we have a base.
Transportation can get tricky, but we try not to fly a lot because it’s obviously the most expensive option. A lot of countries have phenomenal train systems, so we try to take advantage of those.
And packing is interesting. For 90 days at a time, we committed to each other that we would only each take one medium-sized suitcase.
Christina and Eric’s best tip for doing the Schengen shuffle: plan
Eric: Plan, plan, and plan some more when you think you’re done.
Christina: And then be ready to realize that something will inevitably go wrong with that plan. Flexibility is key. Travel is never without hiccups, so just be ready to roll with the punches.
It’s something you’ll remember for the rest of your life. We try never to think that anything that happens through this is ever bad. It’s just part of the adventure.
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