Destinations
The Journey Begins in Europe …
We plan to spend the first few years focused on destinations in Southern Europe, with occasional trips to Eastern and Western Europe. We’re traveling visa-free, so we’ll move in and out of the Schengen Area every 90 days or so.
Our general plan is (was) to visit Italy in spring and fall and spend the winter and summer months split between Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Romania, and Bulgaria.
We followed the plan pretty closely in 2022. We were in Italy for the spring and fall; and in Bosnia, Croatia, and Montenegro for the summer and winter. Croatia entered the Schengen Area in January 2023, so our non-Schengen options have become slightly more limited.
Our travels in 2023 again went according to plan. We spent the spring in Italy, the summer in Romania and Bulgaria, and the fall in Slovakia, Austria, and Croatia. Then, we headed down the Dalmatian Coast for winter in Montenegro and Albania.
We had planned on returning to Romania and Bulgaria for the summer of 2024, but Romania and Bulgaria entered the Schengen Area on March 31, 2024. So, we changed our itinerary slightly and spent the summer in Bosnia and Serbia. We’re spending the fall in Hungary, Austria, and Italy before we head back to Albania for the winter.
We’re writing about our experience in each destination while we’re there and will post soon after we leave.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina), often referred to as Bosnia, is in the western Balkans, bordering Croatia to the north and west, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast. It has a narrow coast about 20 kilometers (12 miles) long on the Adriatic Sea.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (Bŭlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is in Southeast Europe. It’s located west of the Black Sea and south of the Danube River. Bulgaria shares borders with Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and North Macedonia to the west, and Romania to the north. Its coastline on the Black Sea is 354 kilometers (220 miles) long.
Bulgaria boasts a diverse terrain with the Black Sea coastline, a mountainous interior, and several rivers, including the Danube.
Croatia
Croatia (Hrvatska) is located along the Adriatic Sea, with Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the southeast, and Montenegro to the south.
Part of the territory in the extreme south surrounding Dubrovnik is an exclave separated by a short coastline strip belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of July 2022, the Pelješac Bridge connects the exclave with mainland Croatia.
Hungary
Coming Soon!
Italy
Italy (Repubblica Italiana) borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia in the north. To the south, it covers the Italian Peninsula surrounded by four seas: the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea in the south, and the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west.
Additionally, Italy consists of the islands of Sicily and Sardinia (the two biggest islands of the Mediterranean) and many smaller islands.
Including islands, Italy has a coastline of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 mi). The sovereign states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d’Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.
Montenegro
Montenegro (Crna Gora) is located along the Adriatic Sea in the southwest Balkans. It borders Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the north, Serbia and Kosovo in the west, and Albania in the south.
Although it’s a small country, it has very diverse terrain. There are high mountains in the north, a karst segment in the central and western parts, and a narrow coastal plain in the south.
The coast of Montenegro is 183 miles long and includes the Bay of Kotor, which is surrounded by mountains that plunge almost vertically into the sea.
Romania
Romania is located at the intersection of Central, Eastern, and Southeast Europe. It shares its borders with Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea to the southeast.
Romania is known for the forested region of Transylvania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains. Its preserved medieval towns include Brasov, Sibiu, and Sighişoara. There are many fortified churches and castles, notably Bran Castle, long associated with the Dracula legend.
Bucharest, the country’s capital, is home to the massive Palace of Parliament, the world’s second-largest administrative building.
Serbia
Serbia, officially known as the Republic of Serbia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Southeast and Central Europe. It is located on the Balkan Peninsula and borders Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east, North Macedonia and Kosovo to the south, and Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro to the west.
Belgrade is the capital and the largest city, while Novi Sad is the second largest city.
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially known as the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country located in Central Europe. It shares borders with Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest.
Bratislava is the capital and the largest city, while Košice is the second largest city.
Slovenia
Slovenia, a country in Central Europe, is known for its mountains and lakes. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and has a short coastline within the Adriatic Sea to the southwest.
Ljubljana is the capital and the largest city.
Future Destinations
In addition to Southern and Eastern Europe, the third year of our travels will take us to several destinations in Central Europe.
Czechia
Spring 2025