Best Schengen Shelters?

I'm an American who wants to live in Europe (yes, I've been and lived there before), but can only stay for 90 days at a time within a six month period thanks to the asinine rules around the Shengen zone. And now, thanks to Croatia joining the Shengen in full, the best shelter country is gone.

So now I've come to ask, what are the best alternatives? I'm looking to spend $1,500-$2,500 (median). The former Soviet union states seem sketchy and undeveloped, but I'd love to be wrong. Is the UK worth living in?

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  1. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >I'm looking to spend $1,500-$2,500 (median)
    $1,500-$2,500 per month, sorry

  2. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >. The former Soviet union states seem sketchy and undeveloped
    Unless you're planning on staying outside the main cities you're fine.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Okay also what is dating culture like in balkan countries?

  3. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >asinine rules
    America has the same rules for Europeans, you entitled snowflake.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      What if they're asinine for both?

  4. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >The former Soviet union states seem sketchy and undeveloped
    Only three of them in schengen
    >estonia
    >latvia
    >lithuania
    Nothing sketchy about baltics anymore, worst parts of those countries are less developed areas with russian speaking population.

  5. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I like the UK, personally, although with current inflation levels the nicest bits are weirdly overpriced. You don't necessarily get what you pay for. But you get six months visa free as a Yank, which makes it a convenient place to duck out of Schengen and visit. Haters will, of course, hate.

    There's also the advantage of it being English-speaking, so easier to navigate in general than, say, Albania, which is actually a wonderful place in some respects but extremely rough around the edges. Really, it's pretty rough all over. Extremely cheap and pretty friendly, though, and Americans can get in for a year visa free. The language is difficult, though, with no living relatives, so communication with about 70% of the population isn't necessarily easy, although you may meet guest workers who've come back from Italy, Greece, or Germany, in that order, if you speak any of those, and lots of young people obviously study English.

    Romania, still unable to get into Schengen, is quite civilized nowadays in the nice parts of Bucharest or Sibiu or Brasov or wherever... people also say nice things about Timisoara, but I've never been there. The Black Sea Coast there is to me an appealing combination of beautiful and poor/Eurotrashy (similar development level to say, Sicily or somewhere else in Southern Italy, but with commieblocks).

    I have only passing acquaintance with Bulgaria, but would say that Sofia is arguably more attractive than Tirana (fewer stray dogs) but less attractive than Bucharest. Haven't really spent time in Serbia but people I know love it dearly. Supposed to be good for nightlife. MonteBlack is pleasant and sleepy with a strong whiff of organized crime. I like the cruddy ex-Yugo countries but they definitely skew sketchy/undeveloped.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      All that said, though, where in Europe do you actually want to "live?" Portugal is cheap and has an accessible visa program for independent workers/digital nomads, and once you get a residence permit there you can de facto travel freely around the rest of the Schengen area. As I understand it, the 90-days-in-180 rule still theoretically applies when you leave Portugal, but with no border controls it's not enforceable. I have a Schengen residence permit and travel around quite a lot outside of the country of my residence.

      Spain also has a program if you have a demonstrated *passive* income, as far as I recall, but I believe Americans still have to make a significant real estate investment to qualify for real long-term residency there if working remotely.

      You couldn't live or work full-time in another EU country with those papers, but you're not signing leases on apartments for your 90 day stays, anyway.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      All that said, though, where in Europe do you actually want to "live?" Portugal is cheap and has an accessible visa program for independent workers/digital nomads, and once you get a residence permit there you can de facto travel freely around the rest of the Schengen area. As I understand it, the 90-days-in-180 rule still theoretically applies when you leave Portugal, but with no border controls it's not enforceable. I have a Schengen residence permit and travel around quite a lot outside of the country of my residence.

      Spain also has a program if you have a demonstrated *passive* income, as far as I recall, but I believe Americans still have to make a significant real estate investment to qualify for real long-term residency there if working remotely.

      You couldn't live or work full-time in another EU country with those papers, but you're not signing leases on apartments for your 90 day stays, anyway.

      >All that said, though, where in Europe do you actually want to "live?"
      All over, which is why I can't really do the Portugal Visa. Besides being extremely complex (or as far as I can tell, I've never done a visa before and it looks like I would literally have to fly to DC to submit my application, you need proof of residence in portugal for 12 months, and I don't want to live in portugal for 12 months.

      I lived in Vienna for a month, enjoyed that, though I would also like to spend time in other countries like Spain, France, Portugal, and maybe Poland, Czechia, and Hungary (read: Budapest).

      Turkey is nice in the winter you can get an apartment for $10-$25, Mostar and Trebinje is nice in the winter, $20 apartments but the rest of Bosnia isn't, cold with foul air. Romania is very nice $25-35 apartments, Bulgaria is OK. Albania nice and cheap. Generally the air is toxic in the balkans in the winter and the weather sucks. If you aren't a loser you can get a gf i have never had so many women stare at me with looks of save me save me,, everyone in the balkans wants to leave for economic reasons not knowing that in the west you have to get AIDS of the body and mind and castrate your children and sell your soul to the devil

      Is Turkey dangerous? Sorry but I am rather clueless on non-western countries, I was raised with the impression that they are all free-for-alls with people fighting for survival daily. I am just a young innocent white boy American not a pushover but I'm not going to pretend I'm some hardened veteran who people know not to frick with.

      Greece has a program to attract digital nomads. I just visited a relative who has an apartment like 1.5-2 miles outside the center of Patras(3rd largest Greek city that is coastal) and her husband said he is paying like 260-280€ for their 2 bedroom apartment.

      With your budget you could ball in Greece. Get a nice apartment, eat almost meals outside and still have a large entertainment budget. And it’s a country where you almost can’t live far from the coast and awesome beaches unless you really try hard.

      What is the visa process like for americans? Do I actually have to stay in Greece? I don't really want to stay in one place longer than 2-3 months at most. I want to book airbnbs for that amount of time essentially.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        >Hungary (read: Budapest)
        Are you a gay? Eurotrash visit Budapest because it's like home with different architecture, lower prices, and "lol, funny language" but "everyone" (in the areas they stay in) speaks English. You mention you're American, so I have to wonder why you would only want to visit the Eurotrash containment zone. Is it because you're gay, want to do sex tourism, and Budapest is the only part of the country you think you would be safe? As a gay man who lives outside the capital, I promise that's not the case.

  6. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Turkey is nice in the winter you can get an apartment for $10-$25, Mostar and Trebinje is nice in the winter, $20 apartments but the rest of bosnia isn't, cold with foul air. Romania is very nice $25-35 apartments, Bulgaria is OK. Albania nice and cheap. Generally the air is toxic in the balkans in the winter and the weather sucks. If you aren't a loser you can get a gf i have never had so many women stare at me with looks of save me save me,, everyone in the balkans wants to leave for economic reasons not knowing that in the west you have to get AIDS of the body and mind and castrate your children and sell your soul to the devil

  7. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Greece has a program to attract digital nomads. I just visited a relative who has an apartment like 1.5-2 miles outside the center of Patras(3rd largest Greek city that is coastal) and her husband said he is paying like 260-280€ for their 2 bedroom apartment.

    With your budget you could ball in Greece. Get a nice apartment, eat almost meals outside and still have a large entertainment budget. And it’s a country where you almost can’t live far from the coast and awesome beaches unless you really try hard.

  8. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I'm not sure why you through Croatia was "the best". I'm not going to name my favorite, because I don't want it ruined, but Serbia (outside of Belgrade) is nice. I haven't been yet, but I've heard good things about Albania. Cyprus is chill, and you can travel to northern Cyprus to escape EU bullshit. Wait... why would you want to be in EU/Schengen the rest of the time? The EU is shit, and (assuming your money comes from abroad) you'll have better quality of life outside it.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >I'm not going to name my favorite, because I don't want it ruined
      yes the 12 anons on this board are going to single-handedly ruin an entire country
      >The EU is shit
      base creature

  9. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Belorussia is unironically better than many eu countrys. Cyprus is great to get residency and taxes. Tunisia gets better and better. Uk is a shithole. Istanbul is turkey but way more european than the rest of the country. Less islamism, very open and hates erdogan. Malta but its small and gets boring quickly. Gerogia is paradies

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Isn't it a bit expensive

  10. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    frick off we don't want you here

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      your sister disagrees

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Why?

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          americans are just really nice people

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          BBC

  11. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Go to the UK, or at least western Europe. As an american you will definitely hate living in eastern Europe and even central Europe

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >go to the UK
      which parts
      >or at least western europe
      just missed the entire point of the thread good job
      >central europe
      I've already been and I liked it
      >eastern europe
      Why? ngl your advice seems kind of shit so far

  12. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Western Ukraine unironically

  13. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    frick off we're full

  14. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    If your American you can stay in Albania for a year it's super cheap as well you can also go to Macedonia or turkey/ Turkish Cyprus

    I was just in Albania for a month

  15. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    just had this issue. I chose to go to Tunisia. Cheap as hell, great food, beautiful weather, very interesting culture. You'd spend a hell of a lot less than $1,500 a month if you go there. Helps if you can speak French.

    Would recommend 100% if it wasn't so dangerous. Hit some dodgy situations during my time there. But if you stay around Tunis (the capital) and keep a low profile you should be good

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      That's not a European country

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