Travelling within Europe is generally smooth and easy for people travelling around the 27 countries of the European Union. You can cross many borders within the Schengen area without any formalities. Additionally, the Euro makes both travelling and shopping much more convenient in the countries that have introduced this joint currency. Take advantage of all that is on offer and note that 6 of the 10 most visited countries in the world are European nations.

Content
Most visited European countries
Documents you will need to travel within Europe
Money
Getting to Europe
Communications
Worldwide top 10 visited countries from Europe
Here is a list of the European countries that are in the list of top 10 most visited countries worldwide.

France
Spain
Italy
Turkey
United Kingdom
Germany
A well preserved cultural heritage, open borders and efficient infrastructure makes visiting Europe easy, and rarely will you have to travel more than a few hours before you can immerse yourself in a new culture. Although Europe is the world's smallest continent in terms of land surface area, there are profound differences between the cultures and ways of life in the various European countries.

Documents you will need
Documents you will need if travelling in Europe.

For EU citizens
Passport or identity card
There are no longer any frontier controls at the borders between 22 EU countries which form the Schengen Area. This is thanks to the Schengen rules which are part of EU law. These rules remove all internal border controls but put in place effective controls at the external borders of the EU and introduce a common visa policy. All EU countries are full Schengen members except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are also Schengen members but are not members of the EU.

You will therefore need to present a valid passport or ID card when travelling to the five non-Schengen countries and when entering or leaving the EU at it's external borders. You should also carry them when travelling within the EU because they may be required for identification or security purposes. Be aware that the only documents valid for travel are either a Passport, or a nationally issued citizen ID card which has been endorsed for international travel by the issuing state.

Make sure that any children travelling with you have their own passport or ID card to travel.

Visa
You will not need a visa for travel within the EU.

For non-EU citizens
Passport
You will need a valid passport.

Visa
There are 42 countries whose nationals do not need a visa to visit the EU for three months or less. These include Australia, Canada, Croatia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. The list of countries whose nationals require visas to travel to the United Kingdom or Ireland differs slightly from other EU countries. We can help to apply for a visa. Contact us if you need our assistance.

If your visa is from a country fully applying the Schengen rules, it automatically allows you to travel to the other Schengen countries as well. Moreover, if you have a valid residence permit from one of those Schengen countries, it is equivalent to a visa. You may need a national visa to visit non-Schengen countries.

Border officials in EU countries may ask for other supporting documents such as an invitation letter, proof of funds and accomodation, return or round-trip ticket. For the precise requirements contact us.